Notices by Carl Sullivan (csullivan@flipboard.social)

Have you heard about @surf, the new social website product from the makers of @Flipboard? Available on any web browser or as an app, Surf gives users control of their own social media timelines. It lets you easily create customizable feeds of content from Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, podcasts, Threads and RSS feeds — basically any platform that’s part of the open social web. It allows you to escape the "tyranny of the algorithm" and follow the topics you really care about.

CNET has a good explainer: https://www.cnet.com/news/social-media/flipboard-surf-a-customizable-feed/

Surf is for anyone, but publishers are already seeing its potential. @RollingStone, @theverge, @WIRED and @404mediaco are just a few who already have Surf social websites.

My favorite headline from all the positive media coverage: “The web can still be wonderful, and Flipboard’s Surf proves it” by @harrymccracken at @FastCompany. “This new app lets human beings weave together worthwhile stuff from across the internet, in a way that’s uniquely rewarding — and sometimes even beautiful,” the magazine’s editors wrote. https://www.fastcompany.com/91520679/surf-flipboard

Check it out at https://surf.social/ or download the app in the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flipboard.surf&hl=en_US. For iOS, sign up on the waitlist: https://waitlist.surf.social/.

And here's a blog post with more info: https://about.flipboard.com/fediverse/flipboards-surf-launches-first-social-websites-a-new-model-for-social-media/

#SocialMedia #Technology #Fediverse #OpenSocialWeb

RE: https://flipboard.social/@surf/116336026699518351

Super excited to see Surf now available on the web!

As the news industry implodes, @Flipboard is doing everything we can to help independent media and journalists who are starting their own publications. Here's my ode to indy journalism, perfect for Valentine's Day ... or Galentine's ;)

https://about.flipboard.com/inside-flipboard/ode-to-independent-media/

#Media #Journalism #SupportIndependentMedia #News

RE: https://flipboard.social/@NewsDesk/115894539532602421

Important reporting.

As we enter a new phase of American politics today, we're thinking a lot at @Flipboard about our role in the media ecosystem.

In short, we'll never stop believing in the value of facts, journalism and open discourse. And we believe all of these things are crucial for democracy during the next four years. We are proud of our longstanding relationships with reputable media outlets and are happy to continue our support by sending them traffic and exposing their content to new audiences (something we think our new @surf app will also excel at).

Here's a blog post I wrote on the topic: https://about.flipboard.com/inside-flipboard/flipboards-commitment-to-facts-for-a-new-political-era/

#Flipboard #Journalism #Media #USPolitics #Democracy #Facts #FactChecking #SocialMedia #Fediverse

I joined Twitter in 2008, making 7,500 posts through the years. I deactivated my X account today.

I greatly curtailed my usage of the platform since November 2023, when my employer @Flipboard pulled back from engagement. And I haven't posted since April but kept it open for work reasons (to monitor news, etc.).

Why today? The U.S. election made clear how many of my fellow Americans live entirely in "alternative facts" ecosystems. I no longer wish to participate in such a platform — so rife with unchecked misinformation and disinformation ... basically an outrage machine where the algorithm rewards lies and conspiracy theories.

If you're still on X, why?

I screenshot my profile for posterity. And here's also Flipboard's 2023 announcement.

#Goodbye #X #Twitter #SocialMedia #Mastodon #MastodonMigration #Misinformation #Facts

It's easy to get discouraged in the face of America's truth crisis. The deluge of misinformation and disinformation is overwhelming. How do we fight it?

I wrote an explanation of @Flipboard's philosophy. Above all, we keep trying and never give up!

https://about.flipboard.com/inside-flipboard/how-flipboard-ai-keeps-a-focus-on-facts/

#AI #Facts #FactCheck #Misinformation #Disinformation #Media #Journalism #ArtificialIntelligence #News

@mike @tchambers @Flipboard @greg +1 to everything Mike just said ⬆️

A year can go by in a flash. And that’s certainly how I feel as @Flipboard marks the first birthday of our Mastodon editorial desks. We tentatively dipped our toes into the water, not sure what to expect. What we quickly discovered was a smart, engaged community of people truly curious about our world for all its virtues and faults.

We instantly observed far more replies, favorites and boosts than we ever saw on X (Twitter) even though we had many more followers there. By November, we abandoned X to focus on Mastodon and a few other platforms.

When we launched our Mastodon accounts, we had no idea that Flipboard itself would federate, which is a work in progress. In recent months, we’ve federated our editorial curation from the app, greatly expanding your options to follow the topics you’re most interested in, such as news, politics, sports, entertainment, etc. And we’re in the process of federating publisher Flipboard accounts so that you can follow their topical Magazines. Already, you can find accounts such as Smithsonian Magazine, Euronews, Frommers, CBS Sports and SPIN.

Thank you for all of your feedback and support. If you like our work, please boost this post and help us grow our audience.

@NewsDesk
@TechDesk
@ScienceDesk
@CultureDesk
@ArtPhotosDesk

And check out two new country-specific accounts:
@FlipboardUK
@FlipboardDE

#FollowFriday #Mastodon #MastodonMigration #Media #Journalism #SocialMedia #Tech

For over a decade, @Flipboard's in-house editorial team has been curating the world’s best journalism around the clock. But to access this curation, you had to use the Flipboard app or visit flipboard.com.

Now we’ve decided to federate our Flipboard editorial profiles and their related Magazines in order to make our collections available to everyone on Mastodon and other Fediverse networks.

Here's what we're up to. Would love your feedback!

https://about.flipboard.com/inside-flipboard/how-flipboard-is-using-our-new-federated-magazines/

#Fediverse #Mastodon #Flipboard #SocialMedia #Media #Journalism #Curation