[IMC-US] IMC's changing, going and re-evolving

[Pete Stidman]

I am also sorry for the crossposting, and I'll try to
keep this short.  

I am dismayed to see so much strife in the indymedia
network. I was a devoted and hardworking member of
Boston IMC for just over a year including during the
DNC in July 2004 when I met many in the greater
network.  

After that time Boston IMC wnt through some
signinficant growth due to the excitement carried over
from that event and renewed energy from new and old
volunteers that wanted to engage the community in new
ways.  We were writing grants and contacting local
non-profits, tabling at community events, and covering
local events. Our website content and traffic were up
considerably.  It was also a good time.  I met and
worked with tons of really great amazing people.  

As all good things do, this came to an end.
Fortunately, Boston IMC is still operating, although
as many as half of the volunteers from that time
either left or severely curtailed their involvement. 

The reasons easily devolve into a he said she said,
and this is one of the reasons that the strife that
developed in the group was so difficult to contain. 
The group was unwilling to face and deal with the
conflict. Instead it became an ugly smear campaign
waged by one against the other.  

I ultimately grew really tired of the infighting,
which directly involved me (although I made every
effort to resolve things and act civilly) and left the
group for good. 

Now, after experience in other forms of media, I
realize that the governance of indymedia is severely
flawed.  Either it works based on affinity and
exclusiveness, it somehow develops new rules for
itself, or its own openness prevents it from having
the tools to deal with unstable individuals.  Much of
it depends upon the individuals involved and the
timing of the trials they face.

I'm still working in media and hope to continue my
relationships with folks in the greater network of
indymedia. Our ideals are in the right place, but I
fel that Indymedia taken as a whole must evolve or
die. I can't help but compare our situation in Boston
to what happened in Florida, and also Michigan.  

Boston IMC now has an active video group, the main
interest of one side of the argument we had. 

The website, which was in my and other's interest, has
in my opinion slowed down a bit, the editing is still
doing ok.  But the point isn't whether the website
survived the storm, it's that a person who was
dedicated to making it thrive was attacked while the
rest of the collective watched.  

No matter how many told me privately they thought the
attacks were wrong, they had no tool as a collective
to deal with them.  I was called every name in the
right wing pantheon, from capitalist to fascist to
white supremacist. 

For someone like me, that really hurt. It also made it
impossible to stay involved.

-Pete



--- bradley <bradley at riseup.net> wrote:

> hey there,
> 
> Sorry for the cross-posting... I know that people
> are on various  
> lists....
> 
> I just wanted to call some attention to a few
> updates from local IMCs  
> in the US.
> 
> Seeking input --- What should the future of
> OKIMC.org be?
> http://okimc.org/newswire.php?story_id=1406
> 
> Shutting Down the Michigan Independent Media Center
> http://michiganimc.org/
> 
> Unfortunately, it is time we said goodbye
> http://miami.indymedia.org/news/2006/01/3523.php
> 
> Santa Cruz Indymedia's Regional Integration with
> Indybay.org
> http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/01/1797769.php
> 
> Arkansas IMC is celebrating a 3rd B-day and has a
> new look
> http://arkansas.indymedia.org
> 
> Philly IMC also has a new look
> http://www.phillyimc.org
> 
> Ok, y'all can check out the other IMCs on your own
> to see what you  
> can learn from the websites... but maybe sending out
> this email with  
> updates from a few IMCs is helpful. Hopefully IMC in
> the US and  
> globally will have a great year in 2006.
> 
> Best of luck to everyone and all the IMCs!
> 
> If anyone has questions or advice, this might be a
> good time and  
> place to speak up.
> 
> In one way or another, we are a network. Let's do
> our best to support  
> each other.
> 
> sincerely,
> Bradley
> 
> (( ( i ) )))
> 
> --
> 
> Santa Cruz Indymedia: http://Indybay.org/SantaCruz
> //
> Free Radio Santa Cruz: http://www.FreakRadio.org
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> IMC-US mailing list
> IMC-US at lists.ucimc.org
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/imc-us
> 


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