Skora, Will
@skora.bsky.social
Hi. web dev at your local public library. learning about the space around me; web dev, maps, geospatial, cleveland. You may know me from other places on the internet. (my website: https://skorasaur.us)
Reposted by Skora, Will
I dream of a day when corporations have to reapply for every tax break, contract, and grant every six months, with a requirement that it is the CEO who must complete the paperwork, and attest under penalty of law that they personally did so.
The shutdown was an excuse, not a reason, to go after SNAP.
SNAP recipients have to re-apply either every 6 months or year. Onerous process, with almost no fraud.
There are no shutdown-related requirement for SNAP renewal. But it would predictably result in low-income families going hungry.
SNAP recipients have to re-apply either every 6 months or year. Onerous process, with almost no fraud.
There are no shutdown-related requirement for SNAP renewal. But it would predictably result in low-income families going hungry.
Brooke Rollins says on Newsmax SNAP participants will have to re-apply for the program.
Details are still unclear.
via Grace Yarrow for @politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Details are still unclear.
via Grace Yarrow for @politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 14, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I dream of a day when corporations have to reapply for every tax break, contract, and grant every six months, with a requirement that it is the CEO who must complete the paperwork, and attest under penalty of law that they personally did so.
structure neutral/content radical here
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
structure neutral/content radical here
ICYMI: urban planning/gov/policy/organizing folks in #cleveland ; Cleveland Public Library's PAL publishes a monthly list of new books related to govt administration or Cleveland- check out October's at search.cpl.org/MyAccount/My...
October 31, 2025 at 4:25 PM
ICYMI: urban planning/gov/policy/organizing folks in #cleveland ; Cleveland Public Library's PAL publishes a monthly list of new books related to govt administration or Cleveland- check out October's at search.cpl.org/MyAccount/My...
web scrapers activities on library (& archive) websites have increased tremendously in the last 12-24 months: to the point of taking down those services in some cases. it's been affecting academic libraries more (they tend to have more collections digitized, relative to public libraries) 1/?
October 28, 2025 at 3:32 PM
web scrapers activities on library (& archive) websites have increased tremendously in the last 12-24 months: to the point of taking down those services in some cases. it's been affecting academic libraries more (they tend to have more collections digitized, relative to public libraries) 1/?
ah damn, felt decreased their offerings on their free tier (no more data uploads - felt.com/pricing), alas. As time goes on, I didn't realize it then, but that mid 2010s was the peak for affordable or free web-based services for geospatial/ maps.. 1/2
Felt | Pricing
Get started for free, and explore Felt's plans for every kind of organization.
felt.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:20 PM
ah damn, felt decreased their offerings on their free tier (no more data uploads - felt.com/pricing), alas. As time goes on, I didn't realize it then, but that mid 2010s was the peak for affordable or free web-based services for geospatial/ maps.. 1/2
Reposted by Skora, Will
Particularly, never report on a bill being considered in a legislature without providing the bill number and a link to it on the legislative website.
October 17, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Particularly, never report on a bill being considered in a legislature without providing the bill number and a link to it on the legislative website.
Reposted by Skora, Will
One of my more strongly-held beliefs: news articles about court filings, government records, and the like should link to the underlying document(s).
October 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
One of my more strongly-held beliefs: news articles about court filings, government records, and the like should link to the underlying document(s).
this is a great idea & execution, especially for @civictechallies.bsky.social groups!
breaking it down to actionable steps that groups can use to improve their security/data mgmt.
breaking it down to actionable steps that groups can use to improve their security/data mgmt.
Held our first digital security study hall, sent out to all assorted lefty organizing groups in our area and it was so much fun! People installed Signal, worked on their to-do lists, and taught each other.
Gonna try to do this at least 2x a month. Feel like the social aspect is what makes it work.
Gonna try to do this at least 2x a month. Feel like the social aspect is what makes it work.
October 16, 2025 at 5:08 PM
this is a great idea & execution, especially for @civictechallies.bsky.social groups!
breaking it down to actionable steps that groups can use to improve their security/data mgmt.
breaking it down to actionable steps that groups can use to improve their security/data mgmt.
Cleveland state (the Univ) suddenly transferred operations of its radio station WCSB, to the local NPR affiliate w/o telling station staff. funding for station wasn't issue (the univ spent 60k annually on it) signalcleveland.org/ideastream-c... & www.clevescene.com/news/clevela... 1/?
Cleveland State University Kills WCSB, Transfers License to Ideastream to Broadcast Smooth Jazz - Cleveland Scene
CSU president Laura Bloomberg claimed the move, which drew immediate criticism, wasn't to cut costs but to increase opportunities for students as Ideastream takes the reins of WCSB.
www.clevescene.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Cleveland state (the Univ) suddenly transferred operations of its radio station WCSB, to the local NPR affiliate w/o telling station staff. funding for station wasn't issue (the univ spent 60k annually on it) signalcleveland.org/ideastream-c... & www.clevescene.com/news/clevela... 1/?
Reposted by Skora, Will
Researchers and journalists who want to experiment with using AI to analyze public records for the public good are dependent on private companies who have an incentive to gatekeep that information for their own profit.
August 6, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Researchers and journalists who want to experiment with using AI to analyze public records for the public good are dependent on private companies who have an incentive to gatekeep that information for their own profit.
Reposted by Skora, Will
Example: there's so much you could do with public meetings posted to YouTube, but anyone who wants to download videos en masse is totally dependent on YT's API -- whose terms of use can be rescinded or changed at any time.
August 6, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Example: there's so much you could do with public meetings posted to YouTube, but anyone who wants to download videos en masse is totally dependent on YT's API -- whose terms of use can be rescinded or changed at any time.
Reposted by Skora, Will
“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground
ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.
abc7chicago.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:10 AM
“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
a clear example of the Cleveland double: 2 unit structure; 1 has the basement/1st floor & other resident has 2nd floor&attic; each w/ 1-2 bedroom, kitchen, bath, own private entrance; shares a driveway. relatively common w/in the city of Cleveland. #density
September 17, 2025 at 9:06 PM
a clear example of the Cleveland double: 2 unit structure; 1 has the basement/1st floor & other resident has 2nd floor&attic; each w/ 1-2 bedroom, kitchen, bath, own private entrance; shares a driveway. relatively common w/in the city of Cleveland. #density
might write a blog post on the state of marker clusters (& spidering) in web #maps & their lack of #accessibility
September 9, 2025 at 5:16 PM
might write a blog post on the state of marker clusters (& spidering) in web #maps & their lack of #accessibility
does anyone in #gischat #geo #cartography remember a blog post from the mid 2010s (I think written by Brian Timoney?) that critiqued the use of multiple toggable layers, how most users ignore the additional map layers, & many web maps' UIs were too complicated? (& have a link to it?)
September 8, 2025 at 4:57 PM
does anyone in #gischat #geo #cartography remember a blog post from the mid 2010s (I think written by Brian Timoney?) that critiqued the use of multiple toggable layers, how most users ignore the additional map layers, & many web maps' UIs were too complicated? (& have a link to it?)
an important fact that i try to always keep in the back of my mind working for a public library
One of the things you learned at 18F and USDS is that government isn’t like a business: it has to serve everybody and not just specific market segments that are the most convenient.
September 6, 2025 at 7:26 PM
an important fact that i try to always keep in the back of my mind working for a public library
Reposted by Skora, Will
1020 BOLIVAR AVE, CLEVELAND, OH, NA
August 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
1020 BOLIVAR AVE, CLEVELAND, OH, NA
is this air monitor in Richmond heights broken or is there something anomalous causing that poor air quality? . map.purpleair.com/air-quality-.... cc @tkovach.bsky.social
US EPA PM2.5 Air Quality Standards Interactive Map by PurpleAir
Watch: With two minute updates, The US EPA PM2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number used by US government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is...
map.purpleair.com
August 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
is this air monitor in Richmond heights broken or is there something anomalous causing that poor air quality? . map.purpleair.com/air-quality-.... cc @tkovach.bsky.social
Reposted by Skora, Will
I love @jasonkoebler.bsky.social take on AI in journalism discussed on the @404media.co podcast.
"If AI is so transformative here, show me the reporters publishing more high quality pieces with AI that weren't doing it before." (paraphrasing)
This is the right take. We need proof, not hype.
"If AI is so transformative here, show me the reporters publishing more high quality pieces with AI that weren't doing it before." (paraphrasing)
This is the right take. We need proof, not hype.
August 5, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I love @jasonkoebler.bsky.social take on AI in journalism discussed on the @404media.co podcast.
"If AI is so transformative here, show me the reporters publishing more high quality pieces with AI that weren't doing it before." (paraphrasing)
This is the right take. We need proof, not hype.
"If AI is so transformative here, show me the reporters publishing more high quality pieces with AI that weren't doing it before." (paraphrasing)
This is the right take. We need proof, not hype.
Reposted by Skora, Will
One thing I would like more people, and I mostly mean my fellow men, to understand is that no matter how smart you are, other people are also smart and some of them have tried to work on the same problems you’re working on. If a simple solution hasn’t been found yet, there probably isn’t one.
Coding interviews from people who left government earlier this year, and this is a fantastic quote in response to a question about what DOGE tech folk don't understand.
August 5, 2025 at 1:03 PM
One thing I would like more people, and I mostly mean my fellow men, to understand is that no matter how smart you are, other people are also smart and some of them have tried to work on the same problems you’re working on. If a simple solution hasn’t been found yet, there probably isn’t one.
Reposted by Skora, Will
8203 GREENVIEW, DETROIT, MI, 48228
August 2, 2025 at 9:30 AM
8203 GREENVIEW, DETROIT, MI, 48228
Reposted by Skora, Will
feel like charlie here about #cleveland public records requests or data on the city's data portal? share what you know at #datadayscle - & submit a propsal at datadayscle.org !!!
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a bulletin board with a lot of papers on it .
Alt: a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a bulletin board with a lot of papers on it, tying together disparate thoughts
media.tenor.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:52 PM
feel like charlie here about #cleveland public records requests or data on the city's data portal? share what you know at #datadayscle - & submit a propsal at datadayscle.org !!!
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
feel like charlie here about #cleveland public records requests or data on the city's data portal? share what you know at #datadayscle - & submit a propsal at datadayscle.org !!!
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a bulletin board with a lot of papers on it .
Alt: a man in a blue shirt and tie is pointing at a bulletin board with a lot of papers on it, tying together disparate thoughts
media.tenor.com
July 17, 2025 at 9:52 PM
feel like charlie here about #cleveland public records requests or data on the city's data portal? share what you know at #datadayscle - & submit a propsal at datadayscle.org !!!
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
(never presented before? we welcome that!)(your proposal is incomplete? that's ok! it can be refined later)
hey #cleveland share what you've learned about govt data or technology in local contexts; or maybe you made a great #map or #dataviz using govt data;
Got a cool project you'd like to share with the folks at the @datadayscle.bsky.social conference or workshop this fall? Submit your session ideas by Friday, July 18.
Data Days Cleveland
The 6th annual Data Days CLE! Join us as we spark conversation and ideas, and build capacity in the space where data, information, and civic life intersect.
www.datadayscle.org
July 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
hey #cleveland share what you've learned about govt data or technology in local contexts; or maybe you made a great #map or #dataviz using govt data;
Reposted by Skora, Will
Every "tech" guy is just a VC guy in a subculture that gets called "tech" for no particular reason. Most real "tech" - like, i dunno, cutting edge materials research - doesn't get called that while "a new pizza delivery app" does
I am going to be so fascinated to read the post-mortem about how a revolt lead by tech billionaires lead to a gutting of both scientific research, university education and immigrant labor, all key prerequisites to the very existence of their industries.
I can't stress enough how close U.S. science is to the cliff.
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
"Numbers released in May by the National Science Foundation (NSF) indicate that if Congress approves the cuts to the agency proposed by the White House, the number of early-career researchers it supports could fall by 78%" (@science.org)
July 10, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Every "tech" guy is just a VC guy in a subculture that gets called "tech" for no particular reason. Most real "tech" - like, i dunno, cutting edge materials research - doesn't get called that while "a new pizza delivery app" does