[Imc-dc-editorial] Post full of "personal atacks"

[Chuck0]

Zoe Mitchell wrote:
> This is a response to Chuck O's post. His comments [CO] preceed mine [ZM].
> 
> [CO] Frankly, I find it amazing and disturbing that this collective is quick to 
> jump on a post that defames nazis, yet drags its feet when it comes to 
> slanderous posts against IMC volunteers.
> 
> [ZM]: The whole idea behind creating a viable newswire policy, was to de-personalize it.  Posts
> would be considered legitimate/substantive/newsworthy if and only if--they are not personal
> attacks. This issue has come up innumerable times--not just in the light of this recent nazi
> post--but far earlier, in re: to the ever present Chuck O vs. Vickie personal attack fest.

I'm down with the idea of creating a de-personalized newswire policy. The 
sooner we have this policy, the better, because the current policy relies on 
the personal whims of those people who have password access to the newswire.

The "Chuck0 is a pedophile" remark cam up in the context of some attacks that 
Vickie made on me on the newswire. But if any of you think that this "attack 
fest" was some kind of equal exchange, then we have a serious problem here. 
Vickie makes attacks on me out of the blue. I tried numerous times last year 
to pathc things up with her, but she has an irrational, paranoid hatred of 
me. That so-called "attack fest" came about when Vickie saw comments from me 
and used them as an occasion to attack me. Not to mention the numerous times 
when Vickie has claimed that I posted to the newswire when I didn't.

> [CO] Does anybody understand yet why I'm angry about this? I've bitten my tongue 
> about this, in part because I understand that Joanie thinks that it is OK for 
> people to slander me on the newswire. Slander will stay up if it's against 
> one of those troublemaking loudmouth anarchists.
> 
> [ZM]: The new newswire policy would hide *ALL* personal attacks as they are neither substantive
> nor discursive.

Good, then what are we waiting for?

> [CO] I'm tired of being disrepected and marginalized by this collective's ad hoc 
> newswire policy. I'm all for efforts to hammer out an editorial policy, the 
> sooner the better. I'd also like to propose that Joanie step down as a 
> newswire moderator. Leaving aside her prejudical policies towards slander of 
> me on the newswire, it's just a good idea to rotate these volunteer 
> responsibilities on a regular basis.
> 
> [ZM]: The idea behind the proposed change in the newswire policy, is to encourage debate about
> issues...not personalities. The problem, as it appears in the above paragraph, is that Chuck
> O--through his *public* words, is in favor of a newswire policy that would prevent himself from
> being attack. However, he is willing to use this listserv as a means of calling Joanie "prejucial"
> and an accessory to "slander." Both charges are irrelvant to this discussion, and in a way,
> constitute an unwarranted and inaccurate personal attack. Joanie is not *the* newswire moderator.
> Everyone who is an active part of imc-dc-editorial is a newswire moderator. 

I'm sorry, but Joanie is a primary newswire moderator. She has the password 
to the admin function of the newswire. I don't and I assume that most of the 
people on this list don't.

I've been very patient with attacks on me that have been posted on the 
newswire. I've been pretty damn thick-skinned, given that these posts have 
included slander from both activists and the cops. Joanie and I have talked 
about this situation on numerous occassions and she made it clear to me that 
she thinks that I'm fair game for these attacks because I am "a public 
figure."  This policy pursued by Joanie has allowed an atmosphere to develop 
on the newswire where personal attacks have become normalized. My ability to 
function as an activist has been severely damaged by this policy and it has 
probably caused quite a few local activists to be alienated from the IMC. Who 
is going to "become the media" when slander and vicious attacks are permitted 
on the newswire?

I hope Joanie can take some of my harsh words. After all, if you are going to 
dish dirt on people behind their backs, don't be surprised when somebody 
confronts you publicly on it.

> [ZM] The editorial list/editorial working group, has long been one of the least contentious and
> most productive groups of the DC IMC. Until *VERY* recently, we all worked together extremely well
> with the same goals in mind: develop strong, meaningful features and monitor the newswire to
> encourage discussion and reduce spam, etc. Policy changes are thoroughly discussed and we *ALL*
> work in varied ways. Let's keep this in mind.

This group does do some excellent work, that isn't being disputed. But some 
newsire issues need to be resolved, if we want full participation from the 
greater community.

Chuck0

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"The state can't give you free speech, and the state can't take it away. 
You're born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something you 
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you resist is the degree to which you are free..."
---Utah Phillips