GovTrack.usWe're now linking to legislators' Mastodon accounts from their pages on GovTrack.
Brian Hawthorne@GovTrack @shawrd773 That’s a start but we really need them on their own instance in .gov
@bhawthorne @shawrd773 We don't have any control over that...
@GovTrack @shawrd773 I know you have no control over it, but we should all be pushing for it. Are you confirming with the representatives’ and senators’ offices that these are legitimate? If so, it would be worth mentioning to them in the process that a .gov instance would be a great idea.
@bhawthorne We (actually our colleague @danielschuman) is verifying each account, yes. Often it can be verified without talking to them if they've posted about it somewhere. The idea of a .gov instance is something we're very aware of but there are large technical, financial, and legal issues that aren't going to be moved forward at all by merely mentioning it to them --- it's a bigger topic than that.
Katma@bhawthorne @danielschuman @GovTrack
Trying to think of how I feel about a potential .gov instance. Huh.
Thank you so much for this very valuable resource!
Trying to think of how I feel about a potential .gov instance. Huh.
Thank you so much for this very valuable resource!
Mirko Adam@KatMA @bhawthorne @danielschuman @GovTrack Actually, Germany has a government-instance (social.bund.de). Many institutions, big and small, are already there, many are not.
Matt Stewart@bhawthorne @GovTrack @shawrd773
They won't spin one up. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, there are too many challenges with a gov instance. For example, any content moderation on a gov instance would be illegal. (Pesky Constitution)
They won't spin one up. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, there are too many challenges with a gov instance. For example, any content moderation on a gov instance would be illegal. (Pesky Constitution)
Pusher Of Pixels (old account)@jackscerebellum @bhawthorne @GovTrack @shawrd773
The content moderation question is interesting, but seems like it's just something 'new' and not insurmountable.
I really don't see how they *don't* spin one up eventually. We need 'official' sources that aren't dependent on the whims of fascist billionaires.
@pixelpusher220 @bhawthorne @GovTrack @shawrd773
Gov officials can get accounts on someone else's instance, just like they do on those other social media platforms. The rub is they can't spin up and run their own since that would require content moderation...which is govt regulation of speech... which is unconstitutional.
The only possible way (I think) for the govt to run their own instance legally is if they close membership to only govt. They can moderate themselves as long as they treat it as an official platform and not a free speech platform.
@jackscerebellum @bhawthorne @GovTrack @shawrd773
Sorry, yes their instances would only be for them. Just like email.
The .gov instance itself is the blue check verification, it's literally in the account domain as being the official domain.