Lauren Tormey
@ltormey.bsky.social
Senior Content Designer at University of Edinburgh. Runner. Immigrant (turned dual citizen) wanting to change the system. She/her. I write about life: https://ltormey.medium.com and running: https://laurunning.blogspot.com.
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
If it's so smart, why do people have to be so good at "prompt engineering".
November 17, 2025 at 4:18 AM
If it's so smart, why do people have to be so good at "prompt engineering".
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
Abolish the Home Office
My American partner works in a specialist role for a multinational, one of three globally.
Her visa is in renewal. Her father died this week. She can't go back until the Home Office "computer says yes". Her route to ILR has now been restarted to begin at zero of ten years, after years here already.
Her visa is in renewal. Her father died this week. She can't go back until the Home Office "computer says yes". Her route to ILR has now been restarted to begin at zero of ten years, after years here already.
October 16, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Abolish the Home Office
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
🤖 If you use LinkedIn, please be aware that they automatically use your profile to train their GenAI. To turn off, go to Settings > Data Privacy > Data for Gen AI improvements.
October 11, 2025 at 11:04 PM
🤖 If you use LinkedIn, please be aware that they automatically use your profile to train their GenAI. To turn off, go to Settings > Data Privacy > Data for Gen AI improvements.
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
The ideas behind agile tend to be squashed down to two words: “move fast”. But the Agile Manifesto says nothing about moving fast.
The forgotten purpose of agile — Empowered teams responding to change
The ideas behind agile tend to be squashed down to two words: “move fast”. But the Agile Manifesto says nothing about moving fast.
duncanstephen.net
October 2, 2025 at 8:09 PM
The ideas behind agile tend to be squashed down to two words: “move fast”. But the Agile Manifesto says nothing about moving fast.
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
I’m doing a talk at Button, a content design conference, where I’m going to talk about the high cost of tooling in the work we do. I’ve made a survey so I can capture some numbers. If you work in content/design/adjacent (yes, ESPECIALLY if you’re unemployed) this is for you (and thanks!)
Pay to play: content and design tooling landscape
Turn data collection into an experience with Typeform. Create beautiful online forms, surveys, quizzes, and so much more. Try it for FREE.
form.typeform.com
August 19, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I’m doing a talk at Button, a content design conference, where I’m going to talk about the high cost of tooling in the work we do. I’ve made a survey so I can capture some numbers. If you work in content/design/adjacent (yes, ESPECIALLY if you’re unemployed) this is for you (and thanks!)
I ran my first ever race in Maryland at a vineyard with my mom. After a long stretch of hot weather, I appreciated getting a cooler morning for a run.
Blog recap: bit.ly/bordeleau-5k25
Blog recap: bit.ly/bordeleau-5k25
Bordeleau Vineyards 5k
I ran my first ever race in Maryland at a vineyard with my mom. After a long stretch of hot weather, I appreciated getting a cooler morning ...
bit.ly
August 3, 2025 at 12:28 AM
I ran my first ever race in Maryland at a vineyard with my mom. After a long stretch of hot weather, I appreciated getting a cooler morning for a run.
Blog recap: bit.ly/bordeleau-5k25
Blog recap: bit.ly/bordeleau-5k25
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
A question for people in civil partnerships, (or maybe plan to be). Shares appreciated!
How do you feel when you see the word 'spouse' in advice content?
For example, do you feel excluded? Are you ever unsure whether it applies? Or do you feel it covers you and you don't really mind? Maybe a mix?
How do you feel when you see the word 'spouse' in advice content?
For example, do you feel excluded? Are you ever unsure whether it applies? Or do you feel it covers you and you don't really mind? Maybe a mix?
July 25, 2025 at 7:30 AM
A question for people in civil partnerships, (or maybe plan to be). Shares appreciated!
How do you feel when you see the word 'spouse' in advice content?
For example, do you feel excluded? Are you ever unsure whether it applies? Or do you feel it covers you and you don't really mind? Maybe a mix?
How do you feel when you see the word 'spouse' in advice content?
For example, do you feel excluded? Are you ever unsure whether it applies? Or do you feel it covers you and you don't really mind? Maybe a mix?
Getting tinnitus terrified me at first, but I’ve learned to live with it. Here’s how I went from an anxiety-filled beginning to life sounding ‘normal’: bit.ly/life-with-tinnitus
Life with tinnitus
Getting tinnitus terrified me at first, but I’ve learned to live with it. Here’s how I went from an anxiety-filled beginning to life…
bit.ly
July 14, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Getting tinnitus terrified me at first, but I’ve learned to live with it. Here’s how I went from an anxiety-filled beginning to life sounding ‘normal’: bit.ly/life-with-tinnitus
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
today's a great day to make sure "require alt text before posting" is enabled in your settings and to continue to make bluesky more accessible and inclusive bsky.app/settings/acc...
July 9, 2025 at 1:39 PM
today's a great day to make sure "require alt text before posting" is enabled in your settings and to continue to make bluesky more accessible and inclusive bsky.app/settings/acc...
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
Services are verbs combined with nouns
Services are verbs combined with nouns
Information architecture normally focuses on the objects that need to be represented in a system. Some human-centred practitioners focus instead on the tasks users need to do. These approaches are sometimes framed in opposition. But combining these techniques can make services and systems easier to use as well as more efficient to manage.
duncanstephen.net
June 26, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Services are verbs combined with nouns
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
The UK Home Office, always capable of an even more absurd decision than the previous one
UK Home Office tells parents their children should return to Brazil alone
While Ana Luiza Cabral Gouveia and Hugo Barbosa can remain, letter says sons, 11 and eight, must go back to Brazil
www.theguardian.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:14 AM
The UK Home Office, always capable of an even more absurd decision than the previous one
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
❝Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI's role in learning.❞ arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed thr...
arxiv.org
June 16, 2025 at 7:49 AM
❝Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI's role in learning.❞ arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872
I ran the Seven Hills of Edinburgh with @jr-wilson.bsky.social, and I feel shattered for it. A good challenge, but I don’t think I’ll run it again!
Blog recap: bit.ly/7-hills25
Blog recap: bit.ly/7-hills25
Seven Hills of Edinburgh
I ran up to the top of all seven of Edinburgh's hills, and I feel shattered for it. Not a medal, but a coaster this race. Why Seven Hills o...
bit.ly
June 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I ran the Seven Hills of Edinburgh with @jr-wilson.bsky.social, and I feel shattered for it. A good challenge, but I don’t think I’ll run it again!
Blog recap: bit.ly/7-hills25
Blog recap: bit.ly/7-hills25
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
I know this battle is lost, but:
Can we stop calling it “hallucinating”?
They’re not tripping, they’re doing what they’re designed to do: generate a series of statistically likely sentences. The technology doesn’t care whether the sentences are accurate, as long as they’re statistically likely.
Can we stop calling it “hallucinating”?
They’re not tripping, they’re doing what they’re designed to do: generate a series of statistically likely sentences. The technology doesn’t care whether the sentences are accurate, as long as they’re statistically likely.
June 4, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I know this battle is lost, but:
Can we stop calling it “hallucinating”?
They’re not tripping, they’re doing what they’re designed to do: generate a series of statistically likely sentences. The technology doesn’t care whether the sentences are accurate, as long as they’re statistically likely.
Can we stop calling it “hallucinating”?
They’re not tripping, they’re doing what they’re designed to do: generate a series of statistically likely sentences. The technology doesn’t care whether the sentences are accurate, as long as they’re statistically likely.
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
also it is frankly *outrageous* that news articles are leading with "Lowering UK’s income requirement for family visas would increase net migration". family visas are like 3% of annual migration, oh no people married to british citizens might make it go up by 5% or whatever
It is not just the increase to the Minimum Income Requirement which needs scrapping, it is MIR in general. This is a policy which see families ripped apart, and people denied the ability to be with their loved ones, purely because of where one of them was born.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Lowering UK’s income requirement for family visas ‘would increase net migration’
Migration advisory committee sets out options and suggests scrapping Tory plan to raise threshold to £38,700
www.theguardian.com
June 10, 2025 at 3:10 PM
also it is frankly *outrageous* that news articles are leading with "Lowering UK’s income requirement for family visas would increase net migration". family visas are like 3% of annual migration, oh no people married to british citizens might make it go up by 5% or whatever
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
It is not just the increase to the Minimum Income Requirement which needs scrapping, it is MIR in general. This is a policy which see families ripped apart, and people denied the ability to be with their loved ones, purely because of where one of them was born.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Lowering UK’s income requirement for family visas ‘would increase net migration’
Migration advisory committee sets out options and suggests scrapping Tory plan to raise threshold to £38,700
www.theguardian.com
June 10, 2025 at 3:07 PM
It is not just the increase to the Minimum Income Requirement which needs scrapping, it is MIR in general. This is a policy which see families ripped apart, and people denied the ability to be with their loved ones, purely because of where one of them was born.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
There's been a high-pitched ringing in my right ear for the last six months. Here's the story of the illness and ill-advised plane travel that led to me getting tinnitus: bit.ly/how-got-tinn...
TL;DR Learn from my mistake, and do not ever fly if you cannot pop your ears.
TL;DR Learn from my mistake, and do not ever fly if you cannot pop your ears.
How I got tinnitus
There’s been a high-pitched ringing in my right ear for the last six months. Here’s the story of the illness and ill-advised plane travel…
bit.ly
June 3, 2025 at 8:26 AM
There's been a high-pitched ringing in my right ear for the last six months. Here's the story of the illness and ill-advised plane travel that led to me getting tinnitus: bit.ly/how-got-tinn...
TL;DR Learn from my mistake, and do not ever fly if you cannot pop your ears.
TL;DR Learn from my mistake, and do not ever fly if you cannot pop your ears.
“64% of CEOs told IBM that they are investing in AI without knowing what value it will bring.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not bringing value. That same report says that 3 in 4 AI initiatives don’t justify the expense.”
Recommended reading.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not bringing value. That same report says that 3 in 4 AI initiatives don’t justify the expense.”
Recommended reading.
For years, execs and managers were able to get away with pretending to do some kind of job - and AI has greatly accelerated their ability to pretend.
Unfortunately, that led to garbage strategy and garbage execution. The "find out" phase of this AI-driven FAFO era is promising to be brutal.
Unfortunately, that led to garbage strategy and garbage execution. The "find out" phase of this AI-driven FAFO era is promising to be brutal.
The AI Hangover Era (The Everything App Part 3)
Some leaders are starting to realize the extent to which AI has broken their ability to prioritize and ship value. Others are still doubling down.
productpicnic.beehiiv.com
June 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
“64% of CEOs told IBM that they are investing in AI without knowing what value it will bring.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not bringing value. That same report says that 3 in 4 AI initiatives don’t justify the expense.”
Recommended reading.
Unsurprisingly, it’s not bringing value. That same report says that 3 in 4 AI initiatives don’t justify the expense.”
Recommended reading.
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
I got British citizenship via the five-year route. Labour’s new 10-year rule will cause untold pain | Nesrine Malik
I got British citizenship via the five-year route. Labour’s new 10-year rule will cause untold pain | Nesrine Malik
Starmer claims to want integration. Yet denying people safety, belonging and the right to vote for a decade amounts to the exact opposite, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
June 2, 2025 at 5:45 AM
I got British citizenship via the five-year route. Labour’s new 10-year rule will cause untold pain | Nesrine Malik
My team has done some experiments with GenAI to edit content. We’ve found it to be unreliable and more time-consuming than manually editing content.
Not surprising given it’s a probable word predictor that lies. I don't want my job to be babysitting technology.
edin.ac/genai-experiments
Not surprising given it’s a probable word predictor that lies. I don't want my job to be babysitting technology.
edin.ac/genai-experiments
Experimenting with GenAI: why we won’t be using it to help with degree finder editing for now – Future student online experiences
edin.ac
May 27, 2025 at 11:33 AM
My team has done some experiments with GenAI to edit content. We’ve found it to be unreliable and more time-consuming than manually editing content.
Not surprising given it’s a probable word predictor that lies. I don't want my job to be babysitting technology.
edin.ac/genai-experiments
Not surprising given it’s a probable word predictor that lies. I don't want my job to be babysitting technology.
edin.ac/genai-experiments
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
ukgov is reportedly looking to make it longer to settle for people already in the uk, as opposed to "just" those who come here post-rule changes. so if you've moved here since 2020, you may have the goalposts shifted on you. terrible, terrible stuff www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Migrants already in UK face longer wait for permanent settlement
People will typically have to live in the UK for 10 years before applying for the right to stay indefinitely.
www.bbc.co.uk
May 14, 2025 at 11:50 AM
ukgov is reportedly looking to make it longer to settle for people already in the uk, as opposed to "just" those who come here post-rule changes. so if you've moved here since 2020, you may have the goalposts shifted on you. terrible, terrible stuff www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
A lot has been said about Labour's hardening of immigration rules & dehumanising rhetoric, but nobody is sharing the opinions of migrant workers.
That's why we commissioned Nandi Msezane, a care worker in East Sussex, to write this piece for us. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
That's why we commissioned Nandi Msezane, a care worker in East Sussex, to write this piece for us. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Opinion: Migrant workers prop up the UK’s social care system. Now…
Labour’s crackdown will break a promise made to workers like me – and leave the system in disrepair
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
May 12, 2025 at 2:27 PM
A lot has been said about Labour's hardening of immigration rules & dehumanising rhetoric, but nobody is sharing the opinions of migrant workers.
That's why we commissioned Nandi Msezane, a care worker in East Sussex, to write this piece for us. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
That's why we commissioned Nandi Msezane, a care worker in East Sussex, to write this piece for us. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
"The 10-year route is not a pathway—it’s a punishment, forcing families into poverty and robbing people of their most productive years. Where we come from should not deny us the right to belong." Anna, Praxis campaigner
Read more from Anna in our full statement👇 www.praxis.org.uk/news/praxis-...
Read more from Anna in our full statement👇 www.praxis.org.uk/news/praxis-...
Praxis’ statement on the Immigration White Paper — Praxis
This morning, the government published their long-awaited Immigration White Paper . In it, they announced plans to make it even harder for people living and working here to secure permanent settlemen...
www.praxis.org.uk
May 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
"The 10-year route is not a pathway—it’s a punishment, forcing families into poverty and robbing people of their most productive years. Where we come from should not deny us the right to belong." Anna, Praxis campaigner
Read more from Anna in our full statement👇 www.praxis.org.uk/news/praxis-...
Read more from Anna in our full statement👇 www.praxis.org.uk/news/praxis-...
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
this is not an exaggeration
May 12, 2025 at 9:40 AM
this is not an exaggeration
Reposted by Lauren Tormey
OK - but how much of these worries are actually rooted in the factual reality of immigration, versus how it is reported on and has been talked about for decades now?
For one: it is already SO HARD to come to this country. It's super expensive and there are a shitload of hurdles to get over!
For one: it is already SO HARD to come to this country. It's super expensive and there are a shitload of hurdles to get over!
May 12, 2025 at 10:56 AM
OK - but how much of these worries are actually rooted in the factual reality of immigration, versus how it is reported on and has been talked about for decades now?
For one: it is already SO HARD to come to this country. It's super expensive and there are a shitload of hurdles to get over!
For one: it is already SO HARD to come to this country. It's super expensive and there are a shitload of hurdles to get over!