Open Letter to the Global Indymedia Network from SF Bay Area IMC\r\n\r\nIntroduction\r\n\r\nIt is with much sadness and urgency that we inform the greater \r\nindymedia community about the ongoing crisis within the San Francisco \r\nBay Area IMC.\r\n\r\nPreviously, we had attempted to resolve internal conflicts among group \r\nmembers by engaging in formal mediation, which ultimately resulted in \r\nan official split of the group into two and a list of specific actions \r\nupon which each side agreed. This letter is being sent out only after \r\nthese agreements have not been respected by the new SF IMC collective \r\nthat has split from us.\r\n\r\nAs many of you know, the SF Bay Area IMC had been using both \r\nsf.indymedia.org and indybay.org since its inception. The SF Bay Area \r\nIMC website had been hosted on a linefeed.org server which was operated \r\nby the tech members of our collective.\r\n\r\nConflict\r\n\r\nOur IMC has now split into two groups. When a few of the tech members \r\nbegan to have personal problems with other members of the collective, \r\nthese tech members demanded a split of the collective. The resulting \r\ndynamics within the group continued to worsen. It created an \r\nenvironment that made it difficult to continue working together and \r\nalso discouraged potential new people from joining the collective. \r\nWhile most members of the collective opposed any kind of split, the \r\naforementioned tech members insisted that they would split anyway, \r\nbecause they wanted to and because they could.\r\n\r\nThe tech members who wanted the split also had convinced the rest of \r\nthe group to agree to move the site to the linefeed.org server. They \r\nclaimed that this was merely a technical issue which would enable the \r\nsite to run faster.\r\n\r\nThe members of the splitting group also began making viscious and false \r\naccusations about other members of the collective. This even went as \r\nfar as accusing some members of being security risks and\/or police \r\ninformants.\r\n\r\nThe splitting group began to take control of the linefeed.org server \r\nthat the SF Bay Area IMC website had been hosted on by kicking off all \r\nother IMC members from access to it. At the same time, they also cut \r\noff access to other local activist websites (such as the Food Not Bombs \r\nNews website, liberationradio.net and passionbomb.com) that were being \r\nhosted on their linefeed.org server. These other websites were \r\naffiliated, to greater or lesser degrees, with members of SF Bay Area \r\nIMC with whom the splitting group members were in conflict.\r\n\r\nWhen it was clear that this internal conflict had reached a stalemate, \r\na neutral professional mediator was hired to conduct a series of \r\nmediation meetings.\r\n\r\nThe continuation of the internal crisis was effectively preventing the \r\ngroup from doing their work and was discouraging new people from \r\nwanting to join the group. Most collective members were fed up with \r\nhaving to deal with this conflict. As a result, during the mediation \r\nprocess, the rest of the group reluctantly agreed to split the group \r\nand further conceded to the splitting group's demand to give up the \r\nsf.indymedia.org domain to them. Also part of the mediation agreement, \r\nthe rest of the group was to keep indybay.org (which at the time still \r\npointed to sf.indymedia.org) and also to create a new domain of \r\nsfbay.indymedia.org. This new domain was to be used along with \r\nindybay.org once indybay.org was handed over from the splitting group.\r\n\r\nThe mediation agreement was officially finalized on November 13th, \r\n2003. Since that time, members of the new sf.indymedia group have \r\nbacktracked on their agreement in multiple ways. The indybay.org DNS \r\nwas supposed to have been handed over by the Monday following the final \r\nmediation meeting, November 17th. But this did not occur until over a \r\nmonth later, in mid-December. And although this \"handing over\" has \r\nresulted in indybay.org now pointing to the correct site, they continue \r\nto refuse to hand over the indybay.org domain ownership, which they \r\nstill control. Also, immediately after the mediation, they locked out \r\nthe group that was now sfbay.indymedia.org (indybay.org) from access to \r\nsf.indymedia.org. In combination, these actions left the rest of the \r\ngroup without a website for over a month.\r\n\r\nDuring this period, the new sf.indymedia group has been hiding posts of \r\nnews stories to the sf.indymedia.org newswire (such as an announcement \r\nabout a live streaming coverage of the recent mayoral election by Enemy \r\nCombatant Radio) made by members of the indybay.org group, effectively \r\ncensoring the indybay.org group.\r\n\r\nThe new sf.indymedia group has also refused to place on their website a \r\nlink with an explanation about the split, as both groups agreed to do \r\nas part of the mediation agreement. Nevertheless, the indybay.org group \r\nput up the explanation and link immediately after the site was up, \r\nafter the DNS switch.\r\n\r\nAlso, members of the new sf.indymedia group have been engaging in \r\ntactics of doublespeak by accusing members of indybay.org of precisely \r\nthe kinds of acts that they themselves have been responsible for, such \r\nas lying, manipulating, and threatening.\r\n\r\nIn sf.indymedia.org's recent application for status as a new imc that \r\nthey submitted to the New IMC Working Group, they stated that their \r\n\r\n\"supporting groups were too numerous to mention.\" While we didn't speak \r\nup then, since we had agreed in good faith during mediation not to stop \r\ntheir new IMC process, we now feel, in light of their actions, that \r\nthey should be asked why they failed to list those groups and to show \r\nwho really aligns with them. As far as we know, local activists and \r\ngroups and members of other IMCs who are finding out about the split do \r\nnot support them nor their actions.\r\n\r\nList of violations of the mediation agreement by the new \r\nsf.indymedia.org group:\r\n\r\n1. The sf.indymedia.org group has refused to put up a blurb and links \r\nabout the split as agreed to during mediation.\r\n\r\n2. The sf.indymedia.org group failed to switch the DNS for indybay.org \r\nuntil over a month after the mediation agreement.\r\n\r\n3. Before the indybay.org DNS was eventually switched over, a member of \r\nsf.indymedia.org pointed indybay.org to a non-existent IP address, \r\ncausing many people to stop using indybay.org.\r\n\r\n3. Immediately after the mediation was over, a member of \r\nsf.indymedia.org withdrew half of the money from the imc checking \r\naccount, and then refused to negotiate the price for stickers and \r\nt-shirts advertising the sf.indymedia.org web site address. According \r\nto the agreement, the groups would split the money in the bank account \r\nafter sfbay was reimbursed for the mutually agreed upon price for the \r\nstickers and t-shirts, and sf.indymedia was reimbursed for pieces of \r\nequipment that sfbay wanted to purchase.\r\n\r\n4. The sf.indymedia.org group has deleted the SF-IMC email list and the \r\nEnemy Combatant Radio (ECR) email list without warning, before anyone \r\nhad the chance to back up three and a half years of work and contacts \r\ncontained in the lists' archives.\r\n\r\n5. The sf.indymedia.org group has gone against the agreement by \r\nredirecting aliases to their new email addresses.\r\n\r\nList of actions by the new sf.indymedia.org group that violates the \r\nindymedia Principles of Unity\r\n\r\n1. Members of the linefeed.org server (which now hosts \r\nsf.indymedia.org, other IMCs and activist websites) have sabotaged \r\nlocal activist websites hosted by them that were connected to \r\nindybay.org.\r\n\r\n2. The sf.indymedia.org group has been repeatedly hiding and deleting \r\nlegitimate posts to their newswire by local activists whom they see as \r\nbeing connected to indybay.org.\r\n\r\nThe end result of all of this is that techies with positions of power, \r\nand a personal vendetta within an IMC collective, have effectively \r\nhijacked complete control of the website from the rest of the \r\ncollective.\r\n\r\nWe believe that the behaviors displayed by the members of the new \r\nsf.indymedia group\/linefeed.org are offensive and unacceptable, and \r\nthat they have abused their powers as tech people within the IMC \r\nnetwork to manipulate and bully others to get their way.\r\n\r\nProposed Resolution\r\n\r\nWe, the undersigned, request the following from the global tech working \r\ngroup and other IMCs in the network:\r\n\r\n1. The ownership of the indybay.org domain should be handed over to the \r\ncurrent members of indybay.org immediately, and\r\n\r\n2. sf.indymedia.org should immediately put up texts and links about the \r\nsplit on their website as they should have already done as part of the \r\nagreement.\r\n\r\nIf both of the above requests are not met immediately, then we ask that:\r\n\r\n1. The new sf.indymedia.org's status as an IMC should be revoked, and\r\n\r\n2. The current members of the new sf.indymedia.org should be denied \r\naccess and control to the sf.indymedia.org domain, and\r\n\r\n3. in the event that the new sf.indymedia.org group should lose control \r\nof their domain, that it be handed over to the current members of \r\nindybay.org instead of being destroyed, since it is an established \r\ncommunity resource, and\r\n\r\n4. the money that paid for the mediation should be refunded to the \r\ncurrent members of indybay.org.\r\n\r\nWe also request that all IMC websites update their links to the San \r\nFrancisco Bay Area as http:\/\/www.indybay.org.\r\n\r\nWe are hereby challenging the legitimacy of the new sf.indymedia.org \r\ngroup for violating its own Principles of Unity by their abusive and \r\nintimidating behaviors.\r\n\r\nWe want to stress that we believe this is an urgent, critical matter \r\nthat is in the interest of the entire Indymedia network. What has \r\nhappened here with the SF Bay Area IMC seems to be quite unprecedented \r\nwithin the history of the IMC Network, and we hope that we can depend \r\non the support from all IMCers to help resolve this conflict and \r\nmaintain accountability within the indymedia network.\r\n\r\nIn solidarity,\r\n\r\nSarah Olsen - San Francisco Bay Area IMC, SF Liberation Radio\r\nLisa Sousa - San Francisco Bay Area IMC, AK Press\r\nMark Burdett - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nPauline - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nSunny - Enemy Combatant Radio, San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nZachary Ogren - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nWayne Wong - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nPeter Maiden - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nKaren Martin - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nJino Choi - Revolutionary Anti-authoritarians of Color, SF Bay Area IMC\r\nA. Mark Liiv - Whispered Media\r\nAli\r\nDan Mattson - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nPod - Enemy Combatant Radio, Whispered Media\r\nKevin Keating\r\nMatt Fitt - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nJeff Taylor - Whispered Media\r\nLani Riccobuono - Enemy Combatant Radio, San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\nLauren A. - San Francisco Bay Area IMC\r\n\r\nThe San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center collective can be \r\ncontacted at sfbay at indymedia.org.\r\n\r\n<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/indybay.org","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"It is with much sadness and urgency that we inform the greater indymedia community about the ongoing crisis within the San Francisco Bay Area IMC.","numcomment":20,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2004\/01\/99769.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":106510,"heading":""This open letter is proof of what it yields... "","article":"It's proof that SFBay-IMC has been caught red handed forging other people's names to their slanderous manifesto.\r\n\r\nSee:\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/sf.indymedia.org\/news\/2004\/01\/1671143_comment.php#1672316\r\n\r\nand\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/sf.indymedia.org\/news\/2004\/01\/1671143_comment.php#1672321\r\n\r\n\r\nOnce something like that has happened, only fools would take at face value anything they said, about anything, ever again.","author":"indeed it is","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-03-30 13:16:45","modified":"2004-03-30 13:16:45","fileurl":""},{"id":106518,"heading":"who cares?","article":"I like nessie's comments and his files but I swear they are terribly thin skinned. It must be due to the constant attacks by asshole trolls.\r\nHmmm, kinda like this site get assaulted by\/with\/at.\r\nAnother staged pissing match.\r\nWhy bring it over here?","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-03-30 16:33:28","modified":"2004-03-30 16:33:28","fileurl":""},{"id":106579,"heading":"sfimc","article":">Just a single person of nessie's personality can be a very destructive force within a group even without other like-minded people. \r\n\r\nnessie had more integrity in his shit than you could ever hope to have, and he didn't have much integrity at all.\r\n\r\nHex, you are worthless. You couldn't even keep the Oct. 15th deadline date. Moron.\r\n\r\nMeyer can't think.\r\n\r\nNeither can Sheepdip.\r\n\r\ndingo was even worse.\r\n\r\nnessie is the only half-way descent thing you fucking idiots had to offer and you're pissing on him. Another reason it used to be fun to come here and laugh at your "revolution". Now, you're just beyond pitiful.","author":"brigg","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-03-31 04:27:44","modified":"2004-03-31 04:27:44","fileurl":""},{"id":106584,"heading":"what's the matter, brig?","article":"you're kinda thrashing around in your own froth there.\r\n","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-03-31 05:50:25","modified":"2004-03-31 05:50:25","fileurl":""},{"id":99773,"heading":"Oh I see - so NOW it's censoring","article":"> the new sf.indymedia group has been hiding posts of news stories to the sf.indymedia.org newswire (such as an announcement about a live streaming coverage of the recent mayoral election by Enemy Combatant Radio) made by members of the indybay.org group, effectively censoring the indybay.org group.\r\n\r\n\r\nOdd, when nessie was deleting my posts no one cared (I adopted the handle "censored by sf-imc" for awhile afterward) and no one seemed to consider it censorship...\r\n\r\nYet now that people involved in IMC are the one's being "moderated" it IS censorship.\r\n\r\n\r\n1.) what group is nessie in with this split ?\r\n\r\n2.) who are the tech people ? (this has personal interest for me)\r\n\r\n\r\nTechnical support should not be conditional - should not have strings attached. Should have an open air about it that rises above petty disagreements on the day-to-day operations (we're too busy working on technical projects like IMPROVING STREAMING SOUND QUALITY to worry with such matters)\r\n\r\n\r\nConsidering what I've seen and read about sf-imc, this is the predicted growing pain.\r\n\r\nSome people go through life avoiding problems thinking happyness or meaning comes from lack of them. The opposite is true, life is all about how we handle problems. Any group will face growing pains, the fact that a mediator was called in alone shows dysfunction.\r\n\r\n\r\nAlthough I know none of the details of this evolving conflict, I can safely predict nessie is on *the bad side of it* after experiencing his underhanded games on the main IMC and collecting complaints raised by others every since.\r\n\r\nAll I know for sure is he is a disructive force within any group and his personality type isn't rare. I'm left wondering how much he has to do with the situation going sour (as opposed to the group simply mending thier differences)\r\n\r\nThe critical aspect is liars v honest people. Liars cause disruption by thier very nature with *any* person who values honesty. This is my specific problem with him. There can never be cooperation as long as a liar is allowed to spin his web of deceit, as a liar constantly requires something to lie about, so the problems never end.\r\n\r\nAs more people get fed up with the game (liars stick together) it becomes a war of words with both sides accusing the other of dishonesty. Reality however knows better.\r\n\r\nThis is where I find myself - on several technical points nessie was wrong about he would never admit so and piled lies upon lies to cover them...\r\n\r\nSo at least for that perspective if tech people who value honesty (like me) had conflict with him (and\/or people like him) the first thing he does is accuse the honest of being liars.\r\n\r\nMy question is whether nessie is part of the group doing the mud slinging (placing all fault on the above mentioned tech people) or whether the tech people are the actual liars as stated above.\r\n\r\nDue to my dealings with him, I'd be inclined to say it's his old game of calling the honest liars as a smokescreen as he's done with me in the past on the main IMC (and not just me - he even went as far as calling Tom Greene a liar\/agent after he posted a retraction on DIRT which agreed with what I said all along)\r\n\r\nPeople rarely change, so it's unlikely he's mended his lying, game playing and underhanded tactics (although he has been "hiding out" on sf-imc every since and avoids technical issues)\r\n\r\n\r\nJust a single person of nessie's personality can be a very destructive force within a group even without other like-minded people. There's a good chance there are more like him based on statistics.\r\n\r\nOnce more it all boils down to how much a person values honesty, and a rough line is drawn beyond which liars joyfully play thier games while honest people fear to tread.\r\n\r\nHonest people who allow these types in the group sow the seeds of thier own demise.\r\n\r\nThis open letter is proof of what it yields...\r\n\r\n","author":"Hex anon w\/ encryption","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 14:59:10","modified":"2004-01-09 14:59:10","fileurl":""},{"id":99774,"heading":"DEJA VU?","article":"This type of thing sounds like what happened to individuals and groups over 30 years ago.While I would not blame government for this,I'm sure they are very satisfied with your split and hope that you countinue with it for a long time.They would also hope that your split carries over to other organizations.\r\n\r\nWhen the hell are people going to learn that it's about the issues at hand and not about your fucking stupid side issues,egos and personalities???","author":"Pierre Talley","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 15:05:48","modified":"2004-01-09 15:05:48","fileurl":""},{"id":99775,"heading":"The commies had it coming.","article":"I can not put into words the feelings of joy and happiness this sf indymedia split is giving me. Here's hoping they come to blows over it!\r\n\r\nI can not put into words the feelings of joy and happiness this sf indymedia split is giving me. Here's hoping they come to blows over it!\r\n\r\nI can not put into words the feelings of joy and happiness this sf indymedia split is giving me. Here's hoping they come to blows over it!","author":"lasdkfjalkdfj","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 15:17:32","modified":"2004-01-09 15:17:32","fileurl":""},{"id":99780,"heading":"The ghost of Cointelpro","article":"Shame on any of you who let this get out of hand or who let their own ego become infected. You ALL know that the ghost of Cointelpro lurks in the shadows. Whatever you do, don't take a page from the AIM playbook where, reportedly, rancor and division continue to this day. Anyone who insists on being confrontational and divisive should be shunned.","author":"oak","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 16:53:51","modified":"2004-01-09 16:53:51","fileurl":""},{"id":99783,"heading":"Anarchy, Smanarchy","article":"Typical anarchist method of "organization." Yes... it was all destined to fly apart. Anarchy, Smanarchy! All you black bloc-heads needed was a little push from the those who had infiltrated your group. \r\n\r\nYeah... anarchists... and the working class is supposed to follow you. HA!","author":"gotchaman","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 17:23:10","modified":"2004-01-09 17:23:10","fileurl":""},{"id":99791,"heading":"splits, anarchy, socialism, etc.","article":" All of this is utterly depressing but, alas, perhaps inevitable. Splits and and infighting have plagued the left at least since the days of Marx vs. Bakunin, and seem to be as much of a permanent work hazard as getting rained on or menaced by dogs if you are a letter carrier.\r\n Perhaps the best that can be hoped for is that groups remain on speaking terms after splits and conflicts and willing to work together at least on a united front basis on specific issues. Needless to say, physical confrontations should be avoided like fire and the Stalinist tactic of calling all political opponents on the left secret fascists or police agents should be utterly rejected.\r\n Despite the mocking post above asking how left groups are ever going to build a new society when they have conflicts like this, it should be remembered that conflict and disagreement is part of democracy. Only bureaucrat and tyrant wannabes would think otherwise. Besides, anyone who looks at the history of liberal, conservative, reactionary and fascist groups will see that they are just as plagued by splits and sectarianism as the left. Plenty of liberal groups split in two during the McCarthy Era over the issue of endorsing the Commie hunt. The right wingers in the US today are often bitterly divided - free marketers vs traditonalists, libertarians vs militarists, and so forth. And how many splits have there been in the KKK or in the various fascist militia groups? ","author":"Meyer London","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 18:40:17","modified":"2004-01-09 18:40:17","fileurl":""},{"id":99802,"heading":"solid solutions - but will we impliment them ?","article":"> Splits and and infighting have plagued the left\r\n\r\n\r\nThis effects everyone. The only difference is we don't revel in it as something to be proud of like the LGF shills do. Despite all efforts though it's much like human nature (I don't actually believe in human nature, to me it's a cultural dynamic)\r\n\r\nAgain it comes down to honesty - liars *never* want to be known as such so they always point elsewhere. The only question is whether data supports honesty thus exposing them anyway, and whether the balance of staff are honest plus value honesty enough to defend it.\r\n\r\nOne of the other ways liars manipulate people is by grinding down positive aspects of social arrangements in order to stifle the very people who are a threat to them - people who value honesty enough to defend it. This tactic attempts to pull everyone down to thier level to narrow the difference between honesty and deceit.\r\n\r\nIf most of the people in question are NOT honest (which is typical) then this succeeds. If however this is so, there's really nothing *worth* saving as liars accomplish nothing important.\r\n\r\nIt's best to just set up an all new staff carefully screened for honesty and with the attitude that IMC is more important than the staff who run it.\r\n\r\nThis shake-up in organisations is very common and is considered just growing pains.\r\n\r\nA very important point is that liars think of all situations as only a game - the game *always* takes priority over all other concerns. Liars never admit they lie, you have to PROVE they do - to other people. Then those people have to care enough to take action.\r\n\r\nYou can't talk a liar into being honest - there's reasoning or appeal to ethics that will reach them. Just as troll shills here are completely beyond reason - as this isn't what they are here FOR anyway. As part of the game they attempt to keep thier true motivations secret - even when abundant data proves them both wrong and shows the game.\r\n\r\nTo them it's nothing more than a word game no matter what's at stake.\r\n\r\nWe have a common mentality of solidarity based on respect for human life and other high values. If nothing else at least this can be appealed to when we get into in-fighting and other common\/typical human behaviors. These trolls have no such safety line - they will go to any low to further thier agenda as *truth it'self has no value to them*.\r\n\r\nIllusion is what they crave and thrive on, so it's only natural (for them) to attempt to *infect other's with thier venom* and thus generate more "EV" for themselves which is all they really care about.\r\n\r\nBeing entertained\r\n\r\n\r\nI've forwarded several ways to prevent and combat all of these problems as I've seen success with these methods over the years.\r\n\r\nThe real problem here is the "good guys" are not really much better than the trolls in ways that are critical in maintaining an atmosphere that's distasteful them. In other words, because even the trolls function in a way where they tells *us* what we want to condem, and try to make us feel important by interacting with them at all v. simply doing our own activities that we get far more enjoyment out of ourselves, they in a way feed our own "addictions" or weaknesses (imperfections) to distract us from simply *keeping too busy to even deal with them at all* which is EXACTLY what we should be doing.\r\n\r\n\r\nThere's a certain level of involvement (paying attention to) with trolls above which they gain the upper hand simply because *people fail to ignore them*. The difference between IMC's that successfully grow past this milestone and those who remain mired in the muck rests on this balance point.\r\n\r\nI've seen this in play ;\r\n\r\nSuccessful\r\n\r\nA troll posts bait, and either it's completely ignored ***AND HIDDEN QUICKLY*** or *several* IMC patrons work together to completely discredit it.\r\n\r\n\r\nUnsuccessful\r\n\r\n\r\nA troll posts bait, one or more IMC patrons responds and\/or the trollbait is NOT hidden and\/or only one or no IMC patron discredits it.\r\n\r\n\r\nAll trolls need to hang on is a tiny bit of attention combined with a lack of *solidarity by us* to survive.\r\n\r\n\r\nTrolls will always post bait, some people will always be dishonest..\r\n\r\nThe only real question is how those of us that don't *deal* with them.\r\n\r\n\r\nOn here the trolls have more solidarity and motivation than we do, spend more time doing it and we have no effective tools to resist them.\r\n\r\nNow there are efforts being expended, alternatives being explored and solutions being sought and obviously we all have the same goal.\r\n\r\nBut a measure of the importance of disrupting to the trolls seems to get lost on us as we seem to be forgetting to factor in the amount of time and energy they invest into it. This alone speaks volumes about both the importance and thier *true motivations*.\r\n\r\nThey (as liars often do) think all they need to do is repeat more lies over & over again and we'll magicly forget all that has transpired (the constant heavy round-the-clock harassment, the death threats and other severe abuses)\r\n\r\nOnly an *uncompromising stance* to fully control and eliminate them from continuing thier activities here will ever be successful, as anything less than this gives them the attention they crave and keeps the glimmer of hope burning that they still have a chance to succeed.\r\n\r\n\r\nOne of the first steps is to complain to thier ISP's which have rules specificly addressing this kind of abuse. This needs to be followed through *without exception* as it becomes very difficult and expensive to keep having to change ISP's for every several abusive posts.\r\n\r\nRegistration to a vote system so IMC patrons can effectively lock them out with minimal effort on the IMC staff.\r\n\r\nComprehensive IP ban lists that are actively maintained. This needs to include blocking proxies as well.\r\n\r\nRegistration that forces a patron to stick to one name. e-mail varification to keep them from setting up multible accounts and thus bypassing the other security measures.\r\n\r\nBy my standards (and the law and ISP rules) they are illegal hackers intent on invading IMC server space and thus are a *security matter*.\r\n\r\nThe IP blocks alone make them so, e-mailing this fact to thier ISP would by it'self be enough, then with the death threats, harassment and so on, get thier internet access pulled entirely (they would have to use another ISP)\r\n\r\nA time lockout and a limit on the number of posts per day (comments included) from any one non-otherwise blocked IP.\r\n\r\n\r\nOverlapping strong measures like these will make it too hard and slow for them to continue spamming\/abusing\/harassing\/disrupting\/distracting, compared to normal IMC patrons who wouldn't be doing any of these things in the first place.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","author":"Hex anon w\/ encryption","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-09 20:18:06","modified":"2004-01-09 20:18:06","fileurl":""},{"id":99950,"heading":"Supporting evidence of sf.indymedia.org's violations","article":"
\r\nBelow, you will find supporting evidence of some of the actions by the \r\nnew sf.indymedia.org group as outlined in the timeline document:\r\nhttp:\/\/lists.indymedia.org\/pipermail\/imc-us-process\/2004-January\/000270.html<\/a>\r\n\r\n1. http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/ecr_hidden12-9-03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of an announcement post by Enemy Combatant \r\nRadio to sf.indymedia.org on 12\/9\/03 that was hidden immediately. As \r\nyou can see, indybay.org still pointed to sf.indymedia.org at the time \r\nbut one member of the sf.indymedia group (with no agreement even from \r\nthe people in his own group) had already locked the indybay.org group \r\nout of the shared site by taking away the admin passwords, leaving them \r\nwithout a website. For reference, Enemy Combatant Radio is a project \r\naffiliated with members of indybay.org.\r\n\r\nThis article was later unhidden after this post was made by a reader:\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/sf.indymedia.org\/news\/2003\/12\/1664695.php<\/a>\r\n\r\n2. http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/whispered_hidden_12_18_03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of an announcement post by Whispered Media to \r\nsf.indymedia.org on 12\/18\/03 that was immediately hidden. Whispered \r\nMedia is a video collective that has an office in the same suite as \r\nindybay.org.\r\n\r\n3. http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/sfimcspam_12_24_03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of multiple spam made on the indybay.org \r\nnewswire on 12\/23\/03. The contents of those spams can be seen here:\r\nhttps:\/\/www.indybay.org\/news\/2003\/12\/1666449.php<\/a>\r\nhttps:\/\/www.indybay.org\/news\/2003\/12\/1666450.php<\/a>\r\nThis is one example of many instances of such "pro-sf.indymedia.org" spam made on indybay.org.\r\n\r\nAs many of you know by now, Enemy Combatant Radio's website: \r\nwww.enemycombatantradio.org was taken down by a person associated with \r\nsf.indymedia.org on 1\/7\/04, the day after the indybay.org collective \r\nhad sent out the open letter:\r\nhttp:\/\/lists.indymedia.org\/pipermail\/imc-us-process\/2004-January\/000266.html<\/a> \r\n\r\nThe indybay.org domain is still owned by a member of sf.indymedia.org, \r\neven though it is not website they have anything to do with anymore as \r\nshown in the mediation agreement:\r\nhttp:\/\/lists.indymedia.org\/pipermail\/new-imc\/2004-January\/004742.html<\/a>\r\n\r\nAll of this indicates there has been gross violations of the trust \r\nwithin the indymedia network that techies with control of resources \r\nwill not abuse their power for any reason.\r\n\r\nWe hope that everyone in the indymedia community realizes that this is \r\nan issue of tech abuse of power that will have serious implications \r\nthroughout the entire network. Member of the sf.indymedia.org (and \r\ntheir linefeed.org tech collective) who are responsible for the \r\nviolations of the indymedia Principles of Unity as shown above, still \r\ncurrently operate the server (stray linefeed server) that many IMC \r\nsites are hosted on. They include:\r\n\r\nTijuana - http:\/\/tijuana.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nColombia - http:\/\/colombia.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nHawaii - http:\/\/hawaii.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nPeru - http:\/\/peru.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nUruguay - http:\/\/uruguay.indymedia.org<\/a> --\r\nArgentina - http:\/\/argentina.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nBolivia - http:\/\/bolivia.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nChile - http:\/\/chile.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nIstanbul - http:\/\/istanbul.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nJerusalem - http:\/\/jerusalem.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nSouth Africa - http:\/\/southafrica.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nUtah - http:\/\/utah.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nThunderbay - http:\/\/thunderbay.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nHouston - http:\/\/houston.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\nArizona - http:\/\/arizona.indymedia.org<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe sf.indymedia.org\/linefeed.org members have shown through their \r\nactions that they cannot be entrusted with the amount of power they \r\nhold by controlling IMC tech resources. I ask all member of the \r\nindymedia network to help hold these individuals accountable for their \r\nactions.\r\n\r\n<\/pre>","author":"indybay member","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-01-11 10:35:22","modified":"2004-01-11 10:35:22","fileurl":""},{"id":99959,"heading":"gotchaman - not infiltration","article":"It doesn't sound like infiltration, but infighting.\r\n\r\nMeyer has it right: look at all the splits of the KKK, or the various communist groups. The Greens have infighting. The Libertarian Party has it. KPFK, Pacifica. These things happen.\r\n\r\nPeople fight inside corporations, in volunteer groups, in churches. It's just group dynamics.\r\n","author":"more rational","parent_id":99769,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-01-11 14:06:10","modified":"2004-01-11 14:06:10","fileurl":""}]}
![http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/ecr_hidden12-9-03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of an announcement post by Enemy Combatant \r\nRadio to sf.indymedia.org on 12\/9\/03 that was hidden immediately. As \r\nyou can see, indybay.org still pointed to sf.indymedia.org at the time \r\nbut one member of the sf.indymedia group (with no agreement even from \r\nthe people in his own group) had already locked the indybay.org group \r\nout of the shared site by taking away the admin passwords, leaving them \r\nwithout a website. For reference, Enemy Combatant Radio is a project \r\naffiliated with members of indybay.org.\r\n\r\nThis article was later unhidden after this post was made by a reader:\r\n\r\n]("http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/ecr_hidden12-9-03.jpg"){kind=link}
![http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/whispered_hidden_12_18_03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of an announcement post by Whispered Media to \r\nsf.indymedia.org on 12\/18\/03 that was immediately hidden. Whispered \r\nMedia is a video collective that has an office in the same suite as \r\nindybay.org.\r\n\r\n3.]("http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/whispered_hidden_12_18_03.jpg"){kind=link}
![http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/sfimcspam_12_24_03.jpg<\/a>\r\nThis is a screen capture of multiple spam made on the indybay.org \r\nnewswire on 12\/23\/03. The contents of those spams can be seen here:\r\n]("http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/images\/sfimcspam_12_24_03.jpg"){kind=link}