[CIMC-work] CIMC hiding policy and Pastor Michael Treis

Sun Apr 18 22:58:31 PDT 2004

Chris,

Well articulated.  Couple of things, and this is between the 
Working Group.

First, I want to acknowledge your effort to reply to Michael 
Treis.  Speaking for myself, I chose not to respond 
because, for starters, it's such beautiful weather out.  
Second, and this is probably better conversed about in 
face to face meeting, is that I did not want to get into it 
with him.

I think that this particular case leads us into intersting 
philosophical ground.  Not his first post, though.  His first 
post was a psuedo-objective piece that trashed Rachel 
Corrie, and was zionist.

Michael Treis is coming from a Christian fundamentalist 
viewpoint, which is inherently right-wing and racist.  I 
grew up with someone who was 'corrupted' by such views.  
It is a major problem in America, as orthodoxy is 
anywhere.

There are actually some very valid concerns in some of his 
writing.  Like the piece on the RFID chips.  Aside from 
mixing around facts, there are some key concepts that we 
similarly share concern with, such dependence on a 
centralized economy.  Treis fails to realize we already 
have that, though.  The RFID is a further attempt to use 
technology to break down community relationships and 
make more of a buck off us. (slavery?)  Where these 
people also go with this stuff is where we differ, and 
which causes me to think the CIA has great motivation to 
fund Christian talk radio.  Treis offers no solutions, aside 
from, as in his Corrie piece, which is that we should 
support the Israelis.  This is so they build their temple, the 
'prophecies' are fulfilled, the apocolypse comes and christ 
returns and then the rapture which will take away all 'true 
believers'.

This, obviously, is a nice way to make people apolitical, 
and to bring about a self-fulfilling prophecy that fulfills 
corporate globalization.  "who cares about polluting 
SUVs?- the world is ending anyway!, use it while you got 
it!", etc.

For all their ranting, they will do nothing to stop these 
'evils'.  They instead get off on the sensationalism, like a 
pathology.

So, this is why I think that Michael Treis and the 
fundamentalists run counter to the mission of CIMC.  It is 
obvious that the Corrie piece should have been taken 
down.  The pieces with more overlap, and less obvious 
conflict of interests might do to recieve critical comment.  
Remember, a lot of 'leftys' have been also posting '911 
was faked' type stuff to the site as well, which hasnt' been 
taken down.  To me some of this stuff was clearly in the 
Conspiracy Theory camp.

What separates the Conspiracy Theory Camp?  I think it is 
when these people are merely getting off on the 
sensational spine-tingling feeling, and don't/wouldn't 
actually do something about it.

perhaps we can take this up at the next meeting.

in short, if Michael's pieces are hid, he will sooner go to a 
more suitable site, like the FreePers.  I also think that his 
Corrie piece instantly put him into Troll City.

we should probably take this up in discussion at next 
meeting.

take care,
Garth

Chris K. wrote:
CIMC, Michael Treis,

 I feel that the Chicago Independent Media Center 
collective has an issue of policy which is both 
unaddressed and pressing.

 * Mike Treis initially sent an email to the CIMC-Work list 
with a
 question about how his content, which he did not provide 
a link to,
 violated CIMC editorial policy.

 [CIMC-work] Re: Your IMC website article has been 
deleted
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/0030
 67.html

 * After not seeing any response on the CIMC-Work list to 
Michael Treis'
 question, I responded to him, asking if he had received 
any response. I
 cc'ed the CIMC-Work list, but I do not see my message in 
the archives. 

 * Michael Treis has noted that the CIMC has no clearly 
spelled out
 criteria for what constitutes a "policy violation" for the 
hiding of
 (his) articles. See:

 Editorial Policy
 chicago.indymedia.org/mod/info/display/about/
index.php#editorial

 [CIMC-work] Re: Your IMC website article has been 
deleted
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/0031
 22.html

 * Dick Reilly references my response to Michael Treis and 
characterizes him as a "right wing fundamentalist, milita 
supporter, and compulsive IMC spammer." 

 He references Michael Tries' material at this link

 urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_mondex_biochip.htm

 but does not explicitly explain how the content 
characterizes him as
 such, or what part of Michael Tries' posting to the CIMC 
site violates
 CIMC editorial policy.

 [CIMC-work] Article Deletion and Pastor Michael Treis
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/0030
 92.html

 * Based on my working history with co-CIMC-participant 
Dick Reilly, I
 followed his lead, and told Michael Treis not to post his 
material to
 any IMC site. I may have spoken too quickly in speaking 
for the entire
 CIMC collective, but neither have I seen any other CIMC 
participants
 weigh in on this specific issue. See:

 Do not post to any IMC site. Re: [CIMC-work] someone's 
deleting, not hiding
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/0031
 02.html

 * Dick Reilly has called for a CIMC-wide review of its 
editorial policy,
 which I agree with. It is possible that our editorial policy 
lacks
 specificity and may also benefit from a clearer editorial 
process for
 hiding posts.

 [CIMC-work] Hiding comments and articles -- we need a 
review ofpolicy
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/0030
 91.html

 * Further posts to the CIMC-Work list are at the following 
link, and may
 be helpful in providing a larger context for the discussion 
I have outlined above.

 April 2004 Archives by date
 lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-chicago-working/
2004-April/date .html

 Chris Kaihatsu, volunteer
 Chicago Independent Media Center
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