Tim Blair

More personalised. More convenient. More efficient. Secretary of State @peterkyle visits @GDSTeam and the Central Digital and Data Office to see how digital tech can be used to overhaul the British public’s experience of interacting with government, saving them time and money.

Jasmin Paris @JasminKParis finished loop five of the #BM100 in 59:58:21.

Today is #InternationalVolunteerDay. At GDS, we make a national impact through our work every day but we also make an impact individually, through volunteering. Everyone can take up to 5 days volunteering service every year at GDS. Here’s how we used some of our days:

Early access to @GOVUK Forms is here! Find out how we’re making digital forms simple to set up and quick to process. Government users can create a trial account to start building new forms today.👇gds.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/27/get…

The @GOVUK homepage helps people access essential UK government information and services, with over 1 million page visits each week. Today, we're revealing the most significant homepage design changes since 2014. Learn more: insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/01/a-b… #Design #Digital

Are you an experienced engineer wanting work on something that has real positive impact? At GDS we apply the culture, processes, business models and technologies of the internet era to deliver for our users. Two critical Lead Tech Arch roles coming up at GDS [1/4] 🧵

@philandstuff @QuinnyPig It's back! "While account IDs, like any identifying information, should be used and shared carefully, they are not considered secret, sensitive, or confidential information." -- docs.aws.amazon.com/accounts/lates…

Huh, the page has been updated again and no longer makes any judgment on whether the IDs are sensitive or not. Boo. cc @QuinnyPig

I don't know when it was updated, but AWS have updated their docs to clearly state that account IDs are not sensitive information: docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest… 🎉

@neillyneil @chao_xian Same here: one Switch which we both use.

@chao_xian @timblair Nah just the one here

Now in private beta, @GOVUK Forms will enable any government team to create simple, accessible digital forms in a few minutes. For insight, read more on how we've worked with @involvencygovuk on the new forms platform: gds.blog.gov.uk/2022/10/06/mak…

🎂The UK Government Web Archive is 25 today🎂 Find out more about the UK Government Web Archive, its history, and function here: nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/

We were really looking forward to getting back to the Towersey Festival village this year. So sad that they've had to cancel again. We'll be there next year though!

@TheRealNooshu Also, it's amazing what just being kind with these sorts of little things can lead to. For example, when I was raising some money by doing a cross-Scotland race a few years ago: paddlebikerun.tumblr.com/post/550299823… / web.archive.org/web/2013071414…

Good deed of the day done and it isn't even 9am. Received a random email from a hospital in America for Mary in Marion, Illinois asking to confirm her hospital appointment for tomorrow. No email address so had to phone and leave the office a message. Hope she gets there okay 😬

@TheRealNooshu Likewise: dropped the boy off at school, and a panicked supply teacher in her car asked "how to I get into the car park?" The entrance was about 100m away by foot, but a mile (through town) by car, so I drove in front and led her the way.

@boffbowsh @chao_xian @issyl0 You forgot all the yak shaving. 3 months minimum.

@pgchamberlin @RichardTowers @issyl0 Who'd have thought that paying for my Iranian domain name (bla.ir) would be so hard?

@RichardTowers @issyl0 I couldn't resist ch@mberl.in :)

@leeporte @louzoid The four-legged one in the photo. Which other wally did you think she was taking about?

@boffbowsh @sillypunk I will drink it, but I won’t buy it again.

@boffbowsh @sillypunk I’ve just opened a can of peanut butter milk stout. Opinion to follow...

I have moved onto sated caramel stout (it is really nice) #eurovision

@jonodrew @GOVUK @cabinetofficeuk @HimalMandalia Not far, into CO CDIO. They can't get rid of me _that_ easily.

@timblair @GOVUK @cabinetofficeuk @HimalMandalia Where are you headed Tim?

And so ends my reign as Head of Technology at @GOVUK. Time to move on to new challenges in other parts of the @cabinetofficeuk. I hope I’ve made a positive difference in my time. Take good care of things, @HimalMandalia🖖