Sunday, January 14, 2007

 

Irrelevant

This post on Blogintegrity tells an amazing story of Disney trying to shut down criticism of the speech of one of their talkback radio hosts. Read it all.

That is the sort of issue, which should be right at home on Indymedia, yet you won't read about it there - in this case, the closest site, Bay Area Indymedia.

No. Indymedia are too busy fighting other battles. You know which ones.

With the growth in the blogsphere, at every political angle, this goes to show how Indymedia has allowed itself to become completely irrelevant.

Despite the blogs, conventional mainstream news services remain relevant as they have the money to spend on reporters, editorial, distribution and content that bloggers do not.

As a 'citizen's alternative media' however, Indymedia just doesn't cut it any more, and they have nobody else to blame. Although they will probably blame the Bush Government. And maybe the Jews.

(Hat-tip: Scott, who doesn't agree with the victim's politics, but supports his rights completely)

Update: Indybay have caught up with a direct cut and paste from another source. I can't say for sure whether that had anything to do with this posting, which obviously got someone's hackles up (see comments). However, it does seem a little convenient that the original blog was dealing with this matter a fortnight ago, and the Indybay post appeared a few hours after this one.

If this is the case however, and Indybay have responded to what's been said here, I am not going to gloat about it. Instead, I will give them full credit for responding to criticism, albeit without adding a lot of original commentary to the discussion. Criticism is something many other Indymedia sites are blind too.

The Indybay post links to a Youtube video of a CBS news report discussing this issue. It's as possible, Indymedia have picked up on the case further to that report, which gives full credit to "the blogsphere" and none to Indymedia.

The substance of my original comments remain the case, though it seems Indybay might be one of the last ones to turn out the light.

Comments:
100% Spot On !

I am so sick of seeing Indymedia descending into irrelevance it makes me want to scream. Now more than ever we need a truly independent grass routes outlet for news and instead we have the Jew obsessed - 9/11 was a cover up - America is responsible for all the world's problems crap from Indymedia.

The UK site is now a home for self indulgent Jew haters with no real news that anyone cares about. The policy of promoting certain stories has been abused beyond belief and any critisism of the site is immediatly followed by the cry of "Troll" and "Zionist NeoCon" rather than dealing with the issue. Once Indymedia UK moderators started posting here trying to claim that ALL of those people were one person (me it seems !) I knew it had reached the Alice in Wonderland stage.

It's time for the readers of Indymedia to reclaim what is theirs from those who have stolen it from us.

ex IMC'er
 
Yes, you are right. Indybay TOTALLY IGNORED this story!! Instead, they have features on:

* Waterfront Workers Plan Big Jan. 14th Protest against Union-busting Firm

* Oakland Celebrates Inauguration of Mayor Ron Dellums

* International Protests Against Torture and Detention

*Emergency Protests Against US Troop Escalation

* Berkeley curbside recyclers win IWW contract fight

and "a collection of reports, interviews and sounds from just a handful of the dozens of classes and workshops offered through Free Skool Santa Cruz."

God, how irrelevant! You are so right, dude! Indybay missed this story! Man, they suck.

(Lesson: pick on plenty of Indymedia sites if you have nothing better to do, but Indybay is not one of them. They're incredibly well regarded, comprehensive and important in their local community.)
 
They're incredibly well regarded
Oh? By who?
 
Here is a better link to the indybay coverage
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2007/01/15/18347262.php

God it sucks. They are trying to use a free speech case to go after Disney for broadcasting content they have every right to air.
 
Did you try a google search before you wrote this blog entry?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=site%3Aindymedia.org+Spocko&btnG=Google+Search
returns some entries from before you wrote your thing

Its a bit weird to complain about indymedia not covering something or having reposted content when you still have less on your site about this than many of them did before you wrote your post (you dont say that much and then link to a rightwing blogger who says he supports Spocko but doesnt actually mention the specifics of what happened).

Sure its fun to spend your day picking on others and making rude comments, but at some point you have to grow up, stop whining, and take responsibility for yourself. If you want a story heard, cover it yourself. If you disagree with the politics of a blog argue about the issues you disagree with.

I guess its pointless to write a comment that likely will get hidden, but just can never understand how rightwingers can spend so much of their time focused on the radical left yet at the same time claim the radical left is irrelevent. The radical left may be irrevelent but if it is, you are wasting your time (if a crazy person stands on my street corner saying the world is going to end, I dont devote hours a day to arguing against the views online since I know everyone else will know the guy is crazy and ignore him too). If its not irrelevent, then you could try to defend your own views (unless you are afraid they wont stand up to scrutiny and sophmoric joking is your way of avoiding the fragile state of your world view)
 
I guess its pointless to write a comment that likely will get hidden,

"Sam Wilson", UK Indymedia's moron in-residence and occasional commenter here would frequently post similar comments here making snide remarks that I would censor him. However, as his (and yours) comment was on-topic and civil - albeit in my opinion wrong, I had no objection to it appearing here.

You are welcome to express your opinion and your cynicism was unjustified.

That said, why do you assume this site is the work of "rightwingers" and a constant attack on the "radical left"?

We concentrate on Indymedia, and yes, have suggested it has become irrelevant. This is not of itself to attack the concept of an Indymedia, rather the moderators who (as we have shown repeatedly) have allowed it to become a largely uncontrolled cesspit.

You have not addressed any of these issues.
 
Ah yes, the charges that this site is run by “radical right-wingers.”

This site is apposed to “radical stupidity”. It unfortunately congregates around so many Indymedia locals.

And I think it is important that there is a site that picks on the lack of coverage, or redundant coverage Indymedia sites give. You may feel that unfair, but that’s what a web “watch” does.
 
The fact that Indymedia has become irelevant is the annoying thing. It could have been so good. Certainly in the begining we all felt we had taken such a monumental step forward. I remember the enthusiasm of the original teams, the commitment to do the right thing but as ever with so many projects like these the extremists come along, take over and poisen the well with their filth.

ex IMC'er
 
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