Phil Wills
@phil-wills.com
Dad, Scout leader, runner, softcore software engineer @ Accurx
Reposted by Phil Wills
Help us feed Chicagoans who lost their SNAP benefits! Until the end of the month, buy Logic for Programmers with the coupon `feedchicago` to get 50% off. All royalties from the coupon will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (@fooddepository.bsky.social) leanpub.com/logic/c/feed...
Logic for Programmers
The mathematics that will help you in your everyday programming.
leanpub.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Help us feed Chicagoans who lost their SNAP benefits! Until the end of the month, buy Logic for Programmers with the coupon `feedchicago` to get 50% off. All royalties from the coupon will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (@fooddepository.bsky.social) leanpub.com/logic/c/feed...
The new album from Blood Orange is one I keep coming back to. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
‘It’s scary how many St George’s flags there were’: Blood Orange on coming home to Essex and mourning his mother
After grief brought Dev Hynes home, he reconsidered the county that shaped him. The result is a masterful new album – made with a little help from Lorde and Zadie Smith
www.theguardian.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:14 AM
The new album from Blood Orange is one I keep coming back to. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...
This mini thread perfectly captures my feelings on LLMs
I get the point that's trying to be made here, but it's actually inaccurate. The *MAJORITY* of actual practitioners in the tech industry have a position that is neither of these, it's merely getting drowned out by these two loud positions. The most common belief in the tech industry is simple:
There are basically only two positions in the debate about AI.
1. I’ve barely invested any time in learning how to use it effectively. AI sucks.
2. I’ve invested in learning how to use this tool. Holy cow, it’s transformational.
Position #1 has lower barriers to entry.
1. I’ve barely invested any time in learning how to use it effectively. AI sucks.
2. I’ve invested in learning how to use this tool. Holy cow, it’s transformational.
Position #1 has lower barriers to entry.
October 17, 2025 at 6:26 AM
This mini thread perfectly captures my feelings on LLMs
I got very lucky and have a place for next year's London Marathon. I'm hoping, as part of that, to raise some money for @jarproject.bsky.social who help children, like my son, that have arthritis. If you'd like to donate 2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/phil-wills is the place
Phil does the London Marathon
One of my sons has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). He's now doing well, but at it's worst he was in too much pain to go to school and for a long time was unable to join in games with his friends
2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com
October 12, 2025 at 7:09 PM
I got very lucky and have a place for next year's London Marathon. I'm hoping, as part of that, to raise some money for @jarproject.bsky.social who help children, like my son, that have arthritis. If you'd like to donate 2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/phil-wills is the place
Handsworth is where my mum worked and I went to scouts and church. It's where my brother and his family live and work. It has people from many backgrounds living with, not just alongside each other. That doesn't matter to those with Jendrick's mindset www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in Birmingham neighbourhood
Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on short visit
www.theguardian.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Handsworth is where my mum worked and I went to scouts and church. It's where my brother and his family live and work. It has people from many backgrounds living with, not just alongside each other. That doesn't matter to those with Jendrick's mindset www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Phil Wills
An excellent game if you like puzzles with many solutions and that don’t punish you for messing around. Also one of the funniest and most charming games. And now: cheaper!
Tactical Breach Wizards is a year old today! To celebrate, we're rewinding the whole last year to see if it can be done better or if it's just a bullshit level.
In the meantime, we're 25% off til Monday! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
In the meantime, we're 25% off til Monday! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
Save 25% on Tactical Breach Wizards on Steam
In Tactical Breach Wizards, you lead a team of renegade wizards in kevlar through turn-based battles to unravel a modern conspiracy plot. Combine their unique spells in clever ways, or rewind time to ...
store.steampowered.com
August 22, 2025 at 7:04 PM
An excellent game if you like puzzles with many solutions and that don’t punish you for messing around. Also one of the funniest and most charming games. And now: cheaper!
My conclusion after a long drive this summer is that modern EV batteries can go significantly further than me without a fifteen minute break. Maybe there's a use case for people who can't easily charge at home, but a lot of things would need to line up
this is fascinating on new Chinese tech which allows EV drivers to swap car batteries in just 3 minutes instead of waiting for the vehicle to be charged
www.ft.com/content/d4e9...
www.ft.com/content/d4e9...
Will a 3-minute battery swap beat a 5-minute charge for China’s EV drivers?
China’s CATL to build thousands of swapping stations to speed up adoption of alternative charging technology
www.ft.com
August 19, 2025 at 8:50 PM
My conclusion after a long drive this summer is that modern EV batteries can go significantly further than me without a fifteen minute break. Maybe there's a use case for people who can't easily charge at home, but a lot of things would need to line up
Finally got round to reading this and what resonated with me most is where it touches on the value of institutions. They will let you down, they should be questioned and doubted, but there's so much of value that just isn't possible without them.
New post up, with a bunch of thoughts on what drives me personally, and my own 40-year career (h/t @lethain.com).
I have a pretty unusual life story. But one of the reasons I love the tech industry so much is how common unusual stories like mine have historically been.
charity.wtf/2025/07/09/t...
I have a pretty unusual life story. But one of the reasons I love the tech industry so much is how common unusual stories like mine have historically been.
charity.wtf/2025/07/09/t...
Thoughts on Motivation and My 40-Year Career
I’ve never published an essay quite like this. I’ve written about my life before, reams of stuff actually, because that’s how I process what I think, but never for public consumption. I’ve been pus…
charity.wtf
July 15, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Finally got round to reading this and what resonated with me most is where it touches on the value of institutions. They will let you down, they should be questioned and doubted, but there's so much of value that just isn't possible without them.
Despite being on a different continent, I'm very much feeling this sentiment.
so, what, it’s just gonna be hot all summer??
July 9, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Despite being on a different continent, I'm very much feeling this sentiment.
Reposted by Phil Wills
Innocent subpostmasters went to jail, but now it is clear: the Post Office boss class belong there instead | Marina Hyde
Innocent subpostmasters went to jail, but now it is clear: the Post Office boss class belong there instead | Marina Hyde
You thought it couldn’t get any worse, but the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British legal history just got wider, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
www.theguardian.com
July 8, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Innocent subpostmasters went to jail, but now it is clear: the Post Office boss class belong there instead | Marina Hyde
Reposted by Phil Wills
For fans of The Thick of It (who isn't?!), now twenty years old, this is a great read...
‘I’m from Glasgow – the swearing came naturally!’ The full uncensored history of The Thick of It
It was the political satire that gave us omnishambles, pet asbos and the terrifying Malcolm Tucker. Two decades on, creator Armando Iannucci and stars including Peter Capaldi and Rebecca Front lift th...
www.theguardian.com
May 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
For fans of The Thick of It (who isn't?!), now twenty years old, this is a great read...
Hillel is one of the few people I've come across who looks outside of software for perspectives that could be usefully applied to it. This is a new, to me, and interesting framing for reducing incidentn risk
Still avoiding social media but I have ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. I have a new blog post! It's about the hierarchy of hazard controls and how we can use it in software engineering. URL is www.hillelwayne.com/post/hoc/, patreon notes is www.patreon.com/posts/blog-n.... Please enjoy!
1. I have a new blog post! It's about the hierarchy of hazard controls and how we can use it in software engineering. URL is www.hillelwayne.com/post/hoc/, patreon notes is www.patreon.com/posts/blog-n.... Please enjoy!
The Hierarchy of Hazard Controls
The other day a mechanical engineer introduced me to the Hierarchy of Controls (HoC), an important concept in workplace safety. 1
(source)
To protect people from hazards, system designers should...
www.hillelwayne.com
March 5, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Hillel is one of the few people I've come across who looks outside of software for perspectives that could be usefully applied to it. This is a new, to me, and interesting framing for reducing incidentn risk
Reposted by Phil Wills
As part of El's ongoing project, she needed to cover Gaiman. By the time she reached him, we see him in a different light. This is long, detailed, and shines its own light on the writer and the work. If you like criticism and can bear to read on the topic, this feels both essential and definitive.
Today on Eruditorum Press, Last War in Albion returns with a chapter on Sandman and Neil Gaiman. Strap in. This goes hard. www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/the-cud...
The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)
Previously in The Last War in Albion: Alan Moore wrote Watchmen, which, for complicated reasons involving William S. Burroughs and the weak nuclear force, ended the Cold War and replaced it with a mag...
www.eruditorumpress.com
February 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
As part of El's ongoing project, she needed to cover Gaiman. By the time she reached him, we see him in a different light. This is long, detailed, and shines its own light on the writer and the work. If you like criticism and can bear to read on the topic, this feels both essential and definitive.
Reposted by Phil Wills
I keep hearing from healthcare #AI companies that Large Language Models ( #LLMs ) can be made to be "deterministic" as part of arguments around safety. I thought I'd do a little ranty 🧵 to explain why (a) it's not true in the real world, and (b) it's not even the right question.
1/
1/
February 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Phil Wills
New: How Roman Abramovich's aides created an elaborate tax-dodging scheme to pretend his superyachts were being used for commercial purposes when in fact the billionaire was using them for pleasure. Experts say it could amount to illegal tax evasion.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Revealed: how Roman Abramovich dodged taxes on cost of running his fleet of superyachts
Cyprus Confidential files suggest offshore scheme was used to evade tens of millions in VAT on long list of expenses
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2025 at 7:10 AM
New: How Roman Abramovich's aides created an elaborate tax-dodging scheme to pretend his superyachts were being used for commercial purposes when in fact the billionaire was using them for pleasure. Experts say it could amount to illegal tax evasion.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
Reposted by Phil Wills
This is a genuinely uplifting story - from diplomatic elite to refugee to volunteer & enterprising student
#RefugeesWelcome
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
#RefugeesWelcome
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Six days on a small boat in rough seas: my terrifying, death-defying escape from the Taliban
In an instant, Sam Pordale went from a world of privilege to becoming a refugee in imminent danger. He talks about how he lost everything and began to rebuild his life
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This is a genuinely uplifting story - from diplomatic elite to refugee to volunteer & enterprising student
#RefugeesWelcome
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
#RefugeesWelcome
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Reposted by Phil Wills
I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
January 15, 2025 at 1:20 AM
I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place.
A thread.
Reposted by Phil Wills
Continuing on my path to making the web better, I’m now looking for an organization who needs help operationalizing excellence in frontend and product design so we can ship world-class experiences together 🚀
January 13, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Continuing on my path to making the web better, I’m now looking for an organization who needs help operationalizing excellence in frontend and product design so we can ship world-class experiences together 🚀
Reposted by Phil Wills
In contrast to cynical takes about how of course companies don't care about DEI etc, Dan presents the argument that actually caring about employees and creating fun environments is part of what winning looks like. Every leader should remind themselves of this.
Wrote about the irrationality of the boss revolt mcfunley.com/on-misery
On Misery
Not every fun activity or moral good is a waste of time.
mcfunley.com
January 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
In contrast to cynical takes about how of course companies don't care about DEI etc, Dan presents the argument that actually caring about employees and creating fun environments is part of what winning looks like. Every leader should remind themselves of this.
Reposted by Phil Wills
‘Will men see themselves as implicated in the culture that produced Dominique Pelicot and his accomplices, and seek to transform that culture, and themselves?’
Everyone, but particularly men, should read this essay by Sophie Smith.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Everyone, but particularly men, should read this essay by Sophie Smith.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Sophie Smith · Sleeping Women: On the Pelicot trial
Gisèle Pelicot doesn’t conceive of her now ex-husband or the other men who raped her as ‘bad apples’, aberrations...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 20, 2024 at 9:41 AM
‘Will men see themselves as implicated in the culture that produced Dominique Pelicot and his accomplices, and seek to transform that culture, and themselves?’
Everyone, but particularly men, should read this essay by Sophie Smith.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Everyone, but particularly men, should read this essay by Sophie Smith.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by Phil Wills
I was preparing to pitch an op-ed on the nationwide protests calling for President Yoon's resignation, aiming to provide global context amid the limited international coverage.
Given the urgency, I’m sharing it now. I didn’t expect events to escalate this quickly. #SouthKorea #Democracy
Given the urgency, I’m sharing it now. I didn’t expect events to escalate this quickly. #SouthKorea #Democracy
South Korea Is Fighting for Democracy Again—And the World Needs to Know
Last updated December 3, 10:09 AM South Korea Is Fighting for Democracy Again—And the World Needs to Know Heesoo Jang Assistant Professor of Media Law and Ethics Journalism Department, University of...
docs.google.com
December 3, 2024 at 3:11 PM
I was preparing to pitch an op-ed on the nationwide protests calling for President Yoon's resignation, aiming to provide global context amid the limited international coverage.
Given the urgency, I’m sharing it now. I didn’t expect events to escalate this quickly. #SouthKorea #Democracy
Given the urgency, I’m sharing it now. I didn’t expect events to escalate this quickly. #SouthKorea #Democracy
Reposted by Phil Wills
When headline writers say things like “defies known science” or “should be impossible” or “baffles scientists” they’re feeding an attitude that scientific results should all be taken as not just contingent, but completely meaningless. It breeds distrust or even contempt toward science & scientists
November 9, 2024 at 4:24 PM
When headline writers say things like “defies known science” or “should be impossible” or “baffles scientists” they’re feeding an attitude that scientific results should all be taken as not just contingent, but completely meaningless. It breeds distrust or even contempt toward science & scientists
Reposted by Phil Wills
This story is one of the most disturbing I've ever covered. It's about how the views of a deeply weird ideological sect affected science, medicine and the media, with devastating impacts on patients. Please read and pass on. This horror has to stop. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Maeve Boothby O’Neill died because of a discredited view of ME. How was this allowed to happen? | George Monbiot
Chronic fatigue syndrome is as physiological as a broken leg. We must learn all we can from this tragic case, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
October 18, 2024 at 6:39 AM
This story is one of the most disturbing I've ever covered. It's about how the views of a deeply weird ideological sect affected science, medicine and the media, with devastating impacts on patients. Please read and pass on. This horror has to stop. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Phil Wills
A month since the Cumbria Wildlife Trust announced their bid to buy and ecologically revive Skiddaw Forest. They're 91% of the way there, but donations have slowed.
Chip in if you can to help get them over the line. And please share this post.
Chip in if you can to help get them over the line. And please share this post.
Help secure Skiddaw Forest - an extraordinary opportunity for nature | Cumbria Wildlife Trust
The purchase of Skiddaw Forest (including Skiddaw summit) presents an unparalleled opportunity for nature and Cumbrian Wildlife. With your help, this world renowned wilderness can be protected for nat...
www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
October 5, 2024 at 9:14 AM
A month since the Cumbria Wildlife Trust announced their bid to buy and ecologically revive Skiddaw Forest. They're 91% of the way there, but donations have slowed.
Chip in if you can to help get them over the line. And please share this post.
Chip in if you can to help get them over the line. And please share this post.
Reposted by Phil Wills
This brilliant, brilliant thing cruelly encapsulates almost my whole digital career. modem.io/blog/blog-mo...
How to Monetize a Blog
A guide on turning your diary into dollars.
modem.io
September 15, 2024 at 6:53 PM
This brilliant, brilliant thing cruelly encapsulates almost my whole digital career. modem.io/blog/blog-mo...