Pushing The Button


Pop up notification saying the NHS covid app is shutting down.

This is a retropost. Written contemporaneously in 2020, but published four years after the events. It's May 2020 as I write this. I'm typing to capture the moment. Right now, I've no idea what the impact is. This is the exact moment, on Thursday May 7th, I hit the Big Red Button - three of […]

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Week Notes - "Someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"


Still of Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who saying "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

I mentioned in my previous weeknotes that a change was coming0. I've left the Civil Service. I've started my new consultancy. And now... I've got a new job! A previous regeneration saw me catapulted into the world of health tech at NHSX. Then another saw me go to data. Then over to cyber. And now… […]

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Weeknotes: fin. (So what did I accomplish?)


Photo of Terence presenting. The background has the NCSC logo.

I hate being introspective. But I'm told it's good for me. A few months ago, I handed in my notice to Cabinet Office. And now I'm no longer a Civil Servant. It's hard to sum up those 2,462 days. Every day brought new challenges. I saw my work presented to the highest offices in the […]

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Weeknotes: One Week In


Terence Eden standing outside Number 10 Downing Street.

I have a new job! Yay and Hurrah! One of the best things about the new team is they have an internal wiki detailing what they do, with comprehensive information for new starters. I can't begin to tell you how useful this was. In my opinion, every team in every workplace should have something like […]

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Weeknotes - Lustrum


Terence Eden standing outside Number 10 Downing Street.

lustrum lŭs′trəm A ceremonial purification of the entire ancient Roman population after the census every five years. A period of five years. Five long years ago I quit my job in the mobile industry and started working for the Civil Service. It has been an "interesting" period! On a personal level, I've gone from GDS, […]

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Weeknotes: Vaccinated - Part 1


Me holding my NHS vaccination card.

I know exactly what I was doing on 9th April 2020. I was worrying about open-sourcing the NHS Covid Tracing app. I was worrying about tech standards for booking test slots. I was worrying if I'd ever see my family and friends again. I was worrying if the NHS websites would contain enough semantic HTML […]

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The unreasonable effectiveness of simple HTML


The HTML5 Logo.

I've told this story at conferences - but due to the general situation I thought I'd retell it here. A few years ago I was doing policy research in a housing benefits office in London. They are singularly unlovely places. The walls are brightened up with posters offering helpful services for people fleeing domestic violence. […]

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MSc Notes - 0th Week


Error message from WebEx saying I can't view the document.

I'm doing an MSc Apprenticeship! As part of my desire to work in the open, these are (semi-regular) weeknotes about what I've done / learned / achieved. I tend to be grumpy and curmudgeonly when faced with something I don't understand - or when I suspect I won't be good at an activity. So read […]

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Weeknotes: I've hit the wall


AI generated photo of Batman tucked up all cosy in bed.

I spent the first few months of lockdown in a blur. Working with NHSX, on the national app launch, meant that I didn't have a minute to think about what was going on outside my immediate focus. Then, a few months ago, I switched to a new job in the Data Standards Authority - so […]

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Reflections on four years in the Civil Service


Terence Eden standing outside Number 10 Downing Street.

Four years ago today, I turned up in Holborn for my first day at GDS - Government Digital Service. Terence Eden is on Mastodon@edentReplying to @edent🅁🄴🄶🄴🄽🄴🅁🄰🅃🄸🄾🄽 🅂🅃🄰🅃🅄🅂▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓100% COMPLETE> @edent is now part of @GDSTeam > Press any key to continue…>❤️ 49💬 16🔁 006:37 - Mon 10 October 2016 I've now experienced two Prime Ministers (Primes […]

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