Adrian Howard
@adrianhoward.com
Drinks less coffee than people expect. Enjoys helping people solve problems in the messy cross-disciplinary spaces where strategy, research, & delivery overlap. Does 1-1 coaching with senior practitioners & leaders.
adrianhoward.com | quietstars.com
adrianhoward.com | quietstars.com
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Quiet Stories #194
Your Chatbot Is Not Your Knowledge Management System, Before You Cite That Study, Nine Risks Caused by AI Notetakers & more.
mailchi.mp
Since the AI bubble hasn't quite burst — a small batch of some more sceptical pieces on AI in the first issue of the year :-)
mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...
Including work from @emilydileo.bsky.social, @cwodtke.bsky.social, @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social, @lizthegrey.com, Lizzie Matusov, & more.
mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...
Including work from @emilydileo.bsky.social, @cwodtke.bsky.social, @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social, @lizthegrey.com, Lizzie Matusov, & more.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
Reposted by Adrian Howard
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @priyanca.bsky.social battles with a perennial problem: badly-designed and badly-implemented “validation” on names
Pro tip: names can include punctuation or spaces.
Pro tip: names can include punctuation or spaces.
Filling in a form and being told my last name is 'invalid'. There is punctuation in my surname on my ID so when I do the checks the names will not be the same. Adds an extra layer of anxiety
January 22, 2026 at 10:55 AM
In today’s episode of #FixTheForms, @priyanca.bsky.social battles with a perennial problem: badly-designed and badly-implemented “validation” on names
Pro tip: names can include punctuation or spaces.
Pro tip: names can include punctuation or spaces.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
My book Teaching Team Collaboration is on sale for $17.50 (normally $35.00) with this coupon leanpub.com/teachingteam... this is the book to guide your improvement on the human side of #softwaredevelopment to build the right thing more smoothly and quickly
Teaching Team Collaboration
Teach your software engineering and development students to collaborate well with each so that they can win at collaboration.
leanpub.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:07 AM
My book Teaching Team Collaboration is on sale for $17.50 (normally $35.00) with this coupon leanpub.com/teachingteam... this is the book to guide your improvement on the human side of #softwaredevelopment to build the right thing more smoothly and quickly
Reposted by Adrian Howard
I’m looking for my right-hand person to come help me run the @aial.ie
- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00
Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...
Main Responsibilities👇🏾
- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00
Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...
Main Responsibilities👇🏾
January 21, 2026 at 11:17 AM
I’m looking for my right-hand person to come help me run the @aial.ie
- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00
Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...
Main Responsibilities👇🏾
- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00
Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...
Main Responsibilities👇🏾
Reposted by Adrian Howard
Getting my book from the library means that the library keeps it in stock and people will find it and read it and the book will live and I love that for my book
Someone said to me, "I'm sorry but I got your book from a library." Nobody should ever apologise for that. You read my book! That's brilliant! I grew up hanging out in libraries and the idea of a world without them fills me with dread. Without libraries, authors, like readers, will only suffer.
January 20, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Getting my book from the library means that the library keeps it in stock and people will find it and read it and the book will live and I love that for my book
Reposted by Adrian Howard
every time Cat does one of these
January 20, 2026 at 3:32 AM
every time Cat does one of these
Reposted by Adrian Howard
So, hey: Is there a return or exchange policy, here? Like, can we get that Federation-era Star Trek kind of interesting times, instead of the Bell Riots/Eugenics Wars/WWIII all-smashed-together-at-the-face kind? Would… would really like it if we could skip ahead a bit, you know? Yeah.
January 11, 2026 at 6:52 PM
So, hey: Is there a return or exchange policy, here? Like, can we get that Federation-era Star Trek kind of interesting times, instead of the Bell Riots/Eugenics Wars/WWIII all-smashed-together-at-the-face kind? Would… would really like it if we could skip ahead a bit, you know? Yeah.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
In the first Blade movie, Quinn does a lot of heavy lifting.
I like how he's not particularly faithful to vampire lore, and nobody gives a shit.
Immune to fire, silver, and other things vampires fear.
Unexplained badass is a great trope. I hate how movies these days have to explain everything.
I like how he's not particularly faithful to vampire lore, and nobody gives a shit.
Immune to fire, silver, and other things vampires fear.
Unexplained badass is a great trope. I hate how movies these days have to explain everything.
January 12, 2026 at 10:21 PM
In the first Blade movie, Quinn does a lot of heavy lifting.
I like how he's not particularly faithful to vampire lore, and nobody gives a shit.
Immune to fire, silver, and other things vampires fear.
Unexplained badass is a great trope. I hate how movies these days have to explain everything.
I like how he's not particularly faithful to vampire lore, and nobody gives a shit.
Immune to fire, silver, and other things vampires fear.
Unexplained badass is a great trope. I hate how movies these days have to explain everything.
Once more dealing with a group who are discovering that building a research repository does not actually solve the "nobody values research" and "people are ignoring our research" problems.
Amusingly something that doing some user research on the groups involved would have shown.
Amusingly something that doing some user research on the groups involved would have shown.
January 12, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Once more dealing with a group who are discovering that building a research repository does not actually solve the "nobody values research" and "people are ignoring our research" problems.
Amusingly something that doing some user research on the groups involved would have shown.
Amusingly something that doing some user research on the groups involved would have shown.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
Health experts: Your synthetic text "AI" overviews are misleading, for example see this about liver function tests.
Google: Okay, we'll block "AI" overviews on that query.
The product is fundamentally flawed and cannot be "fixed" by patching query by query.
A short 🧵>>
Google: Okay, we'll block "AI" overviews on that query.
The product is fundamentally flawed and cannot be "fixed" by patching query by query.
A short 🧵>>
‘Dangerous and alarming’: Google removes some of its AI summaries after users’ health put at risk
Guardian investigation finds AI Overviews provided inaccurate and false information when queried over blood tests
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Health experts: Your synthetic text "AI" overviews are misleading, for example see this about liver function tests.
Google: Okay, we'll block "AI" overviews on that query.
The product is fundamentally flawed and cannot be "fixed" by patching query by query.
A short 🧵>>
Google: Okay, we'll block "AI" overviews on that query.
The product is fundamentally flawed and cannot be "fixed" by patching query by query.
A short 🧵>>
Reposted by Adrian Howard
My actual serious opinion is that writing code is not some kind of forever additive beneficial activity for your mind. Nothing is
I bet you any amount of money I could design an RCT that shows that exposure to coding decreases critical thinking
January 11, 2026 at 6:31 PM
My actual serious opinion is that writing code is not some kind of forever additive beneficial activity for your mind. Nothing is
If you want some Quiet Stories on strategy, research, and delivery with a leadership focus then you should subscribe to our newsletter quietstars.com/newsletter/ :)
(last issue: Your Chatbot Is Not Your KM System, Before You Cite That Study, AI Notetaker Risks & more > mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...)
(last issue: Your Chatbot Is Not Your KM System, Before You Cite That Study, AI Notetaker Risks & more > mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...)
Quiet Stories Newsletter — Quietstars
Quiet Stories — free newsletter with the latest thinking on effective strategy, research, and delivery work. No spam. No fluff. No fads. Just the good stuff most people overlook. Summarised and delive...
quietstars.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:41 PM
If you want some Quiet Stories on strategy, research, and delivery with a leadership focus then you should subscribe to our newsletter quietstars.com/newsletter/ :)
(last issue: Your Chatbot Is Not Your KM System, Before You Cite That Study, AI Notetaker Risks & more > mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...)
(last issue: Your Chatbot Is Not Your KM System, Before You Cite That Study, AI Notetaker Risks & more > mailchi.mp/7dde6332c467...)
Reposted by Adrian Howard
UK folks.
Reminder that you can find and write to your MP using www.theyworkforyou.com - simple and straightforward.
Reminder that you can find and write to your MP using www.theyworkforyou.com - simple and straightforward.
TheyWorkForYou: Hansard and Official Reports for the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, and Northern Ireland Assembly - done right
Making it easy to keep an eye on the UK’s parliaments. Discover who represents you, how they’ve voted and what they’ve said in debates.
www.theyworkforyou.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:35 PM
UK folks.
Reminder that you can find and write to your MP using www.theyworkforyou.com - simple and straightforward.
Reminder that you can find and write to your MP using www.theyworkforyou.com - simple and straightforward.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
January 9, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Retro done. Day done. Week done. Done.
Time to make some chilli to go with the sweet potatoes baking in the oven.
Have an excellent weekend y'all.
Time to make some chilli to go with the sweet potatoes baking in the oven.
Have an excellent weekend y'all.
January 9, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Retro done. Day done. Week done. Done.
Time to make some chilli to go with the sweet potatoes baking in the oven.
Have an excellent weekend y'all.
Time to make some chilli to go with the sweet potatoes baking in the oven.
Have an excellent weekend y'all.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
Nazi bars exist but you can choose not to go into them
(This being the inversion of the takeover of a bar by Nazis story)
(This being the inversion of the takeover of a bar by Nazis story)
Keir Starmer's spokesman says X limiting deep fake images to paid users "simply turns a feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service. It's not a solution.. it's insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence."
Still won't commit to a ban or to stop posting there
Still won't commit to a ban or to stop posting there
January 9, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Nazi bars exist but you can choose not to go into them
(This being the inversion of the takeover of a bar by Nazis story)
(This being the inversion of the takeover of a bar by Nazis story)
The first Balanced Team in the Ether of 2026 is in two weeks — our regular free online get together on effective cross-disciplinary work!
Previously we've covered everything from describing research work to sustainability.
Sound fun? Free tickets & info at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/balanced-t...
Previously we've covered everything from describing research work to sustainability.
Sound fun? Free tickets & info at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/balanced-t...
Balanced Team in the Ether #22
A free online Balanced Team event to discuss all things related to diverse cross-functional multi-disciplinary work!
www.eventbrite.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 3:37 PM
The first Balanced Team in the Ether of 2026 is in two weeks — our regular free online get together on effective cross-disciplinary work!
Previously we've covered everything from describing research work to sustainability.
Sound fun? Free tickets & info at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/balanced-t...
Previously we've covered everything from describing research work to sustainability.
Sound fun? Free tickets & info at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/balanced-t...
Reposted by Adrian Howard
I have never run a panel sourced, vendor survey project. I have always done careful and intentional recruitment from inside of communities. I defended this as a research leader when it was baffling to eg marketing and other functions. And meanwhile academics look down a lot of applied work. Well
“These findings provide clear evidence that data collected on MTurk simply cannot be trusted.”
January 8, 2026 at 10:02 PM
I have never run a panel sourced, vendor survey project. I have always done careful and intentional recruitment from inside of communities. I defended this as a research leader when it was baffling to eg marketing and other functions. And meanwhile academics look down a lot of applied work. Well
Let's see if the second coffee will work.
January 9, 2026 at 9:49 AM
Let's see if the second coffee will work.
Reposted by Adrian Howard
"semi-adversarial workarounds for a handful of big platforms" feels like it describes most saas startups/companies, too
It feels like a lot of modern software/technology problems eventually boil down to having to implement semi-adversarial workarounds for a handful of big platforms.
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 AM
"semi-adversarial workarounds for a handful of big platforms" feels like it describes most saas startups/companies, too
Reposted by Adrian Howard
Had a super lovely wholesome chat with an accessibility focused service designer Eszter based in Budapest.
She described the gov.uk design system as being 'like heaven' and prompted me to share inspiring things from UK gov like 'tell us once', applying 'universal barriers'.
Thank you internet
She described the gov.uk design system as being 'like heaven' and prompted me to share inspiring things from UK gov like 'tell us once', applying 'universal barriers'.
Thank you internet
What to do after someone dies
The steps you must take when someone dies - register a death, report a death with Tell Us Once, coroners, funerals and death abroad.
www.gov.uk
January 7, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Had a super lovely wholesome chat with an accessibility focused service designer Eszter based in Budapest.
She described the gov.uk design system as being 'like heaven' and prompted me to share inspiring things from UK gov like 'tell us once', applying 'universal barriers'.
Thank you internet
She described the gov.uk design system as being 'like heaven' and prompted me to share inspiring things from UK gov like 'tell us once', applying 'universal barriers'.
Thank you internet
Current status: Needing all the coffee.
January 7, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Current status: Needing all the coffee.