iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Today, I learned that Mastodon is @timbl’s favorite replacement for Twitter, while reading his memoir, “This is for Everyone.” This seemed worth sharing here. :) w3c.social/@timbl/115243018205563211

Screenshot of a book: THIS IS FOR EVERYONE an issue with children doom-scrolling in their classrooms, a ban is a bit draconian and deprives kids of a useful tool. What the Australian government should do is partner with phone manufacturers to create devices that block that very small (but ultra-invasive part of the web that causes mental health problems and polarization. These can then be replaced with better platforms. One such platform is the microblogging protocol Mastodon. It's my preferred replacement for Twitter, as it's completely open-source and runs across a distributed network instead of a centralized server. Mastodon's feed is structured on the timeline of events and the people you follow, without other more corrosive elements. As it is not funded by advertisements, it is not incentivized to hook teenagers into addie-tion. Without this incentive, the service becomes much less corrosive to mental health.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/06/2025

Good morning from DC 🥵 If we need to connect: 🤳 Signal: digiphile.97 💡📲 civic-texts.ghost.io 📧 alex@governing.digital 🐦 X.com/digiphile 🦋 digiphile.bsky.social 🧵 threads.net/@digiphile 📇 linkedin.com/in/alexanderbhoward 👍 facebook.com/alexhoward 📸 […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

QR code for my signal account digiphile.97

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/05/2025

Happy #StarWarsDay, everyone! en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_D… It has been many years since I was tempted by the power of the Dark Side. I found my way back to the light because the Jedi still saw something of good in me. May the 4th be with you and yours, always.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/04/2025

The most important thing agencies & companies can do on social media is listen & offer support — not post. Unfortunately, accounts tend to be made by PR & marketing folks whose job is to promote products & services, not do crisis management. Adobe’s Bluesky […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/04/2025

First time I’ve gotten an in-app notification from LinkedIn News — a “showcase page” — about breaking news. I learned LinkedIn now has 250 staff producing editorial content in a format that closely resembles journalism you might read at a news media website […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/04/2025

No /About page. No /FOIA. No PIO. No calendars. No visitor logs. No list of staff. No asset disclosures, or ethics agreements. No weekly press conferences. No open meetings. No advisory committee. The U.S. DOGE Service is not even close to the “most transparent organization in government ever.”

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/03/2025

The cherry trees next to Nationals Park are in bloom. An osprey returned to rebuild its nest along the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Rowers & sailors are out on the rivers. Spring arrived in Washington. Time to come out of hibernation, stretch, & grow, again. Onwards to longer days.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/03/2025

I picked up a great souvenir at #SunshineFest this #SunshineWeek. It goes well with an artifact from the Sunlight Foundation (RIP). “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2025

I am not particularly enjoying 2025 so far. This week’s challenge: managing the care of a kiddo sick with influenza. 🦠 Today, I am grateful for access to rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 & flu, vaccines, & telemedicine. Along with my health, I take none of them for granted. Don’t wait: vaccines.gov

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/2025

The tech press will need to be wary of reporting a rebranded “self-deportation app” from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency as a novel or innovative use of government technology without decribing its true function or purpose. What is this? Uncivic […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/03/2025

Last night, the Trump administration ended 18F after more than a decade in which its staff helped agencies to deliver better, more effective services for the American people. It is a loss for open culture, open source software, and open vision for digital […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/02/2025

🚨🌥️Secretary Kennedy proposed eliminating public comment from proposed HHS decisions www.statnews.com/2025/02/28/rfk-jr-… It’s a frontal attack on the public’s right to know public business […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/02/2025

For 15 years, I’ve come here to think about what Lincoln would do. He was flawed, as are we all, but I find comfort & purpose here, 20 score & 8 years since our nation was founded, conceived in liberty.🗽 We must rededicate ourselves to the proposition that […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/02/2025

I am pro-democracy. I am against authoritarianism. I am against corruption. I am for for good governance. I believe in the rule of law & the consent of the governed. I believe in freedom of information, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition our government. 🇺🇦🏛️🇺🇸

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/02/2025

My daughter & I finally unboxed Wyrmspan & learned how to play. She beat me, which fills me with pride. If you enjoy Wingspan🦅 & love dragons🐉 then this may also be up your alley. I have a LOT more pattern detection to do before I grok how to build […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/02/2025

I bought the last carton of eggs at the Trader Joe’s near Eastern Market in DC at 9:30 AM. Paid $3.49. Shortages due to bird flu could grow worse. 30M culled in recent months. More to come. Vaccinating ~300M birds may not protect flocks, as influenza virus […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/02/2025

I took my daughter on a walk to our local museums & talked about art 🖼️ & science 🚀 on her winter holiday. We are blessed with an abundance of evidence of human creativity💡& ingenuity 🧫 here in Washington, alongside memorials and monuments. It’s good to […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/02/2025

We stopped by the National Botanic Garden for water & 🚽, after early dismissal for a winter snow. Best indoor air in DC, plus wonderful rotating exhibits with exotic plants. They’re installing thousands of orchids in the conservatory for “Masters of […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/02/2025

Be Amazing To Each Otter 🦦💞 This might seem maudlin, but this is hard time in history. If you can, be kind: Everyone bears hidden burdens we cannot see. Loving our neighbors & helping strangers remain radical acts in 2025, but that is what this moment asks of all of us. Hate has no home here.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/01/2025

Monument walks at night in winter always offer different perspectives on art. The statues at the FDR Monument hit differently. I wonder how many Americans now know what life was like for our elders before Social Security, or during the Great Depression. A […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/01/2025

Good morning from frigid Washington, where unshoveled concrete is a sheet of ice, dog feces turned to granite overnight, & a hot cup of coffee turned tepid while I supervised hounds skidding over frozen tundra. What’s the view from your window today?

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/01/2025

My newsletter is being indexed & linked from Memeorandum, which is good to see. It took years of effort & original reporting & analysts to get e-PluribusUnum.org treated as legitimate by the White House, Congress, & news media. I have found no […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/01/2025

The CSPAN livestream of President Carter’s state funeral is up online, for all to see. All living Presidents are there: past, present, & future. A visual reminder that we are all Americans, first, obligated to put our country & Constitution before party or […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/01/2025

The USGSA posted its assessment of the completion of the U.S. #OpenGov Commitments for the Open Government Partnership: www.gsa.gov/governmentwide-initiati… A high […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/01/2025

I played Risk:LEGACY last night. Enjoyed it immensely. Against the odds, I won. My signature & a continent I named will persist in future games. I played a LOT of Risk in the 80s & 90s. This was a great reboot with less onerous game mechanics & evolving […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/01/2025

If adopted in the 119th Congress, new rules will instruct offices, officials, & staff to continue to integrate AI into the operations & functions of the US House of Representatives […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/12/2024

Trump’s lawyers filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to stay the date of implementation of the Congessional mandate for ByteDance to divest from TikTok or see the app banned in the USA. They don’t take a position on the First Amendment argument for […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/12/2024

To everyone celebrating today, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. May you and yours find comfort, joy, and connection on this day, rekindling light and love in the dark of winter. Best wishes for peace, health, and prosperity today and the new year to come.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/12/2024

Homemade soup 🥣 weather. 🥶 I boiled the remainder of a chicken I’d roasted with lemon & tarragon, added wild mushrooms & carrots, & left it to simmer. I must strain herbs & bones & add salt before serving to others, but this broth is a good start. What are you cooking today?

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 21/12/2024

Today is the #Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere: the shortest day, the longest night. Winter is here. May you and yours find light, laughter, & love to uplift spirits, kindle wonder, & warm hearts during the cold, dark months ahead.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/12/2024

For those interested, the Press Club is hosting a forum on the 50th anniversary of the 1974 amendments to the Freedom of Information Act right now […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/12/2024

December 2024: Elon Musk asks Twitter creators to stop using #hashtags because they “look ugly.” #Hashtags are one of the signature features of Twitter & symbolize its cultural impact. Like retweets, they were created by us, not @jack @Biz @ev & @noah, & adopted by the platform.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/12/2024

This is what democracy looks like outside of the Supreme Court right now. Two crowds, separated across physical, religious, and moral divides, with free speech and counter-speech echoing across graven marble institutions for blocks around.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/12/2024

21st century journalism enables us to be informed about ourselves & our communities through news applications, data, & narratives. @ProPublica just launched a formaldehyde risk map: projects.propublica.org/formaldehyd…

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 30/11/2024

When in Maryland, imbibe responsibly as the Marylanders do.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving, to everyone celebrating in the United States. I have cooking to do, on the other side of a drive: another non-dairy, gluten-free pumpkin pie 🥧 for family who can’t tolerate either. (The secret ingredient is love.) May you & yours find comfort, joy, peace, family, & good food.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/11/2024

I participated in today’s White House public listening session & offered comments in response to prompts from Shaibya Dalal, an OMB official leading efforts to improve how federal agencies engage Americans. I thought she & a staffer from the GSA’s Open […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/11/2024

Sunlight in the Hart building atrium, U.S. Senate.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/11/2024

This @potus & his @WhiteHouse have now drawn far more public attention to turkeys than he ever did to government transparency & accountability: civic-texts.ghost.io/why-the-biden-… (A stub at WH.gov/open exists again, but not for long.)

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/11/2024

Ah, Monday. Starting the week by breaking one of my favorite glasses & having to clean up the explosion was not on my docket. Life is what happens when I’m making other plans. Character is what I build responding to the unexpected. Change is eternal. Things are ephemeral. Onwards to harder work.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/11/2024

🍁 1/2 cup maple syrup 🍫 1/2 cup cocoa powder 🥑 2 avocados 🧂 pinch sea salt 🥥 whipped cream 🍍+pomegranate = a suprisingly good vegan, dairy-free chocolate mousse with texture, sweetness, acidity. Have I mentioned that I’m a lapsed food-blogger? gourmetrecipes.wordpress.com

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/11/2024

7 miles of hiking 🥾 in the Jug Bag Natural Are in rural Maryland today: www.pgparks.com/parks_trails/jug-ba… I spotted gulls, hawks, vultures, sweet gum balls, & what I thought was a Lion’s Mane mushroom. I was right; shame the slugs […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/11/2024

What is past is prologue. Study the past.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/11/2024

Good morning from Washington, where I’m thinking about institutions, emerging technologies, antitrust enforcement & anti-competitive behavior, closing civic spaces, & the hope of rebuilding and renewing America treasures years from now. Thank .deity for […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/11/2024

Construction on the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is almost done. Reopening starts in 2025: airandspace.si.edu/about/major-proj… (I’ve missed the IMAX. A lot.)

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/11/2024

I took my daughter and her dogs to the National Arboretum for some much-needed forest bathing along the Anacostia with the last of the fall foliage. I need to start rowing more again. Winter is coming. Time to build more resilience for a harder season to come.

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/11/2024

Last night’s Saturday Night Live cold open remixed meme history with our dystopian present. Dana Carvey’s caricature of President Biden feels goofily devastating in a way previous stunt casting was not. I hope NBC keeps broadcasting political satire for years to come. It’s authoritarian kryptonite.

Dana Carvey as President Biden next to the “this is fine” cartoon dog

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/11/2024

As an alert person noted, the CDC found a modest rebound in 2023; average life expectancy increased by 1 year: www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databrief… TBD what they find in 11/2024. But the structural factors that mean Americans lead shorter […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Alex Howard @digiphile.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 15/11/2024

Between 1920 and 2020, the average human life span doubled because of the development & widespread use of vaccines, germ theory, & antibiotics. www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine… But life expectancy is declining in the USA […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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