[imc-melbourne-work] Future of Melbourne Indymedia

Anna Helme anna at engagemedia.org
Wed Jun 6 02:12:54 UTC 2007


yeah, i talked to Kam about that briefly on IRC a couple of weeks back, 
after bringing up MIM's potential demise. this could be interesting for 
sure - each city would have to have separate calendars though i suppose, 
too.

what platform would this be on - the current oceania code, or a Drupal site?

takver wrote:
> Kameron from Sydney Indymedia has suggested the option of pooling our 
> efforts at oceania.indymedia.org.
> Add newswires, local, Australian, regional, international. Collectively 
> edit and moderate the site. It is certainly an option to consider.
>
> I am back putting some editorial time in...:)
>
> Takver
>
>   
>> hey,
>>
>> not sure if my opinion really counts here, but i'd go for it.
>>
>> it would be really good to take the time to write a note as to why on 
>> the front page, however, with a contact email address.
>>
>> after that i guess a meeting should happen to see where people are 
>>     
> at, 
>   
>> and then perhaps the kind of teach-in outreach event liz suggested, 
>>     
> if 
>   
>> there are enough people around who want to make that happen.
>>
>> my 2c,
>> anna
>>
>>
>> harry tuttle wrote:
>>     
>>> Not getting any response on this.....
>>>
>>> I really think we need to make the decision to disable
>>> publishing temporarily with an explanation on the
>>> site. Otherwise, I am happy to have a meeting to work
>>> out what to do, but I wasnt getting a lot of response
>>> around that either...
>>>
>>> Harry
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --- harry tuttle <harrytuttle123 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> I agree with And. It would have been ideal to get a
>>>> meeting together to decide on something like this.
>>>> However, I dont think it is going to happy any time
>>>> soon. As such I think we need to make a decision on
>>>> line to disable publishing at present given that
>>>> there
>>>> has not been a feature in a month and that the site
>>>> is
>>>> not be properly watched or admined. 
>>>>
>>>> It seems there is certainly ideas and enthusiasm for
>>>> MIM to continue, but I think a first step is that we
>>>> need to disable publishing, and stop and take stock
>>>> of
>>>> where we are at.
>>>>
>>>> Harry
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --- and <and at axxs.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> Hey,
>>>>>
>>>>> On 17/05/2007, at 12:51 PM, harry tuttle wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>> Its good to read all the ideas floating around.
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> Sorry,
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> but due to other life stuff I havent organised a
>>>>>> meeting. What about Saturday or Sunday the
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> 26th/27th
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> maybe later in the afternoon. I guess we really
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> need
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> to come  up with some kind of short term plan
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> while we
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> work out the bigger picture/future of MIM.
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>> Why not switch off publishing temporarily? That
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> way
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> there is space to  
>>>>> really stop and think about the project without
>>>>> having to spend time  
>>>>> managing trolls and dealing with other daily
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> tasks.
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> It would also  
>>>>> communicate to the community the extent of the
>>>>> crisis, especially if  
>>>>> it's explained on the front page, and be a
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> mechanism
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> for gathering  
>>>>> new people to get involved. If people think it
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> will
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> just keep  
>>>>> plodding along they won't be shaken out of their
>>>>> apathy, a rupture  
>>>>> needs to be created to break the current cycle and
>>>>> begin new ways of  
>>>>> thinking about the project, both for the
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> collective
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> and the site users.
>>>>>
>>>>> And.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> Harry
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --- musicman <datakid at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> Hola,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm largely staying out of this debate because
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> I'm
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> incredibly busy as
>>>>>>> it is, but I would flag this interesting
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> article
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> by
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> Cory Doctorow of
>>>>>>> boingboing fame:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>> http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?
>>>   
>>>       
>>>>>> articleID=199600005
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> "How To Keep Hostile Jerks From Taking Over
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> Your
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> Online Community
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Angry people looking for fights will inevitably
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> try
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> to poison
>>>>>>> successful Internet communities. Columnist Cory
>>>>>>> Doctorow looks at ways
>>>>>>> to remove the poison without killing the
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> discussion
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> too. "
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I like some of the ideas in here - especially
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> if
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> we
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> could implement
>>>>>>> disemvowelling:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Troll whisperers aren't necessarily very good
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> at
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> hacking tools, so
>>>>>>> there's always an opportunity for geek synergy
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> in
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> helping them to
>>>>>>> automate their hand-crafted techniques, giving
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> them
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> a software
>>>>>>> force-multiplier for their good sense. For
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> example,
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> Teresa invented a
>>>>>>> technique called disemvowelling -- removing the
>>>>>>> vowels from some or
>>>>>>> all of a fiery message-board post. The
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> advantage
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> of
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> this is that it
>>>>>>> leaves the words intact, but requires that you
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> read
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> them very slowly
>>>>>>> -- so slowly that it takes the sting out of
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> them.
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> And, as Teresa
>>>>>>> recently explained to me, disemvowelling part
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>> of
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> a
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> post lets the rest
>>>>>>> of the community know what kind of sentiment is
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> and
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> is not socially
>>>>>>> acceptable."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> L.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 5/17/07, Anna Helme <anna at engagemedia.org>
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>>> the other thing i would suggest is that if the
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>>> collective wants new
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> software to do this:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>> ==Software==
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> In terms of software, the Melbourne site
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>> really
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> needs that upgrade.
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> * We need Userids for identification of
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>> quality
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> users.
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> * We need an Option for users when they post
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>> an
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> article to decide
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> whether they want a) no comments B) approved
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>>> comments c) all comments
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> * At least one newswire that is only for
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> articles
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> posted by "trusted
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> users" and that members of the editorial
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>>> collective can move articles
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> to. Without this, we can not met the
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> requirements
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> of Google News and
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> we become just another opinionated blog.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>> (as takver has outlined) then MIM should use
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>> the
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> money in the bank
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> - am i right in thinking it's about $1000? if
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> not
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> i'm sure it wouldn't
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> be too hard to get it up to that amount - to
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> *pay*
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> a developer to
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> do this. MIM seems to do OK when it comes to
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>>>> donations.
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> you should be able to solve the major problem
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> MIM
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> is facing - the
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> software - if you pay a developer now, and
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>> know
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>>>> that you will have to
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> use donations to pay for regular maintenance.
>>>>>>>>             
>>>>>>>>                 
>>>>> much
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>>> more sustainable
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>> === message truncated ===
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>        
>>>
>>>       
> ________________________________________________________________________
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>   
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>   
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>>>
>>>   
>>>       
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>>     
>
>   




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