Tom W @thomaswilliams.bsky.social

On the quiet side. A bit peculiar. A good companion, in a weird sort of way.

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Jack Bernhardt @jackbern.bsky.social
21d
THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE: oh my this is fun, oh what larks

THE GREAT BRITISH REAPING BEE: well this is a spot of bother and make no mistake, what on earth
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oliver levy @helicule.bsky.social
1mo
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Jordan @jordanpfot.bsky.social
1mo
One simply cannot escape the conclusion that there isn't a single example of trans people existing in public as themselves that Sex Matters or For Women Scotland won't oppose.
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Reposted by Tom W
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Sam P @samjoshphillips.bsky.social
2mo
YOU! Are you looking for a new hobby?

I recommend the wonderful world of quizzing!

Quiz League of London are hosting a New Players night next Monday in London, which will introduce you to the format, and most importantly, the fun!

It's a lovely community, and a lovely way to spend an evening
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Reposted by Tom W
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Alex McLevy @alexm247.bsky.social
3mo
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Anyone else hear Brian Butterfield’s voice in your head when you’re served ads for copyright-dodging pish like these?
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Reposted by Tom W
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net
4mo
"I will not reduce you to the things you said over the course of a single evening, or that weird laugh you did after the pistachio-thing."
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It's a week of second-place finishers being touted as the real winners by a sympathetic BBC News, so I expect the day to end with the news that Heather Humphreys has won "the moral Presidency"
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Reposted by Tom W
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Peter Chilvers @peterchilvers.com
6mo
The BBC are accidentally running the subtitles to Mrs Marple over the Mercury Prize, and it’s rather wonderful. A few of lines could plausibly have been written by Jarvis.
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It's push-polling, the polling company should be ashamed, and journalists should report it as such. (full tables here for anyone interested: yonderconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/OmTBI-Digital_ID-Jun25.pdf)
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We've been repeatedly told what advocates for digital ID think, but never opponents. The implication - never actually spelled out - is that digital ID will fix these annoyances and enable these features and improvements. So of course people say they support it.
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... like forgetting passwords and having to locate documents; we've been reminded that most public services are doing pretty poorly, and asked if maybe some vague digital things can help them do better; we've been told about shiny features that could be included in an app.
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... educational outcomes for their individual needs." And then "do you agree?" but more longwinded. And - finally - we get to Q12. "Having thought more about it, to what extent would you now support or oppose the UK introducing a digital ID system?" By which point we have thought about annoyances...
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... more effectively by allowing them to make better use of data. For example, a ‘digital learner ID’ within the education system might collect data about a student's progress to understand how they learn, which areas they need to focus on, and how they might be best supported to achieve better ...
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Q10 is about who can be trusted with data; Q11 is another very long one that's less of a question and more of a comment. "Part of the purpose of digital ID, according to those who propose it, is to allow government bodies and public services like the NHS, schools, and the police to be run ...
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Qs 5-8 are then mostly demographic: voting intention, digital literacy, etc, for segmentation. Q9 is "How well or poorly do you think the following public services are functioning?", with interesting options including "The Home Office (eg monitoring who has the right to work in the UK)"
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"Advocates of a Digital ID argue it would enable you to prove your identity, store key facts about yourself in a way that is convenient and secure, and help you more easily access a broad range of public and private digital services." What do opponents argue? Dunno, it's never mentioned.
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Q4 is an interesting one. The core question is "Would you prefer [a digital ID] to run by the government, or run by private sector companies?" - no option at this point to say neither - but it's prefixed, for no particular reason other than to put it in there, with ...
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... or do you think the government is already using digital technology to appropriate effect in these areas?" Followed by various Good Things like "Cutting waste and bureaucracy" and "improving learning in schools". Of course people will say it can be improved!
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Q3 is a long one, I have to split it over two posts! "Thinking about the following policy challenges facing the government... Do you think there is digital technology that could help tackle these issues but is not being fully used by the government at the moment ...
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This is followed by a list of general administrative things - reporting potholes, registering to vote, applying for benefits - which can generally already be done online and don't need digital ID.
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Q2: "Some are suggesting the government should introduce a new app, allowing instant access to a range of public services. For each of the following features, can you say whether you would or would not want the function to be included if such an app were introduced?"
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"Being locked out of online accounts due to forgotten passwords or difficulty verifying your identity" is the one most people answered yes to. I don't think my BritCard is going to allow me to access my email - and if it does, fucking hell, that's even worse.
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So are these a fair and balanced set of implications and applications? No. The first question polled: "Thinking about the last few years, can you say whether you have felt at all inconvenienced by any of the following?" followed by a list of things that may or may not be helped by digital ID.
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The TBI report puts it as "After the data-sharing implications and public-policy applications of digital ID are presented" the public is then in favour. But - obviously - the TBI is massively in favour of digital ID. It's famously Blair's hobby horse.
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(if you've not seen the video I mean, this is it)
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You know that Yes, Prime Minister bit about polling? Where you manipulate people into responding a particular way with a series of questions, ask the one you actually care about last, and then only report that? Yeah, that's what they've done here. (1/18, sorry!)
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