[New-imc] Themes and such

[Dana Williams]

Everyone,

I definitely like the idea of expanding into specific topics, and like Chuck0,
think there are good reasons to do it. But, someone suggested something else
yesterday that sounded even easier (at least first).

I think it was Arc, who brought up creating special sections for the Global IMC,
not unlike how local IMC sometimes have special sections. Since Global is a
"wire" for all the independent IMC, it's sort of a syndication service. Having
specific sections for the Global IMC wouldn't be all that unlike have a paper
with Nat'l/Int'l, Regional/Local, Sports, Culture, Entertainment, Opinion,
Business/Labor, and etc. sections, right?

Local IMC's could forward all the topic-specific stories about things to the
individual sections, like the "Housing Editor for Global". This would avoid the
need for a new collective to form (which would prevent f2f nearly always), but
would allow people interested in a topic to search it out. All interested in
housing would goto the subsection on the Global page, and this would be a useful
tool for doing what Chuck was aiming for: people finding out about how others
are handling similar situations in geographically diverse areas. And it seems
like something that could be handled in the same sort of way that the Global
newswire works now, too.

Since things like "housing", "forests", "police", and, yes, even "climate", are
topics that affect people nearly everywhere on the planet, it seems vital to
allow people to exchange alternative information. But, creating a new collective
to deal with this doesn't seem to be a task that IMCs are easily suited for.
IMCs are predominantly for exchanging information-- not necessarily organizing
or social activism. Yes, they can be used for that, but the DC Indymedia can
only do so much before needing another group, like Homes Not Jails. So, why not
use the Internet for what it's good for-- exchange information. I'd imagine that
after awhile, a Housing subsection at Global IMC would attract enough interest
and activism, that it would accomplish the same as a new collective. Maybe?

Just my $0.02 (sorry for not making change for my non-English speaking friends).

Peace,
Dana


-- 
the nature of sanity is open to debate
the notion of insanity protects the State
- red monkey, "power and dependence"