Simon Everest

Hi, I’m a sighted alt text user! Here are some reasons I use it: - Slow Internet on an airplane - I’m over 40, I have no idea who that celebrity is - Bluesky broke images again - My vision sucks and that text is too small to read otherwise - Conveys further context and authorial intent

Very excited to announce that I will be speaking at @ffconf.org in mid November, on 25 years (!) of the traintimes.org.uk concept. URLs, performance, millions of PWAs; why and how you can do a lot with not a lot. Perhaps see some of you there :) 2026.ffconf.org

Having had brain cancer, I know how brutal the waiting and not knowing can be. Modern medicine never ceases to amaze me. Anything that shortens that limbo and gets people to treatment faster is incredible news, not just for patients, but everyone who loves them. ❤️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Elvis was a hero to most But he never meant shit to me To you To me To you

This is brilliant from @therealnooshu.bsky.social – lots of teams want slippy maps in their services, but don't do the hard work to a) check a map actually solves users' problems, and b) that their map can be delivered safely and reliably to everyone that needs them…

Government folks, join service assessments and peer reviews! 🤩 There is so much for you to learn from your colleagues in other departments and other parts of government. Today, I was in a #ServiceStandard peer review with @simonecarrier.bsky.social from @digital-agentur.de and @nfelger.bsky.social.

Ok lads, I get it, fire risk… 3 times was probably enough though… 😉 [well done everyone, I know this stuff is hard, and this is the first time a. Alert made it to my phone]

The Irish Wildlife Trust are disappointed to see the number of newspaper articles reporting on this accident without giving the details of what happened. @irishenvnet.bsky.social @fairseas.ie #BlueShark #IrishSharks

Hardly a day goes by without my getting email from someone looking for ways to do good with tech. From computer science students thinking about post-grad careers to seasoned coders with decades of experience, there's an army of hackers looking for a way to turn their expertise into public goods. 1/

My game BELTRUNNER is out now! gingerbeardman.itch.io/beltrunner Kinda like Asteroids…or is it? The game was built using Jinks, also by me, which is a totally new way to make games. Game ~10 KB Engine ~0.5 MB Total Web Bundle ~2 MB #gmtkjam #gamedev #indiedev #gametech

Some notable exceptions but my impression:

Whatever summer looks like for you - whether you're counting down the days or finding the thought of it a little tricky - you're not alone. Our latest Spotlight Blog is written just for young siblings of disabled brothers and sisters. Read it at www.sibs.org.uk/youngsibs/sp...

A few people have asked if the work on the existing Service Standard affects the Local Government Digital Standard. Yes and no! First up, read the post. It’s good and it looks like the Servic... https://ift.tt/QJOFeby

What odds on Jordan Henderson breaking the other arm and getting sent off?

This is purgatory.

There is no penalty too severe for anyone involved in developing or selecting the Apcoa parking app. In a competitive field, it’s comfortably the worst parking app available.

Accessibility isn't an extra step you bolt on at the end. Design for people with disabilities, and you usually end up with something that works better for everyone. Less friction, easier to use, period. That's the whole point of UX. 🌍

Well, look at that. A rare copy of the US Declaration of Independence has just turned up, where I work. See: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article....

A lovely new Peppa Pig storyline is helping to open up conversations 💛 George (Peppa’s younger brother) has been fitted with a hearing aid, showing children that hearing loss doesn’t stop you enjoying everyday family moments. For siblings, stories like this matter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G17z...

New laptop day because of new desktop suite, so the stickers had to go. Hopefully I’ve got spares of the older and more rarefied examples. Ironically the ‘transforming government’ one was the stickiest… 👀 youtu.be/6ykq-E_7TZA

@hattiek.bsky.social you should compare notes with your ice cream monstrosity…

Some blogging from me: on working with impact drivers vs phoning a builder and sharing my experiences developing software with Claude: stephgray.com/2026/06/impa...

This site will select a Rothko based on the weather where you are, just choose your location. rothko.joonas.wtf

Something ironic about a film full of puppets the most dangerous bit featured an actual human (video clip in replies to the original post for those who want to see it in context)…

Really enjoyed this PICO-8 puzzle platformer, Carrot Kingdom! www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=156...

I love this for the wisdom and value in the message, and the fact it brings together two Matt S’s that I admire greatly but have only quite minor and very different connections with. One on the outskirts of my job, the other a mixture of 8bit gaming and Lemon Jelly (the band)…

Yay! I'm hiring two Senior Accessibility Specialists to join my team on GOV.UK One Login. You'll be working with great people, solving complex problems for tens of millions of users. Salary of £70,834 - £74,317 (London) / £63,240 - £66,610 (National). Please share!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Keep open by default. Making everything private adds additional delivery and policy costs, and can reduce reuse and scrutiny. Openness should remain the default posture, with closure used sparingly and deliberately." www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-...

Stop! It is necessary for you to see graphic designer extraordinaire Margaret Calvert’s 90th birthday cake. Perfection.

The news is out... After a fantastic event last year, we’re really pleased to share that UKCharityCamp is back for 2026 🎉 It’ll be on Thursday 5th November, at The Studio in Birmingham. Sign up for ticket reminders here tr.ee/aKDs7d And to the UKCharityCamp email list here lnkd.in/eaUP3Udm

It’s been 10 years since I published Building Successful Communities of practice…. To celebrate I’ve published a second edition. Currently at a special price to pre-order (UK only) hellotacit.com/building-suc...

Adult siblings, you matter! Read Amy’s affirming story at www.sibs.org.uk/amy2 #NationalSiblingsDay2026 #ItsaSiblingThing

Want to know why #NationalSiblingsDay2026 is so important? Check out this one minute video #Itsasiblingthing

BBC says 7.7 million people have seen Small Prophets, making it biggest comedy since Ludwig.

We are thrilled to be able to offer two more FREE online art sessions for young siblings as part of our National Siblings Day celebrations this year and to mark Sibs 25th Birthday! Both sessions will run on Saturday 18th April. More information and booking at www.sibs.org.uk/art

A lovely post by Madeleine - I'm so glad you found the letters as moving as I have. "Being in the middle of all these lives, bought it to life. The boring, endless days. The cold, hunger, longing. The joy and adventure. The children born and lost. The hope for the future."

Instantly transported to a long car journey and one of Dad's mixtapes…

We are running our next open training session for primary schools on how to deliver our Sibs Talk intervention for pupils who are siblings of disabled children. The session will run online on February 2nd from 10am-12noon. More information at www.sibs.org.uk/sibs-worksho...

Found via @detig.bsky.social Bugs that everyone with a Mac suffers from, and Apple seemingly won’t fix I‘d add the hell that‘s the Contacts app www.bugsappleloves.com

I still don't understand why Music in macOS Tahoe has the control bar -- which also means what's playing -- at the *bottom* of the window.

This is excellent work insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/20/t...

Treating the integrity of the bits of Internet you've taken responsibility for as an afterthought will cause you problems. Reminded that many years ago one of the localgov managed links on GOV.UK was pointing somewhere unsavoury. We got away with it then in a way I don't think we would have today!

If you have been watching ITV's "I'm a Celebrity" you may have seen sibling and rapper Aitch as one of the contestants. Aitch has a sister Gracie who has Down's Syndrome. www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv...