Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the way many New Zealanders view the digital world. We’ve entered a period where mistrust has become almost instinctive. Whether it’s social media, online harm, misinformation, or the rise of artificial intelligence, the first response for many people is simply to recoil. And after […]
Softening the Ground: A Kinder Way Into AI Read More »
There are moments, usually quiet ones, when a year folds back on itself and you suddenly see the path you’ve taken. This has been one of those moments for me. It’s now over a year since I stepped away from national digital inclusion work. Not dramatically — simply recognising that my energy, my instinct and
Filling in the Blanks – Learning from the Past, Building Fairly for the Future Read More »
How an early-morning rugby dilemma became a workout in everyday critical thinking Last night, while planning my weekend, I faced a very ordinary problem: how to watch an early-morning Test match live on Sky. The game kicks off at 4 a.m. — about as early as I ever get up. That’s the point where the
The Thinking Gymnasium Read More »
From fear to self-regulation: habits that make AI safer and more useful. Alignment: This post and Digital Inclusion Whanganui’s AI First Principles align with the OECD AI Principles, UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021), NIST AI RMF 1.0 (2023), ISO/IEC 42001, and New Zealand’s Algorithm Charter. Lately I’ve met more
AI is as good—or as bad—as we let it Read More »
Over the weekend I received a reminder email from the Whanganui Tech Network. It was about tomorrow night’s meet-up — the usual mix of conversations, updates, and encouragement that keeps our small but lively tech community ticking along. Buried in that reminder was a detail that stopped me in my tracks: Mark Aue, the CEO
Whanganui, Leadership, and the Fibre Future Read More »
First Principles in Work and Life So I can make the most of successfully completing things this year — especially being named a TUANZ Member Award finalist — over the last few weeks I’ve been going back to first principles in my mahi for Digital Inclusion Whanganui (DIW). The process has been rigorous, sometimes even
Awakening the Buddha Within – and Digital Inclusion Read More »
Only two weeks remain before the TUANZ Member Awards are announced.For Digital Inclusion Whanganui, this is both a time to reflect and a chance to look forward. The finalists are a strong group, each with their own inspiring stories. To be in their company is an honour in itself—one that brings valuable lessons about what
On Becoming a TUANZ Members Award Finalist for Community Initiative of the Year 2025 Read More »
This morning, as I scrolled through LinkedIn, a headline immediately caught my attention. Craig Young, CEO of the Technology Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ), had shared a significant conversation he’d recently had on the NZ Herald’s Front Page podcast. The discussion centred around international moves towards rigorous age verification measures for online content, raising
Safeguarding Our Future: Navigating Online Age Verification in Aotearoa Read More »
What’s Happening? Starting from December 2025, the 3G mobile network in Whanganui—and all of New Zealand—will begin shutting down, with all services gone by March 2026. This isn’t just a minor tech change; it’s a critical community issue. Who Will This Impact? People directly affected: Older residents and low-income households: Up to 2,500 residents still
Whanganui 3G Shutdown: Let’s Act Together, Now! Read More »
Recently, I have been reflecting deeply on my style of leadership, communication, and engagement in my community mahi around digital inclusion. Throughout my career, people have often commented that I was “too nice”. While I initially took this as gentle criticism, deep inside, I knew it was something different—something subtle, strategic, and deceptively strong. What
Embracing Radical Gentleness: A Personal Ethic for Living, Leading, and Being of Use Read More »
