iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I love running @opendatamcr.bsky.social Joy Diversions it so great to see the variety of adventures people want to go on. And today is no different.#joydiversion

Wall with post its of adventures people want to go on with a sloth in the middle

030

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I'm running tomorrow's Joy Diversion and the weather looks perfect for it. If you are in Manchester and want to go on an adventure, we still have spaces. It is fun, friendly and free.

010

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

From our Liverpool friends

000

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For those that have yet to respond to the Marginal Cost Restriction call for evidence. We have published the read out from the event we did with DCMS last week to help. Hurray the deadline is tomorrow 23.59. Data Intermediaries added as a bonus! www.opendatamanchester.org.uk/read-outs-fr...

opendatamanchester.org.uk

Read outs from data consultation events - Open Data Manchester

Over the last three weeks we have organised two events to help people respond to the UK Government’s ongoing calls for evidence and consultations. We have now published read outs

026

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

I recently spoke at the Liverpool Festival of Data about our participatory data governance work. This is a theme we have been working on for over 10 years. This blog post explains our rationale, the work that has been underpinning it and why this is so important at this point in time.

020

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

If you are in Manchester on 18th March this in-person afternoon event should be really good and it's free #IMD25 #opendata

002

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

After publishing the IMD and Political Control poster in December. I took a dive into the some of the individual indices. One that stuck out was Education, Skill & Training. Many of the LAs shifted position with London doing particularly well. I am unsure why this is, but interested to find out.

Poster visualising the creative Education, Skills and Training Deprivation in England in 2025. The visualisation shows the relative deprivation of local authorities with the mist deprived in the top-left hand corner and least bottom right. The shapes are coloured according to the political control of the local authority

102

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

If anyone is interested in what we have been up to lately and some of the events we've got lined up, have a look at our newsletter. We have Open:Data:Night, Design Justice and the LCR Data Community of Practice in Feb, so come join us. mailchi.mp/72539f0e18c4...

Neon sign with the words Open Data Night illuminated

012

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

There are some really interesting talks already lined up

000

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

The recent release of the Index of Multiple Deprivation by UK Gov. allowed me to indulge my twin interests of psephology and demographics. The results a visualisation of the deprivation profiles of the 296 English local authorities. More info here www.opendatamanchester.org.uk/revisiting-p...

Poster showing with the relative deprivation profiles of the 296 English local authorities laid out. The poster depicts the most deprived local authority of Blackpool top left and least, Hart, at the bottom

35620

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

👇This is going to be a lot of fun. Do come and join us and tell your friends 😀

010

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Today we are on a Joy Diversion in Macclesfield and it is our biggest ever with over 45 people in 9 explorer teams.This Saturday we are a running its sister event Free Range Liverpool at the Central Library. Come and join us bit.ly/ODM-FRL1

022

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

I was on a conference panel about AI in the Public Sector this week and a question from a healthcare professional inspired me to write an article on the Privatisation of Institutional Memory. Hyperbolic? Maybe. Important? I think yes. bit.ly/ODM-ART2 #ai #publicsector #society

bit.ly

Are We Privatising Our Institutional Memory? - Open Data Manchester

I was on a panel earlier this week about the use of AI in the public sector when a question from the audience crystallised something that has been troubling me

020

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

This is going to be fun 👇

000

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Interested in mutual data governance? The next Data Cooperative Working Group meeting is tomorrow 16.00-17.00 BST - We are looking at sustainability. bit.ly/ODM-DCWG21 Open to everyone

bit.ly

Select tickets – Data Cooperative Working Group #21 – Zoom

The Data Cooperative Working Group is an informal, international group of practitioners, researchers and those interested in th...

011

Reposted by Julian

Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 12/05/2025

This is one of the most incredibly deranged photography projects I've ever seen and will appeal enormously to anyone who has had to cover Leveson / press reform / vaguely remembers when British newspapers had power. www.jenniferforwardhayter.co.uk/leveson-proj...

1517355

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Looking for something to do in Manchester next weekend? Come along to the next Joy Diversion. It is fun and free, and you will always discover something. bit.ly/ODM-JOY17

Joy Diversion poster with text over layer in white and black strips over a line map of Manchester. The text reads:
Calling all ramblers, explorers and meanderers. Surveyors, cartographers and inquisitors. People who look up to the rooftops and down in the culverts.
The wandering returns
Joy Diversion - Saturday 17th Many 10am-4pm
Altogether Otherwise, 6-10 Hanover Street, Manchester M4 4BB. Price - Free
Join us for a day of mapping, exploring and wandering in Central Manchester and Salford
Viewed as a functional place of work, retail and leisure, our city centre bounded by Trinity Way, Great Ancoats Street and the Mancunian Way is imbued with history, iniquity, celebration and endeavour. Let us go out and find what's out there, discover the forgotten spaces, create stories and map our city.
This is not a guided tour - this is an adventure
Propose expeditions to unchartered territories, revisit previously known places, strange meanderings and any other diversions that you fancy.
You will need:
Yourself
Comfortable walking shoes or what ever you need to get around
Weather appropriate clothing (hopefully sun cream rather than waterproofs1)
Water
Contributions of biscuits and cake welcome.
Register here: https://bit.ly/ODM-JOY17

035

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

We love doing these. You never know quite where you are going to end, they are full of fun, wonder and JOY!

010

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Has Yodel just downed tools in time for Christmas? The website was saying services were temporarily unavailable this morning now there is a notice saying they are not accepting any more parcels www.yodeldirect.co.uk

000

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Hello Blusky friends. Does anyone have any recommendations for resources to learn Japanese beyond the usual Duolingo which although sleek drives me a bit nuts. Additionally any tutors in Manchester?

320

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

We had a team day at @opendatamcr.bsky.social towers and held a #joydiversion. Our group decided to explore the hidden River Irk that flows under Victoria Station and its valley

241

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

⚡On 5th Nov we held an Electricity Data Dive that brought together diverse stakeholders from network distribution to social housing. All looking at how better data can lead to more sustainable electricity use. A write up can be found here bit.ly/ODM-SPARKR #energy #sustainability #electricity

Lattice structure of electricity pylon viewed from underneath

011

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

Day starting well. As a sensible person I back up my files with Apple Time Machine. Just checked that everything went alright with last night's back up and not only has the back up failed, it has corrupted all the back ups to 2020.😭

010

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 21/10/2024

This is our regular get together for all things mutual data governance. Join us!

000

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 09/10/2024

I don't know if this is anyone else's experience, but I'm confounded by Avanti's pricing strategy on the WCML relating to peak time trains. When I catch one from MCR in the morning they tend to be pretty empty. The evening peak is obviously more complicated, but... Surely this is suboptimal?

Photo of Avanti Pendalino carriage door illuminated information display showing the following information:
VT1A15 09:43 London Euston - I'm a peak time train

020

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 08/10/2024

Some of you may know that we did some work around mobility impairment and access to the places where we live work and play. Part of the accessibility issue, especially routing is data such as dropped curbs, pavement dimensions and barriers is mapped but locked away. Is this practice discriminatory?

102

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 07/10/2024

📣Calling all energy and data people📣 ⚡Open Data Manchester is running an Electricity Data Dive with Electricity North West and Kraken on 5th November. If you're interested in the data behind our electricity generation, supply and usage, this is for you 👉 bit.ly/ODM-SPARK

View from the bottom of an electricity pylon looking up to the apex and showing the symmetrical structure of beams and cross braces

027

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 03/10/2024

Had a great time running a workshop with Emma from 10GM at the #GMLiveWell event today. Really interesting insight from participants and always, never miss an opportunity to show how @opendatamcr.bsky.social we weave data into fabric.

Picture of a room in which a workshop is taking place. People are sat around tables discussing the topic of data with the some of Open Data Manchester's election results weaving and climate weaving as well as other examples in the foreground

121

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 02/10/2024

This was a fun event to tend and it was lovely seeing so many people who were interested in the data behind both our local and national elections

010

Reposted by Julian

Open Data Manchester CIC @opendatamcr.bsky.social · 01/10/2024

Calling all energy data people we have a fab event coming up on the 5th November evening in Manchester. It is a chance to dive in and explore the data from @ElectricityNW and Kraken. #electricity #energy #analytics bit.ly/ODM-SPARK

bit.ly

Kraken, 13th floor of building No.2 Circle Square, 1 Symphony Park, Manchester, M1 7FS Our electricity supply is a complex syst...

034

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 18/09/2024

For all #democracy and #opendata friends. We are running an in person Digging the Data: MPs, Councillors and Elections event on Tues Oct 1st 6-8pm in Manchester. It is a chance to dig and explore. Sign up: bit.ly/ODM-MPS please share

A politicians election rosette on a suite with the text Vote X in the middle. It has purple, green red, blue and yellow around the outside.

033

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 17/09/2024

A couple of months ago I travelled by train from Nairobi to Mombasa. A colleague booked my ticket as you need an M-pesa account to book in advance. 1st class ticket is KSh4,500 around £26.50GBP

Badly printed Madaraka Express ticket for the journey from Nairobi Terminus to Mombasa Terminus

Nairobi Terminus platform with the Madaraka Express waiting for boarding. The picture is shot with the train at an angle, with a few passengers waiting in the background. It is a sunny day although the platform is well shaded.

120

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 13/09/2024

I was going back through my photo library and even though the covid times were recent, I was surprised at how quickly the ephemera has disappeared. I photographed a few of these traces at the time. #covid #ephemera

Stay Safe Stay Apart with two feet sprayed on to platform with a Mind the Gap wording sprayed on the platform edge. A yellow safety line cuts across the image horizontally.

Worn Stay apart warning sprayed upon a step with yellow edging

A line and 2 MTS sprayed on to a pavement

Red sprayed one way and arrow on to a pavement

021

Julian @julianlstar.bsky.social · 10/09/2024

Having just joined, how do people manage so many different channels. It used to be easy as people used to be mostly on the old Twitter, but now are spread to the four winds. Are people firmly planted here or are they like me on many?

600