Matt Henry 🥄
@matthenry.fyi
Tech, law, philosophy, and abolition. Web optimist. I build design systems for governments. This is (obviously?) a personal account. he/him
I’ll see you then & there 🫡
November 18, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I’ll see you then & there 🫡
On the one hand it’s frustrating that consequences (self-imposed or not) only happen to people to the left of Trump. On the other, I welcome anything that gives the Forrest Gump of making everything worse less power.
November 18, 2025 at 3:34 PM
On the one hand it’s frustrating that consequences (self-imposed or not) only happen to people to the left of Trump. On the other, I welcome anything that gives the Forrest Gump of making everything worse less power.
It’s very “aww she thinks she’s people”
November 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
It’s very “aww she thinks she’s people”
Chris, I can't believe you shared that insight.
November 13, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Chris, I can't believe you shared that insight.
I did! bsky.app/profile/matt...
That’s a wrap on my federal service. I wrote about my time in gov, and how it ended. matthenry.fyi/posts/moving... 1/
Mischief & Craft - Moving On
Thoughts at the end of a really bad, horrible, no good year.
matthenry.fyi
November 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I did! bsky.app/profile/matt...
Thanks, Carter. I’m so glad I got to know you! So many wonderful humans in the 18F diaspora
November 11, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Thanks, Carter. I’m so glad I got to know you! So many wonderful humans in the 18F diaspora
Someday it’ll be time to build again and I’m enough of a glutton for punishment to come back and help when that time comes. Unfortunately, the great things federal government tech built in the last decade+ are just going to burn or at least decay until then. 9/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Someday it’ll be time to build again and I’m enough of a glutton for punishment to come back and help when that time comes. Unfortunately, the great things federal government tech built in the last decade+ are just going to burn or at least decay until then. 9/
I start my new job later this week, and I’m *going* to be excited, but today I’m just sad. I had my dream job and the worst people in the US wrecked it. 8/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
I start my new job later this week, and I’m *going* to be excited, but today I’m just sad. I had my dream job and the worst people in the US wrecked it. 8/
I’m going to try to write this up a little more fully, but am just getting a few top-of-mind things out now 7/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
I’m going to try to write this up a little more fully, but am just getting a few top-of-mind things out now 7/
The long tail of .gov sites that have few or no dev resources just can’t implement a JS-heavy React-based thing if that becomes the mandate. HTML/CSS/(a little) JS will win in the long run for these sites. 6/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
The long tail of .gov sites that have few or no dev resources just can’t implement a JS-heavy React-based thing if that becomes the mandate. HTML/CSS/(a little) JS will win in the long run for these sites. 6/
USWDS was built to last, and I do believe it’ll win in the end over whatever the National Design Studio tries to replace it with 5/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
USWDS was built to last, and I do believe it’ll win in the end over whatever the National Design Studio tries to replace it with 5/
Suffice it to say, this also doesn’t fill me with confidence for the short-to-medium-term future of USWDS. 4/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Suffice it to say, this also doesn’t fill me with confidence for the short-to-medium-term future of USWDS. 4/
The day I accepted the offer for my new job, they announced a reorg in my little corner of GSA that definitely made me think I’d be RIF’d if I was sticking around. 3/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
The day I accepted the offer for my new job, they announced a reorg in my little corner of GSA that definitely made me think I’d be RIF’d if I was sticking around. 3/
Some director’s cut thoughts that aren’t in the post: I’m lucky to have a new gig, and to get to be leaving under my own steam. 2/
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Some director’s cut thoughts that aren’t in the post: I’m lucky to have a new gig, and to get to be leaving under my own steam. 2/
Contracts & budgets are things I can't speak about on here—particularly in my last couple of days as a fed. Sorry.
That said, there's still a small amount of work happening on it and AFAIK that'll still be true after I'm gone.
That said, there's still a small amount of work happening on it and AFAIK that'll still be true after I'm gone.
November 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Contracts & budgets are things I can't speak about on here—particularly in my last couple of days as a fed. Sorry.
That said, there's still a small amount of work happening on it and AFAIK that'll still be true after I'm gone.
That said, there's still a small amount of work happening on it and AFAIK that'll still be true after I'm gone.
I’m genuinely not sure what the future holds. It’s mostly out of my hands at this point. There are still people in GSA who care a lot about it and want it to succeed, but it still needs institutional buy-in which is a big, open question.
November 8, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I’m genuinely not sure what the future holds. It’s mostly out of my hands at this point. There are still people in GSA who care a lot about it and want it to succeed, but it still needs institutional buy-in which is a big, open question.
“I’m going to block the nazi bot because it’s really degrading my experience here on the nazi app.”
*a little later*
“On second thought, if I block the nazi bot, people might not see my posts on the nazi app, so I’d better not.”
*a little later*
“On second thought, if I block the nazi bot, people might not see my posts on the nazi app, so I’d better not.”
November 8, 2025 at 6:59 PM
“I’m going to block the nazi bot because it’s really degrading my experience here on the nazi app.”
*a little later*
“On second thought, if I block the nazi bot, people might not see my posts on the nazi app, so I’d better not.”
*a little later*
“On second thought, if I block the nazi bot, people might not see my posts on the nazi app, so I’d better not.”
(Also not to bury the lede but I’m starting work at the MD dept of labor next week)
November 8, 2025 at 3:49 PM
(Also not to bury the lede but I’m starting work at the MD dept of labor next week)