What I’ve written in July and August

Once more following in Ben’s fine footsteps it’s time to do a quick round-up of what I’ve been writing recently. I started regularly blogging here again on Desiderium Sciendi (most pretentious blog name ever?) in March of this year after a gap of a couple of years. I’ve been been doing it more often as the year has gone on.

So, in case anyone reading this is new here (👋) this is what I’ve been writing about for the last couple of months.

• Evolution of online forums. This was my laying out my ideal about the “settling” of online forums where, over a period of time, they become much more of a meeting place for known friends rather than a place to discuss whatever the original topic was (and therefore inadvertently making them less welcoming to newcomers).
• What really happened to GOV.UK Registers. I was a member of the GOV.UK Registers team back in 2017. This was my personal reminiscing of that period of time.
• What does government do anyway? Before any large-scale cross-gov transformation can be envisaged anyone involved needs good situation awareness of our current situation. This post is some thinking about how AI might be used to help with that.
• Message for Feryal Clark MP regarding your new role in government. Shortly before this year’s election my home moved into a new political constituency. Following the election, my new MP, Labour’s Feryal Clark, has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government. Given this is one of my main areas of interest, this post contained a list of things I’d love for her to consider in her new role (and that hopefully we’ll able to chat about someday soon!).
• My thoughts on the Citizens’ White Paper (it’s great!). Demos recently published a an excellent paper on citizen’s assemblies and other ways of advancing deliberative democracy in this country. I explain why I’m a fan.
• My thoughts on the OPEN 2024 Community Survey Report. OPEN, the most significant American non-profit focused on the advancement of the rights of polyamorous people, released their annual community survey. As an active member of the UK Polyamory Association I was very pleased to be able to promote it and give my feedback.
• Coding with ChatGPT 1 : Like father, like son? I documented my first use of ChatGPT to help me do some hobby software development. In the process I realised how much I’ve become like my dad.
• Why is there no government-supported international public service wiki or online chat? Not for the first, second or third time — my thoughts on the lack of official government supported international online chat or knowledge stores for public servants.
• Losing weight with ChatGPT : His master’s voice. Using self-hypnosis scripts generated by ChatGPT I’ve radically changed a number of very long-running habits and already lost 1 1/2 stone in two months. Turns out I’m scarily suggestible!
• Coding with ChatGPT 2 : XKCD for government. My second ChatGPT coding story (more on the way). This one about creating a version of the classic XKCD Frequency comic for UK public services.

And that’s it for July and August. I’ve got a bunch more stuff lined up to write but I’m away for a lot of September. Things with truck out in their own time (and I always get interrupted by interesting things in the news or written by other people).

Until then, if you have any feedback on any of those posts write a comment on the specific one, drop me a line at dave@bowsy.co.uk or find me on X (for now) or Bluesky.