Struan Donald
@struan.exo.org.uk
7% less grumpy than I appear to be.
Reposted by Struan Donald
The text generator generates text. If you ask it for persuasive text, it generates text that is more persuasive. The text generator cannot lie, or tell the truth—it just generates text. Every time we say “the bot lied” we are misleading ourselves.
Two independent studies found that AI chatbots were better at persuading voters than political ads. The most persuasive bots also lied the most. This is something that humans working in psyops have known for decades. AI is psyops at scale. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/04/1...
December 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
The text generator generates text. If you ask it for persuasive text, it generates text that is more persuasive. The text generator cannot lie, or tell the truth—it just generates text. Every time we say “the bot lied” we are misleading ourselves.
It is, apparently, giving Tuesday so here in decreasing order of self serving are some suggestions. Firstly @mysociety.org, the people that pay me. While that's surely reason enough, we also make websites, data and reports that make it easier to be civic minded in the uk - www.mysociety.org/donate/
Support mySociety
A small charity making a big difference. Donate today!
www.mysociety.org
December 2, 2025 at 11:58 AM
It is, apparently, giving Tuesday so here in decreasing order of self serving are some suggestions. Firstly @mysociety.org, the people that pay me. While that's surely reason enough, we also make websites, data and reports that make it easier to be civic minded in the uk - www.mysociety.org/donate/
Ask Alex and Julia things about our democracy sites, or about how democracy works in the UK. They love answering questions and have opinions.
Ever wondered about TheyWorkForYou? Whether you have a burning question or a minor query, we'll be answering the whos, whys, whens, wheres & whats in a Reddit AMA ('ask me anything') session. Kicks off on Mon 8th Dec at 1pm - www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics... Click 'remind me' and it'll do just that!
From the ukpolitics community on Reddit: AMA: mySociety (TheyWorkForYou, WriteToThem, WhatDoTheyKnow, etc.) - Monday 8th December 2025 @ 13:00
Explore this post and more from the ukpolitics community
www.reddit.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Ask Alex and Julia things about our democracy sites, or about how democracy works in the UK. They love answering questions and have opinions.
Reposted by Struan Donald
This is lovely. I gave a talk about maintenance from a civic tech point of view some years ago that might be of interest: dracos.co.uk/said/tictec-... (and I do make sure maintenance is included in the org strategy goals, I think it’s vital)
November 30, 2025 at 9:27 PM
This is lovely. I gave a talk about maintenance from a civic tech point of view some years ago that might be of interest: dracos.co.uk/said/tictec-... (and I do make sure maintenance is included in the org strategy goals, I think it’s vital)
This is something I absolutely believe in and try follow with my shopping choices. Shops where they recognise you are a delight.
www.are.na/editorial/pe...
www.are.na/editorial/pe...
Personal Business | Are.na Editorial
“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”
www.are.na
November 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This is something I absolutely believe in and try follow with my shopping choices. Shops where they recognise you are a delight.
www.are.na/editorial/pe...
www.are.na/editorial/pe...
Second work post in a row but as a summary of how a vote in parliament went the previews from TheyWorkForYou votes really are delightful - votes.theyworkforyou.com/decisions/di...
2025-11-05 - Employment Rights Bill: Government amendment (a) in lieu of LA62
Analysis and data on voting in the UK’s Parliaments
votes.theyworkforyou.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Second work post in a row but as a summary of how a vote in parliament went the previews from TheyWorkForYou votes really are delightful - votes.theyworkforyou.com/decisions/di...
In not personal news, some things I have been mostly working on recently
Here's a full list of all the new things on TheyWorkForYou from last week www.mysociety.org/2025/10/23/t...
TheyWorkForYou Update: A richer view of Parliament
A big update to TheyWorkForYou, covering APPGs, open letters, alerts, and much more.
www.mysociety.org
November 4, 2025 at 10:22 AM
In not personal news, some things I have been mostly working on recently
Do I want to know how they add him?
October 6, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Do I want to know how they add him?
The use of virtually in this marketing copy is less load bearing and more single brick upon which the entire foundations depend
October 6, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The use of virtually in this marketing copy is less load bearing and more single brick upon which the entire foundations depend
Chasing cyclists down the road wielding a pump and offering to inflate their wildly under inflated tyres would be a very normal thing, right?
October 4, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Chasing cyclists down the road wielding a pump and offering to inflate their wildly under inflated tyres would be a very normal thing, right?
Reposted by Struan Donald
🪑 Democracy Club is seeking a new Chair for our board of non-executive directors.
🫵 Do you have chairing experience? Good knowledge of UK politics, civic technology, and/or digital service delivery? You could be the person we’re looking for!
Take a look👇
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
🫵 Do you have chairing experience? Good knowledge of UK politics, civic technology, and/or digital service delivery? You could be the person we’re looking for!
Take a look👇
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
Democracy Club Chair 2025
docs.google.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:44 PM
🪑 Democracy Club is seeking a new Chair for our board of non-executive directors.
🫵 Do you have chairing experience? Good knowledge of UK politics, civic technology, and/or digital service delivery? You could be the person we’re looking for!
Take a look👇
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
🫵 Do you have chairing experience? Good knowledge of UK politics, civic technology, and/or digital service delivery? You could be the person we’re looking for!
Take a look👇
docs.google.com/document/d/e...
The good thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you can just do it.
The bad thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you have to do it.
The bad thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you have to do it.
September 29, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The good thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you can just do it.
The bad thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you have to do it.
The bad thing about writing and using your own software is that if you want it to do something then you have to do it.
TIL that spending enough time looking at the register of member’s interests radicalises you on money in politics
September 21, 2025 at 12:03 PM
TIL that spending enough time looking at the register of member’s interests radicalises you on money in politics
This is probably because I’ve done some stuff at work to help gather data on expenses etc but the more I see this sort of thing the more I wonder why does the chancellor need to go to a fancy event to meet business people?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Rachel Reeves due to appear at gambling lobbyist’s event amid tax review
Chancellor’s invitation criticised as ‘strange timing’ with Treasury looking at whether to raise duties on £12bn sector
www.theguardian.com
September 21, 2025 at 12:01 PM
This is probably because I’ve done some stuff at work to help gather data on expenses etc but the more I see this sort of thing the more I wonder why does the chancellor need to go to a fancy event to meet business people?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
I have no idea who Alexander Isak is or what the affair is and yet this is still hugely enjoyable on the hyperbole of the content industrial complex
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
The undeniably massive Alexander Isak affair has created its own sub-reality | Barney Ronay
Battle between real and fake is an active front in sport and the Newcastle striker transfer saga is vast but strangely hollow
www.theguardian.com
August 23, 2025 at 9:16 AM
I have no idea who Alexander Isak is or what the affair is and yet this is still hugely enjoyable on the hyperbole of the content industrial complex
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
I think we should formalise rules for declaring national holidays when it's too hot because my brain has already informally implemented this
August 13, 2025 at 11:57 AM
I think we should formalise rules for declaring national holidays when it's too hot because my brain has already informally implemented this
Reposted by Struan Donald
I do like regular expressions. I don’t much like “AI” (by many definitions/uses). Do I like using AI to generate regular expressions to then be fast, not be reliant on that AI, and not be a black box? Maybe.
www.mysociety.org/2025/08/12/u...
www.mysociety.org/2025/08/12/u...
Using LLMs to write text classification rules
Balancing the flexibility of LLM classification with a speedy and examinable rules-based approach.
www.mysociety.org
August 13, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I do like regular expressions. I don’t much like “AI” (by many definitions/uses). Do I like using AI to generate regular expressions to then be fast, not be reliant on that AI, and not be a black box? Maybe.
www.mysociety.org/2025/08/12/u...
www.mysociety.org/2025/08/12/u...
Strong applause to the FT for this sub heading and indeed for investigating imported questions
www.ft.com/content/6256...
www.ft.com/content/6256...
August 9, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Strong applause to the FT for this sub heading and indeed for investigating imported questions
www.ft.com/content/6256...
www.ft.com/content/6256...
The seven regions: lawful north, neutral north, chaotic north, midlands, lawful
south, evil south, chaotic south.
south, evil south, chaotic south.
July 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM
The seven regions: lawful north, neutral north, chaotic north, midlands, lawful
south, evil south, chaotic south.
south, evil south, chaotic south.
Spent about half of Superman expecting Punk Rock by Mogwai to start. It did not. Was otherwise fine
July 15, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Spent about half of Superman expecting Punk Rock by Mogwai to start. It did not. Was otherwise fine
resets days since I found a mysterious piece of plastic on the floor that looks like it might be important for something counter to zero
June 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
resets days since I found a mysterious piece of plastic on the floor that looks like it might be important for something counter to zero
I have no idea how people can relentlessly promote their own things. I am all too aware of where the flaws are in mine and being all rah! about things without a lot of British self deprecation is deeply antithetical to my natural mode of communication.
(yes I am sub posting about me)
(yes I am sub posting about me)
June 18, 2025 at 10:05 AM
I have no idea how people can relentlessly promote their own things. I am all too aware of where the flaws are in mine and being all rah! about things without a lot of British self deprecation is deeply antithetical to my natural mode of communication.
(yes I am sub posting about me)
(yes I am sub posting about me)
In rare work news, I spent a bit of time recently working on this, in case you wanted to know how well your local council was doing on climate action.
The 2025 #CouncilClimateScorecards results are in! 📊 🚀
How good is your council's #ClimateAction?
Check your council's score now at: councilclimatescorecards.uk
#LocalGov @mySociety.org
How good is your council's #ClimateAction?
Check your council's score now at: councilclimatescorecards.uk
#LocalGov @mySociety.org
June 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
In rare work news, I spent a bit of time recently working on this, in case you wanted to know how well your local council was doing on climate action.
The perils of modern dining are cover versions so bad you regret the invention of music
May 14, 2025 at 1:11 PM
The perils of modern dining are cover versions so bad you regret the invention of music