David Durant
@bowsy.co.uk
I've been a long-time supporter of the government technology and transformation communities since 2009. I've worked for mySociety, the GLA, HackIT and GDS. I'm on the committees for GovCamp, TransformGov Talks and the UK Polyamory Association.
They really should do Free Speech for Me But Not for Thee (Nat Hentoff) in schools. I don't agree 100% with everything in it but it's an excellent start for an in-depth conversation.
No 10 defends campaign to release Abd el-Fattah despite his ‘abhorrent’ tweets
No 10 defends campaign to release Abd el-Fattah despite his ‘abhorrent’ tweets
MPs reject call to strip British-Egyptian activist of UK nationality over social media posts from a decade ago
Downing Street has defended its campaign for the release of a British-Egyptian activist and decision to welcome him to the UK despite his “abhorrent” tweets a decade ago.
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who arrived in London on Boxing Day after the British government successfully negotiated his release, apologised “unequivocally” for his posts after opposition parties called for him to be deported and his citizenship revoked. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:51 PM
They really should do Free Speech for Me But Not for Thee (Nat Hentoff) in schools. I don't agree 100% with everything in it but it's an excellent start for an in-depth conversation.
Expect to hear a lot more of this here as tech bro money pours into the UK to support far-right propaganda.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
December 28, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Expect to hear a lot more of this here as tech bro money pours into the UK to support far-right propaganda.
Reposted by David Durant
Could
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December 28, 2025 at 10:45 PM
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Might
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If you like @wisebearstanley.bsky.social 's work or if you just like bears please share - thanks!
Just found out that the distribution contract for my book is ending in January, so I'd love some support to keep it in print! The subject of the book is acknowledging your own worth.
Ko-fi donation page - ko-fi.com/stanleythebear
Buy the book - troubador.co.uk/bookshop/sel...
Ko-fi donation page - ko-fi.com/stanleythebear
Buy the book - troubador.co.uk/bookshop/sel...
Annie P
Hi there! I'm Annie - and, alongside my giant teddy bear, Stanley, I'm here to talk about books! And also to make tea...
www.youtube.com
December 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
If you like @wisebearstanley.bsky.social 's work or if you just like bears please share - thanks!
Reposted by David Durant
The Ellison push into maga and media may/may not prompt a look at the TBI and its role in British politics
December 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The Ellison push into maga and media may/may not prompt a look at the TBI and its role in British politics
Yes, this is undoubtedly very funny. Yes, it is pleasingly descriptive of 2025. However, I'm almost certain it's not real - or at least staged. For no other reason that the company doing this development wouldn't release the video. The biggest irony of all is if this is more #AISlop video.
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls
December 28, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Yes, this is undoubtedly very funny. Yes, it is pleasingly descriptive of 2025. However, I'm almost certain it's not real - or at least staged. For no other reason that the company doing this development wouldn't release the video. The biggest irony of all is if this is more #AISlop video.
Nice! Annie's brother is there at the moment watching England win at the cricket!
Farewell Wellington! You're a lovely city with a surprisingly fun airport.
Onwards to Melbourne (for all of 48 hours 😄)
Onwards to Melbourne (for all of 48 hours 😄)
December 28, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Nice! Annie's brother is there at the moment watching England win at the cricket!
Post pandemic people already have fewer friends, socialise less and just go out less in general. Even in a dense London suburb it's hard to find an evening space if you don't want to be around drunk people.
Thinking about how moving away from people-first is a growing trend, and how this is something quite important. It's been on my mind since my local McDonald's refurbished, and there's a reason for that.
December 27, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Post pandemic people already have fewer friends, socialise less and just go out less in general. Even in a dense London suburb it's hard to find an evening space if you don't want to be around drunk people.
Reposted by David Durant
Ancient Dartmoor woodland walk
December 27, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Ancient Dartmoor woodland walk
Reposted by David Durant
Happy 20th anniversary to "Samoyed and teddy bear" on Wikimedia Commons.
"This is a picture of my samoyed with a teddy bear. I release all rights to it, it would just be nice if her image could survive forever."
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sa...
"This is a picture of my samoyed with a teddy bear. I release all rights to it, it would just be nice if her image could survive forever."
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sa...
December 26, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Happy 20th anniversary to "Samoyed and teddy bear" on Wikimedia Commons.
"This is a picture of my samoyed with a teddy bear. I release all rights to it, it would just be nice if her image could survive forever."
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sa...
"This is a picture of my samoyed with a teddy bear. I release all rights to it, it would just be nice if her image could survive forever."
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sa...
Thread.
I fully believe that accepting consciousness = materialism and eternalism (block universe theory) are two great filters global civilization are going to have to face in the 21st century.
I fully believe that accepting consciousness = materialism and eternalism (block universe theory) are two great filters global civilization are going to have to face in the 21st century.
This sort of stuff always surprises me but probably shoudn't.
Weirdest to me (feel free to disagree if you do) is non-religious substance dualists. The most rational ones in my experience rely on a logical proof that contains the idea of qualia, from which it follows that there's non-physical STUFF
Weirdest to me (feel free to disagree if you do) is non-religious substance dualists. The most rational ones in my experience rely on a logical proof that contains the idea of qualia, from which it follows that there's non-physical STUFF
Nice to see this. Just learned yesterday that a friend of half my life believes in astrology. It's extra irritating, b/c he is an avowed atheist and never tires of advocating rationality and ridiculing people who profess religious beliefs.
May send this, but I'm also thinking, maybe don't engage.
May send this, but I'm also thinking, maybe don't engage.
December 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Thread.
I fully believe that accepting consciousness = materialism and eternalism (block universe theory) are two great filters global civilization are going to have to face in the 21st century.
I fully believe that accepting consciousness = materialism and eternalism (block universe theory) are two great filters global civilization are going to have to face in the 21st century.
Reposted by David Durant
Christmas Day walk to a mountain temple in Lampang. Not quite on brand for the day maybe but very beautiful.
December 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Christmas Day walk to a mountain temple in Lampang. Not quite on brand for the day maybe but very beautiful.
Reposted by David Durant
We can all be decorated. I am a bear.
December 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
We can all be decorated. I am a bear.
Quiet tears to the eyes.
The Embassy staff of Germany, France and the United Kingdom sing Schedryk in the Kyiv underground.
Wonderful!
Wonderful!
December 25, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Quiet tears to the eyes.
Reposted by David Durant
December 24, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Reposted by David Durant
This year Santa won't get through!
Bon chance ! Mes courageux camarades nounours !
Bon chance ! Mes courageux camarades nounours !
December 24, 2025 at 10:27 PM
This year Santa won't get through!
Bon chance ! Mes courageux camarades nounours !
Bon chance ! Mes courageux camarades nounours !
Reposted by David Durant
Shocked that the TV version of Carols from Kings (on at the moment) not only omitted the war verse from ‘It came upon the midnight clear’ but also the Herod verse from ‘Unto us is born a son’ 😮
Tune into tomorrow’s repeat of the live radio broadcast if you think the violent bits are important!
Tune into tomorrow’s repeat of the live radio broadcast if you think the violent bits are important!
December 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Shocked that the TV version of Carols from Kings (on at the moment) not only omitted the war verse from ‘It came upon the midnight clear’ but also the Herod verse from ‘Unto us is born a son’ 😮
Tune into tomorrow’s repeat of the live radio broadcast if you think the violent bits are important!
Tune into tomorrow’s repeat of the live radio broadcast if you think the violent bits are important!
Reposted by David Durant
Appeal to help find 'stolen' dog in Palmers Green
The Yorkshire terrier is believed to have been snatched in a burglary which police are now investigating
enfielddispatch.co.uk/appeal-to-he...
The Yorkshire terrier is believed to have been snatched in a burglary which police are now investigating
enfielddispatch.co.uk/appeal-to-he...
Appeal to help find 'stolen' dog in Palmers Green
The Yorkshire terrier is believed to have been snatched in a burglary which police are now investigating
enfielddispatch.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Appeal to help find 'stolen' dog in Palmers Green
The Yorkshire terrier is believed to have been snatched in a burglary which police are now investigating
enfielddispatch.co.uk/appeal-to-he...
The Yorkshire terrier is believed to have been snatched in a burglary which police are now investigating
enfielddispatch.co.uk/appeal-to-he...
Reposted by David Durant
What we see in the press and social media is every panicked concession to a specific voting block.
What we don't see is the grind of hard work implementing good policy decisions.
What we don't see is the grind of hard work implementing good policy decisions.
Inheritance tax is one of the fairest systems of taxation, and everything was in place to protect working farms, so this just looks pathetic frankly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Government waters down farm inheritance tax plan
The government has now said it will lift the intended threshold from £1m to £2.5m.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 23, 2025 at 3:52 PM
What we see in the press and social media is every panicked concession to a specific voting block.
What we don't see is the grind of hard work implementing good policy decisions.
What we don't see is the grind of hard work implementing good policy decisions.
Reposted by David Durant
on the tramway in Nantes and a pretty old woman gave her seat to a very old woman so I gave my seat to the pretty old woman then a man gave me his seat then a teenager gave a man his seat and then we all laughed, aren't people fantastic
December 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
on the tramway in Nantes and a pretty old woman gave her seat to a very old woman so I gave my seat to the pretty old woman then a man gave me his seat then a teenager gave a man his seat and then we all laughed, aren't people fantastic
The most surprising things about this is discovering that gov has a New Media Unit since they seem so inept at social media.
www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
Government appoints lead media agency
WPP will lead government media strategy and support high-impact public sector campaigns across the public sector
www.civilserviceworld.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The most surprising things about this is discovering that gov has a New Media Unit since they seem so inept at social media.
www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...
Everything about this fills me full of rage. Why does the MoJ have a Shared Infrastructure team rather than contributing to a cross-gov one? Why does it have a team helping small teams build products rather than gov having a common drag-and-drop platform??
mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/23/t...
mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/23/t...
The Small Services Space One Year On: Learnings and Ambitions
The Shared Infrastructure team in Justice Digital launched an innovative new product (The Small Services Space) just over 12 months ago. It aims to support smaller teams who have a need, and desire, t...
mojdigital.blog.gov.uk
December 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Everything about this fills me full of rage. Why does the MoJ have a Shared Infrastructure team rather than contributing to a cross-gov one? Why does it have a team helping small teams build products rather than gov having a common drag-and-drop platform??
mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/23/t...
mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/23/t...
The tech for this sounds interesting if not new (which is good!). However, remember when government repurposed the DVLA print shop to bulk print things for most departments via Notify? Why are we paying Accenture (*sigh*) a bunch of money for a specific DWP solution?
www.gov.uk/algorithmic-...
www.gov.uk/algorithmic-...
DWP: CMG Return Letters processing
A computer vision tool used to extract the address and reference number from return letters.
www.gov.uk
December 23, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The tech for this sounds interesting if not new (which is good!). However, remember when government repurposed the DVLA print shop to bulk print things for most departments via Notify? Why are we paying Accenture (*sigh*) a bunch of money for a specific DWP solution?
www.gov.uk/algorithmic-...
www.gov.uk/algorithmic-...
Reposted by David Durant
A state machine for the state machine (2022)
We’ve lived through 3 decades of attempts to modernise government. At times, there’s been good technical progress. But modernising policymaking around citizens—not existing organisations & services—remains essential for meaningful public sector reform
We’ve lived through 3 decades of attempts to modernise government. At times, there’s been good technical progress. But modernising policymaking around citizens—not existing organisations & services—remains essential for meaningful public sector reform
A state machine for the state machine
Digital, data, and technology (DDaT) are being used to build shared platforms and infrastructure, and to improve the user experience of government services. But improving services within their curr…
ntouk.wordpress.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:36 AM
A state machine for the state machine (2022)
We’ve lived through 3 decades of attempts to modernise government. At times, there’s been good technical progress. But modernising policymaking around citizens—not existing organisations & services—remains essential for meaningful public sector reform
We’ve lived through 3 decades of attempts to modernise government. At times, there’s been good technical progress. But modernising policymaking around citizens—not existing organisations & services—remains essential for meaningful public sector reform