Richard Bown
@bownie.bsky.social
Writer in NL. Exploring the human cost of using AI and the cult of personality in big tech. Debut novel is about small-town folk taking on data centres & AI and winning. "Office Space" meets "The Pelican Brief"
https://linktr.ee/bown_richard
https://linktr.ee/bown_richard
Pinned
Richard Bown
@bownie.bsky.social
· Oct 22
Human Software is now available via Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and many others including Kobo, Leanpub.
For all the ways to buy in paperback and e-book:
humansoftwarebook.com/how-to-purch...
#booksky #writingcommunity #selfpublished
For all the ways to buy in paperback and e-book:
humansoftwarebook.com/how-to-purch...
#booksky #writingcommunity #selfpublished
Every time I watch the winning shot from yesterday's GB US women's curling match, I burst into tears. I really don't think I'll be able to stomach today.
February 19, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Every time I watch the winning shot from yesterday's GB US women's curling match, I burst into tears. I really don't think I'll be able to stomach today.
Gosh, I thought I was angry until I read @bobbyllew.bsky.social
llewellyn.substack.com/p/its-not-ga...
llewellyn.substack.com/p/its-not-ga...
It's Not Gambling, Honestly
It's 'Prediction Marketing.'
llewellyn.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Gosh, I thought I was angry until I read @bobbyllew.bsky.social
llewellyn.substack.com/p/its-not-ga...
llewellyn.substack.com/p/its-not-ga...
This is fucking great. I wrote my book as an homage to "Local Hero", and while it didn't quite turn out that way, it definitely is still one of my favourite films ever!
stupid I know, but that's made me a bit teary. And, unlike most film stars, just as tall in real life.
YESSSSS!
February 18, 2026 at 5:50 PM
This is fucking great. I wrote my book as an homage to "Local Hero", and while it didn't quite turn out that way, it definitely is still one of my favourite films ever!
Watching Small Prophets and it's delightful.
February 18, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Watching Small Prophets and it's delightful.
Sent the book off into the Dutch library system today. I wonder how I get it into the British library system? I need to investigate that...
February 18, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Sent the book off into the Dutch library system today. I wonder how I get it into the British library system? I need to investigate that...
One of these days, I might even nail a five-minute presentation. Here's my rant from @cfgmgmtcamp.bsky.social the other week. Did I mention I wrote a book? :) #writingcommunity #booksky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJD-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJD-...
How We Treat Each Other At Work - Richard W. Bown
YouTube video by CityTV.nl
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 10:08 AM
One of these days, I might even nail a five-minute presentation. Here's my rant from @cfgmgmtcamp.bsky.social the other week. Did I mention I wrote a book? :) #writingcommunity #booksky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJD-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJD-...
Had this one on earlier today. Perfect weather for it!
February 17, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Had this one on earlier today. Perfect weather for it!
I'm writing a screenplay and wanted to keep the whole thing around 20-25 minutes. But I notice I'm only starting to get a grip on the characters and the shape by around page 17. And then I find this, and I'm wondering if this isn't something longer trying to get out... toddpack.com/2010/12/08/t...
The 17-minute rule
I learned about the 17-minute rule a few years ago when I was reading a book about screenwriting. The idea is that the first act of pretty much any movie ends around page 17 of the screenplay…
toddpack.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:30 PM
I'm writing a screenplay and wanted to keep the whole thing around 20-25 minutes. But I notice I'm only starting to get a grip on the characters and the shape by around page 17. And then I find this, and I'm wondering if this isn't something longer trying to get out... toddpack.com/2010/12/08/t...
Reposted by Richard Bown
Meta has patented AI that can run a dead person's account, continuing to post and chat on their behalf
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
February 16, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Meta has patented AI that can run a dead person's account, continuing to post and chat on their behalf
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
It can message and video call by replicating a user's online behavior using their past data
Reposted by Richard Bown
Writing is thinking.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It’s easy to think writing is mainly the transcription of ideas you already have—that is, until you try to write something worthwhile, and you find what you thought were saying transform into something far more interesting in the process. This skips that last step, and that is *not* an improvement.
“We plan to hire an AI rewrite specialist to ingest the reporting by Hannah and others and use AI to convert it into stories.”
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
The editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said it will use AI to ‘write’ its articles.
www.cleveland.com/news/2025/10...
February 16, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Writing is thinking.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
It's not some marginal boring task you can skip. It's the heart of it.
Reposted by Richard Bown
Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
February 17, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
Writing should bring some form of relief, validation or clarity to your work, life or ideas. If it's not doing any of those things, then I'd suggest you're doing it wrong.
February 17, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Writing should bring some form of relief, validation or clarity to your work, life or ideas. If it's not doing any of those things, then I'd suggest you're doing it wrong.
Joy to the fucking world
GitHub previews Agentic Workflows as part of continuous AI concept
GitHub previews Agentic Workflows as part of continuous AI concept
Won't replace traditional CI/CD – and still in early development – so use 'at your own risk'
Agentic workflows - where an AI agent runs automatically in GitHub Actions - are now in technical preview, following their introduction at the Universe event in San Francisco last year.…
dlvr.it
February 17, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Joy to the fucking world
Last couple years while I endured another mind-fucking job I wrote notes to keep myself sane. Time to bin that shit.
February 17, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Last couple years while I endured another mind-fucking job I wrote notes to keep myself sane. Time to bin that shit.
This looks fantastic. I probably need to get it, seeing as I was a Strawberry Sundae regular in the late 90s djmag.com/features/not...
Not Going Home: photographing ’90s UK clubbers in the early-morning afterglow
Shot during the summer of 1998, Mischa Haller’s Not Going Home photobook is a window into the UK post-night out landscape. Daniel Dylan Wray learns more
djmag.com
February 16, 2026 at 1:23 PM
This looks fantastic. I probably need to get it, seeing as I was a Strawberry Sundae regular in the late 90s djmag.com/features/not...
HotWax @ Cinetol last night. Brilliant 90s sound for all the old rockers like me. And yes, I bought a vinyl for my daughter.
February 16, 2026 at 8:00 AM
HotWax @ Cinetol last night. Brilliant 90s sound for all the old rockers like me. And yes, I bought a vinyl for my daughter.
I love writers
douglas adams was our most accurate futurist
We are at an airport restaurant. A robot just drove up to us with our food, said, "Hi! Here I am!" and then drove away with our food.
February 15, 2026 at 10:48 PM
I love writers
It's been almost five months since I self-published my debut novel. What did I get right, and what did I get wrong, and how do I protect myself from marketing burnout the next time around? Some thoughts. #writingcommunity #booksky richardwbown.com/what-ive-lea...
What I've Learnt From Publishing A Novel - An Open Door by Richard W. Bown
What I've Learnt From Publishing A Novel Craft and Creativity
richardwbown.com
February 15, 2026 at 1:34 PM
It's been almost five months since I self-published my debut novel. What did I get right, and what did I get wrong, and how do I protect myself from marketing burnout the next time around? Some thoughts. #writingcommunity #booksky richardwbown.com/what-ive-lea...
Can confirm
February 14, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Can confirm
The entire premise of "AI" to date
Adding a non-deterministic conversational wrapper to the front of it all solves none of that
February 14, 2026 at 9:54 AM
The entire premise of "AI" to date
Whoever is on Matt Weston’s wiki page edits is on the ball. Congrats to him and nice to see UK finally getting a medal!
February 13, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Whoever is on Matt Weston’s wiki page edits is on the ball. Congrats to him and nice to see UK finally getting a medal!
So new year and already I’ve failed to reduce my TBR pile.
February 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM
So new year and already I’ve failed to reduce my TBR pile.