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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 11h

Because software is eating the world, there are now theology articles in Wired. (I started reading and couldn't stop).

Laura Bullard @laurabullard.bsky.social · 8d

Taking a brief break from sporadically posting photos of my pitbull to shout this into the void:

I’ve spent the last seven months thinking about the Antichrist, and now those thoughts are published over at @wired.com.

www.wired.com/story/the-re...

The Real Stakes, and Real Story, of Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession

Thirty years ago, a peace-loving Austrian theologian spoke to Peter Thiel about the apocalyptic theories of Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt. They’ve been a road map for the billionaire ever since.

www.wired.com

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 2d

berglondon.com/products/hat/

Here & There — a horizonless projection in Manhattan

berglondon.com

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 2d

Sketching interfaces, riffing off Berg's Here & There

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 2d

Surprised at the lack of a criticisms section on the Wikipedia page on 'scaled agile' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_...

Scaled agile framework - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 8d

Midway through the work period before half term. I think I need to think of it as working 6 x 6 week sprints a year.

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · 8d

The NHS should be looking to India's Digital Public Infrastructure for inspiration on the 'Single Patient Record': blog.rpp.works/what-the-nhs...

What the NHS Single patient Record can learn from India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission - Ways of Doing

Part of India’s National Health Authority, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was founded in 2021 to design, build, operate and scale digital

blog.rpp.works

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Reposted by Richard Pope

Benjamin Welby @bm.wel.by · 21d

This new blog post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social (informed by the thinking he's been doing with @richardpope.org and me) is essential reading.

What does digital-era healthcare really mean?

A long read on the NHS, the 10 Year Plan, and what it would take to unstick the system

medium.com

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Reposted by Richard Pope

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 22d

We've been overwhelmed by the number (and quality!) of people expressing interest in these roles, so going to close to the window at Thursday lunchtime.

Watch this space for more on the new inititiative. Should be able to say more early next week.

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 23d

👀 I'm hiring two roles for a new initiative launching soon (watch this space!) 👀

A Research Assistant and a Writer/Editor. Both part-time, freelance. c.5-10 days by end December, maybe more and ramping up over time (with no obligation). Both £350 pd. Especially keen to hear from good writers! 1/2

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Reposted by Richard Pope

James Higgott @jiggott.bsky.social · Sep 8

I couldn't make it into the office today due to the strikes. Instead I'm working on a park bench in the glorious sunshine thanks to superfast #GovWifi from the local crematorium.

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Sep 5

Presumably at some point the US will use export controls + the fact many health systems use American software to similar effect. e.g. limiting use of US software in relation to reproductive rights / mRNA

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · Sep 5

Trump administration has confirmed it plans to destroy already purchased supplies, preventing their distribution.

Belgium asks US not to destroy millions in contraceptives bound for Africa

Trump administration has confirmed it plans to destroy already purchased supplies, preventing their distribution.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Richard Pope

James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · Sep 3

Love this idea from @bm.wel.by - could be a relatively easy quality-of-life policy win if done correctly:

bm.wel.by/2025/08/26/u...

Under our noses; in the air around us - bmwelby's blog

GovWifi works every day for officials; CivWifi could do the same for citizens, knitting public services and public lives a little closer together.

bm.wel.by

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Sep 2

Few ideas on that buried at the bottom of this: www.nesta.org.uk/feature/digi...

Digital and mission-driven government: opportunity

New parents have to navigate interacting with a bewildering array of digital services. What role could digital play in the government's opportunity mission?

www.nesta.org.uk

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Aug 29

Had to revise down my working hours to a couple of days a week and put a pause on all book related stuff and writing for the foreseeable. Just given notice on my office. This decade has feel like the cycle between the chaotic / stable eras from 3 body problem without option to dehydrate.

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Aug 21

Scouts, skills for life! (volcano related parenting injury)

Rope handle for walking stic. Blue deck chairs in background

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Aug 4

Platformland activity club ❤️

hindsightery.bsky.social @hindsightery.bsky.social · Aug 1

Weeknotes

- AI assistant for casework - public prototype and design decisions
- using AI to generate contextual copy for white label apps
- platformland activity club
- gov mission work - secure by design
- reflections on weeknoting

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Weeknotes Friday 1 August 2025

Weeknotes Friday 1 August 2025 AI caseworker assistant, sharing our thinking across gov + using AI to help design white label content Gov mission Platformland activity club Weeknotes reflection afte...

docs.google.com

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Aug 3

Black and white photograph of tabby cat on wooden floor

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Reposted by Richard Pope

Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · Jul 27

#policywonks Interested to know if this happens in other fields? Tech policy is littered with overly simple solutions that will never do what it says on the tin but which *can* easily be communicated to the media or understood by politicians with low technical literacy.

Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · Jul 26

We need a term that describes digital policy proposals that erroneously position technology as a magic solution. This week has been a week for it: age verification and digital ID are both white elephants that meet the "something must be done!" test without solving the underlying problem.

Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · Jul 26

As much as I like seeing @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social sharing her wisdom, there is so much about this past week that has made me want to scream and this is not helping.
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 25

Nominative determinism alert "Hedgerows are a major component of WLF, and broadly defined as rows of woody shrubs and/or trees surrounding fields or pastures, which are managed by cutting to maintain their shape and integrity (Pollard et al., 1974)."

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 22

Thinking out loud on the NHS 10 year plan ...

richardpope.org/notes/nhs10-...

Thoughts on the NHS 10 year plan - Richard Pope

The UK government has published the 10 year plan for the National Health Service in England. It is based around ‘three big shifts’: analogue to

richardpope.org

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 16

My house, and as a result my head, is mostly kpop demon hunters songs on a loop each waking minute with no coming up for air. Luckily v good tunes.

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 14

Given the prevalence of 'capability mapping' in old style IT projects, and how much consultancies still push it today, you'd think there would be an evidence base that if you do it, it means you get better outcomes. Drawing a blank so far. Any pointers?

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Reposted by Richard Pope

Sam Jeffers @worklesshard.bsky.social · Jul 12

"My antisemitic social network poisoned my credulous AI" 😭

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Jul 12

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, said that its Grok chatbot relied too heavily on input from users of his social media platform X after a code update, causing it to share a series of antisemitic comments on Tuesday.

Grok Chatbot Mirrored X Users’ ‘Extremist Views’ in Antisemitic Posts, xAI Says

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company said its Grok chatbot had also undergone a code update that caused it to share antisemitic messages this week.

trib.al

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 11

For all the talk of digital and growth, there's been surprising little on creating a digital economy. Here's a few ideas for starters: www.nesta.org.uk/feature/digi...

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 9

Exactly that. Decompression dogs sound 😊

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Richard Pope @richardpope.org · Jul 9

I know it's been great for many people, but as a dyslexic, adhd person, the move to remote, document first, time boxed working regularly borders on the impossible. Add in the precariousness of freelancing and 'life events' and it's hard to make it work.

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