radiobeartime

Figaro-Pravda

While some people watched Eurovision or walked the dog or had the first quiet pint in months Dominic Cummings spent the weekend writing a very, very long Twitter thread on the pandemic. Yes, it’s full of ludicrous wannabe techbro nonsense, if you are reduced to approvingly quoting Paul Graham then you really need to takeContinue reading “Figaro-Pravda”

Silence. Logic. Security. Prudence.

Gales, hail, and torrential rain. Spring is definitely here and so a young person’s thoughts inevitably turn to digital government. This week has brought the launch of the new GDS three year strategy, wise thoughts on service design, and a range of questions on Twitter about where we have got to some 10 years onContinue reading “Silence. Logic. Security. Prudence.”

NDA #3 – Minded

I have written before about 2 of the programmes I have worked on where the NDAs I signed have expired. This one is different. For a start, there are no bears involved but, more importantly, the status of that NDA is unknown for reasons which will become apparent. For reasons which escape me, humanity hasContinue reading “NDA #3 – Minded”

The Naming of the Parts

Names are tricky things. Take mine, Mark O’Neill, or as gaeilge, Mark ó néill. Even the Irish original is easy enough for most people to pronounce. But what if my first name was Padraig? Or Tadhg? Or Cathal? That last name includes a shibboleth, a sound which is hard for people outside a culture toContinue reading “The Naming of the Parts”

Keats and Chapman make a bet

One time Keats and Chapman made a bet. They had been discussing the concept of “charisma”, how humans might take on that intangible glamour most usually reserved for the gods. Keats stated that charisma was an external projection, whereas Chapman insisted it reflected an internal quality. Their debate could have spun on endlessly if Keats’sContinue reading “Keats and Chapman make a bet”

Bear facing North West

Another year and another NDA has expired. This project was very different from the Crumble project, whilst it was still in North America this time it was a civil administration in Canada. One of the hidden problems for digital transformation is infrastructure. There is little point in moving all services online if nobody can accessContinue reading “Bear facing North West”

Halloween for the Socially Distancing

I have written a short and simple game for people with children who would like to go Trick or Treating but cannot this year 😦 Enjoy!

Roffa goes to school

Roffa was torn. On the one paw, she liked routine. Her morning and evening bowls of Roffa food should be in the kitchen every day in the same place and at the same time. And it should be the same food too! Same bowl, same place, same time, same food. Those were Roffa’s views andContinue reading “Roffa goes to school”

Why do dogs howl at the moon?

In which the reader learns the truth of why dogs howl at the full moon, thanks to Roffa the excellent dog

Bear Books

We all need to be able to look beyond the world we can see from our windows during lockdown so this is a page of genre reading suggestions. I have deliberately stuck with genre books as they are what I reach for in times of stress. And this is my list, yours will be differentContinue reading “Bear Books”