Harry Metcalfe
@harrym.com
Entrepreneur, problem solver, technical person. Believer that tech can and should make things better. Erstwhile prodder of government. PhD dropout. Founder of dxw, advisor to Tradecraft. Quietly poly 🐦
harry_m on Mastodon.social.
harry_m on Mastodon.social.
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
November 25, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
👏👏👏
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM
👏👏👏
1/ It's interesting, and I am fairly sure good, that the prompts for analysing consultation responses are open source
github.com/i-dot-ai/the...
github.com/i-dot-ai/the...
themefinder/src/themefinder/prompts at main · i-dot-ai/themefinder
A topic modelling Python package for analysing one-to-many question-answer data. - i-dot-ai/themefinder
github.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
1/ It's interesting, and I am fairly sure good, that the prompts for analysing consultation responses are open source
github.com/i-dot-ai/the...
github.com/i-dot-ai/the...
I blogged - about problems, answers, plans and the illusion of control
open.substack.com/pub/harrymet...
open.substack.com/pub/harrymet...
The Answer and The Plan
Problems, answers, planning, and the illusion of control
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I blogged - about problems, answers, plans and the illusion of control
open.substack.com/pub/harrymet...
open.substack.com/pub/harrymet...
Gosh. Someone working on One Login should reealllly take another look at these 👀
signin.account.gov.uk/terms-and-co...
signin.account.gov.uk/terms-and-co...
October 14, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Gosh. Someone working on One Login should reealllly take another look at these 👀
signin.account.gov.uk/terms-and-co...
signin.account.gov.uk/terms-and-co...
👏👏
"When you’re trying to bring about significant change in any complex system, it’s impossible to know up front exactly what’s going to work, how the various risks are going to pan out or how the context is going to change."
'Being a leader isn’t about becoming great at everything': Civil service reform DG Janet Hughes sets out her priorities
Hughes, who became Cabinet Office DG for civil service reform and efficiency in June, on bringing the spirit of One Team Gov to her new role, test ...
www.civilserviceworld.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:18 PM
👏👏
Life (and the school tea) finds a way
Kid’s school banned downloading games onto school laptops. Then social media on campus. Then phones. Then VPN’s.
Anyway, the students are still chatting during class. Using a shared Google doc
Anyway, the students are still chatting during class. Using a shared Google doc
September 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Life (and the school tea) finds a way
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
Using AI to automate and accelerate what government currently does replicates the same mistaken approach as the “website government” mindset of the past three decades: it’s “faster horses” instead of improving how government — and democracy — works
September 28, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Using AI to automate and accelerate what government currently does replicates the same mistaken approach as the “website government” mindset of the past three decades: it’s “faster horses” instead of improving how government — and democracy — works
Well it's about time
NEW - Keir Starmer says that Reform UK's policy to abolish indefinite leave to remain is " a racist policy. I do think it is immoral.”
September 28, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Well it's about time
ICYMI: a post about the unintended effects of organisational policy and a different, values-based way of thinking about it
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/all-policy...
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/all-policy...
All policy constrains good action, as well as bad
On bad days, perhaps it constrains good action rather more often
harrymetcalfe.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:35 AM
ICYMI: a post about the unintended effects of organisational policy and a different, values-based way of thinking about it
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/all-policy...
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/all-policy...
New writing! I've posted on Substack about the limits of organisational policy and the importance of creative interpretation.
blog.harrym.com/p/all-policy...
blog.harrym.com/p/all-policy...
All policy constrains good action, as well as bad
On bad days, perhaps it constrains good action rather more often
blog.harrym.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:45 PM
New writing! I've posted on Substack about the limits of organisational policy and the importance of creative interpretation.
blog.harrym.com/p/all-policy...
blog.harrym.com/p/all-policy...
I asked my podcast app to play episodes of More or Less and it decided to start right at the beginning and go through their (entire?) back catalogue. Which has been delightful. It's like visiting another, saner little universe with sensible problems and normal politics and hardly any fascists
September 3, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I asked my podcast app to play episodes of More or Less and it decided to start right at the beginning and go through their (entire?) back catalogue. Which has been delightful. It's like visiting another, saner little universe with sensible problems and normal politics and hardly any fascists
Excellent as ever
OK so feeling slightly apprehensive about this, which I suppose is kind of the point. This is an attempt at a progressive view on masculinity and on men getting laid. God help me. iandunt.substack.com/p/how-to-be-...
How to be a man
The right story narrative about male attractiveness is grounded in Social Darwinism and free market economics. Can progressives tell a better story?
iandunt.substack.com
August 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Excellent as ever
According to Yougov, 69% of people support the Online Safety Act's age verification, but only 24% of people think it'll actually work. Meaning a considerable group of people support it even though they don't think it will work. Which is a bit depressing, isn't it?
yougov.co.uk/technology/a...
yougov.co.uk/technology/a...
How have Britons reacted to age verification? | YouGov
Most Britons support the new rules, even though only a small minority think they will be effective
yougov.co.uk
July 31, 2025 at 6:18 PM
According to Yougov, 69% of people support the Online Safety Act's age verification, but only 24% of people think it'll actually work. Meaning a considerable group of people support it even though they don't think it will work. Which is a bit depressing, isn't it?
yougov.co.uk/technology/a...
yougov.co.uk/technology/a...
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
NEW
What the Afghan ‘super-injunction’ tells us about the UK polity
Parliament and regulators are shrugging off a decision that freed the government from accountability
By me, (back) at @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/1f1c...
What the Afghan ‘super-injunction’ tells us about the UK polity
Parliament and regulators are shrugging off a decision that freed the government from accountability
By me, (back) at @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/1f1c...
July 16, 2025 at 4:08 PM
NEW
What the Afghan ‘super-injunction’ tells us about the UK polity
Parliament and regulators are shrugging off a decision that freed the government from accountability
By me, (back) at @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/1f1c...
What the Afghan ‘super-injunction’ tells us about the UK polity
Parliament and regulators are shrugging off a decision that freed the government from accountability
By me, (back) at @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/1f1c...
This data breach is bad, but the existence of the app in the first place is even worse. Bleak.
July 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
This data breach is bad, but the existence of the app in the first place is even worse. Bleak.
This final. Oh my. Just wanna give Anisimova a big hug
July 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
This final. Oh my. Just wanna give Anisimova a big hug
The Archers theme tune. In the past I would sprint across the room to turn it off. Now Alexa gets a _very_ brisk "stop" (/fortheloveofgodsavemefromthetwee)
Fuck your favourite song. Tell me your least favourite song. The one that makes you die inside the moment you hear the first 3 seconds.
July 12, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The Archers theme tune. In the past I would sprint across the room to turn it off. Now Alexa gets a _very_ brisk "stop" (/fortheloveofgodsavemefromthetwee)
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
We’re expanding our network of freelance #WebDevelopers.
We’re after people with Java/Kotlin or Twilio experience, but we’re always getting new projects with new requirements. If you’re not looking for work right now but might be in the future then we’d still love to hear from you.
bit.ly/4eZzD8J
We’re after people with Java/Kotlin or Twilio experience, but we’re always getting new projects with new requirements. If you’re not looking for work right now but might be in the future then we’d still love to hear from you.
bit.ly/4eZzD8J
Airtable | Everyone's app platform
Airtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free.
bit.ly
July 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM
We’re expanding our network of freelance #WebDevelopers.
We’re after people with Java/Kotlin or Twilio experience, but we’re always getting new projects with new requirements. If you’re not looking for work right now but might be in the future then we’d still love to hear from you.
bit.ly/4eZzD8J
We’re after people with Java/Kotlin or Twilio experience, but we’re always getting new projects with new requirements. If you’re not looking for work right now but might be in the future then we’d still love to hear from you.
bit.ly/4eZzD8J
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
This is a great piece from @harrym.com - if you've wondered how small, sensible decisions so readily aggregate into big, irrational ones, or whether it's better to design based on logic, over experience, then this is for you blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
Governance happens in foggy weather
We need to reclaim human judgement, subjectivity and the primacy of direct experience as vital skills for leadership
blog.harrym.com
June 29, 2025 at 5:48 PM
This is a great piece from @harrym.com - if you've wondered how small, sensible decisions so readily aggregate into big, irrational ones, or whether it's better to design based on logic, over experience, then this is for you blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
I wrote a thing: on the limits of reason, and the need to reclaim human judgement, subjectivity and the primacy of direct experience as vital skills for work and governance
blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
Governance happens in foggy weather
We need to reclaim human judgement, subjectivity and the primacy of direct experience as vital skills for work and governance
blog.harrym.com
June 29, 2025 at 10:19 AM
I wrote a thing: on the limits of reason, and the need to reclaim human judgement, subjectivity and the primacy of direct experience as vital skills for work and governance
blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
blog.harrym.com/p/governance...
Reposted by Harry Metcalfe
My friend @harrym.com is selling a bunch of stuff from his workshop – I know I'm followed by a bunch of nerdy, maker types, so have a look:
www.harrym.com/studio
www.harrym.com/studio
Harrym's workshop sale
www.harrym.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:44 PM
My friend @harrym.com is selling a bunch of stuff from his workshop – I know I'm followed by a bunch of nerdy, maker types, so have a look:
www.harrym.com/studio
www.harrym.com/studio
Hello internet. I have started a substack. I want to talk about concepts vs experience, agile and its philosophical underpinnings, how to use all that to change the way organisations do things. If that sounds interesting, please join me!
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/look-a-sub...
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/look-a-sub...
Look! A Substack!
It's where the cool kids are. Y'know, the ones who'll want to talk about the philosopical underpinnings of agile and how to use them to make things better.
harrymetcalfe.substack.com
June 25, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Hello internet. I have started a substack. I want to talk about concepts vs experience, agile and its philosophical underpinnings, how to use all that to change the way organisations do things. If that sounds interesting, please join me!
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/look-a-sub...
harrymetcalfe.substack.com/p/look-a-sub...
Master lock key safe failure mode #783 🫠
June 17, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Master lock key safe failure mode #783 🫠
For anyone in/near London, I am downsizing my workshop and have lots of interesting things to sell. More here - www.harrym.com/studio
Harrym's workshop sale
www.harrym.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:31 PM
For anyone in/near London, I am downsizing my workshop and have lots of interesting things to sell. More here - www.harrym.com/studio