This is an unofficial collection of text relating to Indymedia with relation to Scotland in particular. For those that don't know Scotland has 5 Million people living in it and it is one of countries that makes up the United Kingdom. Edinburgh and Glasgow are it's large cities. Other towns are Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, Perth, Inverness.
If anyone wants to add anything to this page or have their words modified or removed then get in touch.
For actual IMC itself check out:
More resources relating to news publishing sites such as IMC
Meetings are taking place in Glasgow about setting up IMC Scotland. One took place at the Kinning Park Centre, Glasgow from 2pm, Sunday 4th August.
Indymedia film event was held at the GFT on Sunday July 28th.
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=36257
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=35824
There may be more political films at the GFT, 12, Rose Street, off Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, price £3.90 ( £2.50 concession) For tickets call GFT book office on 0141 332 8128. (old out of date website shows map and other info)
IMC Pro and Cons by Mark
Notes from the IMC Scotland meeting at the John McLean Centre - Tuesday 16th July.
Nearly didn't have a meeting at all - cause there were only 3 people there
- take this into account when reading these notes. In Indymedia's guidelines
it sets out that you need to have a group with a minimum of 5 (committed)
people as a 'core' before establishing an Indymedia site. But, on the
basis that since it was 1st mentioned, there has been substantial interest
in seeing an IMC Scotland site established; and because at least 5 people
have said that they are prepared to make some commitment to an IMC Scotland;
and because the Indymedia Event at the GFT has already been planned and
promised; and because it was the 1st sunny evening we have had in about
3 months:- we decided to proceed and try to establish some loose aims
and objectives to circulate for comment. We felt it important to try and
establish some kind of structure before the GFT event - if we are going
to use it as a springboard for establishing an IMC Scotland (12 days away!)
So we looked at some ideas for aims and objectives, such as; That IMC Scotland would endeavor to;
* Give non party-political coverage to events and issues - local to Scotland - but not exclusively - providing a window onto issues that are not adequately covered by the mainstream media. i.e. The GM Crop Trials and Protests in the North East of Scotland, Trident Ploushares & Faslane Peace Camp, The NATO bombing of Cape Wrath, Opencast mining in Lanarkshire and tonnes of other things - definitely not lacking in stuff to write about.
* To operate within a non-hierarchical - horizontal organisational structure.
Basically working with the Indymedia guidelines which have
already been established - see www.indymedia.org for details.
* To establish guidelines/ground rules to ensure that the IMC Scotland site will not accept and publish articles that are racist, sexist, party political or sectarian.
* To create an ongoing Calander of Events throughout the year (this was discussed briefly at the last meeting)
[ ed: someone has created one for Edinburgh (as apart of CitY) and there is protest.net ]
* To be a networking and linking tool for groups from all over Scotland. Which we felt was desperately needed and went onto talk about... an Indymedia Tour where we take the films that are showing at the GFT all around Scotland to help create an effective network.
- The schedule being that we agree (hopefully) on some 'broad' aims and objectives before the Indymedia Film event. These would be written up and circulated to the audience with a slip to be filled in with contact details and area's of skill / interest. Then announce an open meeting the following Sunday, the 4th of August at 2.00pm. Then at that meeting we could establish roles and working groups.
[......]
So that was what was discussed - AND - if we are to establish some sort of shape/structure before inviting a cinema full of people to get involved - then we either have meet up before 28th July or comment and debate through the IMC e-group. Or both? What does everyone think?
[...]
fran @ beastproductions.co.uk
some of my response:
I propose a meeting sometime at end of August to discuss coordinating radical media / propaganda in Scotland rather than limit it to the setting up of an IMC Scotland.
If you want to launch an IMC Scotland then you need to have an specific IMC meeting to thrash out the documents you need to apply.
But a boarder meeting as well that covers some of aims you are hoping
to achieve will be useful. I would want to cover Internet / cable radio
projects both radical and broad - based local community.
I will ask around about interest in this.
I am sure there will be some discussion on this at the Big Blether. Help the organisers by booking your place early.
Also there should be a new Counter Info out later this year.
Fran wrote:
>(Before we start can somebody please sort out that
everyone who has received this mail is added onto the IMC e-group that
has been established, & how do you add people on??
I find it worrying that it have chosen to set up a email list on Yahoo rather than on lists.indymedia.org . Is this because you wanted to keep list closed?
>So we looked at some ideas for aims and objectives,
such as; That IMC Scotland would endeavor to;
>* Give non party-political coverage to events and issues - local to
Scotland - but not exclusively - providing a window onto issues that are
not adequately covered by the mainstream media. i.e. The GM Crop Trials
and Protests in the North East of Scotland, Trident Ploushares & Faslane
Peace Camp, The NATO bombing of Cape Wrath, Opencast mining in Lanarkshire
and tonnes of other things - definitely not lacking in stuff to write
about.
sounds worthwhile but you could do this without applying to become an
IMC, although the technical and other support may be helpful.
>* To establish guidelines/ground rules to ensure that the IMC Scotland site will not accept and publish articles that are racist, sexist, party political or sectarian.
You don't mention relevant, in sense of audience you expect for an IMC Scotland ie based in Scotland and against the existing order.
To qualify for being an Indymedia site you must embrace Open Publishing, basically carry an newswire where anyone can upload articles. Therefore one has to set up the site so it will accept and publish any article but one can 'hide' after article that break such criteria. [ for more info / debate: http://process.indymedia.org/on_censorship_and_free_speech.php3 , also see http://www.cat.org.au/maffew/cat/openpub.html where I think parallels to free software are bogus]
But hiding articles and dealing with flak is a relentless task.
But also 'hidden' articles have to be still available to view. Which I believe lead to the far right using the hidden sections of various indymedias as their forums.
I recommend as well as checking out:
http://process.indymedia.org
check out archives of process lists at
http://lists.indymedia.org
If you do otherwise you will breach the terms of the IMC franchise. Also there is pressure to open up the the central editorial more, particularly with new imcs.It would be good to realise this before embarking.
Also if one wants to create a more Scotland orientated column on IMC UK
this is possible.
Maybe someone should have a go at this before doing an IMC Scotland.
>* To create an ongoing Calendar of Events throughout
the year (this was discussed briefly at the last meeting)
>* To be a networking and linking tool for groups from
all over Scotland.
>Which we felt was desperately needed and went onto talk about... an
Indymedia Tour where we take the films that are showing at the GFT all
around Scotland to help create an effective network.
A film showing tour does seem a good idea. But as for this building an
effective network I don't think that can happen under IMC banner.
>- The schedule being that we agree (hopefully) on some
'broad' aims and objectives before the Indymedia Film event. These would
be written up and circulated to the audience with a slip to be filled
in with contact details and area's of skill/interest. Then announce an
open meeting the following Sunday, the 4th of August at 2.00pm.
[........]
I myself am very impressed with dadaIMC as web publishing solution:
http://www.dadatypo.com/dadaIMC/
but I can not use it on my webspace as I only have one login to server and one needs to create more for this.
For a while now I have been wanting to set up more edited news site that
is driven by a database. I am trying out PHPNuke ( which is not open publishing
), but I due to increase security set on server I use I can not use straight
off the shelf. So I have no idea when this will be but if one think all
this talk of an IMC Scotland is good for is spurring me on to get this
done, even though not an alternative to an IMC. Like the ACE archive (
http://www.autonomous.org.uk/ace/lib.htm ) is not an
alternative to the council library.
Also I am wanting to re orientate myself to some local broad based projects rather than political activist stuff,to various degrees of success, as I am still taking a keen interest in the scene.
When it happens it will be at:
You can find other such sites via:
I think one of few good reasons to set up an IMC Scotland I to do so with
a multi language interface ( like http://praha.indymedia.org ) that includes
Gaelic.
[ see http://global.indymedia.org.au/front.php3?article_id=672&group=webcast ]
It is much easier to do these things when something is set up than later. The translator doesn't need to know any technical stuff someone else will do that; building language pack from the translation list and plug it into indymedia set up. The Gaelic speaker just needs to translate all terms needed ( e.g. 'add comment' 'images' 'search' ) and then check when tested.
> Then at that meeting we could establish roles and
working groups.
>So that was what was discussed - AND - if we are to establish some
sort of shape/structure before inviting a cinema full of people to get
involved - then we either have meet up before 28th July or comment and
debate through the IMC e-group. Or both? What does everyone think?
How about using Internet Relay Chat
. Just find a time when most can go online. Although Indymedia run their
own IRC server in US you may want to use a closer based one for better
response.
I guess most of you use windoze so mIRC is program most windows users use, but
I like XChat. I am happy to help people set
up IRC which is pretty straight forward. If you can follow a recipe then you
can set IRC. Send me you phone number and I am happy to give help over phone
which I find easiest way to help apart from visiting.
>I feel that, even though there were only 3 people
along, it is worth waiting to see how many people turn up at the Indymedia
event
and subsequent meeting before deciding whether or not it is a good idea
to establish IMC Scotland.
Good to wait and see.
I will add some of your email to the web page and responses.
No other web page as far as I know has any content relating to a setting up an IMC Scotland, let me know when there is. email: imcpage.web [at] j12.org
IMC Scotland has been mentioned on some indymedia lists. I have collected the URLs of these mentions and also URLs of messages that may be relevant to debate around setting up IMC Scotland.
http://uk.indymedia.org/comment.php3?publishtype=webcast&top_id=36345
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-uk-process/2002-February/000228.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-uk-process/2002-May/000557.html
http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/new-imc/2002-April/003375.html
no public IMC email discussion list for Scotland has been set up at time of writing, but a private one exists which I am not on (yet). I hope to set up a general radical media and propaganda email list for those in based in Scotland, along with a meeting in Edinburgh in late August.
Other relevant links:
Setting up local page on Indymedia UK (which I strongly recommend the budding IMC Scotland collective get stuck into while waiting for an IMC scotland site, so they can set what issues crop up and develop as a group)
Below are mostly extracts from email posts from late 2001 to a yahoo group called globalactionscotland. Note as emails posted to a list (rather than being prepared for a webpage / document ) these views are not set in stone and may be in flux as regards the authors. Also some concerns have been superceded by events / facts. If anyone wants to add anything or have their words modified or removed then get in touch.
Call to set up IMC Scotland from Tommy:
indymedia scotland?
The tabloid coverage of recent events in Govanhill and Sighthill had me wishing that there was a indymedia scotland to counter the crap.
Is anyone on the list up for discussing the options for getting one together?
Is it feasible?
There would be a number of things that would need to be talked through, like:
Just a proposal at this stage. It would be nice to have a site up and running for the next big blockade, but I reckon its more important to have a set up that everyone agreed on, rather than race into things. I think there's been some good stuff on the global action scotland list that would be well worth getting a broader distribution than the 80 or so subscribers.
What do people think?
Dear Tommy:
I think indy media is a great idea and one which you can count me in on.
Pablo
From: "fin" <fin@z...>
I also think this is a good idea. I think we could set about getting the space, so its ready for use. I'm happy to do site design and some writing for an indymedia scotland, but maybe a set up where we had regular and irregular correspondents from other areas of scotland would address the big cities imbalance. I agree that it should cover primarily local events, perhaps just with links to the plenty of other sites that cover the international events.
I know quite a few folks in glasgow and faslane are trained up in web and video activism, but what I feel is also needed is people who are prepared to go places, observe, and write reports and articles. Without being arrested. Video footage is good, but too many 5 second snatches of video can clog up all your bandwidth, aren't available to old computers, and move you into the realms of paying fees to web hosts. As text based as possible is fast and good.
I rememeber GAIA were producing print leaflets for mayday mag etc, is any of that lot up for some writing ?
What does everyone else reckon ?
From: Fran
Tommy I think it's a great idea - it sounds like it would need a collection/collective of people (not very many to get it going) who were confident and capable of writing reports/ coverage of local events and being able to tie them into the bigger global picture. As well as having regular time and skills to be able to keep an up to date web- site - a good one at that. I think that the beauty of a web site is that it doesn't have to be dominated by anyone especially if it exists as an non- hierarchical collective of people who are working on/covering issues and events from across Scotland. I think that it would take a regular meeting to discuss what's happening across Scotland and then volunteers to write up the coverage and get it posted.
There would be the issue of editorial control and I guess that's an area which needs to be discussed quite thoroughly.
In my opinion I don't think that it would take a massive commitment from the right people, but regular time commitment always seems to be a stumbling block for people.
I for one would be interested in discussing the matter further - anyone else?
Fran
H'lo. Got this from the process section on the uk indymedia site (http://uk.indymedia.org) Can we meet to discuss if this is the best way forward ? We either work through the established indymedia network, with the attached advantages and commitments, or we could do an absolutely freelance scottish news/ reports site. Either way, lets meet up and talk.
fin.
see http://process.indymedia.org/ for process stuff that was sent with above.
from Anarchobabe:
I just want to interfere in the discussion as well. I think an indymedia Scotland is not a good idea. in fact I would like nearly call it a nationalist idea, because I can really see no advantage in putting so much time and effort into it. If an indymedia should be working and be attractive to people it needs to be updated daily, crap has to be sorted out from real information, e.g. I hope you probably don't want to have any sexist, nationalist, racist stuff on a left indymedia? And, as I am from Germany, I have to say, that all the free- posting is limited and monitored as in particular the fascists try to post on it as well and discussions might leave the field of politeness and drop into whole swearing at each other, which is really for no use to anyone.
Then you have to do quite some summarising of articles e.g. which have or fall into the same topic or field to have a proper archive and to make it attractive to people like e.g. a Genoa special or so. Also indymedia Scotland would not be isolated, you would have to do all the international stuff as well and keep up links to webpages and e-mails going and testing out if they are not broken etc.
I think energy should be put into maintaining and helping with indymedia UK, that's nearly the same work to do and the final product of the work would be much better. If there are not enough stories about the "north of the border region" then it is probably the lack of contacts and self-confidence of activists to use the already existing possibilities, and not the lack of it, esp. technological possibilities. However, the significant stuff got posted there up to now- so I just fear that an indymedia Scotland would be, due to the lack of people, not work properly, stress activists out, and be filled with lots of unimportant, unpolitical,or longwritten stuff like e.g. in the GAS list.
If there should be more webspace dedicated to struggles in Scotland, then I would prefer to ask indymedia UK for having a special webspace included in
their indymedia, but then, I would rather prefer it to be summarised in the themes and topics of various struggles and not due to the region.
Another thing is the newssheet. I have never before in any country come across a group calling themselves as a local "Global Action" group,(except for the SWPs Globalise resistance one), and I was quite curious to find out more about it. The first thing I came across was the newssheet, and I have to say, at first I was quite happy seeing a newssheet trying to link local and global struggle together. However, a bit of disappointment came out, when I recognised most of the articles were taken from newspapers or already appeared somewhere else on the internet. And, taken from the newspaper, I would have expected at least a little bit of a commentary. Also I thought there would be a group meeting regularly somewhere and actually DO things, like direct action stuff. I found out this is not the case, and was also told, that the newssheet is mostly done by an individual. I appreciate the lots of work being done, but I would expect an indication about who is backing up the information in the newssheet, if it is a group's or an individual view expressed there.
Introduced to the GAS newsgroup I soon realised that reading every e-mail is too much time-taking and often quite irrelevant stuff is posted there. So I only have a look when friends point out to me that an interesting posting has arrived, which is now the case, but apart from that, quite rarely.
I come to the conclusion, that, for a proper set-up, a physical presence is necessary, a regular group meeting is necessary, to actually do relevant stuff. A newssheet and an e-mail group and an indymedia can only be successful in my opinion, if they act as an umbrella group and have support from the local struggles, from the direct actions, and if people know each other and their interests and possibilities well enough, so that everyone finds the field they are good at and want to contribute to make the whole organisation work. This can, in my opinion, only be achieved by a real group meeting. An organisation forced onto by above and not coming out of daily struggle and because of the necessity, of the work that has to be done, and out of prestige, is doomed to fail, and I guess indymedia Scotland might be one of these products, if not before the difficulties in the basis are resolved, like the newssheet, the GAS list and the connection to the local struggles and their direct actions is improved.
more later.
From Diggy:
Hello all, sorry to have taken so long to comment on this...
Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth on IMC Scotland. I agree with my cynical friends in Edinburgh that IMC has many flaws but I think there is enough that is potentially positive about an IMC Scotland for me to be very excited about the idea.
It has been apparent to me that over the last few months a lot of stuff has happened in Scotland (Govanhill, Sighthill, Foot & Mouth, Faslane etc.) which has deserved to be shared with more people over better channels of communication.
I agree that 'independent' media is a stoopid concept ('innocent observation is a mere philosophical fiction' etc.) but the IMC design is very succesful, is established and has (by our standards) a massive readership. Perhaps I am not a pure enough revolutionary but I would sooner have a recognisable, accesible, widely read news service with a stupid name, than a philosophically named service nobody reads.
Similarly, I agree it is regrettable that the alternative media should divide itself along national lines (though I think the idea of dividing media centres by issues (green, anti-fascist, workplace etc.) is awful, most events (hopefully) can't be classified as single issue campaigns. Perhaps an alternative description of the local? I like the 'this island'/ 'other islands' bit, but again I would favour clarity and accesibilty over theoretical merit and would support 'IMC Scotland'.
I feel very strongly that any IMC Scotland should report entirely on events taking place in Scotland (or the area to be covered). If people want articles about exciting actions in far off places they can easily log onto IMC UK or main. One of the great frustrations about the GAS list has been that a fraction of the messages have concerned local events, many have been unedited FWDs about international stuff widely available on other lists and sites.
I think any IMC Scotland should have clear editorial guidelines based
arround non-sectarian co-operation between NON-AUTHORITARIANS. No platform
for parasites!
Potentially, an IMC Scotland that excluded Trots/ liberals from editorial
duties could be a useful tool in combatting vampireism.
We would need to attempt to devise some system for making the editorial team accountable but there are no easy answers here. Also, they must be spread around the region, not all in one city.
I have no technical abilities but would be happy to help out with reporting, writing etc.
Finally, a paper news sheet is a good idea although the 'internet is elitist' argument is perhaps increasingly less relevant. If we're to be honest, people with computer access are probably a less elitist section of society than those active in radical politics. Even the likes of me can get down to an internet cafe. Further, any one (with computer access) can log onto an internet site, where as paper propoganda is very often distributed to people in the 'right scene'.
So, what about a meeting of a working group or something?
For populism and pragmatism,
Diggsy.
from H:
[..]
I don't know what you're refering to, but I'm relatively happy with an average of 630-1500 spots a month on the tracker, which represents about 1/3 of the actual spots according to my server owner who registers 3 times more spots than the tracker-how many people in the world do you think really give a fuck.
Could that be because local events are so minimal they fit on one page
of a website, whereas global stuff is directly relevant to a lot of local
issues and interests everyone on the GAS list?
Team accountability is a lot harder to organise than one person creating the web site space for anyone in the movement to publish info on who is happy to take personal responsibility for what they publish, with a server owner fully prepared to support them.
From SB:
Can one be independent in the class war?
Does Scotland exist?
Scotland is as mythical as the UK or any nation state. The system of nation states both enforces and hides the dictatorship of capital.
I see very little point to setting up an indymedia Scotland site. In fact, I could see it being a negative step. I find Indymedia UK very wanting, I would not have joined those setting up IMC UK if asked, to set up an indymedia Scotland will not be better. For a start having to approach indymedia to get the indymedia franchise, be approved by people outside our contact groups to get the link that you see as so valuable.
Independent reporters separate themselves from the struggle (while often
pretending to us that they are linked to our struggle) even then it does
not stop them being targeted by the class enemy as in Genoa. Useful political
thought comes from engagement with political struggle.
IMC Scotland will be pretty irrelevant to me and to the struggles I wish to see developed.
There may be a role for an open posting web board (or even edited webboard), but I don't think it is worth much of my time for energy and would not like to see my comrades energies taken a way from the practical struggle with it.
There has been talk of adding more themed areas to indymedia.
Setting up an IMC Scotland would not solve the problems that are pointed up as reasons for it's setting up. The reason there were not more reports written circulated about Govanhill pool was not because there was no 'IMC Scotland' brand. e.g. Heather said she updates her website every day and so stuff sent to her can be posted there, but few do this. I am sure Heather would get down and improve her web site with search facility and php/mysql database (and even open posting) if people indicated that is reason they prefer to post to an IMC, or is it the IMC brand that any one likes here. I must admit I am not too taken by Teknopunxs name for one I forget how it is spelt.
I myself still have written a repost on the Foot and the Mouth event myself, and we only had one foot and one mouth report for public viewing sent for mouthoff website. No one has sent in any digital photos or video footage though we are working on getting some but the sticking point is not lack of open posting facility. I would welcome people getting together to support each other in writing and distributing reports of events through whatever means. There is an under reporting of resistance.
An IMC Scotland I believe will exacerbate problems I mentioned above in relation to this list. At least with the GAS email list I can put a block on Kev K with my email, but he would surely fill up the Scotland IMC open posting with so much poorly titled forwards it would kill it.
If an IMC Scotland is set up, it should be maintained and database will
need regular active intervention, so as not to waste people's time attempting
to post to broken site (e.g. like Prague one which has only recently been
restored to working order.)
Will it be open posting or moderated like a-infos (or moderated front and
all available in back link like with German indymedia)?
While I think supplying info on the internet is useful, I think the internet
can often encourage a certain passivity. For example I have not any evidence
that my prisoners support pages at:
http://j12.org/ps/
have lead to a single postal letter being written to a prisoner that would
not have been written otherwise. I now feel my time is better spend on
non
virtual prisoner support activity and organising.
All people who gave feedback about coming to Edinburgh street party (foot event) indicted that they heard about in additional ways.
[...]This email was written in reponses to a debate on globalactionscotland@yahoogroups.com list following call for setting up IMC Scotland.
This email was written as soon as the call for an IMC Scotland went out on the GAS list, but was shown to others for comment before sending which I have only managed to find time for just now with some changes/clarifications, one of these responses from Diggsy has already been posted here (see above) (which may make more sense in light of you seeing this). There were other responses that have yet to be posted to this list.
from: AB
As you probably recognized, some parts of the discussion had already taken
place, and at last, is hereby is submitted and slightly changed, so you
could get the context of all the arguments refering to each other.
Sorry, that my first messages are all concerned with proving and discussing
the flaws of the things you are involved to, support and struggle for,
I did
not do so in the purpose of hurting you, and if I did, please take my apologies
now.
Just to keep track of how the discussion went:
8.) Hello dear all,
so we are now having quite a good discussion on the internet, which would not be happening on an indymedia webpage, even if concerning all.
I think a usefull compromise would be to have a webpage with a moderation on open posting and not to call it "indymedia" but something else which indicades a strong local approach. Therefore it could also leave the frame and hopefully the flaws of an indymedia, if trying a new approach.
I still believe for the street party, that leaving the frame of rts and calling it Reshape Urban Space was quite a good idea for Edinburgh, the expectations and estimations were not as high.
No one would stop a group coming together and meeting regularly or an
individual to do a webpage on local left politics, if it is not called
"indymedia" and labeled so, and would indicate, that the contents of the
webpage would represent all and speak for all in Scotland, which it could
not.
I think part of the discussions about the "Global action scotland" was
this concern as well, and the best would be to change the name.
Anyway, you still haven't answered the major points which is: who has
the technical possibilities, the knowledge, the resources and the spare-time
to
do this work?
What would it be like in the longterm, what would it look like, and how might people feel then, who are involved in it?
Cheers anarchobabe
I think organising an indymedia on concern of themes might have the advantage to enhance longterm discussions about various postings as they might not be pushed out of the front actual posting pages as quickly. I would be happy to see more discussion forums on the internet, which enable people to have longterm discussions on a high, thoughtful quality level.
6.) Original Message which is altered a little bit to keep out personal things:
Dear all,
thanks for discussing this issue and to raise your opinions.
I agree that an indymedia would probably make politics more accessible
to >people. But it is not the concern of an indymedia to connect people
locally, it is an open posting of records on direct actions - with commentaries,
but as we saw, continuos discussions are not possible at indymedia in
present. Therefore I want to ask again the unanswered question, which
is the most essential at all:
Would could an indymedia Scotland do, that an indymedia UK/ indymedia.org
etc. can not do?
I think time and energy in this project are wasted. I would prefer to set
up other media as a free local radio station or internet radio or a weekly
or
monthly newspaper or getting to know how to make films or theatre plays,
or running a cafe for political events and for revolutionaries with cheap
food
for everyone, or setting up an exhibition on stuff or connecting with other
people of other experiences, like refugees, disabled people, black or asian
people around
here, or just do and learn another language to connect global struggles
better, or getting creative, drawing comics,or doing sports
together, doing gardening, doing diy, doing drawings or postcards or so
on, or doing a book together or a booklet etc.etc.
why wasting time and energy on an indymedia Scotland?
we are not able to put out a newssheet on Scottish activities regularly,
why doing something so big, which is, in my opinion, doomed to fail?
in the Alinsky approach, one of the main issues on having a successful
community action and group is:
Indymedia is not the world of media, it is not the only source of getting
news to people. And an internet is world-wide, other indymedias / open
posting forum DO exist, and are usable!
And another question?
What would you expect posted on an indymedia Scotland that could not be
got out through other means, including postings on already existing indymedias
/ forums with all its flaws?
Probably rubbish.
I agree that indymedia uk- the selection of the name could have been
better and more inclusive !- to set up indymedias
referring to artificial borders is stupid as well. Indymedias should be
set
up according to the language and not to an artificial border. A-infos handled
this issue best, I think.
Or a set up via themes.
Cheers anarchobabe
5.)
>----- Original Message -----
> >> Dear sb and anarchobabe
> >> in a huge rush so just i or 2 v quick thoughts
> >>
> >> agree need to have sound political basis for any indy Scot
> >> also organised structure for input/ editorial control from
at least
> >> Glasgow, Edinb, Dundee and Aberdeen
> >>
> >> agree must be moderated
> >>
> >> but are strong advantages to linking in with global indymedia
network
> >>
> >> i think it makes sense if there are the resources, to have
indy Scotland in
> >> addition to Indy uk which from a v limited viewing seems
to be mainly England
> >>
> >> indy scotland in current climate could have quite a big impact
> >>
> >> de centralisation with global co ordination makes sense i
think
> >>
> >> it is a fact that the vast majority of people in Scotland
relate more to
> >> Scotland than uk
> >>
> >> it is not necessarily any more nationalist to advocate indy
Scotland than
> >> to advocate indy uk (british nationalism)
> >>
> >> i agree internet stuff can be over rated and stuff in real
world more
> >> important but maybe this would involve new energies rather
than divert
> >> people ?
> >>
> >> all the best
> >> ps sorry not got time to develop scottish question more now,
and sorry if
> >> above is a bit badly stated cos im in a rush, it s v complex
situation,
> >> but i think its important to distinguish between nationalism
which i
> >> totally oppose and recognition of particular cultures including
language
> >> which have been oppressed by capitalist centralising and
homogenising
> >> tendencies (see work of James Kelman for example)
From: "NiCk HObbS" <nick_rpm@h...>
I would like to again agree with the plans for a formation of indymedia scotland. Maybe if we had prepatory meetings in our own towns and then had a national one? Of course it will probably be a small core who gets it started and this may be unrepresentative to some towns, but presumably it would pick up steam as it progressed?
I think also keeping the name Indymedia is of importance, as it can be linked with all the others from around the globe, whilst still having a scottish focus.
I have also been talking with a friend who is a journalist for the Big Issue, who is very excited about getting involved.
So, any plans for the first meeting? What about Kinning Park, Glasgow in a few weeks? (for the sake of starting a debate)
Nick
response from H to email response from SB (see above):
> IMC Scotland will be pretty irrelevant to me and to the struggles
I wish to
> see developed.
> There may be a role for an open posting web board (or even edited
> webboard), but I don't think it is worth much of my time for energy
and
> would not like to see my comrades energies taken a way from the practical
> struggle with it.
Agreed.
> There has been talk of adding more themed areas to indymedia.
> Setting up an IMC Scotland would not solve the problems that are pointed
up
> as reasons for it's setting up. The reason there were not more reports
> written circulated about Govanhill pool was not because there was
no 'IMC
> Scotland' brand. e.g. Heather said she updates her website every day
> and so stuff sent to her can be posted there, but few do this. I am
sure
> Heather would get down and improve her web site with search facility
and php
> database (and even open posting) if people indicated that is reason
they
> prefer to post to an IMC, or is it the IMC brand that any one likes
here.
Actually, I would not consider undertaking the work myself at the moment
but
if anyone wanted to come here and do it for me-and teach me a bit I would
be
delighted.I have a spare room and could probably manage to feed them for
as
long as it took.
>I > must admit I am not too taken by Teknopunxs name for one I
forget how it
>is > spelt.
You don't really need to remember it, it comes up no 1 in google if you
just type nvda scotland into the search.I could set up a seperate website
with a new domain name but given the lack of reports that come in it really
doesn't seem worth the extra bandwidth and cost of domain name.
H
I think the reluctance to set up an IMC Scotland is very sensible.
Of course the UK is as mythical as Scotland.
What makes more sense is if a group of people who can meet together sort out taking on particular tasks which then integrate with what people are doing elsewhere, i.e. take on particular responsibilities.
Also as regards the internet, probably what is in the English language is the important feature. So various English language indymedia sites can be co-ordinated.
I think anarchobabe's point about not allowing any old rubbish to be posted is important. Certainly when I was in Prague I was very upset to read in the daily Indymedia paper an article comparing people who resist the cops with those guilty of hate crimes (which is an americanised way of speaking about Nazis and other violent anti-social groups). When I tried to contact those responsible I got the run around for two days before I left the city.
In this sense I feel that it is better if a group takes on a specific task which it can do well and take responsibility for rather than simply replicating a general model which has already shown itself as flawed.
Fabian
From Tommy:
Hi Folks
Good to see the responses to the proposal for a news service.
[..]
The two main proposals at the moment are for a web site and a newssheet.
Maybe separate, maybe interlinked. I reckon using the indymedia and schnews
models as a benchmark, as a starting point to get moving could begin a
process that could develop into something new and different.
I agree that indymedia is a misnomer: activist media is probably closer
to the truth.But I really don't think we would ever end up as a breeding
ground for wannabe journos. Maybe we could launch the project with thousands
of stickers that reflected this idea.
And how about using this list as a dry run for whatever way it goes, by actively seeking news and snippets to post? The folk in govanhill are getting some heavy duty harassment, the bloody Daily Record's baying for blood - there must be a thousand stories in the naked capitalist city...
Let's get together and talk this through. Let's see if we can run something that is open, working in tandem with existing projects, controlled by nobody and everybody. That's run on a spirit of generosity and hope and belief in change from below.
Sometime soon: in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Harthill Service Station or wherever?
All Hate to the State
Tommy
gow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Harthill Service Station or wherever? All Hate to the State Tommy
I have been informed that a group is getting together to form IMC Scotland. I have let them know of this webpage but they have yet to request any additions, but I can put you in touch with them.
It is good to see IMC Russia has new editorial collective. See posts to IMC process list.