Martha Henson
@marthasadie.bsky.social
Digital producer/consultant/product manager/mentor/user researcher/game mechanic. Eclectic. Nature nerd. Proto yoga studies scholar. Isle of Wight Biosphere. Old Internet Person (the title of my newsletter) www.marthahenson.com
Pinned
Tech Works For Us - Training
Workshops offered on user research, implementing user insight, creating a digital brief, demystifying digital, iterative or game design.
www.techworksforus.com
Periodic reminder that I run all sorts of digital training workshops including game design sessions that can help you make your own training and products more fun www.techworksforus.com/training/ the latter great for team building and away days too.
I love the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendars so much www.jacquielawson.com/advent/chris... like visiting a bygone Flash based internet (warning: extremely twee).
2025 Christmas Village Advent Calendar | Jacquie Lawson
www.jacquielawson.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:59 AM
I love the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendars so much www.jacquielawson.com/advent/chris... like visiting a bygone Flash based internet (warning: extremely twee).
Dark beer fans, I tried this Cornish stout last night and it might be the best I've ever had, like drinking a delicious and creamy chocolate pudding with just the right amount of bitterness www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/our-beers/me... I will be dreaming of it.
Mena Dhu Stout | St Austell Brewery
Mena Dhu is a smooth stout brewed with six malts for richness, depth and a distinctive finish – including notes of chocolate and roasted barley.
www.staustellbrewery.co.uk
December 2, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Dark beer fans, I tried this Cornish stout last night and it might be the best I've ever had, like drinking a delicious and creamy chocolate pudding with just the right amount of bitterness www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/our-beers/me... I will be dreaming of it.
why is Teams insisting I look at this message in both the Chat and Activity tabs before it will clear the unread notification, god I hate Teams so much.
November 28, 2025 at 10:27 AM
why is Teams insisting I look at this message in both the Chat and Activity tabs before it will clear the unread notification, god I hate Teams so much.
Reposted by Martha Henson
My usual experiment to find out how bad LLMs are at technical instructions (wiring a UK plug) as applied to grok. It's just as bad as any other LLM out there:
November 26, 2025 at 9:12 AM
My usual experiment to find out how bad LLMs are at technical instructions (wiring a UK plug) as applied to grok. It's just as bad as any other LLM out there:
I'm so proud of our team for getting this funding and hope it's the start of something even bigger
New funding empowers Isle of Wight initiatives focusing on youth, food and homes
onthewight.com/isle-of-wigh...
#iwnews #IsleofWight
onthewight.com/isle-of-wigh...
#iwnews #IsleofWight
Isle of Wight Biosphere wins £60,000 to drive community climate action initiatives
New funding empowers Isle of Wight initiatives focusing on youth, food and homes
onthewight.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:47 AM
I'm so proud of our team for getting this funding and hope it's the start of something even bigger
Reposted by Martha Henson
dearest skeeters, a question for a Monday morning: what do you know that's interesting about the (pre) history of digital assistants like Alexa?
November 24, 2025 at 8:42 AM
dearest skeeters, a question for a Monday morning: what do you know that's interesting about the (pre) history of digital assistants like Alexa?
Reposted by Martha Henson
Some great recipes here. Saved in the recipes tab on my phone to look at tomorrow and consider making.
Made @alomshaha.bsky.social's simple kitchari (a sort of rice and lentil porridge) for dinner tonight and that is some cracking winter comfort food. So delicious esp with extra butter and salt. Can download his recipe booklet with it here alomshaha.com/wp-content/u...
alomshaha.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Some great recipes here. Saved in the recipes tab on my phone to look at tomorrow and consider making.
Made @alomshaha.bsky.social's simple kitchari (a sort of rice and lentil porridge) for dinner tonight and that is some cracking winter comfort food. So delicious esp with extra butter and salt. Can download his recipe booklet with it here alomshaha.com/wp-content/u...
alomshaha.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Made @alomshaha.bsky.social's simple kitchari (a sort of rice and lentil porridge) for dinner tonight and that is some cracking winter comfort food. So delicious esp with extra butter and salt. Can download his recipe booklet with it here alomshaha.com/wp-content/u...
Hard not to see the first #ashes test madness as a symptom of the global inability to chill the f*** out right now www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
Travis Head powers Australia to humbling Ashes Test win over England inside two days
Travis Head’s crushing 123 drove Australia to their target of 205 and snared victory over England in the first Ashes Test by eight wickets
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Hard not to see the first #ashes test madness as a symptom of the global inability to chill the f*** out right now www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
Today, on the other hand...
So far quite a good day to be living with an Australian, it turns out.
November 22, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Today, on the other hand...
I am now watching the Ashes highlights on iPlayer and it is only THIRTY MINUTES and the theme tune is ALL WRONG. Where the hell is Today At The Test. I am so upset #theashes
A joy to be waking up to TMS and an already exciting Ashes game. But what has happened to the usual 7pm TV highlights package?! Looks like something is appearing on iPlayer only? Is it the same thing? #ashes2025 #ashes #theashes #engvsaus
November 21, 2025 at 9:13 PM
I am now watching the Ashes highlights on iPlayer and it is only THIRTY MINUTES and the theme tune is ALL WRONG. Where the hell is Today At The Test. I am so upset #theashes
Reposted by Martha Henson
🌿 Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium 2026 🌿
Join leading researchers sharing evidence-based insights on ponds, pollinators, fungi and urban mammals. Coming up on 14th Jan.
More details: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1419239717...
@jeffollerton.bsky.social @jassydrak.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social
Join leading researchers sharing evidence-based insights on ponds, pollinators, fungi and urban mammals. Coming up on 14th Jan.
More details: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1419239717...
@jeffollerton.bsky.social @jassydrak.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 11:38 AM
🌿 Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium 2026 🌿
Join leading researchers sharing evidence-based insights on ponds, pollinators, fungi and urban mammals. Coming up on 14th Jan.
More details: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1419239717...
@jeffollerton.bsky.social @jassydrak.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social
Join leading researchers sharing evidence-based insights on ponds, pollinators, fungi and urban mammals. Coming up on 14th Jan.
More details: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1419239717...
@jeffollerton.bsky.social @jassydrak.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social
Ah Teams. Anyone had Teams desktop consistently freezing video displays (so everyone is stuck) some time into a meeting? Is there a fix that isn't shutting the whole thing down and restarting again?
November 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Ah Teams. Anyone had Teams desktop consistently freezing video displays (so everyone is stuck) some time into a meeting? Is there a fix that isn't shutting the whole thing down and restarting again?
Reposted by Martha Henson
There is one more post to be written here, about how AI is now often an austerity technology, inserted into a human process to compensate for the fact that there is just not enough time and money, and many workers are expected to do more and more with less and less.
November 21, 2025 at 7:59 AM
There is one more post to be written here, about how AI is now often an austerity technology, inserted into a human process to compensate for the fact that there is just not enough time and money, and many workers are expected to do more and more with less and less.
Reposted by Martha Henson
If people in your team or organisation are using AI notetakers as a way of coping with too many meetings and a culture of presenteeism, there's not a technological fix for this. The answer is to have fewer, better organised meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
November 21, 2025 at 7:13 AM
If people in your team or organisation are using AI notetakers as a way of coping with too many meetings and a culture of presenteeism, there's not a technological fix for this. The answer is to have fewer, better organised meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Reposted by Martha Henson
I've written up the findings from our work with people and organisations who have used AI notetakers in meetings, identified 9 risks and a bunch of mitigation strategies. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Nine risks caused by AI notetakers — Careful Industries
AI transcription tools are not currently mature or reliable enough to be regarded as an always on, single-source of truth for meeting notes. Nine common risks, and six possible mitigations.
www.careful.industries
November 21, 2025 at 7:09 AM
I've written up the findings from our work with people and organisations who have used AI notetakers in meetings, identified 9 risks and a bunch of mitigation strategies. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
A joy to be waking up to TMS and an already exciting Ashes game. But what has happened to the usual 7pm TV highlights package?! Looks like something is appearing on iPlayer only? Is it the same thing? #ashes2025 #ashes #theashes #engvsaus
November 21, 2025 at 7:52 AM
A joy to be waking up to TMS and an already exciting Ashes game. But what has happened to the usual 7pm TV highlights package?! Looks like something is appearing on iPlayer only? Is it the same thing? #ashes2025 #ashes #theashes #engvsaus
Reposted by Martha Henson
If, in some imaginary world, I had any direct influence on tech policy making I'd mandate some kind of "back to the floor" training for those making tech policy. Specifically, I'd make them do a stint as delivery managers for massive complex projects, with sight of all the moving parts
November 18, 2025 at 10:52 PM
If, in some imaginary world, I had any direct influence on tech policy making I'd mandate some kind of "back to the floor" training for those making tech policy. Specifically, I'd make them do a stint as delivery managers for massive complex projects, with sight of all the moving parts
Reposted by Martha Henson
Also absolutely huge LOLs to be on a panel where someone was saying "let's digitise all the things, why are we waiting?! do it more!" on the day of the cloudflare outage
November 18, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Also absolutely huge LOLs to be on a panel where someone was saying "let's digitise all the things, why are we waiting?! do it more!" on the day of the cloudflare outage
I've been playing with Qualtrics reporting today and it's not super intuitive I'll be honest but WOAAAH, automatic analysis on open field text from an large data set in all European languages to produce a neat English word cloud for this presentation is PRETTY handy let me tell you.
November 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I've been playing with Qualtrics reporting today and it's not super intuitive I'll be honest but WOAAAH, automatic analysis on open field text from an large data set in all European languages to produce a neat English word cloud for this presentation is PRETTY handy let me tell you.
Reposted by Martha Henson
New thing! The @carefultrouble.bsky.social Careful Consequence Check is now live and free to use. Based on research with the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, this practical tool will help you answer the question "is my AI product creepy and weird" www.careful.industries/consequences
November 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
New thing! The @carefultrouble.bsky.social Careful Consequence Check is now live and free to use. Based on research with the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, this practical tool will help you answer the question "is my AI product creepy and weird" www.careful.industries/consequences
Reposted by Martha Henson
Also, in case you need it, here is a slide reminding you not to make things that are creepy and weird www.careful.industries/consequences
November 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Also, in case you need it, here is a slide reminding you not to make things that are creepy and weird www.careful.industries/consequences
Reposted by Martha Henson
ahhhh my book is published today, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
this one is a real labour of passion - I think it is genuinely important to understand the information crisis that we're living through and how and why it makes us all feel anxious and angry
www.penguin.co.uk/books/469677...
this one is a real labour of passion - I think it is genuinely important to understand the information crisis that we're living through and how and why it makes us all feel anxious and angry
www.penguin.co.uk/books/469677...
Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today
What’s the most useful thing you could know about your own life?
In this era-defining book, developed from her groundbreaking Radio 4 essay series, Naomi Alderman turns her boundless curiosity and in...
www.penguin.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 5:51 PM
ahhhh my book is published today, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
this one is a real labour of passion - I think it is genuinely important to understand the information crisis that we're living through and how and why it makes us all feel anxious and angry
www.penguin.co.uk/books/469677...
this one is a real labour of passion - I think it is genuinely important to understand the information crisis that we're living through and how and why it makes us all feel anxious and angry
www.penguin.co.uk/books/469677...
The two sprays compared were Vicks First Defence (which I use, not very pleasant but does seem to help) and Sterinase (but probs other saline sprays the same). Useful to know they have solid evidence! Thanks for sharing @alomshaha.bsky.social
Congratulations to Professor Paul Little, winning Royal College of General Practitioners Research Paper of the Year 🌟
He and his team’s research found that simple nasal sprays, can shorten illness, ease symptoms and even reduce the need for antibiotics.
Read more 👉 https://tr.ee/P2bffM
He and his team’s research found that simple nasal sprays, can shorten illness, ease symptoms and even reduce the need for antibiotics.
Read more 👉 https://tr.ee/P2bffM
November 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
The two sprays compared were Vicks First Defence (which I use, not very pleasant but does seem to help) and Sterinase (but probs other saline sprays the same). Useful to know they have solid evidence! Thanks for sharing @alomshaha.bsky.social
Brilliant, use this please
New thing! The @carefultrouble.bsky.social Careful Consequence Check is now live and free to use. Based on research with the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, this practical tool will help you answer the question "is my AI product creepy and weird" www.careful.industries/consequences
November 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Brilliant, use this please