[IMC-bristol] IP addresses/editorial accountability

[Ecovillage Network UK]

Can't believe we're seriously considering banning IP addresses - taking 
censorship into the tecchies nether-world and a half measure - this is not 
getting at the root of the problem of being able to hide or highlight 
content - and editorial responsibility and accountability.

It's easy for those spooks and space cadets who want to help us on our way 
down the plughole to change IP's around anyway and depends on what internet 
cafe or military server they're in/on at the time.

If we do not address the issue of who has passwords and who is editorially 
responsible for what and when - Bristol Indymedia will be unaccountable to 
the meetings and surely doomed.

Why not have weekly editors and teams?
That would give a chance for a bit of diversity - we could alolow the 
muslim cultural society to guest edit one week for example - and 
individuals could show what they're capable of. The group can get an idea 
of the kind of approaches that works - and what doesn't.
The password also should surely be changed regularly to keep it from the 
POLICE, MOD, NATO etc. with the money they spend on such things I'd be 
amazed if they didn't have it by now.
It'd be nice if there were different passwords for the features, hiding 
comments and hiding stuff on the newswire. Is that possible with the MIR?

Tony


At 11:31 AM 1/26/04 +0000, you wrote:

>Hello Kyra,
>
>This all sounds good in principle. I would also be happy to do a bit of 
>moderating myself, but my concern on that one is that because I already 
>contribute a lot to this site via BSTW, & because I'm always emailing this 
>list too, I probably tend to tightrope along 'dominating' this newswire 
>myself, but if you do want an extra pair of eyes let me know.
>
>A real concern I do have is with the idea of having a separate area for 
>'ranting', and if you're talking about moving people into that area this 
>would be a potentially very explosive thing to do.
>
>Someone on UK indymedia proposed something similar on UK IMC a few months 
>ago, but as I remember they phrased it in terms of 'more intelligent' and 
>'less intelligent', or something similar. Phrased in those terms the 
>chronically elitist potential of such a much becomes clear, especially if 
>people are effectively forced into that area on a subjective basis.
>
>I would argue that 90% of the time any definition of a 'rant' is entirely 
>subjective, as the saying goes 'one man's rant is another's reasoned 
>debate'. If people volunteer to go into a 'rant' space that's one thing, 
>pushing people into it would be potentially very destructive & elitist.
>
>James
>--
>James Venables
>
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