Kate StarbirdIn ~2014, my colleague & I argued that social media (esp. Twitter) had become part of the critical infrastructure of disaster response. People were turning to Twitter during crises to share information about impacts and resources. Disaster responders were using the data shared there for situational awareness, and were communicating in real-time with their constituents. Today’s events underscore just how dangerous it is for society to come to rely on private platforms as critical infrastructure.
jz.tuskHi Professor Starbird. Can I "hijack" your post to ask you if you know of any person or group who are trying to get the White House to set up their own Mastodon instance?
I know they're just one high-visibility instance, and we really need to get this on all levels, but I've been thinking that it would really give the effort a big kick if we could get that done, and would love to pitch in with people advocating for this. Thx in advance for any pointers!