The Web Has Got Me
June 17, 2020 - Reading time: 3 minutes
Last week, I decided to start tackling a problem I've had for a long, long time. Brain fog. It's been getting worse over the years - to the point that I don't realise time has gone by. I forget things instantly. A tipping point was recently being unable to work out a profit margin (rather embarrassing for all concerned!).
I considered two main areas of life to help stop the rot. The internet, and meditation.
Thinking back to being on holiday, even just away for the day or weekend, I'm disconnected from the random funland of the internet. That endless pit of new information, new tools, new opinions, new news and new opportunities. The world where 12 hours can go by and you cannot remember what you've done with them.
This world has essentially been my world for 20 years. And, though it pains me to say it, it has narrowed my field of thought, and even my physical field of vision. When at the screen, my eyes can only comprehend the rectangle of the widescreen. When away from the screen, they struggle to adjust to a wider landscape.
Mentally, after about 30 minutes of staring, clicking and supposedly"learning" through this screen, my mind is hazy. I struggle to think in words. I struggle to hold concepts and models in my mind (although -strangely- my mind can easily still cope with coding and the imagination required throughout). Time becomes a blur and it's time to sleep again.
Being away from any connected device, PC or phone, for the day and this lessens dramatically. So I decided to drop using the internet for recreation. 8am-5pm I'm working, but as soon as 5pm comes along, no screens for me. A book, conversation, or a walk instead.
I lasted 5 days. 5 days until I thought, like a smoker trying to give up, one night won't hurt. One night a week to keep up with my interests online. Well, that one night is 4 nights long so far.
I know others must have the same problem. Our lives and hobbies are all dependent on the internet, but the internet is causing us harm. I'd love to talk to you if you have the same problem, so we could help each other (matt at mattharwood.com). Maybe we could start writing paper letters to each other? :)
My other prong in this particular attack was meditation. I've meditated on and off since being an early teenager. Again, 5 days and I took a break that hasn't ended yet.
Tonight, after clicking publish, I'm turning off for now. Another reset. Maybe if I don't give up trying, I'll crack it?
A Guide to the Simple Web
May 30, 2020 - Reading time: ~1 minute
I've been drawn back (nostalgia?) to the web of old for a long time. Non-commercial, humble, passionate.
So I've begun putting together some resources if you're also missing the small internet.
Thoughts on the Lib Dem Election Campaign 2019
December 19, 2019 - Reading time: 5 minutes
All things considered, it was quite an uneventful campaign for most parties. With the near-constant drama of the past few years, the build up to polling day didn’t reflect the crucial decision before the nation.
Part of that is political fatigue. A lot of people are exhausted of hearing about Brexit, and have switched off from daily politics. Another possible reason is that over the past few years, everyone bar Jeremy Corbyn had decided their position on Brexit, and in a way minds were already made up.
For the Liberal Democrats, the campaign was certainly hard fought. In Hitchin and Harpenden, a huge team spent every drop of energy canvassing, leafleting and talking to voters online. We managed to increase vote share from 6,236 (10.6%) in 2017 to 20,824 (35.4%), turning the seat in to a Lib/Con marginal (Con won with 27,719 (47.1%)).
This not-far-behind second place was replicated in over 100 constituencies.
The national party’s spend on Facebook ads alone shows what we threw at this election. The result, though 4 points up on 2017 nationally, wasn’t quite what we were hoping for however. What held us back?
Article 50 Policy
Personally, the revoke A50 policy was an own-goal. The very low chance of a Lib Dem majority was well known by the electorate, so publicising a policy that would only be enacted in that circumstance meant we had to qualify it every time it was mentioned. Instantly, you’re having to defend something you know you’ll never have to do.
And because of the unlikeliness of the circumstances that the policy would be enacted in coming about, we were talking about it in completely the wrong context. All a casual listener heard was revoke Article 50. So, understandably, it came across undemocratic – however much of a mandate we would have had.
Stop Brexit
This leads nicely to one of the main problems with modern campaigns – depth doesn’t win you points. Few voters have the time, inclination, or energy to read in to the details of every party’s offer. They pick up the feeling of a party, headlines of policies, and the personality of the leader. And they run with that.
You don’t get the chance to add small print and expect that to be taken as part of the argument.
So, looking at our messaging, we had just one real message that most people would have heard: Stop Brexit.
Voters would have questions to that such as:
- How would you stop Brexit?
- Could you achieve that when you’re not the largest party?
- Is that the right thing to do?
I didn’t see a single answer to these questions in the national messaging. The phrase Stop Brexit sounded like something we wanted, not something we could offer.
Local Campaigning
In Hitchin and Harpenden, we are in what has been since the seat’s creation a safe bet for the Conservatives. The incumbent MP, Bim Afolami, is widely regarded as what you could kindly refer to as a hands-off representative. A lot of local people feel he isn’t around much (indeed, he doesn’t live in the constituency).
But H&H’s demographics have changed a lot in recent years. A lot of city commuters have moved to the area, and brought their pro-EU stance with them.
The Remain message landed well, and was attributed to us and not Labour mostly due to the fact Labour just could never win here. Even in 1997 the area was solidly blue.
Our main advantage, however, was a fantastic candidate. Sam Collins was a confident candidate full of integrity, energy and a willingness to talk to anyone. It was easy to advocate for someone so easy to believe in.
The huge team (much larger than any other party) were out every single day campaigning, canvassing, delivering. The other local parties just couldn’t match us. Labour were redirected to nearby target seats, and the Tories were complacent. I’m not sure we’ll get such a clean run again, but we took advantage of it as much as we could.
I’m sure the 20+ leaflets (plus addressed letters) helped get our message out too!
Our goal now has to be to continue that energy and dedication in to the local elections next year. If our effort comes anywhere near, I think we can pull off something really interesting.
Looking Forward
Mark Pack is our new party president, and I have a very good feeling his experience and knowledge in electioneering will boost the party’s capabilities. We have a heck of a lot of professional, dedicated people in the party with unique ideas and approaches, and if Mark can help harness those attributes, we are on to something.
A new leader needs electing (sadly). I have no preference right now, but the parliamentarians we have are all fantastic candidates for the role – I have no fear we can elect a dud. I can’t, however, say the same about the Labour party…
