Alastair Wilcox
@awilcox.chalmere.com
IT by profession. Interested in education, politics, economics and sport. Based in South Oxfordshire, UK, originally from the Wirral.
This is a welcome good piece speaking to people who have actually engaged with the evidence and who push back against Haidt. Well worth a read.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3w ago‘Social media bans are likely to make things worse’: psychologist Candice Odgers on kids, tech and mental health
I hate to say this, really I do, but in 2026 banning access to YouTube for teens is like stopping them from going to the library.
wow - this is actually a very big deal
Pavel@spavel.bsky.social · 4mo agoCompanies that get sued a lot get lawsuit insurance. Meta has fucked around so much that a judge has released their insurers from an obligation to defend them against lawsuits where Meta deliberately engaged in behavior that caused harm. Which is pretty much all of them.
"At the end of the day it goes dark." In isolation, that reads both as banal and bleak. Perfect for Morrissey.
Gary Panton@garypanton.co.uk · 5mo agoFind your Morrissey album track name by taking the first sentence from the last message you sent. Mine is "I'll Say Hello and Then Go".
All lampposts to have a Union Flag or cross of St George (preferably both). Flogging for anyone removing them, flying a Union Flag upside down or flying the Union Flag below the St George's Cross.
Rich@rich-bryant.uk · 6mo agoYour challenge for the day is to invent a ReformUK policy. On Shrove Tuesday next year we get to see if they’ve adopted it. Remember, it should appeal to insane pensioners and absolutely nobody else. QT with yours!
Good summary of the paper on AI and productivity going round, and OH BOY I'd watch that rise in productivity in Information services like a hawk. What use is more information if it's probably subtly wrong. (Also amirite that some of those labels are missing?) giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
So the Lords think no one under 18 should be able to do a job that requires VPN usage or access public WiFi securely or bank ATMs? www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-priv...
UK government targets VPNs in online safety consultation as Lords vote for ban
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall promises "evidence-led" approach to keeping children safe online
techradar.com
I saw a familiar face across Trafalgar Square. Tried to catch his eye in the hope he'd recognise me and that would remind me how I knew him. He walked straight past me without acknowledgement. When I was about 20 yards beyond him, I realised it was Neil Kinnock who I've never met before or since.
Twlldun@twlldun.bsky.social · 7mo agoPlease quote this with the time you didn’t interact with someone famous - eg one time I was in Cardiff the same weekend as Willem Dafoe (but I didn’t see him or even know he was there until he appeared on the telly later)
Morning! Society for Hopeful Technologists newsletter #2 is arriving in inboxes now. A little bit on Musk and X, much more about future plans + organising buttondown.com/society-of-h... and great to have a group of fellow organisers coming together 💪
#2: Hopeful Actions
What's next for the Society for Hopeful Technologists: events, principles, and opportunities to get involved.
buttondown.com
So not dissimilar to a (uk) public schoolboy.
The Register@theregister.com · last yr.AI is an over-confident pal that doesn't learn from mistakes
If in doubt, organise! The tech industry is a roaring bin fire, so brilliant to share the results of this survey of 522 UK tech workers who want sthg better buttondown.com/society-of-h... Help design the Society for Hopeful Technologists and give a voice to ppl who want to make a meaningful change
Society of Hopeful Technologists: Survey Results
🥁 🥁🥁 The results are finally in: what do people want from the Society for Hopeful Techologists? 🥁🥁🥁 522 technologists based in the UK responded to the...
buttondown.com
New report reveals smartphones ARE bad for you (but not the one you're thinking of) theneuroscienceofeve... A look back at a detailed report about whether or not smartphones in schools are as harmful as many assume. The answer is... nuanced. If you're into that sort of thing. #Smartphones #Tech
New report reveals smartphones ARE bad for you (but not the one you're thinking of)
Recently published reports suggests that smartphones (in schools) may not be as damaging as many believe... but if you sit and think about it too long, they can be.
theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com
From the Oxblogger Newsletter - Long Term Thinking 'You may be Sam Long's number one fan but I reckon you still under-appreciate him. I’m going to explain why.' @ADawsonBros explains why there's even more to Sam Long's story than you imagine. oxblogger.substack.com/p/long-term-... #oufc
Long Term Thinking
By Andrew Dawson
oxblogger.substack.com
Has it not stopped before now, how do passengers get on and off?
Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social · 2y agoFife to Edinburgh driverless bus service to stop in 2025
It's pretty amazing that it's possible to do this - and shows why Bluesky is so much superior in ethos and functionality to the other place. Not sure I want to rebuild my old Twitter self here, though... a fresh start seems nice.
BlueArk Global@en.blueark.app · 2y agoWith BlueArk, you can migrate your tweets from X/Twitter to Bluesky quickly, securely and with the original date of each post. We preserve your stories, your media and your most relevant content on a new platform, without losing anything along the way. 🪽 blueark.app/en-us/
Hello! I’ve finally got fed up of the binfire that is X these days and hoping for a less toxic experience over here…
a cartoon opossum is standing in the dirt with the words peace out below him
ALT: a cartoon opossum is standing in the dirt with the words peace out below him
media.tenor.com
On Wed's Money Box Live I'm looking at what benefits and perks you're entitled to but many people don't claim. Pension Credit, council tax support, social tariffs, Tax-Free Childcare... if you discovered you could get more help then pls email me felicity.hannah@bbc.co.uk
Can we get 500 of you as soon as possible to share this new ad Kamala Harris just released
A quick thread on schools and phones. I'm quite in favour of older kids having phones and managing their own social relationships/travel/finances and learning about how to be good digital citizen. Seems sensible and useful preparation for more independence and autonomy.
This place is clearly maturing. Two porn bots followed me today. Blocked and reported both. Let's hope the moderation can scale here as it grows.
This post from a teacher at Apalachee High School. 😭 America isn't just failing students. It is failing teachers, too.
Not sure whether to come back on here…no reflection on BSky, just don’t really have time for both. That’s why I stopped last time. But like lots of folk, find Musk Twitter grim. Is anyone really here? Or does X actually still have the numbers?!! 🤷♂️🤷♂️
