[IMC-US] PROPOSAL (was indymedia and google)

[Mike Medow]

> I am all in favor of getting this site up in a "least common demominator"
> fashion ASAP.  but I think personally that it would be a shame if we 
> didn't allow for some synthesis and analysis in the form of compiled 
> articles from an editorial team of some kind.  I think the syndication 
> will work fine for now, but it is not my ideal for the site, which I think
> should have an editorial voice of its own (in addition to the syndication
> of course).  

I agree with Max's perspective here. Having a strong editorial voice for the
features column of the site will allow the site to be a tool for
highlighting the intersections of various issues from around the country.
For example, if there are struggles over privatization of municipal services
occurring in multiple sections of the US, the US-IMC would be a place for
compiling a feature that could draw connections between these various
struggles. Resigning the US-IMC to be primarily syndication-based limits its
full potential as a tool for drawing out the intersections of struggles
taking place around the country.

Furthermore, I believe that a non-open-publishing US-IMC will actually
strengthen open publishing on the local level. We will use every effort on
the US-IMC to direct people to the open publishing newswires of local sites.
As has already been stated, locally-based open publishing has a much greater
potential for leading to political mobilization in the real world than does
OP on a national site. 

Finally, while I could accept the current compromise that has been proposed,
I think that we should work towards deciding on the final status of the site
as quickly as possible. It would be nice to have the site running in what is
to be its long-term form by the RNC at the latest.

Mike
/Michigan IMC