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3rd UK Network Meeting/ Sheffield/ October 18 and 19, 2003

This twiki can be used to sum up decisions and debates which started at the 3rd network meeting in sheffield.

The preparations for this meeting can be viewed at UkNetworkMeetings3Prep. Mini-minutes plus follow-up are published on imc-uk-process, also minutes of the video/radio meeting and the outreach meeting

Mirabelle and Nymphalis from imc lancester wrote a feedback on the last plenary session.

Decisions/Things to do

check radio/video and outreach minutes

editorial:

• To create features, we create a new article rather than promoting from the newswire. This ensures that we don't "steal" postings from local newswires to create features, which has caused some conflict in the past. Postings will remain on the newswire AND show in the middle columns. Dutch imc has a function to copy nw postings, then promote the copy. Mails 1 | 2

finance:

• 600$ to Mir Coders - agreed on meeting, process started 21 oct 2003

• Brief debate in Communications Group: Present process for UK imc account is to apply for money on imc-uk-process. General feeling was to use the shared money for shared projects or support (as in G8 Evian, when people stayed on to support an injured imcista and had to pay new flights back) rather than local outreach projects. The plenary wanted to keep the shared bank account although it's not used much. We need signatories from each regional collective.

Internal Communications

• create imc-uk-legal list - proposal as made on meeting, responses 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

• create a group to make the uk page design more user friendly. The mailing list http://lists.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/imc-uk-useability has been created (see mail 1)

• use of network and process list: imc-uk-process is the main place where we communicate as a network. This includes forwards and summaries from the global lists (imc-process, imc-finance, imc-communications, new-imc, imc-europe). imc-uk-network is used as an "overflow" list for specific projects, like the preparation of the network meeting. info

• Start a separate uk-newswire list to reduce traffic on imc-uk-features. Debate on process list: proposal | comments 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | . Debate on features list: proposal, comments 1 | 2 | 3 |

• Several people feel that the communication and decision-making is too speedy. The core communication should be in the email lists, and we should allow time for people to react. Irc can be used to develop proposals for the lists, Twiki can be used to sum up debates and collect links from the lists. Important twikis should be posted on email.

Communication with global imc

• every imc is committed to liaise with imc-process, imc-finance, imc-communications, also new-imc and imc-Europe.

• Each imc should have at least one person on each of these lists ("liaisons"), who report back to their collectives and can engage in debates. In imc uk, reports go to imc-uk-process. Additionally, individuals can participate in the global lists.

• who are our liaisons - should we make a list? (Imc-process: Ana has resigned from her role as a liaison, some pp offered to take in on but have not yet introduced themselves to imc-process. Mails 1 | 2 | 3 )

• An imc-europe summer camp is planned for 2004, watch out on imc-europe for details.

MIR Changes

• Problem: Regional newswires can't show postings which have been hidden from the Uk newswire. This function is only rarely needed, but important for the autonomy of regional collectives. Solution, as recommended from structure working group and agreed in plenary: Create a uk topic along with regional topics (sheffield, manchester, oxford etc). Every newswire posting will go to the uk newswire by default. Moderators will be able to untick the uk box to hide stuff from the uk newswire, but keep it on regional newswires. Process for this will be found in hands-on work. The article-type "regional features" will disappear, each feature will be specified as to on which page (including startpage) it should appear. Mails illustrating the complications with the present setup: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | [[][]] | [[][]] | [[][]] | [[][]] |

• Problem: Confusion on the Newswire. Regional postings that are submitted through a regional page often don't indicate to which region they refer (e.g. big party at the basement, come all - no indication in which city...). Solution: Postings from a regional page will show by default a heading referring to the region - "this posting was submitted on the cambridge site" or similar)

• Affirmation: After a plenary presentation about "hiding before" and "hiding after", the plenary agreed to keep the "hiding after" model. One advantage (a part from less work) are the legal implications: "hiding before" means imc uk takes some responsibility for what shows on the newswire, whereas "hiding after" means that imc uk is an open platform with editorial guidelines. Implementation of colour codes on nw items (checked, not checked) was suggested.

Big Debates resulting from the network meeting

• regional autonomy/newswires: Oxford wants a uk newswire that has only postings relevant to the uk, and regional newswires with postings about the region. This classification would be made by the users. Moderators would correct the classification if postings appear on the "wrong" newswire. Implication: In addition to hiding offensive posts, newswire-cleaners would need to check the classification and reach a consensus about the appropriateness of each classification. Manchester wants to have every posting on the uk newswire by default. Implication: the wires only need to be screened for offensive postings, not for classification. Conflicts: Do we want a uk newswire without regional news? What are the preconditions for a regional imc uk page in terms of maintenance resources? Mails 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | [[][]] | [[][]] | [[][]] |

• gender: on the fringes of the network meeting, there were a few discussion about gender in imc-uk. Following the network meeting, it was proposed on the process list to react to the imc-women's proposal. See mail summary | cambridge support

• access levels/logins: With mir, we can each have an individual login. We can define several access levels. Mails: 1 | 2 | 3 | [[][]] | [[][]] | [[][]] |

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-- SteveAntiwar - 16 Oct 2003 -- IonNec - 21 Oct 2003 -- IonNec - 23 Oct 2003 added links IonNec - 24 Oct 2003 added links -- IonNec - 11 Nov 2003 added links -- IonNec - 04 Dec 2003 added feedback on plenary session link
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