Indymedia - information as a coral reef
Some thoughts on how to read Indymedia politically...
Indymedia sometimes seems to me like a coral reef of information. One person decides to post on a certain topic and suddenly that post becomes a base for others build on their point of view on the subject. Some topics are virtually ignored while others (like the recent discussion on the ALF tactic) build into many-fingered chaotic constructions, with threads of argument branching off in too many directions to follow.
I'd like to encourage people to sign up for the Indymedia wikiwiki tool http://docs.indymedia.org and summarize long discussions like that one so they can continue to evolve. I'd also like to encourage people to put their real names (or at least a consistent handle) and an email address to their postings and comments so that discussions can continue on a peer-to-peer basis (Scott - if you're out there, I'd like to discuss class analysis with you some more - you up for coffee?).
When Aotearoa Indymedia switched to a new open-publishing system (probably some time next year) many new features will become available to users of the site, including the ability to login and edit/hide your own posts. If there are features you would like to see on the site please email the tech team
Skill-sharing and resource-sharing, like open-publishing and open source, are key principles of the free media movement that Indymedia is an expression of. Like individual coral animals, we all build our success on the achievments of past generations if there's one survival tip we can learn from the little fish of the reef it is safety in numbers and co-operation.
Comments
Thanks for your input, Stripey.
I'll be giving it some thought and will get back to you with my suggestions (although the ability to upload photos and hide other peoples comments does immediately spring to mind).
In the mean time perhaps you would like to think about breaking away from your reef fish mates (finn, aaron, claire, Valerie Morse, etc.) and using your unique brain.
Who knows...you might end up supporting "W" and the Israeli Defence Forces and their ongoing war against terror. ;>
Indymedia wikiwiki
It's better and a lot easier to place news items and comments on the newswire than on Indymedia wiki
In light of your post
Strypey,
I've decided to get a yahoo account. People can email me above.
Reply to Al
Sometimes a newswire story generates a long discussion in which many diverging threads of debate have been raised, like the recent one on the ALF. What I'm suggesting is that when this happens someone could transfer the key points of the discussion to a wiki page (and post the link at the bottom of the comments). This way flippant or abusive remarks can be filtered out and the debate can continue to evolve beyond the linear and fairly polemical nature of newswire comments.
Free speech
If you filter out flippant and abusive remarks then it's not really an open discussion. People are flawed creatures and being flippant and abusive is just part of their nature.
If you choose to block out what has been arbitrarily declared to be "flippant and abusive" then you're hiding.
Unless you've decided to appoint yourself as the "immune system" of the "coral reef", in which case I'm truly scared.
As annoying and frustrating as the comments posted by Eric, ED, and all their alter-egos may be, I'll defend to the death their right to make them, no matter how pointless or offensive I may find them to be.
Sticks and stones.
Love & Kisses,
Andy
"I tried to organise freedom" - Bjork