Peeknote #1

It’s the first week of January, so it’s time for a fresh start. I’ve always enjoyed people who regularly write weeknotes, where they post their notes on a weekly basis. Take a look at Web of Weeknotes, Berg, Joe Roberson, Alice Bartlett for examples and helpful tips to get started. I’m not sure I’m disciplined … Read more

How to clear the Twitter Card cache to show the right image

Have you ever tried to share a news story from your site to Twitter and realised there is no picture being pulled through to the Twitter Card? Twitter might have added the wrong image or you might have forgot to add an image and added after publication. Or perhaps the headline has changed and the … Read more

Suggestions for When That Perfect Domain Name or Twitter Username is Taken

It’s happened to lots of us at one point and is becoming increasingly more common. You’re working on a project or come up with a fantastic web project to get started on, so naturally the first thing you do is run to your favourite domain registrar or Twitter itself to see if the domain name … Read more

My Privacy Plan

(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

Digital innovation in local government around the world

(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

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