[IMC-Process] IDEA: listing climate IMC as a "project"

[Jay]

Hi everyone,

Quite a lot of good stuff coming from Germany and the Climate Summit this
past week via climate.indymedia.org.  As you all know, and were reminded by
the short flurry of e-mails right before the climate summit began, the
climate IMC isn't linked on the left column of the Indymedia sites.  There
are a lot of reasons for that; people raised them a couple weeks ago and I
think even offered links to previous discussions.  Over the last few months
many people in the IMC network have come together to agree that local IMCs
listed on the left hand column of the Indymedia sites should be 1) based in
a geographic area, and 2) sites with open publishing.  We all agree the
Climate IMC has done good work, but they're neither based geographically or
(please correct me if I'm wrong, climate IMC), do they allow unsolicited,
unmoderated posts to go to the front page of their site.  While this may
mean they don't fit into the current thought about what a "local IMC" is,
does it mean we should continue to not list them anywhere on the left
column of the site and therefore not direct people to the information
they've provided?  I don't believe it should.  

My idea is for us to list the Climate IMC as an IMC Project.  That would
put it not under a geographic heading, but under the satellite, print and
radio projects.  These are all international projects that do not require a
geographic location.  Also, IMC Projects have no requirement for having
open publishing.  While each of the projects is part of the Indymedia
network, they also all state that they're not "official" Indymedia
projects, meaning they're the result of individuals involved with Indymedia
coming together to make something happen rather than projects upon which
everyone has agreed.  I know it's a slight distinction, but it is a
disctinction.  
If we list Climate.indymedia.org as an IMC Project we could have the
Climate IMC linked through the www.indymedia pages and would still remain
true to our vision of what a local IMC is.  My only suggestion for them
would be to list the other IMCs on their site, which would further confirm
them as part of the network.  

Remember, the Climate IMC formed long before we had a new-imc working group
and long before we even had any perceived unity on the idea that new IMCs
would be based in a place, not in an issue.  The question about whether we
orient Indymedia toward developing issue-based sites in the future is a
different discussion, one that will have implications for IMCs that are
forming now and/or will form in the future.  Climate-IMC is here and has
been for a while.  I'd like to see us recognize the work they've done.

My thoughts on a calm Philadelphia night,

Jay