This Indymedia site has been designed to be as user-friendly as possible, while still attempting to manage a wealth of information, and some customization options.

The right-hand column lists the main sub-section pages of the site, as well as a frequently-updated list of the other Indymedia sites across the globe.

Users are encouraged to visit the login page, where they can create a user account that facilitates publishing and updating your own articles. ,

The center column is truly the centerpiece of the site. Our feature articles are produced or commissioned by our local citizen-journalists and IMC members, and offer quality journalism and opinion from the East-Central Illinois area.

The media gallery, highlighted at the top of the left-hand column, is our repository for photos, videos, and audio files uploaded to the site. When users have media to upload without accompanying text, from protest photos to flyer illustrations and PDF files, it goes to the media gallery. The gallery is broken down into categories, and can be searched by title, keyword, caption, or artist.

The newswire, displayed in the right-hand column, is the backbone of Indymedia. Articles found on the newswire are uploaded by users all over the world, and instantly displayed on the site. For our part, we have divided articles into "Local Interest" and "Elsewhere", so as to highlight local events and discussion.

We call it an "Open Newswire" because posting is open to anyone, even anonymously, and is published to the site without any editorial gateway. However, the open nature of our newswire must also be balanced with the need to keep it useful and useable to as many people as possible. The IMC's Tech and Steering Working Groups may be empowered to hide or remove posted articles when they violate our Website Appropriate Use Policy. Like all working groups, the meetings of Tech and Steering are open to everyone.

Finally, remember that the Indymedia site is here for you. We encourage you to upload your own stories, commentaries, and announcements that may be of use to the community. And you are further encourage to participate actively in the IMC group. Our meetings are open to the public, and announced on the site's calendar and on our volunteer info page.