[alt-media-res] Concerns raised about Alt- Media -res projectatseptember's IMC London meeting.

steffen boehm sgboehm at gmail.com
Thu Sep 28 20:54:02 BST 2006


Hi all,

This raises important issues and I think the best way forward is to organise
an online chat/call about it. If possible this chat within our research
group should take place as soon as possible. It might not be possible for
everyone to participate, but if we have a group of 4-5 people to talk about
this, then this would be a good start. I'm happy to find time online
tomorrow evening (your time), but I'm not online very often; so
communication is a bit difficult. But it's important that we talk about this
and I feel email is not a good medium. 

Hope you are all well.
steffenx



-----Original Message-----
From: alt-media-res-bounces at lists.aktivix.org
[mailto:alt-media-res-bounces at lists.aktivix.org] On Behalf Of zoe
Sent: 28 September 2006 12:56
To: devlishmay at aktivix.org; steffen boehm; moreanon at gmail.com;
Andre.Spicer at wbs.ac.uk
Cc: alt-media-res at lists.aktivix.org
Subject: Re: [alt-media-res] Concerns raised about Alt- Media -res
projectatseptember's IMC London meeting.


fyi, the mail I wrote in reply:

hello
a meet up would be fine, in fact I've got some old fax paper for you tony,
though I'm fairly frantic in lead up to re:transmission online social change
video projects meeting in 2 weeks time.
I should also say that I'm not sure what's going on here... nobody has
raised any specific problems with me about our way of working, so it would
be nice to see any specific questions or problems before going any
further...?
what i can do now is to stress that there is alot already on the wiki which
will give an idea of what we are doing
interviews (not on public wiki for privacy reasons) are only one part of the
work that I for one have been doing;
for me the major component is the action side of the action research, that
is, developing and taking forward independent media networks dealing with
online video, informed and accompanied where appropriate by the research
side of the work.
I have offered as complete information about the action research project as
I can to the networks I'm working with on that (primarily Transmission and
IFIWatchnet, in my role as co-ordinator of IFIWatch.tv,), though funnily
enough no one seems very interested in where these bits of travel funding,
strategic research and analysis, documentation support etc are coming from,
they are generally just happy to see their important work being facilitated.
re the proposed sub-project on london imc, my understanding was that
objections in parts of the lists-based uk indymedia network led to planned
action research in that area being scaled back if not cut altogether, I
never fully understood the problems arising but then I wasn't going to be
working on that side much anyway so just got on with my stuff.
it is a shame that inevitable questions and issues about this project keep
coming up in an apparently negative way - that is, undermining the
confidence of my compadres when this kind of work is hard enough to try to
do right already..
that said, it's obviously vital to keep dialogue open and like I think
everyone involved, I'm more than happy to challenge, be challenged and
answer any questions about what we're trying to do.
so, fire away!
cheers
zoe

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <devlishmay at aktivix.org>
To: "steffen boehm" <steffen at ESSEX.AC.UK>; <moreanon at gmail.com>;
<Andre.Spicer at wbs.ac.uk>
Cc: <alt-media-res at lists.aktivix.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 12:33 PM
Subject: [alt-media-res] Concerns raised about Alt- Media -res project
atseptember's IMC London meeting.


>
> Hey everybody
>
> Last night I went to the Indy media London meeting and in the course of
the
> discussion, Tony one of the founders of IMC UK expressed concerns that we
have
> proposed a project researching Indymedia UKk and London  and recieved a "
big
> chunk of funding" but have not presented the project to the  London
collective.
> Or  proposed the project to any of the IMC lists.
> He was angry about this because he felt that we have used the name and
hard work
> of Indy media volunteers to get funding for our own research aims.
> I looked at the intial proposal and I really want to reassure him about
our own
> project processes and accountability.
> He found our intial proposal on line, and was surprised that we had not
been in
> touch.
>  This was the e mail that I sent to Tony:
>
> Dear Tony,
> Here is a link to the FAQ's about the alt-media-res project,
>   http://alt-media-res.clearerchannel.org/public/index.php?title=FAQ
> This is public.
> I need to ask Marion about whether or not our wiki for the project was
> forwarded
> to relevant indy lists, there was a discussion amongst the alt-res media
group
> that this was to happen but I am not sure if it did happen.
> Marion did recieve some funding from the project for a chronology of
Indymedia.
> The project has evolved into interviewing people involved in alternative
media
> projects and is still on going.
> Sian Sullian and Andre Spicer interviewed  Indy media people in Toronto
about
> their involvement and how they saw IMC.
> Students from UEA have taken on similar tasks, with regard to interviewing
IMC
> people in Rossport.
> All of this is about to be put into the wiki.
> I have spoken to Sian and she wondered if you would like to meet up with
zoe,
> and myself to clarify things further.
> I have copied this e mail to zoe and Sian I have contacted them about your
> issues with our process , I am concerned about how you see this project
and
> would like very much to reassure you.
> Best
> Pennie
>
> But the discussion for me raises important questions about how we approach
a net
> work and I wonder about how we have approached indymedia and have we done
this
> in the best way for the project?
> Also  what we can do to allay Tony's concerns?
> I do feel to a certain extent that he has a point.
> What should we do about this?
> As the project is on going, we need to look at why we have had anxieties
about
> approaching Indymedia UK Kollectives, and why this has seemed so daunting?
> I would like to have any records, of where we have proposed this project
to IMC
> lists.
> I guess we need to communicate better because I am in a postion where I
don't
> know how to defend the project because I am not clear on all its
directions.
> best
> Penniexx
>
>
>




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