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Mark Headd

@mheadd.bsky.social
686 followers 289 following 362 posts

Author of "The SpecOps Method: A New Approach to Legacy System Modernization." spec-ops.ai/book.html #CivicTech #AI #SpecOps #OpenData

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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
...aaaaand then they got smoked by the Bear's third-string quarterback.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The #Eagles did not play yesterday, but the did win. www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
espn.com
Ravens stun Cowboys in final seconds as Loop gains redemption
Lamar Jackson, Tyler Loop and the Ravens delivered one of the most remarkable last-second victories in recent NFL history Sunday, thanks to a late fourth-quarter decision made by the Cowboys.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
50-year anniversary of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life." open.spotify.com/album/6YUCc2...
open.spotify.com
Songs In The Key Of Life - Album by Stevie Wonder | Spotify
Stevie Wonder · album · 1976 · 21 songs
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It's early days, and the speed and cost claims for Jev still need independent testing, but this could be a real game changer for how we design and built the myriad of forms that governments run on.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Pricing (at least currently) is low enough that an application flow could evaluate every step in a process for every user without worrying burning through tokens. Because Jev responses carry a confidence score a form can adapt only when the model is sure and fall back to simply asking when it isn't.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Particularly for things like integrated eligibility systems that let applicants file for multiple programs through a single interface. Jev's economics seem to fit the forms use case well. Responses are fast, so a form will feel responsive rather than stalled waiting for a different model to respond.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Imagine a user describing their situation or what they need in their own words and the rendered web form skipping irrelevant sections, showing the right follow-ups, or gently flagging missing data before the user hits submit. Its gets really interesting fast.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Instead, it answers structured questions about whatever data it is given, returning typed answers with confidence scores. This could open up new opportunities for things that are critically important in navigating forms: branching on what people actually write, not just on drop downs and checkboxes
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
People that build government web forms should pay close attention to Jev from TypeSafe AI. Jev is a new kind of LLM referred to as a "System One Model." Jev is different from other models. It doesn't generate text like a typical AI chatbot. typesafe.ai/blog/introdu...
typesafe.ai
Introducing System One Models & Jev - TypeSafe AI Blog
TypeSafe AI is an AI lab building machine-native intelligence infrastructure for automation, designed to make decisions within software. Try our first System One Model, Jev, in early access.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"Hot Proteins" would be an interesting band name.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Been immersed all week in Radiohead's "Live at the Astoria" concert. A lot of these songs are very "of their time," and the band has gone on to such great heights since then. But I keep coming back to this time. Wish I could go back and see them in a show like this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjQZ...
youtube.com
Radiohead - Live at the Astoria (May 1994)
YouTube video by Radiohead
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Heresy
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Here's my guess
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Daniel Moser @dmoser.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
Map showing Lower Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Without saying your age, what is your favorite movie that came out when you were 20 years old?
static.klipy.com
Michael Keaton as Batman sees the Bat-Signal
ALT: Michael Keaton as Batman sees the Bat-Signal
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
People are increasingly using LLMs and other AI tools to interact with government agencies. This change, which is happening rapidly, could potentially have significant implications for government services. arxiv.org/pdf/2608.16603
arxiv.org
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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.
Sorry, I can’t type that.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Imagine applying this same idea to a tax benefit that mostly accrues to upper income taxpayers, like the mortgage interest deduction. Can you imagine the pushback if someone proposed requiring beneficiaries to prove thet they reinvested the savings they realized in their home or property?
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The idea that we should place restrictions on how people can apply the money or savings they realize through a specific tax benefit is really only applied to the tax benefits that target poor people.
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NPR @npr.org · 20/08/2026
We showcase a new generation of artists with swag: Alex Isley, Madison McFerrin and Ravi Coltrane. All three of these Tiny Desks feature folks who come from legendary musical families. Look for Tiny Desk Radio on your local NPR station. n.pr/4zuvO4Y
n.pr
Tiny Desk Radio: Alex Isley, Madison McFerrin, Ravi Coltrane
We showcase a new generation of artists with swag: Alex Isley, Madison McFerrin and Ravi Coltrane. All three of these Tiny Desks feature folks who come from legendary musical families. Look for Tiny Desk Radio on your local NPR station.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The APD process, which governs a sizable chunk of money that federal agencies use to finance state IT system modernization, doesn't work well. Here's an idea to update the process to support the implementation of modern systems that work for those that need them. spec-ops.ai/blog/posts/a...
spec-ops.ai
The APD Process Needs a Rewrite for the AI Era
After a decade and $2.2 billion, most CCWIS modernization money still flows to legacy systems. The problem isn't funding or technology — it's the Implementation APD. Here's why it should become a veri...
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
When we talk about AI agents handling government services for people, it can feel radically new or even totally far-fetched - like something from a distant future. But delegation of government services is already happening all around us. civic.io/2025/10/17/a...
civic.io
AI Agents aren’t as radical as they sound
People think AI agents and delegation-based digital services are a radical idea. But people delegate all kinds of interactions with government to third parties today. It’s way more common tha…
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
For a great, detailed overview of how sports gambling has changed, and how it has changed college and pro sports, check out "Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling," by Danny Funt. A great read. www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...
goodreads.com
Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports…
This jaw-dropping book pulls back the curtain on the al…
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Friedrich Nietzsche was full of it: there _is_ an absolute good and it is coffee. ☕
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pamelafox.bsky.social @pamelafox.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
If you're building MCP servers for databases, there's a spectrum between "let the agent run whatever SQL it wants" and "only expose query specific tools." My latest blog post walks through different approaches and guardrails, especially for Postgres: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/azurede...
techcommunity.microsoft.com
Building MCP servers for your database: Flexibility, safety, and tradeoffs | Microsoft Community Hub
Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that describes how agents can connect to external tools and data sources, and is now widely supported by the...
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I mean... what kind of an LLM are you even using if it hasn't even tried to escape containment?
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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
We've gotta make the Monorail Simpsons episode required viewing for every city councilor in the country. Every single thing he says here is a lie. A Potemkin Village Imaginarium.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTeg...
youtube.com
Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (Official Video)
YouTube video by CrashTestDummiesVEVO
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
There is nothing the Desk can't handle. 🤘
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Yellow skies, red sun Northern fires intrude with smoke Spring's fresh skies no more
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Sacré bleu!
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Martin Fowler @martinfowler.com · 14/07/2026
NEW POST LLMs generate code incredibly fast, but to ensure they generate exactly what is intended, they need clear boundaries. Unmesh Joshi shares his experience using abstractions and Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) to provide a strong harness to guide an LLM. martinfowler.com/articles/llm...
martinfowler.com
DSLs Enable Reliable Use of LLMs
Why Domain-Specific Languages and good abstractions make LLM code generation reliable and reviewable.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Another developing standard in this space that is worth watching. agentskills.io/home
agentskills.io
Agent Skills Overview - Agent Skills
A standardized way to give AI agents new capabilities and expertise.
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NPR @npr.org · 13/07/2026
After four decades as a founding member of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea goes solo with a stellar jazz band. n.pr/44YC9HN
n.pr
Flea and the Honora Band: Tiny Desk Concert
After four decades as a founding member of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea goes solo with a stellar jazz band.
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 12/07/2026
Lindsey Graham was one of the main subjects of a @theatlantic.com cover story I wrote in 2020, on why people collaborate with regimes they know are immoral. Here's a gift link: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
theatlantic.com
History Will Judge the Complicit
Why have Republican leaders abandoned their principles in support of an immoral and dangerous president?
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
People that are new to AI coding often make the mistake of assuming it is just a new form of automation. The truth is that it’s actually delegation, and that distinction is critically important. civic.io/2026/07/01/c... #AI #ChatGPT #Claude #Gemini #Software
civic.io
Context is King
People that are new to AI coding often make the mistake of assuming it is just a new form of automation. The truth is that it’s actually delegation, and that distinction is critically importa…
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Marty boy 🚛🇨🇦 @mcfly.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Bonne St-Jean!
static.klipy.com
Québec Flag Waving Proudly
ALT: Québec Flag Waving Proudly
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Bonne fête de la Saint-Jean!
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The ideas I put into the SpecOps book were only the beginning. It’s the people practicing this approach that will write the next chapter in the SpecOps story.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
In the first half of 2026, the SpecOps Methodology for legacy system modernization went from theory to practice. With dozens of practitioners now using this approach to modernize critical government system. spec-ops.ai/blog/posts/h...
spec-ops.ai
How Practitioners Are Improving SpecOps
Two practitioners working independently have extended SpecOps in ways the original articulation didn't fully anticipate — and both point to a deeper understanding of spec drift.
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pamelafox.bsky.social @pamelafox.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
You can now set a limit for the number of allowed open PRs for users without write access on GitHub repos: github.blog/changelog/20...
github.blog
Limit open pull requests for users without write access - GitHub Changelog
Maintainers of open source repositories are dealing with an ever-growing volume of pull requests, including repeated low-quality or drive-by contributions that can slow triage and overwhelm review que...
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Just finished, and really enjoyed it.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Just ordered my copy of the book and am excited to read it.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Using Claude Code's new code modernization plugin as part of your legacy system modernization effort. spec-ops.ai/blog/posts/s... #Claude #Anthropic #Legacy #Government
spec-ops.ai
SpecOps + Anthropic's Code Modernization Plugin: An Integrated Workflow
How the Anthropic Code Modernization Plugin and SpecOps methodology complement each other to create a complete legacy modernization pipeline, from extraction through governance.
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The Author, Séamas O'Reilly @seamas.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
You can now read an *exclusive excerpt* from my debut novel, PRESTIGE DRAMA over at Electric Literature, free to read and preceded by a very sweet and funny letter of recommendation from the inimitable Caroline O'Donoghue. I'm biased but both are very good. electricliterature.com/prestige-dra...
electricliterature.com
Our Wee Town's Violent History Is Having Its Hollywood Moment - Electric Literature
An excerpt from PRESTIGE DRAMA by Séamas O'Reilly, recommended by Caroline O'Donoghue
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
If any of these topics resonate, there is a new community forming that is waiting for you. The SpecOps Community is Slack-based. Here is the link to join: join.slack.com/t/specopscom... #AI #ChatGPT #Claude #Gemini #CivicTech 2/2
join.slack.com
Join SpecOps Community on Slack
Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organized, and more secure than email.
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Interested in #CivicTech, or government tech? Have you wrestled with legacy systems, or are interested in how they work? Thought about or tried spec-driven development? 1/2
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Martin Fowler @martinfowler.com · 21/04/2026
Fragments: 34th Thoughtworks Technology Radar, what happens when developers don't read the LLM's code, DirectFile and tech in large organizations martinfowler.com/fragments/20...
martinfowler.com
Fragments: April 21
fragments 21 Apr 2026
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
I'm a lifelong reader who went through a dry period in my life where I didn't read much. There were reasons why this happened, but here are the things I did to turn that around and become a rejuvenated reader of books. civic.io/2023/01/04/m...
civic.io
Moar Reading in 2023
In the last couple of years, I’ve been trying to read more books. Here’s what I have done to pick my reading habit back up. Maybe one of these strategies will work for you if, like I on…
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Mark Headd @mheadd.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
'Although AI agents are advancing rapidly, human expertise remains essential in software development." cacm.acm.org/opinion/rede...
cacm.acm.org
Redefining the Software Engineering Profession for AI – Communications of the ACM
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