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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

That is my FAVOURITE comic. It is so exactly the way the standards world works!

And thanks for the kind words, Stefan. They mean a lot to me. As always, I’m not on my own, in with an amazing team — but I hope we can do some good in those tiny, load-bearing pieces of digital infrastructure.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

Thank you!

Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

That is wonderful. Thank you, bear!

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

That made me laugh. It does feel pretty grown-up at times!

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

That’s lovely of you to say, Hilary. I hope you’re well and enjoying DCMS. Our creative industries are lucky to have you there!

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

Thanks, you both. What a great way to put it!

Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 10h

Thank you! That means a lot to me :)

Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

I’m based in GS1’s Global Office, the standards body for barcodes. And I’m working with a phenomenal community of working groups, experts, and industry leaders.

It’s an honour to be joining them.

10/10

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

And from there, we can learn how to optimise our pharmacy stock, or our shipping routes, or the flow of people through our hospitals. So that’s what we’re doing.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

This is more than how things work now. The future we’re all working on, where AI safely revolutionises our daily lives… that’s only possible when we can identify — in our software and algorithms — each of the things we’re talking about. The products, the parcels, the prescriptions.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

And it is how this stuff gets written into laws and regulations.

And it’s not just linear, “zebra-striped” barcodes — it’s also 2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, RFID tags and NFC. And globally unique identifiers.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

And it includes how the numbers in the code can be turned into a web address, linking the physical world with the virtual.

It’s not just healthcare, it’s shopping at the supermarket, it’s buying clothes online, it’s shipping stuff around the world. Supply chains. Logistics.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

So that’s my new job. I’m the system architect for the standards around barcodes, which means that everything from how they get encoded (how a number becomes those zebra stripes or QR code etc) through to what info goes in them so it can go beep at the bedside or cash register.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

The phlebotomist takes blood, and attaches barcodes to the vial. (That will beep in the lab.)

And I know everything is going to be okay. The people and things in the real world are connected to the electronic records by those barcodes. It gives me a massive sense of relief.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

It’s a scary moment, easy to feel powerless. And the stakes feel high.

But then the nurse comes to take observations, and scans the wrist band. Beep! Medications are scanned before they’re put in that tiny paper cup. Beep!

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

…sirens outside — and wondered, “How will we get the right medication? Are we sure those are our test results? How will they know who it is in this bed?”

I have. And I have wondered all those things. And thought about the consequences if they go wrong.

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 22h

I have a new job.

To explain it, let me tell you a story.

Have you ever been in the hospital, or with a family member in the hospital, when all the chaos is surrounding you — the busy nurses, the other patients talking, the machines going beep-beep-beep, the occasional…

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 3d

More info on the workshop: www.w3.org/events/works...

IAB/W3C Workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access

IAB/W3C workshop to examine the technical and architectural implications of implementing age-based restrictions on online content access.

www.w3.org

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · 3d

Starting day 1 of the W3C/IETF TAG & IAB workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access.

Adult content, alcohol, social media restrictions, advertising/tracking…We’re looking at the technical and architectural choices in solutions.

Screenshot: IAB/Workshop on Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access. (Link in next post)

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Aug 7

Oh no… 💔

Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Jul 29

You two have so much to be proud of.
@jenitennison.com

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Jun 16

Hugs

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Jun 6

Thanks again — we’ll have a look. 😊

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Jun 6

Thanks, Steve. Do you know anyone there that we could speak to?

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Hadley Beeman @hadleybeeman.bsky.social · Jun 6

Ah, that’s a great idea! I’ll ask them. Thanks Amy 😊

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