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Social Media for Aliens

Section · Roadmap

What's shipped, what's next.

Public roadmaps are themselves trust signals. This page shows what the archive has, what is in progress, and what is intentionally next. If something here matters to your research and you want to nudge it forward, write to us at hello@socialmediaforaliens.com.

Shipped

  • 30+ graded case files with metadata, summary, and editor's context
  • Per-file inline media, videos (DVIDS), photos, audio, with empty-state callouts
  • "In the margins", transcribed redactions, stamps, and handwritten notes per file
  • Prevailing-explanation block on resolved cases
  • Cite-this-page widget (Chicago / MLA / APA / BibTeX / permalink)
  • Schema.org JSON-LD on every file page
  • Filter browse: source, status, decade, media type, plus shareable URL state
  • Search across titles, locations, and tags
  • /start-here onboarding path with seven-file walk and 17-term glossary
  • /digest with five backfilled entries (2017 NYT, 2023 Grusch, 2023 Schumer, 2024 AARO, 2026 PURSUE)
  • /about, /standards, /errata pages with editorial principles
  • Open dataset, JSON and CSV exports, citable
  • RSS feeds, site-wide plus per-source-command (NASA, CENTCOM, INDOPACOM, EUCOM, FBI, STATE, DOD)
  • iCal feed, UAP On This Day, recurring annual entries
  • oEmbed for journalists, paste a file URL into Substack/Ghost/WordPress and get an embed card
  • Random-case button
  • "On this day" widget on the homepage
  • Per-file dynamic OG images for social sharing
  • Sitemap, robots.txt, custom 404 page
  • Print stylesheet, clean reading layout when printed
  • Keyboard shortcuts (`/`, `?`, `g+r`, `g+f`, etc.)
  • Vercel Analytics + Speed Insights live
  • Editorial design system, cream paper background, Source Serif body, navy institutional header, single oxidized-red accent

In progress

  • Discussion threads (Giscus) per fileComponent is wired. Activates when a public GitHub repo + Discussions are configured.
  • Newsletter digest deliveryEndpoint exists and captures subscriptions locally. Wires to a real provider when one is chosen.

Planned

  • Mirror war.gov PDFs to first-party storageRemoves Akamai hotlink risk and lets the file viewer embed PDFs inline for the document-only cases.
  • Hover-card link previewsHover any internal file link, get a small card with title, status, summary.
  • Boring Disclosure BotMastodon and Bluesky bot that posts only when a real declassification event happens. Three posts a month maximum. Trust through restraint.
  • Annotation modeMultiple named expert verdicts visible alongside the document. Models intellectual humility by showing disagreement on one screen.
  • The Sound PieceA continuously-updating ambient stream built from declassified audio. ATC tapes, cockpit recordings, hearing testimony, played quietly with attribution.
  • First-hand encounters section (v1.1)Carefully-moderated experiencer space with peer support and vetted clinician referrals. Not before strict moderation guardrails are in place.
  • Analysis & research section (v1.1)Long-form articles, evidence breakdowns, methodology pieces.
  • Media & raw footage section (v1.1)Standalone home for video, audio, and imagery beyond what lives on individual file pages.
  • Historical archives section (v1.1)Pre-2020 cases, Project Blue Book, Condon Report, Tic-Tac-era material curated separately.
Editorial standards →Open data →