One of the creepier tech-related incidents I remember was many years ago when I wanted the Sam's Photofacts (a third-party creator of device specs and schematics, etc.) for a very old portable TV. Way out of date, but I was trying to help someone with it.

I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for old Photofacts, but I did not say anything about the TV. He scribbled an address on a scrap of paper, an address locally here in L.A. "Try him," he muttered.

I drive over. It's a small unmarked storefront. I go in, the bell on the door rings. Sitting inside, like the caterpillar in "Alice in Wonderland", is this little guy perched on a stool, with immense stacks of paper surrounding him everywhere. Total mayhem.

I walk up to him -- knowing that this was a waste of time and really wanting to get out of there -- and asked if he had the Sam's Photofacts for that specific very old TV model.

Without saying a word, he reached over to the pile of papers right next to him, took the TOP item off the pile, and silently handed it to me. It was the ancient one I needed. Stunned, I paid him the amount marked on the item, and left with it, not completely sure what had just happened.

When I drove by there a month later that storefront was something else entirely. He was gone.

Slowly but surely journalists are finding their way to the Fediverse. These tech & digital media reporters are already active on Mastodon:

@couts — Wired

@caseynewton — Platformer

@mimsical — WSJ

@pierce — The Verge

@drewharwell — Washington Post

@harrymccracken — Fast Company

@jank0 — Lowpass

@joannastern — WSJ

@jr — Computerworld

@mathewi — Columbia Journalism Review

@stshank — CNET

@taylorlorenz — Washington Post

@willoremus — Washington Post

#FollowFriday #Journalists #Tech

#FollowFriday to these accounts from #PBS and #NPR, we are very glad you are here!

(and if i missed anyone add them in the comments and I'll add them!)

Local PBS stations:

@gbhnews
@kcts9
@azpm

NPR station:
@TPR

NPR folks here:
@timkmak
@nellgreenfieldboyce
@casey
@eric
@shannonpareil
@steveinskeep
@kairyssdal

And PBS folks here:
@laurasanthanam
@philmeyer
@skrishna
@petertubbs
@Trailanderror

And in Germany, we welcome public broadcaster @NDR

#BeFound

Up for Donating Books? try the @internetarchive new app to find out which ones will help fill out the collections (if you go through this, we can sometimes cover postage)

Randomly scanning your or friend's books to see if the Internet Archive already has it... Again, try the app. (I find it fun, but it might just be me)

Search for "donate books" in the apple or google app stores.

#FollowFriday @STAT @damemagazine @gbhnews @TucsonSentinel @msfreepress @themarkup ... all our friends from our little journo party in the comments to a recent toot we made.

Follow these great publications who are active on the Fediverse!

(Edit: Fixed tags)
#journalism #JournoLife