iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Can an AI agent help diagnose an organisation using #SystemsThinking? I tested a new #AI tool called 'Raven' against Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model, with fictional organisations, hidden answer keys, and 26 trial runs. The results were instructive. substrate.dougbelshaw.com/orglens-1-ca...

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 29/09/2026

I've built Watershed, a free five-minute check on how well your organisation works as a system. Rate 12 plain statements and see which loops keep your problems coming back. For charities, co-ops and public services. Nothing leaves your browser. substrate.dougbelshaw.com/watershed

Landing page inviting organisations to take a five-minute systems check — headline asks "How well does your organisation work as a system?", explanatory text and a "Start the check" button at left; Venn diagram at right shows Knowing, Structure, Change overlapping at "Order" with "Chaos" at the

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 28/09/2026

Trying a new thing, kind of a #weeknote but at the start of the week! Here's #Weekstarter 40/2026 substrate.dougbelshaw.com/weekstarter-...

Black and white photo of Bluebell Wood, Morpeth

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 27/09/2026

A European voice assistant for the Rabbit r1 substrate.dougbelshaw.com/carrot

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 23/09/2026

Some brief reflections on #SysPrac26 – Day 2 substrate.dougbelshaw.com/sysprac26-da...

Conference name badge for the SysPrac26 / SCiO event showing an attendee's printed name and the title "Director, Dynamic Skillset" on a woven straw background.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 21/09/2026

#SysPrac26 – Day 1 substrate.dougbelshaw.com/sysprac26-da...

Sunlit branch laden with ripe blue-black sloe plums clustered among glossy green leaves, suggesting a late-summer harvest against a softly blurred woodland background.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 19/09/2026

Debería tomar más fotos substrate.dougbelshaw.com/debera-tomar...

A poster listing 25 photographic prompts for a public '25 Photographs' project, numbered items in green (examples: 'An empty room,' 'Someone in motion,' 'A red car') with submission details and instructions in black text.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 19/09/2026

Big Tech & AI: "Guilty until proven wealthy" substrate.dougbelshaw.com/big-tech-ai-...

$A photographic rendering of a smiling face emoji seen through a refractive glass grid, overlaid with a diagram of a neural network.$

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 19/09/2026

”Civilisation is a thin film across an ocean of chaos.” — Werner Herzog

Aerial view of a complex multi-level highway interchange with looping, ribbon-like overpasses and scattered vehicles weaving through layered lanes.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 19/09/2026

Despite all our accomplishments we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains

Partially excavated Easter Island moai statue standing upright in a deep pit, with archaeologists and ropes revealing its buried body and showing scale.

Humorous framed sign from the Farm Equipment Association of Minnesota and South Dakota reading: 'Despite all our accomplishments we owe our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact it rains.'

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 17/09/2026

Today I hath been in the Big Smoke at a #CoTech event, my first since @weareopen.coop closed its doors in May. Was great to see everyone! As someone said while I was in London, I am merely "between co-ops" 😉

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 15/09/2026

What happens when AI fades into the background (like gigabit fibre)? substrate.dougbelshaw.com/what-happens...

Bird's eye view photo of a small hut and a concrete path through a lush green forest. However, the image is slightly distorted by digital artefacts.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 14/09/2026

Riffing on @danhon.com's latest and considering both sociotechnical systems and the legibility of conversations in the light of Apple's announcement of 'Live Rewind' substrate.dougbelshaw.com/the-legibili...

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 13/09/2026

I've read, and re-read @thejaymo.net's fantastic INTERNET OPERATOR zine and, in this note, share some of my favourite ideas from it: substrate.dougbelshaw.com/internet-ope...

Gif of a hand flicking through the INTERNET OPERATOR zine, showing highlighted sections

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 13/09/2026

Different ways of making zines substrate.dougbelshaw.com/different-wa...

Two hands positioning a mint-green square paper on a green gridded cutting mat with a small label reading "FRONT", surrounded by scissors, a marker, and a metal paper trimmer—preparing the sheet for measuring or cutting.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 13/09/2026

My first #zine sold out quickly. The second one will be limited-edition too, so sign up to be notified when pre-orders go live! cognitivewallpaper.com

Register of Publications document listing originator DAJ Belshaw, register opened Q3 2026, distribution "Open / Physical Only," and entries including "001 Field Notes on Productive Friction — Q3 2026 — EXHAUSTED" plus other redacted or not-yet-issued items.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 12/09/2026

Contours is an #OpenSource topographic skills-profile visualiser and #OpenBadges v3 credential generator. contours.dynamicskillset.com Define competency axes and values; the tool renders layered contour lines as a signed, portable badge you can keep, share, and reload.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 12/09/2026

Groundwork is dashboard for freelancers that lives entirely on your computer. Track your leads, income, time, and to-do list — without subscriptions, accounts, or sending your data anywhere. framagit.org/dynamicskill...

Freelancer sales and workload dashboard showing annual target progress, a pipeline board with leads/proposals/active/invoiced/paid columns and amounts, a monthly income bar chart, weekly time & capacity bars, and a prioritized next-actions task list.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 11/09/2026

I'm proud of this tool I built and use it every day: taskdial.app ❌ Treating your to-do list separately to your calendar 🤔 Adding to-do's to your calendar ✅ Showing your to-do's on a clock face along with your calendar events

Homepage hero for TaskDial with headline "Plan your day on a clock face," a Get Started CTA, and a circular 24-hour task dial showing colored activity segments and weather icons around a central clock reading Mon 7 Sept, 10:42.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 11/09/2026

Sightlines provides three interactive #SystemsThinking tools for people working in mission-driven organisations. sightlines.dynamicskillset.com It's built around 3 core aspects required to get a basic understanding of thinking in systems: boundaries, multiple perspectives, and feedback loops.

Landing page for "Sightlines," a three-tool guide for thinking through complex situations, showing an intro and call-to-action button plus three numbered cards to define system boundaries, map stakeholders' perspectives, and trace connections between elements.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 11/09/2026

Not sure if it was the whisky I drank last night but I'm giving off strong "people are wrong on the internet" vibes this morning 🥃 In fact, that would be such an awesome newsletter to curate: a catalogue of all the people who are wrong, and why. #Misanthropy #MiddleAge #SlightlyGrumpyDoug

Person sits at a desk typing at a computer, telling a voice asking Are you coming to bed that they can't because this is important: someone is wrong on the internet. Source: xkcd

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 11/09/2026

It's sad to say (and to see) but most of the academic papers citing my work these days are utter shite substrate.dougbelshaw.com/on-the-joys-...

Bar chart titled "Student Literacy Levels Based on the Belshaw Model" showing percentage scores for eight elements—Civic, Critical, Creative, Confident, Communicative, Constructive, Cognitive, Cultural—with most bars roughly between 60% and 95%.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 11/09/2026

AI-engineered superviruses probably aren't going to kill us all any time soon substrate.dougbelshaw.com/ai-engineere...

Global outbreak map showing red circles of varying size marking case concentrations across Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and Australia, with the largest clusters visible over Europe and East Asia.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 10/09/2026

Last year, I co-authored a report for Friends of the Earth on #AI and Environmental Justice policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/reports/harn... We outlined 7 principles that activists and campaigners of all types can use as a starting point for their own work.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 10/09/2026

I've decided to attend #SysPrac26 at the end of the month substrate.dougbelshaw.com/sysprac26

Promotional poster for SysPrac26 systems-thinking conference at Cranfield University (21–22 Sept 2026), highlighting "Connecting ideas; Working with complexity; Creating positive change" and a circular diagram linking people, planet, policies, and prosperity to systems thinking.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 10/09/2026

Sightlines: a practical introduction to Systems Thinking substrate.dougbelshaw.com/sightlines-a...

Online one-hour Zoom workshop titled "Sightlines: a practical introduction to Systems Thinking" scheduled Wednesday 25 November 14:00–15:00 GMT, with a register button, short event blurb about using interactive tools to examine system boundaries and a simple diagram of connected circles.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 09/09/2026

A few months ago, I was the lead author on a values-based, practical #AILiteracy framework for public service media organisations downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/responsib... (PDF) The research involved a landscape review, including analysis of 40 AI Literacy frameworks, 35 expert interviews & survey data.

Cover of a research report titled "Supporting AI Literacies for Young Adults Aged 14–19," presenting a value-based framework for public service media, with a large multicolored segmented ring graphic and partner logos (BBC R&D, UKRI, BRAID, WAO).

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 09/09/2026

Alongside my current clients, I have some immediate capacity (up to ~2 days/week) to help your organisation. Let me know how I can help! Let's have a chat: calendar.proton.me/u/0/bookings... ----- Image: David Clode / Unsplash

Close-up of a pufferfish head with a yellow pectoral fin against deep blue water, showing textured, spotted skin, a large round eye, and a small puckered mouth.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 08/09/2026

Last year, I co-authored a report about #DigitalCredentials for the Irish N-TUTORR National Digital Leadership Network. Read it here: www.ndln.ie/new-learning...

Hand reaching toward a glowing digital interface of education icons centered on a graduation cap, above the report title "New Learning and Teaching Models with a Focus on Micro and Digital Credentialing" and National Digital Leadership Network branding.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 08/09/2026

Another tentative title and focus for my next #zine substrate.dougbelshaw.com/another-tent...

Black-and-white aerial cityscape overlaid with a large fingerprint and a dotted path across rooftops, evoking themes of surveillance, identity, and tracking.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 07/09/2026

Your strategy keeps failing in ways you didn't predict. Not because you lack intelligence or information, but because the mental models behind your decisions no longer match reality. dajbelshaw.gumroad.com/l/polycrisis...

Book cover titled "How to Be Less Wrong in a Polycrisis" — large white title on a blue background; "POLYCRISIS" emphasized in a tan box with dark letters; subtitle "Mental Models for Decision-Makers" and author "Dr Doug Belshaw" shown below.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 07/09/2026

I've updated my /now page dougbelshaw.com/now

Website header reading "/now" with a short explanation: "This is a /now page, inspired by Derek Sivers: what I'd tell a friend I hadn't seen in a year if they asked what I'm up to," and a line noting "Last updated: September 2026."

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 06/09/2026

Half my life substrate.dougbelshaw.com/half-my-life

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 05/09/2026

3 events I'm going to be at in the next couple of weeks substrate.dougbelshaw.com/3-events-im-...

September 2026 calendar page with oversized glossy 3D "Sep" letters dominating the top and a clean month grid below showing days 1–30 with Sundays visually emphasized.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 04/09/2026

She turned me into a newt! substrate.dougbelshaw.com/she-turned-m...

Puritan-style witch trial scene with a woman bound to a dunking stool beside a laptop-wielding judge. The text reads 'If she sinks, she wrote it herself'

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 04/09/2026

Living an NPC life substrate.dougbelshaw.com/living-an-np...

Minecraft villager NPC standing next to a cobblestone wall offers wool — dialogue box shows her portrait and the text "Have some wool!" with a "Take wool" button.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 03/09/2026

Just updated my website for devices with basic web browsers, including e-readers eink.link

Eink.link homepage presenting simple, e-reader‑friendly web links grouped into expandable categories (Search, Ebooks, News, Weather, Social, Tech, Other), with a header tagline and Home/About plus Light/Auto/Dark mode buttons.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 03/09/2026

Consequences have boundaries substrate.dougbelshaw.com/consequences...

Reference table summarizing 12 boundary categories/questions from Critical Systems Heuristics, organized by sources of influence (motivation, control, knowledge, legitimacy) across stakeholder roles, stakes, key problems and who’s involved/affected.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 02/09/2026

Everyone's a consequentialist until they get punched in the face substrate.dougbelshaw.com/everyones-a-... (a post about #AIethics)

A two-by-two grid for discussing AI ethics, titled 'Which moral question are we answering?'. The vertical axis runs from intentions and process at the top to outcomes and impacts at the bottom; the horizontal axis runs from human and institutional agency on the left to system and societal effects on the right. The four quadrants are duty and responsibility (did the people who built and deployed the AI act with care, consent and accountability?), legitimacy and governance (was the system's purpose set through a fair, inclusive and contestable process?), direct harm and benefit (what does the system actually do to particular people and groups?) and systemic consequences (what would it change in society and institutions if it became widespread?). Below the grid: good AI decisions should be able to answer questions in all four quadrants.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 28/08/2026

A tentative title and focus for my next zine substrate.dougbelshaw.com/a-tentative-...

Retro, arcade-style computer terminal in a workshop or storage area showing an oversized classic smiley face on its screen, evoking playful nostalgia about friendly technology.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 27/08/2026

The will for free time requires its organization against constant valorization, which is to say, alienation substrate.dougbelshaw.com/the-will-for...

The collage shows multiple repeated tabs with the words "people who liked this also liked...". In the middle, there is a painting of a woman feeding a goat. The goat has been highlighted in a yellow bounding box. The background is a painted nature scene.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 27/08/2026

Proof of (No) Work substrate.dougbelshaw.com/proof-of-no-...

A 'Proof of (No) Work' time card labeled 52 with an artist signature and a handwritten note reading 'Meditated, sat still and just thought, journaled a bit,' documenting a period of mindfulness instead of conventional work.

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Doug Belshaw @dougbelshaw.com · 25/08/2026

To live up to the standards we set for ourselves, we need to design systems in which self-hosting is structurally possible but not strictly necessary substrate.dougbelshaw.com/to-live-up-t...

Smartphone silhouette with a bright green screen and a centered white speech-bubble icon suggesting a messaging notification, placed on a brown kraft-paper background.

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