Over the last week or so I've noticed quite a few junk stories posted on many Indy Media Center web sites. Most of these postings claim that the environmental and labor movements are involved in things such as genocide. They aren't even satirical. I'm not sure if they are being posted by someone with a mental illness, someone trying to be disruptive or someone who just thinks they are being funny.

I would suggest that all the IMC web sites need to be monitored AT LEAST once a day (though more frequent monitoring would be better), and that all junk or nonsense articles be removed as soon as possible.

I hate the posts and would like to see them stop also however anther word for monitering is censorship We can't do that if we wish to remain true to our principles. I think a better approach is taking away the aninimity of the posts. Or erhaps the solution is for a computer knowledgable person to trace exactly who is posting these and expose him/her by name AND address for all to see and confront personally.

The principles that we must adhere to can be read in the mission statements of the various Independent Media Centers. These principles say nothing about us being a completely open forum for any and all crackpot posts. No one is saying that crackpots can't publish on the internet. They just can't sabatage the excellent work of folks who have provided a forum for those concerned about social and economic justice, and a media outlet for communities under- represented in the corporate media.

This is not a free speech issue. It's a matter of enforcing our mission statement!