TechScape: Why big tech could learn big lessons from the Post Office Horizon scandal

In this week's newsletter: To see where an IT flaw became a crisis, you have to look past the technology altogether. Plus, Substack's biggest names jump ship

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The Post Office Horizon scandal has long been a frustrating one to follow as a technology reporter, because - for all that it stems from the botched rollout of a massive government IT project - it isn't a technology story at all.

There is a desire, with stories like this, to uncover the one specific fault from which the disaster unfolded. Take Grenfell Tower: there were flaws throughout the system, uncovered in harrowing detail by the inquiry into the fire, but it's also clear that the deadly error was cladding the building with flammable panels. Identifying that fulcrum point leads to further questions in both directions (how were the panels deemed safe and could the building have been safely evacuated even given that flaw), but it is clear where the catastrophe lies.

I really liked using Substack and have had great interactions with their team over the years and don't actually want to move tbh. But it's clear that it's time. So, over the next month, I'll be migrating off the site.

After much consideration, we have decided to move Platformer off of Substack. Over the next few days, the publication will migrate to a new website powered by the nonprofit, open-source publishing platform Ghost.

Substack's tools are designed to help publications grow quickly and make lots of money - money that is shared with Substack. That design demands responsible thinking about who will be promoted, and how.

The company's defense boils down to the fact that nothing that bad has happened yet. But we have seen this movie before, from Alex Jones to anti-vaxxers to QAnon, and will not remain to watch it play out again.