digiphile

digiphile, 5 days ago to random

Absolutely fascinating: “The baseline heart rates of smartwatch wearers had statistically detectable increases well before testing for the three pathogens was sought out. In the case of flu, heart rates increased around 68 hours prior to when they actually got tested; for Covid, increased heart rates were detectable 64 hours prior to testing; for strep, the lead time was 58 hours.”-Dr. Jeremy Samuel Faust
https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1183526&post_id=145282030

digiphile, 9 days ago to random

In a HUGE win for digital government in the USA, US Treasury says Direct File will be a permanent, free tax filing option! https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2385

NB: A USGSA survey of 11,000+ filers found 90% ranked the UX as “Excellent” or “Above Average,” after a successful pilot with 140,000 Americans that saved an estimated $5.6M in costs.

Next steps: invest more to pre-populate returns, test, iterate, & scale.

digiphile, 10 days ago to random

In letters to Congress, Justice Alito refused to recuse, claiming his wife refused to take down the inverted US flag & denying that flying a flag that’s associated with Christian nationalism & the January 6th insurrection created the appearance of impropriety: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/29/alito-flags-trump-january-6-00160446
There is no enforcement mechanism in the voluntary Code of Conduct to force him to do so.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 13 days ago to random

After a normal statement noting our national day of solemn remembrance of the Americans who died in military service, Trump wished us “Happy Memorial Day” again — including “human scum” — & attacked judges presiding over his trials & defamed E. Jean Carroll.
There is no bottom for this unfit demagogue, nor obvious curbs on his erratic, impulsive need to denigrate his fellow Americans or prosecutors or judges who seek to hold him accountable for corruption & conspiracy before juries of his peers.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 13 days ago to random

After the Civil War ended in 1865, Memorial Day was founded by African-Americans in Charleston “in a ritual of remembrance & consecration. The war…had been about the triumph of their emancipation over a slaveholders’ republic.” 🎁: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE0.WD1B.5W2f-AfQ8ORs&smid=url-share

digiphile, 19 days ago to random

May 21, 2024, DC — The National Mall sprang a leak.
No shops in sight.
🌈 Rainbows visible in water vapor lit by morning sun.
Please advise.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 19 days ago to random

This is brilliant: CFPB is using pooled hiring authority to enable technologists to “submit a single application & be considered for employment at multiple federal agencies”

Why it’s smart: “This approach will speed up hiring & reduce burden on job applicants. It’s our hope these combined efforts will help us scale how we monitor & address advanced technologies across government.”

Why it matters: “Your work will improve the lives of millions of Americans

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/careers/cfpb-technologist/

digiphile, 19 days ago to random

Hope springs eternal: on May 16th, 2024, Senator Gary Peters & Senator Ted Cruz introduced the “Source Code Harmonization & Reuse in Information Technology” (#SHAREIT) Act, which would require executive branch agencies to share the source code of they software develop.
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2024/1/sens-cruz-peters-introduce-share-it-act-to-require-government-agencies-to-share-code
Excellent idea! This should extend to the legislative & judiciary branch!

digiphile, 21 days ago to random

That moment when your Gameboy from the ‘90s still turns on after you recover it from your mom’s garage attic — and then your kiddo gets to play Tetris for the first time on it, three decades after you disappeared.

My inner ten year old was pleased. It’s cool to see an iconic, beloved piece of consumer technology still able to spark joy.

digiphile, 26 days ago to random

A new low in U.S. history today: a Speaker of the House or Representatives falsely claimed the prosecution of a former President is “politically motivated.”

Reminder: Trump was charged with crimes after a grand jury investigated, which then voted to indict:
https://manhattanda.org/district-attorney-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-indictment-of-former-president-donald-j-trump/ President Biden he nothing to do with it — much less the far more serious crimes Trump is charged with committing, with respect to conspiracy to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

PSA: DC Water has issued a Boil Water Advisory for residents who have or have had a loss of water pressure following a break in a 20” water main in NW DC today, on May 8. DC government estimates this affects ~4,800 Washingtonians. https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/news/drinking-water-advisory-dc-water-issues-boil-water-advisory-customers
Do not drink the water without boiling it first.
Call 202-612-3400 to see if you’re impacted.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Capitol Hill, where I joined a party with neighbors at Eastern Market. PSA: Great food, drinks, & live music at the North Hall right now.

My bartender schooled me, reminding me that this holiday commemorates Mexico's victory over the second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 — not over the Spanish empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo H

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

For the first time in its history, Israel will shut down a foreign news outlet after its Cabinet voted unanimously to block Al Jazeera for 45 days.

AP: https://apnews.com/article/israel-aljazeera-hamas-gaza-war-eba9416aea82f505ab908ee60d1de5e4
PM Netanyahu claimed the network “incited against soldiers & “harmed security.”

A🚨for any democracy.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 1 month ago to journalism

On #WorldPressFreedomDay 2024, the 🇺🇸 has dropped to 55th on RSF’a index. https://rsf.org/en/country/united-states
📰📉”After a sharp increase in 2020, #PressFreedom violations have fallen significantly in the United States, but major structural barriers to press freedom persist in this country, once considered a model for freedom of expression.”

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

It was a pleasure to participate in an open conversation on open government with White House officials again today. We still aren’t where we should be as a nation or government, but I always appreciate being reminded of the energy, intent, & commitment of good people working to strengthen our union.

image/png
image/png
image/jpeg

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

NEW: What @zephoria told us about ethics & AI:
https://civic-texts.ghost.io/what-danah-boyd-told-us-about-ai-and-ethics/
I wrote up danah's excellent talk at Georgetown last week, which deserves a broader audience. It's a throwback to live-blogging in the style of Ethan Zuckerman, but on a delay. (I hope my subscribers find it interesting, & that you do, too.)

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

Many thanks to OGIS Director Alina Semo & OIP Director Bobak Talebian Talebian for fielding so many questions, & State Department Chief FOIA Officer Eric Stein for his fulsome answers. Thanks to the U.S. National Archives, video of today's public meeting is online. I'll summarize the answers to my questions in text, separately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQyY4O8Mc6s
#OpenGov

digiphile, 1 month ago to random

NEW: Will (overdue) Congressional interest change U.S. participation in open government? https://civic-texts.ghost.io/will-overdue-congressional-interest-change-u-s-participation-in-open-government/ I'm headed to Congress at 1:30 for a forum on the state of government transparency and accountability. I read the GSA's draft mid-term self-assessment first and drafted the beginning of a public comment, which is linked in today's newsletter. Please share and subscribe, if you find it useful.

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

I received another text from @POTUS Joe Biden, about new plans to relieve student debt, with a link this website:
https://studentaid.gov/debtrelief
This is a notable but unheralded use of a 20th century tech to connect Americans directly to 21st century government, from services & active citizenship. A BFD.
🇺🇸
It’s opt-in, unlike presidential alerts on phones https://my.community.com/potus?t=Hello%20Mr.%20President%20%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%B8

I hope Ben Labolt puts these in a public feed on whitehouse.gov/texts. cc @whitehouse

image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

Eclipse Day was a whole scene and a vibe here on & around the National Mall in DC. Veni, vidi, we did not get blinded.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

Credit to Adam Mosseri for listening on Bluesky tonight & responding to my post about Meta apparently censoring domains with over aggressive spam filtering — but he hasn’t lifted restrictions on my ability to post to Instagram or Threads yet.

image/jpeg
image/jpeg
image/jpeg

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

Last night, I shared some thoughts about how net neutrality, the principle that broadband providers must treat all Internet traffic the same regardless of source, intersects with democracy & human rights: https://civic-texts.ghost.io/why-do-an-open-internet-and-net-neutrality-matter-access-to-information-is-a-human-right/ Glad to see an FCC order online ahead of an open meeting.

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

A new edition of Civic Texts just dropped, this time focused on FOIA & today's U.S. Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee: https://civic-texts.ghost.io/breathing-more-life-into-the-freedom-of-information/ Thanks to everyone who has subscribed so far!

digiphile, 2 months ago to fediverse

On the one hand, it’s a good thing that @potus joined the #fediverse https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/2/24119353/joe-biden-threads-mastodon-activitypub-fediverse so that everyone can subscribe to official statements posts without having to use Twitter, AKA X. On the other hand, that namespace should be @potus & be announced with a blog post that shares a strategy for a federal open social web & online Q&A. The void of policy here is frustrating.

digiphile, 2 months ago to random

If all has gone well, some of you received TWO emails from me today: one announcing that I left Subtstack, and another from my new email newsletter host at Ghost:
https://civic-texts.ghost.io/hello-world/
I have a lot in my notebooks from the last decade of advocacy on open government, digital democracy, and my continuing work on freedom of information, so you should expect me to begin there.
If you like what you read, I hope you'll share broadly, since word-of-mouth is paramount in this weird media moment.