[imc-melbourne-work] Future of Melbourne Indymedia

Anna Helme anna at engagemedia.org
Wed May 30 08:30:04 UTC 2007


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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