Who writes and maintains Mast
Mast is an independent project written and maintained by Josh Forehand. Editorial policies, explanatory guides, source-selection rules, and material corrections remain under the maintainer’s control.
Editorial Policy
How Mast turns official notices into useful flag-status information while keeping its work transparent, correctable, and independent.
Last reviewed: July 27, 2026
Our commitment
Source-backed answers, with human accountability
Mast uses software to monitor public information, but automation does not replace editorial responsibility. Published status should be traceable to an official source, and disputed or unclear information receives human review.
Source hierarchy
When sources differ, Mast gives the greatest weight to the most direct, specific, and current official record:
- Controlling authority: statutes, presidential proclamations, executive orders, and signed gubernatorial directives.
- Direct government notices: official governor, agency, military, or public-information releases that state scope and timing.
- Current-status pages: official flag-status pages maintained by the responsible government office.
- Official archives: dated government records used to confirm history or recover a notice that moved.
Secondary reporting and official social posts can help locate a notice, but they do not normally replace a more authoritative public record.
When official sources conflict
Mast compares authority, publication time, specificity, affected jurisdiction, and whether one notice explicitly updates another. The narrower or newer instruction does not automatically win: its issuing authority must apply to the place and flags in question. If the conflict cannot be resolved confidently, Mast may show the uncertainty, retain the last verified status, or withhold a definitive result while it is reviewed.
Automation and AI boundaries
Software retrieves pages, detects changes, parses dates, de-duplicates notices, and applies established status rules. AI may produce a source-constrained draft summary from retrieved notice text and parser context. It does not independently create an order, choose legal authority, or override the source record.
Source priority, unusual conflicts, parsing rules, guide content, correction decisions, and this policy remain human-controlled. Mast keeps source links visible so readers can inspect the underlying notice.
Corrections and material changes
Anyone can report a missing order, inaccurate date, broken source, translation issue, or misleading explanation through the correction form or by emailing support@mast.today. Reports are checked against the strongest available official record before a change is made.
Routine fixes such as formatting, spelling, or repaired links may be made without a public note. A correction that materially changes the status, scope, dates, reason, or interpretation of an order should be disclosed on the affected content or in its update history when that context remains useful to readers.
Independence, funding, and advertising
Mast may be supported by voluntary contributions and clearly labeled advertising. Supporters, advertisers, ad platforms, and commercial relationships do not determine which sources Mast uses, whether an order is shown, or what an editorial guide concludes.
Advertising is kept separate from status results and editorial copy. Paid placement does not receive preferential editorial treatment. Mast does not accept payment to alter a flag-status determination or suppress a relevant official notice.