Lauren WeinsteinNov 19, 2022
Many government agencies are expressing concerns about how to communicate with the public without Twitter, especially in emergencies. Of course, it was a bad idea to become dependent on Twitter to such an extent in the first place, and no matter what happens, this needs rethinking.
Show threadLauren WeinsteinNov 22, 2022

I note that some observers are questioning whether Mastodon would be a practical place for government agencies to issue emergency alerts and other information, when they've been using Twitter currently for these purposes.

This is a completely valid question. But I urge that it be considered in the context of the fact that #Twitter is now totally controlled by a chaotic individual who could change the operational rules of Twitter at any time, for any reason, or even shut it all down entirely with no advanced notice (assuming it doesn't collapse for other reasons), and who has not shown significant interest in such public affairs, only his own.

Show threadJohn MuellerNov 22, 2022

@lauren Yeah, it's clear that Twitter is definitely not suited as the *only* channel.

IMO using an open setup like what Mastodon uses under the hood is ideal for public announcements, since it can be consumed by anyone / any service (nit: could be, but it currently isn't consumed by the majority).

Ultimately, they could also use a blog with RSS.

Show threadPeggy KNov 22, 2022
@johnmu @lauren I've found Twitter invaluable for updates on fast moving situations like wildfires. It would be great if official agencies would operate their own Mastodon instance we could follow here, but that isn't going to reach most people.
Show threadLauren Weinstein
@peggyktc @johnmu I have not asserted that Mastodon is "the solution" -- I have merely said that depending on Twitter for this purpose going forward is extraordinarily problematic and unwise.
Nov 22, 2022 at 8:52pmWeb
Show threadPeggy KNov 22, 2022
@lauren @johnmu yes, Mastodon would just be a solution for me personally 🙂
I don't think there is an easy solution, but I hope people are working on one that can benefit all government agencies (since I'm not expecting my local fire department to set up their own servers)