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Chris Dymond

@chrisdymond.bsky.social

3.1K followers 110 following 230 posts

*Interested in tech and cities* Director of the Smart City Management masters programme at Zigurat Institute of Technology | Co-director of Sheffield Digital | Founder of Unfolding ltd.

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Nov 28

Hello to everyone who’s followed me today! I very much appreciate it and it’s great to see so many people making leap over here to BlueSky 🦋

I post about #SmartCities, #UrbanInnovation & emerging technologies, and work mainly in education & capacity building. Get in touch if you do too!

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Reposted by Chris Dymond

Kit de Waal @kitdewaal.com · 28d

The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) urgent appealing to children’s authors, writers and publishers to donate stories to its new bedtime stories app.

The charity relies on stories in the public domain but are running out of books.

Anyone willing to donate should contact [email protected].

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 21

It keeps him up at night, but not long enough to remember he also eats pizza with his hands.

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 18

Question: Does “tech prosperity” really mean U.S. firms investing in British startups that are building surveillance technologies ostensibly to provide compliance with the online harms act..?

Reposted by Chris Dymond

Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · Sep 12

New from me at my favourite newsletter (again): the origins of the UK Online Safety Act were not grounded in child safety, but rather the authoritarian fantasies of the affluent white English right wing. So why aren't they over the moon about it?
internet.exchangepoint.tech/the-dog-that...

The Dog that Caught the Car: Britain's 'World-Leading' Internet

Billed as a “world-leading” child-protection law, the UK’s Online Safety Act has instead normalized surveillance and ID checks. “Tech policy wonk" Heather Burns writes that the model is spreading acro...

internet.exchangepoint.tech

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dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · Sep 7

Here you go, enjoy the back catalogue:
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Prospect Magazine @prospectmagazine.co.uk · Sep 7

Unlimited digital access to Prospect!

To celebrate our 30th anniversary we are giving you free access to Prospect's entire digital archive until 4pm GMT on 8th September.

Visit www.prospectmagazine... and enter your email address when prompted to start reading.

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 6

Ah I see. You were tricked :)
I came to it late, so some of its reputation inevitably bled into my expectations. I had no knowledge of the story though. But then again I’ve always struggled with rogue-likes a bit, at the other end of the spectrum.

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 6

It’s 💯% none of my business, but I’m stuck on figuring out what moment you’re talking about & why. Do you mean the end? I hated the decision but I loved the lesson that the character I was playing & identified with wasn’t actually me & made decisions I wouldn’t. Never felt my time was disrespected.

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Chris Stokel-Walker @stokel.bsky.social · Sep 3

Nick Clegg's new book is absolutely atrocious and I cannot in good conscience recommend you read it. Instead, read my review for @newscientist.com about how bad it is www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

Nick Clegg says nothing at all in new book How to Save the Internet

During his time as a Meta executive, Nick Clegg witnessed some of the biggest decisions to ever affect the online world. But this collection of tired tropes offers little insight, says Chris Stokel-Wa...

www.newscientist.com

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 3

Best thing I’ve seen today. Man’s a hero.

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Sep 2

He’s a moronic narcissist who’s been actively mentored by Putin since he declared he was going to stand for election in 2015.

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Aug 28

See also South Yorkshire…

Centre for Cities @centreforcities.bsky.social · Aug 28

The West Midlands local growth plan claims that unlike other large city-regions, it is multi- rather than mono-centred and its policies will aim to reinforce this.

Is the West Midlands really the exception to the rule?👇
buff.ly/kmg2DMi

Is the West Midlands really the exception to the rule? - Centre for Cities

The West Midlands local growth plan claims that unlike other large city-regions, it is multi- rather than mono-centred and its policies will aim to reinforce this. The opposite should be the case.

buff.ly

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Aug 28

He’s surrounded himself with a sizeable chunk of the British population, no? And they’re laughing at all of us.
My point is, where’s the pushback? Especially in the information channels most adjacent to the white working class?
I can’t see it but I really hope it’s there…

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Aug 28

That *is* the narrative that people are being fed. And it’s been clipped and disseminated right here again, without any pushback. Was Rylan shown any evidence to correct that narrative?

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 25

It very much is :)
No idea how many people will be there - some might be on holiday, the nice weather might bring others out. We might be sat outside, although there were building works going on nearby last week, so we moved indoors despite it being sunny. I’ll be there from around 9-ish.

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Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · Jul 21

Poli sci students: study this carefully. This is the game of politics in action.

www.ft.com/content/3a3e...

UK government seeks way out of clash with US over Apple encryption

Officials fear technology deals with Washington could be impeded after Trump administration weighs in

www.ft.com

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 21

It’s bonkers. The Home Office have essentially made Trump right on this issue. Pursuing criminals, terrorists and child abusers (egregious as they are) is so obviously of secondary priority to weakening security for millions (perhaps billions) of people 🤦‍♂️

Reposted by Chris Dymond

The New Yorker @newyorker.com · Jul 19

Globally, roughly a third more power is being generated from the sun this spring than last. If this exponential rate of growth can continue, we will soon live in a very different world, @billmckibben.bsky.social‬ writes.

4.6 Billion Years On, the Sun Is Having a Moment

In the past two years, without much notice, solar power has begun to truly transform the world’s energy system.

www.newyorker.com

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 19

This is the most cyberpunk thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life 😲

lauren @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com · Jul 18

"SCPs that got hoovered up and regurgitated by chatbots end up giving tech executives schizophrenia" is perhaps fittingly a very SCP thing to happen

Reposted by Chris Dymond

Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · Jul 17

Just to be completely clear - this British Army Vet was NOT forced out of military housing to accommodate Afghans - who, by the way, put their own lives at risk to support and protect British soldiers.

Just ever more rage-baiting by Matt!

🧵1/14

Tweet from Matt Goodwin:
Outrageous. A British Army Vet —who served seven tours—was forced
out of military housing to accommodate Afghan migrants
Plus pictures of the Army Vet for a GB News article

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Jeni Tennison @jenitennison.com · Jul 16

Please apply for this! While it's only advisory (and unpaid), it's a good opportunity to highlight what's working, and not working, in public sector AI adoption to ministers and senior civil servants.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Role specification for external panel members of the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel

The Government Digital Service (GDS) Responsible AI Advisory Panel is seeking applicants for external panel members.

www.gov.uk

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Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 17

I think GDPR covers the means testing aspects, but there are additional market distortions introduced by pricing algorithms even if they don’t use personal data.

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 17

This review isn’t what I read, but I think it covers it & is more up to date;

chambers.com/articles/alg...

Algorithmic alignment of prices: the EU approach towards liability | Article | Chambers and Partners

This Article gives an overview about "Algorithmic alignment of prices: the EU approach towards liability". Find out more on Chambers and Partners.

chambers.com

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 17

Ah yes, thanks! It was more than the GDPR provisions around personal data that I was thinking about, though, I read something a couple of years ago that was specifically about algorithmic pricing and anti-competitive practices.

Chris Dymond @chrisdymond.bsky.social · Jul 17

Didn’t the EU ban algorithmic pricing that uses any form of means testing? I know it was tabled, but not sure if it became law.

Reposted by Chris Dymond

Philipp Markolin, PhD @philippmarkolin.bsky.social · Jul 11

I believe it is worth interrogating the fundamental forces re-shaping our information spheres away from liberal democracy towards myth, manipulation and magical thinking empowering autocracy and nihilism.

Here’s how it all falls apart—a 🧵 in 6 figures ⬇️
www.protagonist-science.com/p/how-social...

How social media destroys democratic discourse, explained in 6 easy figures

Where we all went wrong

www.protagonist-science.com

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