In less than a month, I’ve progressed from being a Mastodon skeptic, to a reluctant tester, to an enthusiastic advocate. I’ve engaged more on Mastodon over the last few weeks than I have with Twitter in recent years, and this moment really does feel like a crucial tipping point for federated social.
Into the Fediverse: Getting Started with Mastodon
Like a large porcelain sink dropped on a concrete floor, Twitter’s user base has been fragmented. No, this isn’t another opinion piece about Lord Musk and whatever clout chasing headline he’s fabricating this week. It’s a summary of what I’ve learned so far about the federated social network where a sizable chunk of Twitter’s vast community has found refuge, Mastodon.
Running Farther
When I started getting into OneWheel riding in 2021, I was a little worried that it might take away from my already infrequent running routine. Instead, I’ve found that it actually inspired me to get outside even more. For several years now, I’ve had a personal goal of going for a 5k run once a week. In practice, that ended up being about every other week. This year, I pushed a little harder on that goal…
Mid-Century Masonry Faux Shutter Accents
Of all the historic residential styles that can be found around Central Florida, the modest mid-century ranch homes are some of my favorites. There are many gems in the 1950s Orlando neighborhood where I live and one of the details I notice most often is the diversity of shutter designs. Some houses have them, some don’t. Some are your run-of-the-mill fake wood shutters, and some are absolute “Shudder Sunday” train wrecks…
TWANG! Building an Arduino-Based LED Strip Game
My kids and I have spent many a weekend afternoon playing, learning, and exploring at Orlando Science Center. There is so much to see there that it’s easy to miss a little permanent exhibit in the hallway outside “The Hive” Makerspace on the 3rd floor. There you’ll find a pedestal against the wall with a spring on top and a little red button. People walk past it all the time, but tap the spring and the dark hallway comes to life with 8-bit sounds and light from an LED strip on the opposite wall.