Government

My Privacy Plan

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(Photo via Sean MacEntee) I’ve decided to come up with a privacy plan for myself. After hearing about the NSA’s surveillance scandals and now the details about Edward Snowden, the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations, I’ve been kicked into action. These events has got me (and several million other people) spooked by who is … Read more

Balancing the Positivity Around Crowdfunding

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Crowdfunding is a well-known concept for most people, thanks to sites such as Kickstarter. Headlines of consumer products, such as the Pebble, to films, apps and games getting funded – with no apparent downsides – are everywhere. So when I was asked to write a piece on the "negative" side of crowdfunding, which would be … Read more

Economy, Effectiveness, Efficiency: How councils can measure the success of social media

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(This is a full version of an article I wrote for The Guardian’s Local Leaders Network on how councils can measure the success of social media. You can read the edited version on the Guardian’s site.) According to the 2013 BDO Local Government Social Media Survey, 98% of UK councils are using some form of digital or … Read more

Digital innovation in local government around the world

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(This is a full version of an article I wrote for The Guardian’s Local Leaders Network on digital innovation in local government. You can read the edited version on the Guardian’s site.) When working in digital innovation and local government, it’s helpful to stick your head above the parapet and see what others are up to. There is … Read more

Online Privacy Issues Need to be Easier to Understand

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Online privacy issues are currently difficult to understand. Amid media headlines about NSA, Prism and Snowden, terms such as encryption, Tor and HTTPS are used extensively with the average person expected to keep up  with what they mean and understand how the issues affect them. For people who aren’t technically adept, the message about why online … Read more

Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30″

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“They’re solving problems like education and health care, creating jobs, and manufacturing right here in the U.S. And yes, a few of them also happen to be making some pretty cool apps for your phone.” Below is the “30 Under 30″ of US business start-ups, published on Inc.com. You can also view the slideshow here. … Read more

#Infographic: NSPCC’s Rebuilding Childhoods Campaign

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Monday 5 September 2011, saw the public launch of the NSPCC Sexual Abuse theme campaign ‘Rebuilding Childhoods’ in the Metro newspaper. The Metro kicked off the campaign with a front page feature on how young victims of child sex abuse can be driven to suicide without expert help. Child abuse can devastate lives. Its effects can … Read more

Tech For Good: The Rise of a Movement

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"Tech

 

One of the things I’ve been struggling with as a freelancer lately is focussing in on a sector that matches my own values and who the clients I work with give me work that I enjoy doing. Often when your values and your clients’ are aligned, your work will be better as a result. This has the added benefit of making your client happier too.

This is easier said than done.

I’ve been struggling because some of the clients I’ve been working with recently haven’t matched my values and so poor work, somewhat beneath my usual standard, has crept through. This hasn’t been anything to do with my clients, who are fantastic to work with and appreciate my work, but is more to do with me and the opportunities I take on.

I often chat to my better half about what kind of clients I want to work with. She says I need to focus on a particular group of clients I enjoy working with and match my values. I agree and resolve to do something about it, only to take on a non-value-matching client the next week, under the guise of a nice client and good money. C’est la vie.

That has changed though, as I’ve found the area I want to focus on: Tech For Good.

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Freelance WordPress website designer for hire in London, UK

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Experienced Freelance WordPress Website Designer I am a freelance WordPress website designer for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I offer a wide range of WordPress development and consultancy services, from strategy and design through to build and implementation. Though based in London and often work with client’s … Read more

Freelance PR Consultant for hire in London

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Ben Matthews, Experienced Freelance PR Consultant I am a freelance PR consultant for hire in London, with 8 years experience in the tech, mobile, government, charity and startup sectors. I started my PR career in financial PR, before moving from Technology PR to Digital PR, before finally working as a freelance PR consultant. I offer … Read more