Digital Citizen Fastmail

We explore Philadelphia's thriving tech scene and share expert advice on how to succeed in the city. From attracting and retaining tech talent to building a sense of community, we're joined by two special guests who are passionate about helping individuals and companies thrive.
Episode Notes
In this special LIVE recording of Fastmail’s Philly Tech Week event “You Can Thrive Here: Local Leaders on Philly’s Move Into Ethical Tech”, listen to the Co-Host and Senior Producer of Digital Citizen Haley Hnatuk in conversation with Senzwa Ntshepe and Tempest Carter, two people on the cutting edge of building Philadelphia technology scene.
▶️ Guest Interview - Tempest Carter and Senzwa Ntshepe
Learn more about Tempest Carter and Senzwa Ntshepe. Look into the Commerce and the City of Philadelphia. Check out The Connect on their website, Linkedin, and Instagram. Explore other Philadelphia organizations 1Philadelphia, Hopeworks, Launchpad, Per Scholas, and Tribaja. 🗣️ Discussion Points Tempest Carter's work is centered around building an ecosystem in Philadelphia that allows tech companies to thrive. She is also responsible for creating a series of events called Tech Talks, which aim to bring people together and foster connections. As President of The Connect, Senzwa Ntshepe is dedicated to solving the problem of black and brown professionals leaving Philadelphia by fostering a sense of community and validation among its members. With a community of over 20,000 professionals nationwide, they focus on community needs and how people can thrive in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a great place for tech, with over 100,000 tech positions and over 9,000 tech companies in the region. Additionally, the city is home to universities, robotics, and other innovative fields that offer unique career paths. Philadelphia has something for everyone whether you're looking for a lively atmosphere or a more laid-back space. If you are breaking or transitioning into tech, do a personal audit and determine what you love to do. Be aware of what skills you need to work on, and don’t be afraid to upscale and seek education. Rather than chasing a job, focus on finding a mission that aligns with your values. Balance is so important. Your mind works better when it’s not plugged in all the time. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 Review Us If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

We dive into the Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski. Hear about the benefits of fixing our own devices rather than replacing them and the reasons why some companies create roadblocks to prevent the average consumer from doing so.
Episode Notes
Discover the social and intellectual function of repair, why our Right to Repair as consumers is so important, the ways companies are making this right difficult for the average person, and the environmental implications of buying new products rather than fixing the ones we already have.
▶️ Guest Interview - Aaron Perzanowski
Learn more about Aaron Perzanowski. Read The End of Ownership by Aaron Perzanowski and Jason Schultz. Check out The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own by Aaron Perzanowski. Get to know The Repair Association. Explore the free repair manual iFixIt. 🗣️ Discussion Points As a law professor at the University of Michigan, Aaron teaches courses primarily focusing on intellectual property law, copyright, and trademarks. His research focuses on the intersection of intellectual and personal property and how our intellectual property shapes our relationship with the devices and products we use daily. We consumers have certain rights regarding the things we buy. One of those rights is the Right to Repair them should something go wrong. This could mean fixing them ourselves or having the choice of which professional will fix them for you. The act of repairing teaches us valuable skills, such as how to analyze and address problems in the world and how to be self-sufficient. Repair is often also a community effort, as it may require asking neighbors for help and learning from others who share your interests. Companies have strong incentives to steer consumers towards replacement rather than repair. Undetectable software is all around us in the things we use every day. As soon as software is introduced into a product, the manufacturer can exert control over how the product is used after the sale. As consumers, we must be mindful about our purchases by considering the longevity of the products. If you have a functioning device, keep it. On the other hand, if a device does break, don’t be afraid to explore repair options before immediately purchasing something new. However, the repair will cost just as much as a brand-new item in some cases. Understanding how your technology works is important in the problems we hope our government will address. If we don’t understand it ourselves, we don’t have enough ground to weigh in on the topics. Repair helps people understand their technology even better, and engaging in repair can make us better digital citizens. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 Review Us If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

We delve further into the world of productivity with our special guest, David Tedaldi, CEO and Co-Founder of Morgen. Hear about Morgen’s mission and values, what makes its product stand out among other productivity tools, and the customizable workflows that are now available for Fastmail customers through our new integration with Morgen Assist.
Episode Notes
Discover insights into the significance of purposeful productivity, how to best manage your calendar in order to prioritize the most important things, and as always, how to be the best possible digital citizen.
▶️ Guest Interview - David Tedaldi
Learn more about David Tedaldi. Follow Morgen on X. Learn more about the integration. Read more from Morgen. 🗣️ Discussion Points
Morgen integrates with your time management tools. It allows you to actively manage all of your calendars for tasks, projects, and scheduling in one place, solving the issue of staying on top of your timeline. One of the benefits of a tool like Morgen, is that it helps you stay on top of your tasks, making your productivity intentional. As a Morgen Power user, David follows the model that if something isn’t on his calendar, it’s probably not going to happen. He believes that “since life is so short, we should only work on important things.” Fastmail has partnered with Morgen, so you can start automating your calendar and adding customizable workflows. Connect Fastmail with Morgen Assist to set up these and other smart automations in your calendar. Fastmail customers who use Morgen vocalized their desire for this feature, which inspired us to collaborate on an integration for our shared customer base. The most important aspect of being a good digital citizen is respect. This includes respecting the people you talk to online and respecting the privacy of users as a developer. 🔵  Find Us
Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙  Review Us
If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

Abha Chiyedan wants to help anyone who struggles with productivity. If you have ever wondered how to stay productive and maintain a healthy work-life balance, you won’t want to miss this week’s episode of Digital Citizen.
Episode Notes
Abha Chiyedan found the transition to adulthood to be difficult and shared her personal experiences in a blog in 2016. This passion project transformed into a full-time job when she founded The Werk Life, a productivity and wellness brand with digital planners designed to bring peace and calm to your busy life.
▶️ Guest Interview - Abha Chiyedan Learn more about Abha Chiyedan. Shop The Werk Life planners. Follow The Werk Life on tiktok. 🗣️ Discussion Points Some of us would rather enjoy the moment and put off whatever can be done until tomorrow. If you find yourself getting stuck in a procrastination rut, try practicing self-awareness and deciding what you can do as an alternative. We often don’t realize how long we have actually been doing something. Abha suggests trying timers, time blocks, and rewards to help. For example, you might reward yourself with five minutes of scrolling on your phone after thirty minutes of work. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity. If the tool you are trying isn’t working, be honest with yourself and try something else. The Werk Life offers many free resources in addition to planners. Check out their website if you need inspiration on where to start. Don’t get bogged down in the planning stage. Sometimes you have to say this plan is good enough and move on to executing it. Not everything is always what it seems on the internet, and if the content you consume makes you feel bad, give yourself the room to step away. 🔵  Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us: @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙  Review Us If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

We delve into the intricate balance between productivity, technology, and digital culture with our special guest, Adam Conover. Explore how modern tech influences our work habits, the impact of personal knowledge management apps, and the complexities of email management in our daily lives.
Episode Notes
Discover insights into the profound effects of internet usage on social life, the challenges of maintaining productivity amidst technological advancements, and the evolving dynamics of fan engagement across different media platforms. Join us as we navigate the nuances of digital habits and their implications on personal and professional spheres.
▶️ Guest Interview - Adam Conover Learn more about Adam Conover. Subscribe to Adam Conover’s Patreon. Listen to Factually! with Adam Conover. 🗣️ Discussion Points Productivity apps and technological tools aim to streamline our workflows and enhance efficiency. However, there's an underlying risk of becoming overly reliant on these tools, potentially leading to a counterproductive cycle of planning without execution. This segment challenges listeners to consider how their tech use affects their actual output. The digital age has fundamentally altered our social habits and cultural dynamics. This discussion delves into the impact of digital habits on personal relationships and mental health, questioning whether our online personas and activities are enriching our lives or detracting from genuine human interaction. Personal knowledge management apps like Obsidian and Roam Research have gained popularity as tools for organizing thoughts and enhancing productivity. However, this segment probes into whether these apps truly contribute to productivity or merely serve as sophisticated distractions. The conversation sheds light on the broader question of what productivity really means in the context of information overload. Email is a part of everyday life, but it can be difficult to manage. This part of the episode explores various strategies for email management and discusses the broader implications of these practices, such as whether our quest for a clean inbox actually advances our productivity or merely feeds into a cycle of constant task management. The platform chosen to engage with an audience significantly shapes the nature of that interaction. Different mediums, from Twitter to Patreon, influence the dynamics between creators and their followers. By examining the phrase "the medium is the message," this segment invites listeners to reflect on how the constraints of each platform impact communication and, by extension, the creator-audience relationship. Internet culture reflects and amplifies broader societal issues, including inequality, racism, and online violence. Explore how digital spaces both mirror and exacerbate real-world social dynamics, prompting a critical examination of our collective online behavior and the responsibilities of digital platforms in shaping public discourse. 🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us: @Fastmail. Follow us on Mastodon: @fastmail@mastodon.social. 💙 Review Us If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.

Listen to a snapshot of Digital Citizen, a Fastmail Podcast. Hear clips from our guests and their perspectives on how we can all become better digital citizens.
Episode Notes
The 'Digital Citizen' podcast, hosted by Ricardo Signes and co-host Haley Hnatuk, aims to guide listeners in using the internet more thoughtfully. The show features discussions with leading technology experts focusing on the changing dynamics of cybersecurity, social media, and the overall digital environment. It emphasizes the importance of remembering the human element behind technology, offering practical advice on becoming a better digital citizen. The podcast encourages listeners to adapt to the ever-changing digital world and promotes positive technological change and innovation.
🔵 Find Us Digital Citizen Website: fastmail.com/digitalcitizen. Check out our blog. Tweet us @Fastmail. 💙 Review Us If you love this show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Take our survey to tell us what you think at digitalcitizenshow.com/survey.