A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Make yourselves known more !

Finewords | 17.10.2000 15:27

The IMC project is exciting, perhaps the most interesting use of the net so far ! But...

It still seems a little 'underpowered', for I only heard about it by chance. Go to every action, every demo, every strike, and leaflet, take along your banner with the "i", do interviews and workers and activists will appreciate the thought that they are being heard. Place ads in the semi-alternative press like "Time Out". The irony is that website knowledge is still very dependent upon the printed page and similar old tech.
Try to make IMC a ubiquitous feature of the left.

Finewords
e-mail: £££££££££££
Homepage: some net cafe

Comments

Hide the following 13 comments

We are always there!

17.10.2000 16:25

You see my friend, we are normally there, in the middle of the actions when we think these are worth our time and effort. I'm not sure about how many actions, demos, pickets, etc.. you attend, but if you do you shouldn't have missed the IMCUK Public Access Points, from which the participants themselves are encouraged to report their actions, first hand as they happen. Next time look for us, (probably far away from the SWP placards though).

Anyway, we're glad you liked the site and we're encouraged by the fact that more people is using it everyday.

Maqui(IMCUK Collective)

Be 'proactive' !

18.10.2000 14:29

Sorry to use the buzzword but how do you know if an action is worth the time and effort unless you attend it? did you read that greenpeace report ? it was done by somebody who wasnt even in it . why didnt they write something? were you at the A- bookfair ? i didnt see you ! You must be as i said, UBIQUITOUS. Thats the difference between you and the SWP, for at least they make themselves known ! Eveyone on the left will groan and say 'oh, that lot !'. Precisely ! think 'demo' and you think "SWP pests !" Get to the stage at which people think "Indymedia, great!" and then you'll have made a breakthrough !

Finewords
mail e-mail: ------------
Homepage: ------------

so why don't you help?

18.10.2000 15:26

you're right we should be ubiquitous. but we're not that many (even though quite a few of us were at the a-bookfair), and the idea of this newswire is to invite people like you to take their own responsibility and be imc themselves... i would like to read your report from, say, the a-bookfair... or reports from other protest where you miss us so much...

as for us (the imcuk collective), we will still decide which protests we find worth bringing in our public access points.

hope to see your contributions (the more as you seem to dislike the swp...)

andi

Andi Arbeit
mail e-mail: AndiArbeit@ziplip.com

diy#diy'#diy# diytv#dottv dit dot dash ditto

18.10.2000 16:17

you do this ... they do that.... is this worthy.... blah blah blah... they're called this, we're called that..... bla blah blah

from what i can see anyone can run one of these public access points at a demo or action as long as they have the kit

just like anyone can post to the site if they have access to a computer with net access

spread the virus indeed!

dot

NOT MANY KNOW ABOUT YOU !

18.10.2000 16:37

Dont you see my point ? How are people to file reports unless they know about the website ? Even webbies, geeks and nerds need to see a publicity piece. I suggest you invest in a half-page ad in 'Big Issue', 'Time out ', or 'Socialist Review', and as I go to a lot of demos, I want to see a leaflet thrust into my hand on the very next occasion. I know that leftie people are still not aware of IMC. Surely you dont expect people to spend all day trying seek and find a news site that might happen to exist. No ! TELL PEOPLE. Give them a chance, then criticise their apathy. Every day something happens on the left, an action, a strike, a demo, a meeting. There should be at least 10 new entries per day, but its just not happening. Why wait ?

Finewords (again)
mail e-mail: ----------
Homepage: ---------

Can i come in here ?

18.10.2000 18:01

Indy UK reflects all the problems of the British left, and well, where do you start ! Too compartmentalized, with no neutral ground, because the political clmate is so anti radical. Its like trying to light a fire in the rain, its like one of those awful family christmas lunches, where people have nothing to say except growl ther failure at each other. Sorry.

Slodie Klein

I see the point

19.10.2000 11:51

finewords, i agree that a publicity campaign would be good. until now we only have stickers, and they're only in London underground stations for a day or two. i wish we had the money to put sth into timeout, would be good indeed. don't think i'm slagging you off when i say please report yourselves from actions, we need many more people doing that. i take your points, we'll talk about it in our next meeting.

dot, kool & true. please whoever has the kit be everywhere and upload. no them and us for me...

slodie, why being so negative? when you say the left is too compartmentalized, is this reflected in this site? where, how, how can we change it? what do you mean with 'neutral ground'? i agree that the the political climate is anti radical, that's why we try to do sth about it... tell us what could be done better...

AndiArbeit
mail e-mail: AndiArbeit@ziplip.com

compartmentalization and neutral ground

19.10.2000 15:01

i suppose when i talk about compartmentalization and neutral ground i mean a general understanding where all the different groups can be lefties together while leaving their particular party program at home, but this is only really possible in a country where radicalism is understood and respected. the british left is rather lacking in confidence and independence, for our old friends the labour party have occupied the 'neutral ground' and ruined it with their one nation christian conformity. the blunder of the swp and similar type is that they fall into the trap of mistaking it for a genuine workers party, or even worse, playing along to the misperceptions of the electorate.
point is, with indymedia the left has now a tool to break this lack of confidence and establish some independence: the idea comes from the USA, which, for all its faults, does have a widespread respect for radicals and the ideas of young people, and with whom we are now in direct contact . we can now snap out of the parochialism of the british left, away from the bitter choice of labour party christmas lunches or trying to light bonfires in the rain. we can get beyond this trap !

slodie klein

NB: GOT IT! SUGGESTION !

20.10.2000 13:54

Forget Time Out: its probably too expensive.
There's a potentially promising new paper out, with the ambitious title "Workers (of the World) Unite !" They claim to want to bring together as many strands on the left as they can. They seem to stem from the CATP nucleus, and I think most socialists accept they're OK. They are also talking about setting up a website so, why not offer your 'professional' help in this capacity in exchange for an occasional 1 / 4 page publicity feature ? Give it a go. Or, if they've sorted out the website, ask how much they would want in donations for the same. Cheaper than Time Out i'll bet, and a better readership too !

They have a temporary e mail at : "

sbphoto@eurobell.co.uk"
and a London phone number: 020 8806 4989

Who he who

er hello!!

20.10.2000 16:59

never pay for media advertising.

get 'em to run a feature on you.

or do an action on the corp media - that'll get their attention.

put on an exhibition - time out would do a feature on that.

or.... maybe go for IPO share issue and float indymedia - or spoof it:)

your eternally disappointed critic

22.11.2000 16:18

It really is about time that you started to be an Independent, rather than an Anarchist Media Centre, for there's quite a difference.
Your current policy statement:
"indymedia is not a noticeboard for political parties or other heirarchically structured organizations" begs more questions than it answers:
What is heirarchical ? This properly refers to "ordained" structures, as found with, say, the church, or the labour party. I dont know of any left group which has a "heirarchical" structure at all. Perhaps you mean a chain of command.
In which case, isnt it a bit cheeky to presuppose, condemn, and exclude other radical groups on the basis of their internal structure? Isnt this a bit like complaining about the wrong kind of snow ?
Furthermore, I seem to remember that you indeed had a link to a Labour party group at one time. It seems to have gone now, (unless its just that I cant find it) which is at least consistent and just as well.
There is, as has been noted, a crying need for a genuinely independent left in Britain. You could have helped to create it, but you certainly wont with your current performance.

Finewords

divison on the left

11.12.2000 12:19

andi arbeit,
its a bit strange that you ask whether the compartmentalism on the left is shown on this site, just a couple of contributions after slagging off the SWP yet again. Just out of interest, what do you hope to acheive by coming out so strongly and repetivitevly against the most active revolutionary left in the country?

olie
mail e-mail: oliebrice@hotmail.com

Great Party!

01.01.2001 15:23

UK-imc you make fantastic partys and I look forward to future meetings. Err, are you still boycotting Barcardi rubbish?

joram
mail e-mail: joram@geek.com

UK Indymedia