Hadley Beeman
@hadleybeeman.bsky.social
Architect for #openstandards, the Web and barcodes of all types. Tech policy. Ex-UK gov. Active in GS1, NHS & W3C. @hadleybeeman@w3c.social
This is an amazing public service, Jess. Nice work! 👏
October 22, 2025 at 7:29 AM
This is an amazing public service, Jess. Nice work! 👏
Me too! Thanks for your service, @jim.londoncentric.media.
October 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Me too! Thanks for your service, @jim.londoncentric.media.
That is my FAVOURITE comic. It is so exactly the way the standards world works!
And thanks for the kind words, Stefan. They mean a lot to me. As always, I’m not on my own, in with an amazing team — but I hope we can do some good in those tiny, load-bearing pieces of digital infrastructure.
And thanks for the kind words, Stefan. They mean a lot to me. As always, I’m not on my own, in with an amazing team — but I hope we can do some good in those tiny, load-bearing pieces of digital infrastructure.
October 10, 2025 at 9:36 PM
That is my FAVOURITE comic. It is so exactly the way the standards world works!
And thanks for the kind words, Stefan. They mean a lot to me. As always, I’m not on my own, in with an amazing team — but I hope we can do some good in those tiny, load-bearing pieces of digital infrastructure.
And thanks for the kind words, Stefan. They mean a lot to me. As always, I’m not on my own, in with an amazing team — but I hope we can do some good in those tiny, load-bearing pieces of digital infrastructure.
That is wonderful. Thank you, bear!
October 10, 2025 at 9:31 PM
That is wonderful. Thank you, bear!
That made me laugh. It does feel pretty grown-up at times!
October 10, 2025 at 9:30 PM
That made me laugh. It does feel pretty grown-up at times!
That’s lovely of you to say, Hilary. I hope you’re well and enjoying DCMS. Our creative industries are lucky to have you there!
October 10, 2025 at 9:30 PM
That’s lovely of you to say, Hilary. I hope you’re well and enjoying DCMS. Our creative industries are lucky to have you there!
Thanks, you both. What a great way to put it!
October 10, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Thanks, you both. What a great way to put it!
Thank you! That means a lot to me :)
October 10, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Thank you! That means a lot to me :)
I’m based in GS1’s Global Office, the standards body for barcodes. And I’m working with a phenomenal community of working groups, experts, and industry leaders.
It’s an honour to be joining them.
10/10
It’s an honour to be joining them.
10/10
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I’m based in GS1’s Global Office, the standards body for barcodes. And I’m working with a phenomenal community of working groups, experts, and industry leaders.
It’s an honour to be joining them.
10/10
It’s an honour to be joining them.
10/10
And from there, we can learn how to optimise our pharmacy stock, or our shipping routes, or the flow of people through our hospitals. So that’s what we’re doing.
9/
9/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
And from there, we can learn how to optimise our pharmacy stock, or our shipping routes, or the flow of people through our hospitals. So that’s what we’re doing.
9/
9/
This is more than how things work now. The future we’re all working on, where AI safely revolutionises our daily lives… that’s only possible when we can identify — in our software and algorithms — each of the things we’re talking about. The products, the parcels, the prescriptions.
8/
8/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This is more than how things work now. The future we’re all working on, where AI safely revolutionises our daily lives… that’s only possible when we can identify — in our software and algorithms — each of the things we’re talking about. The products, the parcels, the prescriptions.
8/
8/
And it is how this stuff gets written into laws and regulations.
And it’s not just linear, “zebra-striped” barcodes — it’s also 2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, RFID tags and NFC. And globally unique identifiers.
7/
And it’s not just linear, “zebra-striped” barcodes — it’s also 2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, RFID tags and NFC. And globally unique identifiers.
7/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
And it is how this stuff gets written into laws and regulations.
And it’s not just linear, “zebra-striped” barcodes — it’s also 2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, RFID tags and NFC. And globally unique identifiers.
7/
And it’s not just linear, “zebra-striped” barcodes — it’s also 2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, RFID tags and NFC. And globally unique identifiers.
7/
And it includes how the numbers in the code can be turned into a web address, linking the physical world with the virtual.
It’s not just healthcare, it’s shopping at the supermarket, it’s buying clothes online, it’s shipping stuff around the world. Supply chains. Logistics.
6/
It’s not just healthcare, it’s shopping at the supermarket, it’s buying clothes online, it’s shipping stuff around the world. Supply chains. Logistics.
6/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
And it includes how the numbers in the code can be turned into a web address, linking the physical world with the virtual.
It’s not just healthcare, it’s shopping at the supermarket, it’s buying clothes online, it’s shipping stuff around the world. Supply chains. Logistics.
6/
It’s not just healthcare, it’s shopping at the supermarket, it’s buying clothes online, it’s shipping stuff around the world. Supply chains. Logistics.
6/
So that’s my new job. I’m the system architect for the standards around barcodes, which means that everything from how they get encoded (how a number becomes those zebra stripes or QR code etc) through to what info goes in them so it can go beep at the bedside or cash register.
5/
5/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
So that’s my new job. I’m the system architect for the standards around barcodes, which means that everything from how they get encoded (how a number becomes those zebra stripes or QR code etc) through to what info goes in them so it can go beep at the bedside or cash register.
5/
5/
The phlebotomist takes blood, and attaches barcodes to the vial. (That will beep in the lab.)
And I know everything is going to be okay. The people and things in the real world are connected to the electronic records by those barcodes. It gives me a massive sense of relief.
4/
And I know everything is going to be okay. The people and things in the real world are connected to the electronic records by those barcodes. It gives me a massive sense of relief.
4/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
The phlebotomist takes blood, and attaches barcodes to the vial. (That will beep in the lab.)
And I know everything is going to be okay. The people and things in the real world are connected to the electronic records by those barcodes. It gives me a massive sense of relief.
4/
And I know everything is going to be okay. The people and things in the real world are connected to the electronic records by those barcodes. It gives me a massive sense of relief.
4/
It’s a scary moment, easy to feel powerless. And the stakes feel high.
But then the nurse comes to take observations, and scans the wrist band. Beep! Medications are scanned before they’re put in that tiny paper cup. Beep!
3/
But then the nurse comes to take observations, and scans the wrist band. Beep! Medications are scanned before they’re put in that tiny paper cup. Beep!
3/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
It’s a scary moment, easy to feel powerless. And the stakes feel high.
But then the nurse comes to take observations, and scans the wrist band. Beep! Medications are scanned before they’re put in that tiny paper cup. Beep!
3/
But then the nurse comes to take observations, and scans the wrist band. Beep! Medications are scanned before they’re put in that tiny paper cup. Beep!
3/
…sirens outside — and wondered, “How will we get the right medication? Are we sure those are our test results? How will they know who it is in this bed?”
I have. And I have wondered all those things. And thought about the consequences if they go wrong.
2/
I have. And I have wondered all those things. And thought about the consequences if they go wrong.
2/
October 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
…sirens outside — and wondered, “How will we get the right medication? Are we sure those are our test results? How will they know who it is in this bed?”
I have. And I have wondered all those things. And thought about the consequences if they go wrong.
2/
I have. And I have wondered all those things. And thought about the consequences if they go wrong.
2/
More info on the workshop: www.w3.org/events/works...
IAB/W3C Workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access
IAB/W3C workshop to examine the technical and architectural implications of implementing age-based restrictions on online content access.
www.w3.org
October 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM
More info on the workshop: www.w3.org/events/works...
You two have so much to be proud of.
@jenitennison.com
@jenitennison.com
July 29, 2025 at 7:58 PM
You two have so much to be proud of.
@jenitennison.com
@jenitennison.com
Thanks again — we’ll have a look. 😊
June 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Thanks again — we’ll have a look. 😊