Hopeful technologist. Community tech, careful innovation, socially progressive tech policy. https://www.careful.industries https://hopeful.technology https://buttondown.email/justenoughinternet DMs don't work but hello@careful.industries will find mehttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mrcug2bffc2xSo I think it is verrrrrry interesting that Burnham is well into digital comms and (seemingly) not at all interested in digital policy. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Jul 2026 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrcug2bffc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mrctb6wgvs2x[on our way to latitude] Me: happily singing along to Wet Leg in the passenger seat, looking fwd to lots of twee girly indie pop My OH: looks v pained Me: "Well you don't like anything" Him; "That's not true. I'm really looking forward to seeing that Nepalese grindcore band next week"23 Jul 2026 12:22 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrctb6wgvs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mrca7o4zq22pSo. is Ian Murray the only "digital" minister in DDCMS? https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-july-2026 because that seems like quite a big brief for someone with no tech experience till Feb this year and makes zero sense for online harms and digital govt to sit in the same brief [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Jul 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrca7o4zq22phttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mrbcpipnos2jWhen do teenagers go to bed in the summer holidays? Is it ... never? Or just after their third evening meal?22 Jul 2026 21:53 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrbcpipnos2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mravpdto722jNot me trying to finish some references before I go and holiday and screaming at the setting sun, "PLEASE PUT A DATE ON YOUR PDF".22 Jul 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mravpdto722jhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mraetpetx22dWell I needed to read this today. [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Jul 2026 12:58 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mraetpetx22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr7ungeqy22zWe had a prompt injection attack yesterday that I think was via using Google Auth to log into Claude (so, um, DON'T DO THAT). An API had been installed that was issuing commands to our inboxes and authoring emails - we managed to shut it down relatively quickly but watching it unfold was 👀22 Jul 2026 08:08 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7ungeqy22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr7r7rhkys2dBeen reflecting on this a bit more, and I think the optics of this are very telling. AI apparently "not a priority" for Burnham, so presumably this is all low-stakes scraps for him, and meanwhile Purnell gets a govt that looks comfortingly like 2009 to play with [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Jul 2026 07:07 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7r7rhkys2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr7pgarcwk2dGood morning. I cannot tell if I am dying or I am already dead. Just... watch it. [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Jul 2026 06:35 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7pgarcwk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr6upy32ks27Apologies for the Insta link but *cracks knuckles* we're in for a vintage season of political comms. Trying to imagine the meeting now where someone was sayig, "But how do we make Shabana look cute and relatable?" https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbEB4drjQGy/?igsh=aXk0ZXpnb2Fib3Qy21 Jul 2026 22:37 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6upy32ks27https://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr6uavu7hc27It seems funny to me the gossip is that the tech carve-up happened as so many ministers wanted a bit of AI razzle-dazzle, but what are they getting? Waning social license, not enough water for data centres, the risk of the US bubble bursting, financial upside for the big US labs21 Jul 2026 22:29 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6uavu7hc27https://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr5xrzadxc2lIf you have had an unexpected email from me with an odd-looking link in it, don't click it! I say, wearily, while updating some DNS settings.21 Jul 2026 13:59 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5xrzadxc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr5glt4wn22dSo, guessing the junior ministers are going to be pretty busy? (Also, HELLO WHAT?) [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Jul 2026 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5glt4wn22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr56luzqjk2nSo tech policy is being split between DDCMS which gets digital, DBIST which gets science and innovation, an AI Minister who is between both. Meanwhile GDS may either go back to the Cabinet Office or to ??DDCMS (weird move), and rumour mill is that Online Safety will go to Home Office (who knows) [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Jul 2026 06:29 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr56luzqjk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr4c5xnidc2eAs a tech policy person, I don't know what foolish optimism made me think, "Maybe all the briefing is made up and this one will be a decent bit of casting/deck chair rearranging." No hugging, no learning.20 Jul 2026 22:00 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr4c5xnidc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr46ahhbd22eWell so long DSIT. That is a hell of a swing - might seem like a junior dept of little consequence from within govt, but putting science and innovation in with business is a pretty solid Tory move. One can only hope all the non-innovative tech, that keeps everything ticking over, gets a home too.20 Jul 2026 20:50 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr46ahhbd22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3yzfmvcc2jAh, ofc [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Jul 2026 19:16 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3yzfmvcc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3tbzv2yc23Just to make sure the John Ketley is a Weatherman earworm is firmly lodged (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-692SSSy2ZE, in case you're not familiar) [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Jul 2026 17:34 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3tbzv2yc23https://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3srlqz3c23You can almost sing this to the tune of "John Ketley is a Weatherman" [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Jul 2026 17:24 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3srlqz3c23https://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3nxj5hrc2qApparently departing DSIT SoS has taken to Elon Musk-owned social-media platform X to say that she is proud of using her time in govt to stand up to Elon Musk and Grok.* (I've done some work since the last time I checked. Honest.)20 Jul 2026 15:58 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3nxj5hrc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3lsfcsrk2qJust had a strong word with myself and remembered that no bad things will happen if I don't follow along with every Cabinet resignation in real time.20 Jul 2026 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3lsfcsrk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr3avtuqpc2hDid he not want to be shown up by Hot Podium Guy? [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Jul 2026 12:05 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3avtuqpc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr37n7ogec2eAnyway, speaking of genAI, autocomplete in Gmail really is wild. Was just sending an email to say I couldn't attend something and it tried to turn "Hope it goes really well" into "Hope it goes relatively well", because ofc computers don't know how to do effusive sign-offs.20 Jul 2026 11:42 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr37n7ogec2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr36ihw6rk27Interesting Politico piece on genAI in the EU parliament https://www.politico.eu/article/the-european-parliaments-answer-to-its-ai-worries-more-ai/ which begs quite a few questions about (1) what kind of assurance models are being used to certify the local models and what the risk model is and (2) privacy and security guardrails around use of external ones20 Jul 2026 11:21 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr36ihw6rk27https://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mr2ngjtnh22rI love a bit of Bluesky metastudy. I've been online for decades and this is the most consistently serious/earnest place I've ever hung out. Perhaps Christopher Nolan is the patron saint of Bluesky seriousness. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Jul 2026 06:16 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr2ngjtnh22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mqzwcv4hz22rI've been on Bluesky for a while now and the Odyssey is the first pop culture event (not politics or sport) that's regularly popping up across my timeline and (with love) I guess nerds must really like Christopher Nolan films.19 Jul 2026 23:22 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzwcv4hz22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mqz6rqvb5k2wTIL that Jarlsberg is the official cheese sponsor of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical.19 Jul 2026 16:21 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqz6rqvb5k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social/post/3mqyjj5bg3s2wIf you can no longer lose yourself in a book, absolutely recommend you do this. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Jul 2026 10:01 +0000at://did:plc:dvvvi2lfda3eq46zikkozitb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqyjj5bg3s2w