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News :: Media |
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IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
Current rating: 0 |
by UC-IMC
(No verified email address) |
06 May 2005
Modified: 04:29:38 PM |
The downtown Urbana post office building is being transformed into a community media and arts center, with the post office services remaining at their current location. On Cinco de Mayo, the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC) closed on the purchase of the post office building as its new home.
The IMC will be holding a press conference on Monday, May 9th at high noon on the steps of post office building at 202 S. Broadway in Urbana. COME CELEBRATE WITH US! |
 Urbana Getting a Downtown Community Media & Arts Center |
"After three years of work we crossed the finish line - just in time for Radio Free Urbana to go on the air," said Mike Lehman who served on the negotiating team. WRFU 104.5 FM is scheduled to go on the air in mid-June.
The new building will also house an all-ages performance venue, artist studios and gallery, audio and video production facilities, a resource library, and community meeting space. The IMC will provide public access internet stations and free wireless connectivity in and around the building. The IMC is currently seeking tenants for its office and studio spaces.
The building boasts 30,000 square feet with a large 6,000 square foot space behind the post office lobby. "We invite the community to bring your vision, effort, and support to this new community owned and operated space," said Danielle Chynoweth, who was the chief negotiator for the purchase. "We will be holding open visioning sessions later this year to engage the community in plans for renovations." Chynoweth said the performance space may be open as early as this September.
The IMC will be listing this 91 year-old building on the Illinois Historic register. "This building is in great shape. We care about historic preservation and want the community to be able to enjoy this building for decades to come" said Chynoweth.
The IMC has raised $75,000 so far in private donations to purchase a building. "It's amazing. The community came forward to support us even before we found a building" said Sascha Meinrath, who heads the capital campaign. "Now that we have a beautiful downtown location, finishing our initial campaign should be easy." The IMC received no funds from the city and is 100% privately supported.
The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center is a grassroots, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization committed to using media production and distribution as tools for promoting social and economic justice. The UC-IMC acts as the fiscal sponsor of the global Indymedia network of over 150 independent media centers across 6 continents. Independent Media Centers empower people to "become the media" by providing democratic access to new technologies and information. IMC reporters are everyday citizens, covering the stories and events that matter to them. |
Related stories on this site:
Got Ideas for the New IMC Building? Get Involved!
| 
This work is in the public domain. |
Comments
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And Radio Free Urbana Has a Home! |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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Hey, we have a place to build a station!
This is your invitation to participate in other aspects of the IMC than RFU, if you would like do even more to help build the coolest thing happening south of the Arctic Circle!
The IMC Space group meets at 8pm every Wed. evening at the IMC. Until the end of May, this will be in our current space, but starting in June, we will be meeting at the historic old post office building, the new IMC! We anticipate lots to do and we need _your_ ideas and help to build on this great foundation.
This has removed the last obstacle to Radio Free Urbana going on the air later this summer. The more help we get, the sooner that will happen. In case you missed the other recent big news at RFU, most of our transmitting equipment has arrived. We are only waiting on the antenna in order to have everything we need to transmit. It is scheduled to be here next week.
We will be operating with a temporary antenna mount when we go on the air, probably about 50 foot high. Eventually we need to raise at least $5,000 to put up a permanent 100 foot tower to get the best coverage of both Urbana and Champaign.
In the studio department, we are still needy and the donations you make at this time will be going to these things that provide a signal to the transmitter and antenna. We have a awesome sound board that was donated, but we need inputs to plug into it. We need microphones, CD and minidisc players, turntables, and tape decks. If you would like to donate good working equipment or money, remember that WRFU is a project of the UC IMC and all donations are deductible to the extent provided by law.
You can find out everything you need to know about donating to WRFU at this link:
http://www.radiofreeurbana.org/donate.php
And you can find out everything you want to know about WRFU at:
http://www.radiofreeurbana.org/
And you can look at the IMC Feature article for info on how to go on the air at WRFU:
http://www.ucimc.org/feature/display/33999/index.php
You can also send us an email for more info and you're welcome to come to any WRFU meeting, which are every first and third Tuesday of the month at the IMC. Currently the IMC is at 218 West Main St. in Urbana, but as you know, we'll be moving soon. Our next meeting will be at our present location, on Tuesday, May 17. However, the first meeting in June, on Tuesday, June 7, will be at our new home, the historic old post office building, 202 S. Broadway.
When the IMC's performance space opens -- as soon as the end of the summer -- then WRFU will be able to transmit live shows, which is something to really look forward to in this music-crazy, band-incubating community! Those interested in volunteering to help put on music and other performances at the IMC are encouraged to contact the IMC Shows group. You can find out how to hook up with any group at the IMC at this link:
http://www.ucimc.org/mod/info/display/volunteer/
Or click on the Volunteer button on the bar at the top of any UC IMC webpage.
Stay tuned for much more, from WRFU and the IMC! |
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Thanks, Darrin Drda! |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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Big thanks to Darrin Drda for creating the tastefully subversive graphic for this Feature! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Zach Miller
zach (nospam) chambana.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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There are lots of pictures here:
http://gallery.chambana.net/photos/urbanapo/ |
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Powerpoint of Photos |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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 POTour.ppt (3720 k) |
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This file has photos of the old post office building. |
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Post Office Photo Gallery |
by ben grosser
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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I have an extensive gallery of photographs of the exterior and interior of the Urbana Post Office here:
http://www.bengrosser.com/photo/postoffice/
The gallery also includes a few panoramas of the major interior spaces on the first floor and a QTVR as well. |
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BTW, Thanks! with More to Come! |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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The IMC has an enormously long list of people to thank for their aid in making this project possible -- Capital Campaign contributors, IMC members who helped fundraise and worked on other parts of the project, a number of community professionals who offered services at reduced rates -- the list is a lengthy one.
There will be various celebrations, tours, orientations, and opportunities to get involved as we make the move to the new building. We'll thank everyone who has helped at various times and places individually, but for now we thank you for keeping faith in what seemed like an impossible -- but incrediblely worth doing -- project.
And we invite your continued participation in one of the most exciting community projects in the United States! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by th0rn
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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This is the greatest thing to happen to UCIMC and WRFU, ever! My deepest congratulations! I've been away from Cham-bana for a while now, but am so, so proud and joyful for you all, and for central IL. Wow, I'm just elated right now after finding this article.
To the core team at the IMC, the CUWiN team, and the hard-working Prog's on the city council, I say thank you, thank you, thank you! You are such an asset to Urbana, and provide limitless inspiration and support to all of ThePeople in Champaign County, and nationwide.
You are a concrete and current example of exactly how organized and persistent Prog's can actually get things done, and change a town and society, for the better!
New alt radio on the air this summer to challenge WEFT's stagnation and bureaucracy is also real progress. Onward and upward, your selfless hard work is paying off, and we are all the beneficiaries.
Thank you! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by ben e
howlowcanapunkget hotmail com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
06 May 2005
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this is INCREDIBLY exciting. i almost dont believe it. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by picky picky
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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it is not "The IMC" it is "The UC-IMC" |
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$75,000 |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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just a short note: with $75,000 the global imc tech network could run more then 100 IMC Websites for two years. (using a hole server rack including traffic for, lets say, 3k/month) |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by rporter
rporter (nospam) newtonbigelow.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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This is a fantastic accomplishment. Congratulations to everyone in the community who helped make this happen! |
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Re: $75,000 |
by sandra
spiritofsandra (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Good point. There is a lot that could be done with $75,000. As soon as someone starts raising funds to get more than 100 new IMC sites up and running... I'll consider donating and raising funds for that effort. But that is NOT what these funds were raised for. This community wanted the IMC to have a home and not be subject to the whims of local government, landlords, etc. We wanted permanence and we wanted our investment in building funds -- not to go down the drain toward rent -- but to be an investment in the indy media movment and an investment in our community. I am so proud of the people who made this happen. So happy to be a part of this community. |
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Re: WRFU |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Hey th0rn,
We're working hard to build alternative media, otherwise we would not have taken on this project or WRFU. I'm glad you and others see the value in that.
I would disagree with your statement that we started WRFU "to challenge WEFT's stagnation and bureaucracy..." WEFT is an insitution we want to see thrive. Any organization that has been around as long as WEFT has been knows what it does well and works to make it keep happening.
The real problem is too much of the public's airwaves are devoted to a tired model of corporate control. There are something like 40 radio stations available in this market and 90%+ are nothing but cookie-cutter duplicates of mostly stale formats that advertisers like and the public just has to consume, without any opportunity to offer input.
In starting WRFU, our goal was to add to the so far tiny segment of the public's airwaves that the public actually has input on. We purposely organized WRFU to complement and not compete -- which you'll have to admit is another all too lame corporate model that is unfortunately all too pervasive for the public good -- with WEFT. We intend to expand the pool of volunteers interested in doing radio in the community, which we feel will benefit, not just WEFT and other local public media, but community radio outside our own locale, because so many UI students who participate in the independent media here go on to other places where they spark similar efforts into being.
Some of our members have experience at WEFT, nearly everyone I'm aware of at WEFT are supportive of doubling the amount of community radio in Urbana-Champaign, and WEFT is a member of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, which is very supportive of LPFM. We hope that WRFU will bring new blood and new ideas to radio, but we're really not doing it because we think that WEFT is stale.
Nonetheless, I appreciate your enthusiasm and if you're ever back in town, stop by and see us in our new home. |
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Re: $75,000 |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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The efforts of our IMC to aid and expand the global Indymedia network have been extensive and are on-going. I would challenge "someone" to document what s/he has done to aid the global Indymedia network before s/he starts dissing the work we do, either to aid the network or in our own community.
Here is a very short list of some of the projects that UC IMC has worked on.
Some of the accomplishments of the UC-IMC in its 4 and a half years
include:
- sponsoring the first independent newspaper in Baghdad after U.S.
occupation began.
- receiving a $250,000 grant from the Open Society Institute to develop a
model community wireless network.
- sponsoring the Computer Underground Railroad Project sending 8 metric
tons of computers to South America.
- Hosting Grrrlfest - a festival of workshops by and for girls and women.
- Raising $4000 to help establish an IMC in Nigeria.
As Sandra noted, nothing is stopping you from stepping up to the plate and putting your money where your mouth is. We look forward to you taking the initiative on this in the near future. Please feel free to contact us for support and advice on how to run a successful fundrasing campaign. We'd be glad to pass on what we've learned.
I am certain we would consider housing the servers that result here, if you need a place to put them -- we certainly will have the brick-and-mortar infrastructure needed for such a worthy project -- and I'm sure you could get several of our working groups interested in working on such a project.
To make your project a success, you should especially keep in mind the concept that makes our IMC so successful in our community and in efforts to aid the IMC network -- those who organize to do the work are granted the autonomy to make the decisions. We await your initiative, because we don't want to step on your autonomy. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone else
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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"The efforts of our IMC to aid and expand the global Indymedia network have been extensive and are on-going."
Then how come most of the global indymedia network hates your guts?
Anyway, congratulations with your new frat house, it's nice to know there's a place where american college students can smoke pot and pretend to be radicals while writing features about the green party. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by curious
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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How did you get the price down to 215,000-- seems like a steal for the price- was it on the market or did you have some insider in the city "negotiate" the deal for you??? |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by curious also
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Is this another property in downtown Urbana that will give Urbana no revenue--property or sales tax? |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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" The efforts of our IMC to aid and expand the global Indymedia
network have been extensive and are on-going. I would
challenge "someone" to document what s/he has done to aid the global Indymedia network before s/he starts dissing the work we do, either to aid the network or in our own community."
i would not be pissed of, if i am not doing indy stuff since years. And actually "money" is the only thing UC-IMC ever did "for" the imc network.
And to make it more clear: money is the LAST thing you need in the imc network. can you kids count the other things ???
there are allot of things i could criticizes about the uc-imc - or to say in more diplomatic - there are allot of imported differences about uc-imc and the other imc's i know.
for me, you did not fit to what i understand under a IMC. |
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touche' |
by just another IMCista
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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some people "pretend to be radicals" by spending most of their time anonymously sniping at the positive results from the hard work of others.
the UC IMC, among other things, continues to help other IMCs do their work and, in the spirit of the Indymedia principles, we spend zero time and effort on telling you how to run your IMC -- assuming you're even active in an IMC. |
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Re: THANKS GREEN PARTY, SOROS FUNDATION, FORD FUNDATION AND ALL THAT JAZZ... |
by ANGRY IMCISTA
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Those "private donations" sounds SO DIRTY to me. Big fundations and the green party for sure...
STOP PROPAGANDA OF THE GREEN PARTY AT INDYMEDIA.
Indymedia is not for parties propaganda !!!
In your words:
"The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center is a grassroots, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization committed to using media production and distribution as tools for promoting social and economic justice."
Where fits the green party there ?!!?!? |
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The woodwork squeaks and out come the trolls... |
by La Ley
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Good news for the UCIMC always brings out the trolls' campaign of whining and negativism:
"Then how come most of the global indymedia network hates your guts?"
"... did you have some insider in the city "negotiate" the deal for you???"
"Is this another property in downtown Urbana that will give Urbana no revenue--property or sales tax?"
"there are allot of things i could criticizes about the uc-imc - or to say in more diplomatic - there are allot of imported differences about uc-imc and the other imc's i know."
Note that NONE of these trolls supports their claims or expands on their points of view, as usual. Bendito, me da mucha pena.
Anyway, congratulations to the UCIMC on their new home! I look forward to working with you in your new location, the Urbana Post Office! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by joe from Arkansas IMC
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Word Up UCIMC. Congrats on your space hope yall utilize it well and it sounds like it will be. Every IMC deserves a space. Our little closet in Arkansas has made a huge difference for us.
BTW I didn't see any green party banners in the pictures of their new space.
Imagine tours of the city pointing out the anti-authoritarian historic post office where all the weirdos are always congregating. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by colin
mustsocial (nospam) yahoo.co.uk (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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regardless of any questionable funders here, this sounds really fookin visionary and having it.
good luck!!
we have a similar venue in central manchester, UK. if you have any questions as to how we run as a volunteer co-op or organise, or fund ourselvs or whatever, please contact us.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2004/12/302692.html
we have a vegan, organic, fair-trade, local, la, la, la, cafe, a radical bookshop, free internet access and open source sortware, infoshop, exhibition space, meeting/events/workshop space and radical library.
loads of local campaign, community and arts groups use the facilities. it's really uniting the grassroots a little in this city and is wonderful for networking. |
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Proving Things |
by Dose of Reality
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Well, we must be doing something effective. I see it looks like we have drawn the ire of both our local right-wing trolls and the seamier, I'm-a-holier-radical-than-thou-art trolls off the IMC network.
I pronounce this a success.
UC IMC doing pragmatic and effective work like this makes me proud to be a UC IMC member. We're all really starting to see the payoff of nearly five yers of hard work in terms of expanding the reach of Indymedia in our community. I have always wanted to contribute both time and resources to an organization like this, which spends most of its effort walking the talk and building the progressive community, without insisting that everyone wear the same set of blinders.
Then there are the purest of the pure who insist on promoting fractionalism and endless pointless navel gazing. There are somehow always a number of different groups around in some communities and _appearing_ to be rather thick on the internet, which leads me to think that they should have been able to figure out by now that everyone on the left doesn't have to pop out of the same mold as they are, since there are so many who think they have the ears of the gods.
Fortunately, the more good IMCs there are like this, the more unity and power progressives have. Our power is in our diversity. colin from Manchester and Joe from Arkansas are absolutely right about how important a sustainable space is for building communities up. That is what has made UC IMC what it is today, along with an inclusive vision of what the left is. We fully intend the new IMC to be permanently sustainable, which is why we needed to buy a building. It made no sense to allow landlords to profit off the resources people donate to sustain our space, when we could eventually own it ourselves.
The point of the Indymedia movement is to constructively serve the progressive community. That is what UC IMC does, as do most other IMCs. It is done most successfully in the cases where Indymedia is mostly about service and least well where it degenerates into creating a new party line of some supposed indymedia-sort.
And for people who are new to Indymedia, there are trolls who lurk here. They seem to do a lot of complaining, but they never show up for face to face meetings, for some reason, to discuss the issues they seem to think are so crucial. We do most of our work there and people whose comments disappear like that into the vapor of the internet are worth what they are printed on -- nothing.
However, we welcome your active participation if you see something here that should be changed in what we do and how we do it. We're not adverse to valid criticism, but most of us do not consider a troll a valid critic.
BTW, I am not a Capital Campaign worker, but I know the money was raised in the local community. There is no foundation money involved in the Capital Campaign nor are any public funds involved. In fact, as has been noted elsewhere, we are keeping the public's original investment in the building out of the private sector -- everyone knows under Bush they've got a big enough cashcow available to them already. Neither have we requested anything from the city, other than the usual assessment they give any prospective building owner about whether or not it is suitable for the uses we intend for it. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Peter
openlife3 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Think that this is a great step to creating a living alternative to town hall, corporate controlled living. Thanks so much for such a great effort. |
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Straightforward, Arm's-Length, Business Deal |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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People are welcome to ask at the Monday press conference about the acquisition's history. It was a straight-forward, arm's-length business deal.
The IMC has been looking for a permanent home for threee years now, after deciding to do so and beginning fundraising for it. We looked at a number of buildings in the community, pursued several seriously, and ended up with the project you see now.
The building was first offered as surplus to the city of Urbana and other eligible local agencies some years ago when the new post office was being built on the east edge of town. No one was interested in taking it on as a community center or for other recycled uses then, but the community wanted to keep the post office to serve downtown. This was prior to the IMC looking for a building and we're not even sure if we would have been eligible for one of those $1 deals or even if it would have been a good idea to do it if it had been available to us under those terms.
Then it went on the open real-estate market, after the government bodies and eligible non-profits declined it. We first started thinking about it then after we noticed the for sale signs, because we had just started getting serious about looking for a building. However, it really seemed like a dream project too big for us to achieve.
But then we thought a little harder about it and decided, let's see what is up with it? Word around town was that they had several offers to buy it. Still, thinking maybe we were out of luck, we started digging and found out which office at the national level was responsible for PO property sales. That was three years ago. There were intermittent contacts after we initially expressed our interest in buying the building to them, but it never seemed to go anywhere.
We continued looking throughout Champaign and Urbana for an adequate building at the right price, because we thought we would likely find another building to suit our needs long before the wheels of bureaucracy would finally get back to us that they were interested.
After a previous attempt last fall to secure a more adequate temporary space fell through at another location in downtown Urbana, we began more intensive work to find a building, because we just couldn't stay in our present too small location much longer. We'd reached a consensus that we'd simply outgrown it and we were ready for the leap to the responsibility of owning a building because of our successful Capital Campaign.
We reiterated our interest to several people in the local real estate market without much luck. We intensified contacts with the PO. We also viewed several other local buildings, because the membership felt we needed a permanent home ASAP, instead of another temp place, but still did not find what we needed.
Around the begining of the year, things finally got serious, and month's of hard work since to both ensure the building would meet our needs and we could meet the needs of the post office culminated in the closing last Thursday. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone else
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Sure, IMC is doing something excellent, and this is the destroying of really progressive ideas. The Designing of Society Without Wars got its building bulldozed, and IMC got the great building practically free. There are no idiots. Everything costs money, and 30 silver pieces are now equal to $300.000.00 for property tax free building. Congratulations, achievers! Curious, however, do this bloody money smell the same as other, or not? |
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^^^^^ Ah, Trolls ^^^^^ |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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They're incoherent, illogical, and subject to subjecting the reader to bizarre delusions. |
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Taxes |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Our new building may or may not be fully tax-exempt, depending on a number of complex factors and the final decisions on what uses all parts of it are going to be put to. At any rate, nobody will be losing anything, because the post office has never paid taxes on it at all.
We intend to consult closely with the tax assesser's office to determine which uses of the building are tax-exempt and which uses may be subject to tax. The last thing we plan on doing is pulling the wool over anyone's eyes about anything that is taxable like certain other well known local institutions have been.
It may be that the post office building will generate some property tax. The IMC, despite being a tax-exempt organization, already contributes sales tax on items we sell at the IMC, like snacks, media supplies, etc, although I have to tell you this doesn't amount to very much.
One thing is certain. We do things legally in general, because we know the scrutiny we draw from certain quarters. We'll be paying any taxes we legitimately owe. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by IMCista
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Whether or not the IMC pays taxes on it's new building, it does help generate tax revenue, as well income for small businesses in downtown Urbana, by being a destination that people are drawn to. I remember hearing about an estimate that was done that indicated that the IMC was bringing in more than a 1,000 trips a week by people to downtown. Lots of those people stop elsewhere in downtown and spend money. Having the IMC stay in downtown Urbana is important to its stability _and_ growth. And I am a student without a car and the new PO is so far away, so having the PO stay is also very important for me and others. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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This is terrific news. Especially since it gives UCIMC the opportunity to reopen an all-ages venue.
@%< |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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yeah, sure, it is easy to mark us as trolls. me and "someone else" are doing (tech) work for IMC since more then three years - so we know what we are talking about.
you never understood the "other" way the imc network goes, you might call it "radical", i just call it "needed" to be independent.
You claim that you will continue your work. yeah sure, since you have raised so much money, you are responsible for it. That your "members" can see that something "useful" got done with that money. i cant remember the
You sell out your independency. You are going to be more a NGO then a IMC. |
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^^^^^ Still Waiting ^^^^^ |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Lots of people are still waiting for you to post the url or email of your new $75,000 server project, someone.
We'd be glad to pitch in and help, if you promise not to be such a defeatist. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by chekov
chekov (nospam) indymedia.ie (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Well done folks - great news. BTW, from an Irish point of view, we were very impressed by your level or organisation when a couple of you came here last year. Thus, the references to what others in the network think of you are inaccurate in our case at least and I'd guess that your troll is just that - we all have them. An anonymous internet troll who claims to be an IMC tech volunteer is not much to worry about. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Born to the Tribe
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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I don't want to shock anyone, but I say "bravo" to IMC members and volunteers -- and donors. Fairness suggests that everyone, no matter their politics, admire an effort characterized by vision, determination, and success. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by bunny rabbit
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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sooo... thanks a lot, really...
its fun to lose indymedia in hands of capitalists |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by dan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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AMAZING. Congrats from nyc |
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Re: $75k |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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its around $7-10k what is currently available on the global donation account. imc-tech did not touched this money since month, since we know that people from the south could get in situation where they really need the money.
to setup a server you usually need a monthly fee of 200-300 Dollar + $1k for a good new server. thats the "normal" way to get a box online.
most imc us there contacts, old hardware and slow boxes since they can even collect the $1k for a new server. currently we try to setup a request tracker and can't find a proper box who will work as tool for the global communication.
even so, there is a bigger server setup running, which even you should know, since you supported this one "letter" together with the EFF. yeah right. this fbi thing.
so, please, count the other things beside the money.
there are reasons why most of the IMCs do not organize themselves in such a way as uc-imc does. they don't want to have any kind of power. let the articles, images and radio speak, let the IMCistas be the power - not the organization behind it.
i hope the reader slowly get a image of the "other way" the imc network is working.
yeah sure, i'm just a troll....
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
regular reader is still believing i am a troll. and sure, you want to know who we are, since you have lost all the contacts to the global network. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
07 May 2005
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Some of the compaints here have moved me to poetry. Here's my verse:
An anonymous diss
Ain't worth piss
Thank you very much
@%< |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Babs
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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I'm still trying to figure out how buying a building is the death knell for all that is progressive. Renting is not some great progressive act. One does it when one has to, but I hardly feel that my friends who are homeowners are any less progressive because they bought a house.
I think someone would be having a beef with the IMC no matter what.
Anyway, I think this is super cool and groovy and I'm really excited. Congrats to everybody for making it happen! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Josh from NYC
breitbart (nospam) indymedia.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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Congratulations! The UC-IMC is an amazing asset to the Indymedia network, from hosting the Midwest regional gathering in 2001 to helping launch a pirate radio station in Soweto in 2004. This building will provide an even stronger base from which to that kind of work. I don't think every IMC should (or could) be like UC, but we gain strength from our diversity of tactics.
I look forward to visiting the new building and working with you all well into the future. |
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For someone |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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My apologies for mistaking you for a troll. That's easy to do when things start with a dissimissive diss on the work of our IMC.
I am actually quite happy that you are serious about the need to build IMC infrastructure. I am not on any of the global IMC lists, so I am not familiar with your needs. However, I and others here would be supportive of aiding a proposal to add more servers, if that is the need.
To do that will take money. And money is a divisive thing sometimes at Indymedia. Although I am not on the global lists, as I noted, I have heard through the grapevine about the discussions money has prompted in the past.
My view, and that of most of the volunteers here at UC IMC, is that money is a tool. As such, it is amoral. A hammer can be used to either pound a nail in or to smash someone's head. Any morality or immorality associated with money is strictly in how people use it. Thus, I personally disagree that money is somehow inherently corrupting.
For instance, your original comment seems to have been prompted because of the amount of money needed by us to buy a building. Yet you also talk of a need for money to do your own work, just on a smaller scale. Are we very corrupt and you just a little, because of the differences in the amount of money involved? I don't think so. I know we are not and I would guess you are not corrupt either
However people may feel about the wisdom of our buying a building, this was a decision made by our IMC that reflects the local conditions for growing the IMC in our community. On the other hand, as was noted in another post above, UC IMC has always done anything we could to help other IMCs do what they feel is needed to address their local needs.
I am certain that a proposal to raise some seriously large cash to expand Indymedia's server resources would meet with enthusiastic support here. When our new performance space opens, I can see benefits being held to raise funds for it. I would hope that many other IMCs would support such a proposal also. You should go ahead with some such proposal and let us know how we can help. I am just a seriously underpaid grad student, but I would open my checkbook to help to help build the global Indymedia network, just as I did so to help us buy our building. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone else
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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What else but the symbol of the great dishonesty and betrayal could be the "leftist opposition media organization", which is receiving practically FREE from the right radical (currently) federal government such big thing as this building? Every other organization of IMC all over the world should consider this current "achievement" of UCIMC just the way it deserves. The same way should be treated the main leaders of this "achievement". |
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Don't feed the... |
by La Ley
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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Well, Regular Reader, did you learn your lesson this time? "Someone" and "Someone Else" ARE trolls, and there's no since in feeding them since they'll only bite your hand. One of them is a familar fixture on this website, having written under several aliases. Know your trolls, and ignore them! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Someone else
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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The Truth is the highest destroyer for the organization -the symbol of dishonesty. So, everybody, who is writing a truth on this board is called "troll". At last their definition of trolls is clear. Is it what you meant? |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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I would work on it. I would squeeze any desire to tell or to persuade ANY truth from my system, and then I would be not called troll and would be ALLOWED to post on this board. I am starting to work on myself immediately. Traitors and liars, I am already yours in spirit!! |
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You're Half Right |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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I have to agree that "someone else" is a likely a person we've all heard similar disjointed rants from before here. Hopefully she'll go back on her meds and leave us alone like she has for the past week or so. You'll notice I _am_ ignoring her.
I personally think someone is a legitimate poster now -- at least the one I originally got off on the wrong foot with. What makes for credibility in my eyes is whether or not someone is working to build up Indymedia. I think that we are doing so at UC IMC and his speaking to the need to build up Indymedia network infrastructure is something I and many others here will be suppotive of; any someone who wants to do that has my support.
We had a disagreement on what the best way to do that is, but now we're at least in a productive dialogue. Indymedia is a tactic that depends on multiple approaches. We have to learn to accept that there will be a diversity of tactics. Some of us will not be comfortable with some tactics. I am OK with people saying so, but it just seems really counterproductive to me to spend much energy on trying to claim there is some sort of Indymedia party line -- there isn't one, with a very few exceptions, those in the Indymedia principles of unity, which can be legitimately interpreted several different ways, at least. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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Regular reader, I am happy that you placed your trust in my attempts to squeeze every bit of honesty from my nature and behavior. Maybe, other Indy centers would be able to succeed in it too (or successfully forced to do so), as only then they would continue to cooperate with you after this incredible "achievement". So, I wish you and your succeeded in the "achievement" leader(s) the luck you and they, certainly, would need. But what if there are enough stubborn person(s) who still continue to respect truth, honesty and integrity? Would you be able to place all of them on corresponding meds? Difficult task, isn't it?
Regards. |
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Oh Please |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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someone,
I do not think you have demonstarted in any form your charge that somehow the UC IMC has failed "to respect truth, honesty and integrity." Maybe that's your opinion, but so far the only evidence you've offered has been that you think we should have bought the network serversyou want instead or before buying a building. You're trying to establishing a false, after the fact dichotomy between your needs and our building and it just isn't a logical or persuasive argument.
The question of the need for an IMC building here was a local decision. UC IMC has done a fair share of the work and made significant contributions to support the Indymedia network, probably more than many IMCs. We intend to keep devoting part of the very powerful energy we have here to doing just that. If you don't want our help on your project, then you don't have to take it. There is plenty of work to be done in Indymedia and our help and solidarity is welcome in many places where it has been instrumental in helping IMCs in locations in the US and other countries.
One of them might even be yours, but since you're so shy about what your supposed level of involvment is and where, I guess you've decided it would better go unmentioned. But if you're just going to come here whining about how we do our work and refusing a genuine offer of assistance on the pretext that we are somehow not morally pure enough to be a "real" IMC, then you'll likely be right back in my troll book real soon, because that is all you will have contributed to this conversation, despite my hopes that it could go in a more productive direction for everyone.
Indymedia allows anonymous posting here, but our Indymedia and others have learned not to take too seriously anonymous complaints without the cedibility of a known personality associated with them. Indymedia has plenty of enemies who think they can disrupt our work by pretending to be "some anonymous Indymeida volunteer" but it just doesn't work. That is if you have anything serious to say that amounts to anything of real significance. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by community member
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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congratulation to the Urbana IMC for having the wherewithall to purchase such beautiful property as the the Urbana post office. I hope that the center will begin to see themselves as a group that facilitates communication access for all kind of population, not only those which propagate their own ideology. If you will take the time to notice the demographics of those you generally populate the center it will become obvious that people of all races and ethnicities do not feel that the goals of the indy media center include their priorities. Perhaps, now their might be thought given to a politics and policy of inclusion. I believe that it should be the mission of the Urbana IMC to look into why this indy media center does not facilitate a sence of safety and democracy, so that people of color and other minority groups may call this place their own, also.
Anyhow, there is no denying that buying the post-office is a great show of success....I congratulate all the effort that went into it. Perhaps now people will spend some time understanding why only certain populations want to participate in this forum of participatory media |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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lol, seems like uc-imc has some problems with trolls. the last posting from me was the one with all the VVVVVVVVVVVVVV at the end. sorry for confusing, and yes, this is not the right way to make these kinds of communications.
i would like to have some discussion about using money in the network - and the other way uc-imc is going. there is always the imc-communication list. i'm on the list, so feel free to post and i might answer. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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Regular reader, are you implying that you require me to reveal the person under my pen name? Other way, I and someone else submitted more than enough factual information, don't we? So, if you insist on this requirement then you-first, then, maybe, La Ley, Dose_of_Reality, etc.. So, just after ALL supportive to IMC proceeding authors on this web would reveal their pen names, their opponents, I included, would start to do the same. The moral issue with IMC for now is very obvious as I, someone else, and a lot of others on this web have already described in details. So, if you want more specifications, start to reveal your identities. Good luck in these activities. |
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Trolls Make Real Communication Difficult |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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someone,
Nope, I don't need anyone's identity, only pointing out that anonymous trolling doesn't rate very high on the opinions and ideas that people give credence to when making decisions on Indymedia.
On email lists, the problem of people faking idenities, like it now seems is going on here, is less so people can trust in the fact that are at least talking to the same person all the time.
Face to face is the way we do most of our work here at UC IMC and this is one of our strengths. The opinions of the trolls are completely disregarded in such situations, so they're just wasting their time here if they think their complaining is worth their trouble in posting it.
I do hope you carry forward with your proposal to raise significant funding for servers. I occassionaly read the global list, but don't have time to really participate there. We do have people on the global lists and if they bring such a proposal back to us asking for approval for a global effort on this, I am sure it would get support at UC IMC. |
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Try It Live and In Person |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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community member,
Yes, it's obvious that you are not a part of our community. Either you've never actually been to the IMC or you're just making up some BS.
As an organization, there is always room for improvement, but if you haven't seen people of color particpating, it's only because you've never actually been there. For instance, Radio Free Urbana is shaping up to be a very diverse station. So far, about half the people who have expressed interest in going on the air are from some sort of minority.
And what makes you think that the color of a person's skin has ANYTHING to do with the "ideology" that they might have? That sounds a lot like something one of our trolls would say. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by La Ley
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
08 May 2005
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By now, it should be clear that there are least two "someones" posting under the same name. Regular reader, I recommend that you take up the suggestion of the legitimate somone and move the conversation to the mailing list or somewhere out of the line of fire. That way, we won't be saying inappropriate things to the wrong one. I apologize to the someone who is interested in setting up computer servers--you can understand the confusion, right? As for the other one, the troll, the one who wants to know my identity, you should know who I am by now, but just in case you don't, I'll reveal that information at an appropriate time and place in the near future. Stay tuned.
Moving on, I'd like to seriously address "community member's" concerns, because he or she does have a point. Racial and ethnic minorities have been generally underrepresented in the IMC events and projects in which I've participated. (Women have been well-represented, often taking on the lion's share of the responsibilities and decision-making roles, but again, I can only speak about the groups I've been involved with.) I don't think it's a matter of elitism or racism--I think it's a matter of communicating effectively to the entire community that these resources are out there for them to use. I will be making a personal effort to reach out to other groups, and I hope that other IMC members do the same. New IMC projects like WRFU will be an excellent opportunity to get new people in at the beginning. I'd personally like to see 90% minority participation and 50% non-English language programming :-) |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by La Ley
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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Hello Anna,
“Other imc members state that ucimc should have purchased its own server, because they are not presenting Indy media ideology and, on the contrary, are supporting federal government leading conservative ideologies.”
I haven’t read where any IMC member has said that the UCIMC should have purchased its own server—I believe that they are already using a local server. One person did say that the $75,000 should have been used to purchase servers so that other IMC’s have computer space, and I believe that the person who made this suggestion will help work towards raising money for that goal.
“The building, which they got almost free from federal government, like for their services, is the proof of it.”
The government wasn’t able to GIVE the building away to local government, so it was put on the market at a fair price. So how exactly is the purchase of this building demonstrating support for the federal government’s conservative ideologies?
“As the response, the imc supporters on this web are complaining that they are having a lot of trolls, which means, actually, that they are hated by the local community.”
Two or three anonymous people who do nothing but whine, and who don’t even have the courage to back up their convictions post some negative comments and that translates into “they are hated by the local community?” Hated by you and one or two others, maybe, but not by the entire community.
“It seems that this hatred is well deserved, isn't it? Yes, it seems that Danielle Chynoveth, who , according to the articles, is the main person responsible, has fully isolated ucimc from its original purposes and goals.”
Don’t forget to mention Hillary Clinton. Maybe she pulled some strings with the federal government to sell the building to Danielle and her co-conspirators.
“ucimc should buy their own server, rename their news paper, and rename themselves. Other way, they are simply stealing INDY media money, and destroying its image, and should be made fully responsible for what they have done.”
Oh I’m sure that the UCIMC is willing to take full responsibility for what they have done, amargada infeliz. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Thom Pain
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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Okay, I've been reading all this crap for a while for a while now, whether _some_ people are trolls or not is irrelevant and a waste of time. Regardless if it is true or not, some criticisms are fair. I am a UCIMC member and I also hold some of them.
1. Yes the UCIMC has an incredibly over-representation of the white-middleclass-college crowd, no doubt. And, amongst many of the local minority community it is viewed with a certain amount of suspicion because of this. But, with good reason, honestly many _left_ orgs (Green, Marxist, Autonomist, Anarchist, etc...) are.... because of paternalistic tendencies more than racial demographics. And, the UCIMC is no different in that respect andI think this should be seriously addressed.
2. I am an anarchist myself and I definately would not call the UCIMC a left, let alone _radical_, org. Liberal, _Progessive_, whatever that means, okay.... but, that's about it. Why should that be a surprise.... this is a small town in middle america!!! not a red state, but close. Are there some _leftists_, or _radicals_ involved? Sure, but few. Let's be realistic here.... there is little radical presencehere in the community, and to it's credit the UCIMC is horizontal enough to represent to represent its membership in that respect. Would I like to see a more _radical/left_ presence? Absolutely, but for that to happen we need new blood in this community. So... does this mean that someone like myself should not be involved? No. It means that I should do what I can with what we got and try to press for more. The IMC network should never be a _vangaurd_ and to those how have the _more radical than thou_ attitude that's what you sound like. Are you Trots?
3. As to the building. I wish you could squat in this town because I would be one of the first to do it. But, like most of amerikkka the reality is that _property rules_ and squatting in a town like this would only mean squatting in a jail cell. So what is the alternative? Renting from a capitalist? Being homeless?
So that said.... 218k is not _almost free_ if you've got it yourself use it. Yes, if what you mean by _big donors_ is a bank, there is a mortgage.... the 75k WAS raised within the local community through small donations and a loan covered the rest. This is no small feat actually, especially in a town like this. Sure reservations myself about what this building will become now, an new clubhouse is not part of my belief, but that is largely dependent on the local community. Hopefully this can be a permanent autonomous zone where exciting, challenging, creative, and more radical inititiatives than the UCIMC can grow. I don't know.... I can't predict the future. I do have a few ideas myself that I want to try, but I am absolutely adamant that they must be self-mamaged and autonomous from the IMC, or else they will not work mostly because the IMC is having some issues with horizontalism vs. hierarchy right now but then what org doesn't? These are issues even the most staunchly anarchist orgs must contend with.
Well, I've Said enough.... Food for thought????? |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by 2 cents
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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This is not meant to be critical of anyone's postings, but it seems to me that if Anna has been banned from the site, then it's only reasonable that folks don't respond to posts she slips in here.
I also don't want to blithely characterize another human being whom I haven't met, but in the end it just doesn't seem very kind to argue with her. No one is going to change her views or attitude toward UCIMC.
If you were walking down the street and someone came up and started to berate you, you would either walk away or gently absorb their fury until they were spent or you'd had enough. That would be the kind thing to do.
Why should it be different on the web? |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by someone
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
|
thanks to Thom Pain for the (background info's) these kind of informations are very imported for the network. to understand the decisions of uc-imc
again: please lets continue this discussion on imc-communication!!!
http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-communication
and please: you have to understand that the network has some kind of "scared" view of UC-IMC. Most people have to focus much more serious problems then "having a own place for 75k". These people (like me) see that you could have made much more with this money.
you are focused on your local issues, but this is a global network. and so much "imc labled" money has so much power that it becomes a global issue from itself.
sure, its your money, and these are your local issues - but no imc ever had so much money, and no imc ever organized them-self in such a way. this scares the global network and the people who are fighting against this "cooperated business logic".
and again: there are reasons why most imc decided to NOT have so much money, even they could.
your welcome on the global lists - and you should take care of the global view of your imc. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by La Ley
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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Hello, 2 cents. I agree with you in principle. However, Anna keeps PRETENDING to be be someone else so that her posts are not deleted. ML is doing his best to identify and delete them, but unfortunately, I replied to her last one before it was deleted. I don't think that any of my replies were unrelated to anything she had written, except perhaps for the sarcastic Hillary Clinton comment. By the way, I DO know Anna, so she is not a stranger to me. Nonetheless, I will try to restrain myself from replying to her comments next time. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
|
As has been noted several times, UCIMC is deeply involved with global IMC matters _as well as_ local matters, and I believe it has by any standard done more for the global network than any other American community of this size, and more than some quite large communities. And if it is decided that there should be a global fundraising effort, I'd expect UCIMC to continue to do more than its share.
@%< |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by thom pain
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
|
Someone--
Your crit of cooperated buisiness logic is a good point. I am very wary of this myself and my bullshit detector will be looking out for it. Although, I am pragmatic as well.... I realize that I and a few others are only a minority, but.... The UCIMC could definately use a lot more self-criticism, and there are a whole host of things that I intend to bring up myself, and I know others have talked to me about even more. Hopefully positive things and growth will come out of such a process.
Also, I understand the global's reticence about the UCIMC and I am sure such a decision only accentuates that. And, that the 75k could be a huge boon for the global network. In addition, my crit here, UCIMC could use a bit more modesty in it's relations and develop more direct solidarity with social movements around the world like other IMC's do. But then, in my humble opinion, one of the reason for this is we lack a real "social movement" locally. Hopefully, the space will be a zone where this could happen. Imagine if something like say an IWW, autonomous worker collectives, an autonomous group of the un/underemployed who could start organizing and mobilizing locally out of the space... (I know this might be too idealistic, but we gain more by trying than doing nothing) and start making the direct connections between the struggles for "sociality" in other countries and the struggle for the very same (housing, living wages, health care, peace, self-determination, direct democracy, rights, etc..) that needs to occur in our backyard because many of us lack those very things here, myself for example. Granted the conditions here are still not as acute as in the developing world, but many of those same problems do exist here. It is my opinion that some of the Euro/North American activists, including IMCstas, often lose focus of what's happening in thier own backyard because they are often looking too far afield too often. Latin American grassroots activists that I have met, by and large, often are more aware of what's really happening in the US to the working class and poor than our own.... and, usually thier number one suggestion is that we need to start organizing here as the most effective way of helping them, since, if the empire has to worry about domestic movements it will have less resources to impede them. (Belly of the beast you might say) Otherwise, they're saying.... "we're already doing something to try and take care of ourselves and our problems, maybe it's about time you should start paying attention to some of your own." I'd say I've come to agree with this position.
Yes, those of us with more resources should to assist those with less as much as we can, without a doubt, but those with less be the ones who determine the level, the terms/conditions, and the goals.... or else the relationship can potentially become more one of patronage, dependence, and a "kinder gentler" neo-colonialism than one of solidarity and autonomy. (This is a very difficult and treacherous road to walk on) Which even with altruistic intent both outcomes are a possibility.
I admit that I am not fully knowledgeable about the workings of the global network.... and to be honest, for better or worse I'm not sure I've got enough free time to take that level of involvement one right now. And, I agree with you that there is a lot more we could do internationally. But unfortunately, servers and yanqui dollars do not a revolution make, I wish it were because that would be much easier.... but too easy though, honestly. We need to think beyond financial and technological answers to be truly effective for the good of others as well as ourselves. I honestly don't know if buying the building will be a step in that direction, and hopefully I have no illusions about the potential pitfalls of the venture, or the amount of work it will take to keep things on the right path, but I know which direction I'll be pushing in.
chao |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by hamburgler
robble robble (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
|
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If the past is a guide, I give it....say...18 months before they start to hemmorage cash again and have to beg for another bailout. That is, of course, if they don't get investigated by the IRS for constant violation of their tax exempt status beforehand, in which case they'll choke out earlier. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by community member
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
|
Just wanted to thank those of you who took my comment on diversity and demographics seriously. It really is a troubling matter when an activist group does not represent the interests of marginalized people.
I have spent time at the Indy Media center and I can honestly say that I haven't seen any people of color there. I have also talked to people who would be more involved in the activities at the IMC if they felt more included as people of color.
As for the one of you who has called me a troll...perhaps I am one....or perhaps I am some other derrogatory name that you might choose to call me, there is a history of people in the united states who have disregarded the thoughts and needs of others by calling them a derrogatory name...answering my concerns in this way, hardly seems to be a way to reconcile the problem....Anyways, best of luck to the IMC...
I have no complaints only a wish that more than issues of material concerns be addressed by the group. |
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A Couple of Pics from Today's Press Conference |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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Click on image for a larger version
 | Click on image for a larger version
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Some 50 people squeezed into the lobby of the post office building as rainy weather threatened the press conference originally scheduled for the front steps. Here are a couple of photos. |
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If Your Concerns Haven't Been Addressed |
by regular reader
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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It's always interesting to read comments from people about this or that aspect of the IMC where they think more work needs done. Usually the answer to the question of why something hasn't been done at UC IMC is because they haven't checked the ends of their arms -- if your hands haven't pitched in to volunteer, that may be EXACTLY the reason why something hasn't been addressed.
I don't remember being at a meeting where any person who wanted to do something was turned away. There are frequent meetings where there's a great idea, but not people willing to take it on as their own project.
We facilitate people taking their own political action, instead of spending all our time trying to come up with a party line -- there just isn't one here, which seems to bother some people to no end, because we aren't doing things exactly the way they would.
Which leads to another issue, in that there are always the occassional person who hasn't quite figured out how consensus works. They think it's all about getting exactly what they want -- instead of coming to a workable solution that requires everyone to give a little.
UC IMC is a place where you're certainly expected to express a strong political opinion, but in terms of organizing and work within the IMC itself, spending all your time insisting that others share your opinion is probably a losing cause in an organization as diverse as our IMC.
All I can say is that some activists have only one mode -- criticism and tearing down things, which no doubt needs some doing in this ugly world. But some of them simply seem unable to switch over to thinking and acting in a positive fashion when they have an opportunity to do so and are constantly suspicious of the work of others if it doesn't fit their idea of what an IMC should be. There is some of that in this very thread, unfortunately. But if we're ever going to build a new, better world, then we need more people that want to build, than to destroy.
The comment that asked, " Are there some _leftists_, or _radicals_ involved? Sure, but few..." is particularly amusing, as everyone I know certainly fits my description of what people like that are, but I don't expect everyone to meet my expectations. And if that person think I'm one of "those" people somehow by what they see in public, then they certainly have learned nothing about being able to operate underneath the radar of a repressive society. If this person is hoping that we'll all turn into an anarchist molded in exactly the same fashion as s/he is, I suppose they will continue to be disappointed.
Indymedia is about putting resources into the hands of the people. It is not about how many people we converted to our particular point of view today or endless critique sessions or navel-gazing about what we could be doing better -- OK, maybe a little, but frankly people have a very limited capacity for that sort of stuff. We do it when we have to, but we'd much rather be figuring out something a bit more practical than coming up with a surefire vision of utopia -- you'll never get everyone to agree on that anyway.
If you're not getting enough of that sort of action, then maybe you need to form a working group that spends its time on intense study of anarchism and criticism? Meanwhile, the rest of us have got work to do. |
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how i think of indymedia |
by rebel grrl
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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a comrade offered a very simply way to conceptualize indymedia. she said, think of it as the bus that gets you to the demo. If you want to work on the bus, then show up for an indymedia meeting. if you just want to do the demo, then show up for the bus ride.
some people are just not cut out to be mechanics, but we'll let them drive the bus, if they promise not to insist on telling us how to fix the engine. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Muck Raker
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
09 May 2005
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Some people worked very hard on this, and many more people lent all kinds of support and work in the last five years that has made this possible. With luck the new UCIMC will be a true community center, and that will take broad participation. The burden for that lies on the current organizers as much as it lies on the community at large.
Only one piece of advice for the most central of the UCIMC organizers: a little humility will go a long way.
UCIMC has been successful in some endeavors, but not necessarily successful in others. Let's be honest with ourselves and not break our arms patting ourselves on the back. |
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The Difference between Real Space and cyberspace |
by reality check
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 May 2005
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In real space,the IMC meetings I've participated in are attended by reasonable people who don't seem to carry around grudges.
In cyberspace, there is a considerable over-representation of people who live under bridges who think it is YOU that needs to get your act together. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by 2 cents
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
10 May 2005
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Muck Raker's point is well taken. Here is an excerpt from the IMC Radio News last night:
The Independent Media Center of Urbana Champaign held a press conference in the Historic downtown urbana Post office today May, 9 2005. The press conference was held to announce the UCIMC purchase of the Downtown Urbana Post Office. The Post office is projected to become the center of the global independent media network.
"The center of the global independent media network?"
Re-read your Sophocles, folks. Pride goeth before a fall. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Sascha Meinrath
sascha (nospam) ucimc.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
10 May 2005
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Press Conference Talking Notes from 05/09/05:
My name is Sascha Meinrath. I am a director and treasurer for the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center Foundation. I will read a brief statement and then open it up for questions from the press and community members. Before I begin, I want to impress upon everyone here that the IMC's initiative to create a Community Media and Arts Center has been a both a Herculean task and one carried out by countless volunteers. This has been a true community effort and many, many people have all been critical to its success.
Five years ago, a small group of local residents began meeting in an equally small living room to discuss the creation of an Independent Media Center in Urbana-Champaign. In the Fall of 2000, the Urbana-Champaign IMC's open-publishing website -- www.ucimc.org, was born. Following the success of this modest beginning, IMC participants dreamed of one day building a (non-virtual) Media and Arts Center that would serve the diverse needs of our community. In January, 2001, just a few months after the IMC had formed, we took our first major step towards achieving this dream.
Through the hard work of numerous volunteers, as well as the financial support of the IMC's “Founding Funders”, the IMC was able to open a storefront space on Main Street here in downtown Urbana.
Within two years, the Independent Media Center had grown to encompass:
1. An extensive lending library full of resources found nowhere else in town;
2. Audio production facilities, where “The IMC Radio News”, a news and public affairs radio show is produced by citizen-journalists every week;
3. “The Public i”, a monthly newspaper full of local commentary and investigative reporting;
4. “The Back Room”, an all-ages performance venue that has helped launch numerous local bands;
5. “The Middle Room Gallery”, a gallery focused on showcasing emerging artists;
6. Video production facilities, where local videographers create documentaries as well as the bi-weekly Indymedia TV show;
7. Public meeting spaces for local groups and organizations; all in addition to,
8. The www.ucimc.org news and information website.
With all that the IMC has been doing, and the rapid increase in the number of residents who have become members of the organization, we have quickly outgrown our 3000 square foot storefront. And, in 2002, just a year after opening our doors, the IMC launched its first Capital Campaign to raise the funding necessary for a down payment on a building. Hundreds of local residents have contributed to this fund, and their support has made this all possible.
The shutting down of the IMC's all-ages shows venue in 2003 made it crystal clear that what the IMC needed was not only more space, but also our own space, where we could make the necessary renovations to bring it up to code for public assembly use. In addition, in 2004, the IMC learned that the FCC had granted a low-power FM radio license to our local community; and that plans for a new community radio station could go forward. This development underscored the necessity of finding a new, larger space. Along with the incredible successes of projects like the IMC's Books to Prisoners initiative and Community Wireless Network, the IMC has been bursting at the seams for quite some time.
Over the years, a sizable group of IMC volunteers have worked tirelessly to find a new home for the IMC. While we identified many potential sites for our new center, we had always hoped to one day buy the Urbana Post Office and turn it into a locally-owned and funded Community Media and Arts Center. Between 2002 and 2004, Mike Lehman patiently (and continually) represented the IMC's interest in the building to Post Office officials. His tireless efforts laid the groundwork for the building's acquisition. Thank you Mike, for your years of hard work.
In January of 2005, Danielle Chynoweth offered to help negotiate the purchase of the building, and we are incredibly thankful that she did. Though it is unlikely that she realized just how much work would be required as a volunteer on this initiative, her tenacity helped us to close the deal that has brought us to the steps of the Post Office today.
We are now at a critical moment in the development of downtown Urbana. At stake is the very atmosphere of our city's center. The IMC is committed to listing our new building on the Historic Register, but we need our community's support to make critical renovations to the space to create this Center. The IMC is poised to become a nexus for media production and the arts -- but this vision can only be accomplished through the continuing support of local residents. As a non-profit organization, 99.5% of the IMC's funding comes from the general public -- and the IMC is actively looking for local visionaries to turn this dream into a reality.
These visionaries, these “Foundation Builders”, can help by making tax-deductible donations to the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center Foundation, participating in the IMC's programs, helping to renovate or renting space, and becoming active in the process of brainstorming what this Center will look like.
More information on how to get involved, make donations, and help out, is available on the IMC's website: www.ucimc.org
It is especially important to thank those who have already gone above and beyond in helping to create the IMC's Media and Arts Center. In addition to the hundreds of local residents who've donated to the IMC's Capital Campaign and the numerous IMC volunteers who have helped with the day-to-day logistics of this project, a hand-full of people stand out as providing critical services to this initiative.
First and foremost, John McMahon, our lawyer, who provided expert council, who was a teacher as well as an advocate, and who truly believed in the project from the very start. John McMahon stands out as exceptional in his devotion to his work and to the IMC, as his client.
Marvin Steinbaker, Mike Pfunstein, Ron Biggs, and the wonderful employees of the Downtown Urbana Post Office. Your help, pointers, and guidance have been greatly appreciated and the IMC looks forward to continuing our mutually supportive relationship for a long time to come.
As owners of our building, the IMC has worked, and will continue to work, with the City of Urbana to ensure that our new public assembly spaces are fully up to code. We would especially like to thank the following folks: Urbana Building Inspectors Gordon Skinner and Steven Cochran for their efforts, feedback, and time spent walking through the space; and Libby Tyler and the rest of the Urbana staff for patiently answer our various code questions throughout the years.
Steve Tock, from Hickory Point Bank -- who worked to understand the IMC's complex organizational structure, who walked us through the complex process of attaining financing, who always met us with a smile and hearty handshake, and who brews a mean cup o' joe.
Troy Louis, from Diamond Brothers Insurance -- who worked with the IMC on a previous project and who, with almost zero notice until closing, somehow managed to pull together Insurance for the space and save everything from falling through.
Troy Doehring, from Tech Spec, who spent not just a few hours, but the entire day walking through the building with a fine-tooth comb. Your expertise, attention to detail, and appreciation for the historic significance of the building helped us to understand our options and responsibilities for preserving this magnificent structure.
Dave Johnson, of Adel Construction, who came through in a crunch and concretized our vague ideas. Adel Construction has been a friend and supporter of local media and the arts since its founding -- thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules for pro-bono work in support of the IMC.
Peter Normand, of Architectural Spectrum, who laid out our options and innovated new ways to think about our building. You helped us to unfetter our thinking and focus on the “grand plan”.
A special thank you goes out to Bernadine & Bob Stake, Jim & Jenny Barrett and Maiko Covington for their enthusiastic and mission-critical support. Simply said, without you there would have been no Community Media and Arts Center.
To the countless others who've been integral to the process, thank you so much for your time, energy, and initiative. I would like to thank you all by name, but there are so very many of you. The IMC is deeply indebted to you all for the work you have done.
Thank you for your patience. I am certain that members of the press and community members who are present have questions. Who would like to start? |
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How did you do it? |
by LA-IMC collective member
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
16 May 2005
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We here in the 2nd biggest city in the US are happy to be able to cover ISP costs each month and fend off hackers from taking our site down. Please tell us how you rasied enough money to buy a building. |
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Fundraising |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
16 May 2005
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At one of our very early meetings, when we were discussing the costs of renting, opening, and maintaining a space, a member proposed that we start saving money to eventually buy a space of our own, so that the resources put into the space would represent a community investment and would not just be poured into some landlord's bank account. Based on the rationale behind this, which is that having our own space is part of being sustainable, we set up a fund tied to this long-range idea and eventually began our Capital Campaign.
We reached out to the community, a community that we both serve and are inextricably intertwined with, to ask them to support our dream. We put a great deal of effort into developing a list of potential supporters and approaching them on as personal a basis as possible. We also had some events specifically targetted at raisng Capital Campaign funds.
While our current rental space has had it limitations over the years, it has also served as an available catalyst and resource center for much of the organizing that goes on in our community. Lots of things happen in our space that are not directly Indymedia projects, but all of them benefit from the fact that people find synergistic ways to work together. The community supported our efforts to get a permanent space in part because they benefited from what we have done to maintain our current space.
We have struggled in maintaining our day to day operating expense fundraising while rasing funds at the same time for a building. It is important, however, to keep operating expenses separate from capital funds. We pledged all capital campaign funding would go toward the building in some form. We also kept our fundraising expenses below 1% by using an all-volunteer effort, which worked well with our person to person approach.
I think our methods work well in a relatively small Midwest town. They may not directly translate to the big city or environments where people may have factional issues to deal with. Urbana-Champaign is pretty unique in having a progressive community that keeps unity in mind, even when we disagree. The most important ideas of our campaign that probably do translate well are to clearly and credibly define your goal and network as much as possible through your community of supporters. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by ?
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
19 May 2005
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What does it take to transform Urbana into New New York, and Ney York into Urbana? What is more important is: how long would this transformation last, being artificial and without fundament? Read classic literature to find an answer. |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by honcho
honcho (nospam) riseup.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
20 May 2005
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"There is over 150 IMCs in 50+ countries worldwide, and this IMC here in Urbana Champain is the umbrella under which the entire global network operates. We are in essence, the global headquarters for the indymedia
movement, here in urbana"
(Quote from Sasha Meinrath, http://radio.ucimc.org/archive/saschameinrath.com.mp3)
It's very nice if you buy a post office for your local imc, but what brings you to the idea that your local enterprise is the headquarter of a worldwide network? Was Sasha Meinrath drunk, stoned, or just plain mean when he said the above at your press conference?
Watch out - one day, the entire network of 150 anarchist collectives might come down to what you say is their headquarters in Urbana Champaign and claim what is theirs! |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Paul Riismandel
mediageek (nospam) gmail.com (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
23 May 2005
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If you are visiting this thread from a direct link, please take a look at the statement of apology released by the UCIMC Video Working Group on May 22:
http://www.ucimc.org/feature/display/35878/index.php |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by uh-nawn
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
24 May 2005
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I'm glad Sascha mentioned all the individuals that helped bring this to fruition, by name.
Nice work, UCIMC, all of you! |
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Money Corrupts |
by Reseda
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
25 May 2005
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At the press converence after the acquisition of the postoffice it is verry clear to see how money (or postoffices) corrupt.
In an anarchistic social network there is one collective where time is not used to be part of the network, but to gather funds for an own building. At the moment the greed seems to have worked and the postoffice is bought UC-IMC claims to be the leader. The leader of an Anarchistic network!!!
And how can you claim to be part of a social network if you don't even act social within your own network. UC-IMC Manages to get thousands and thousands of dollars, while other collectives have problems just funding a server or other basic needs. The collective i am active in often has less than $100 on its bank account, but helps other IMC's where remotely possible.
PS: just call me a Troll, since that seems to be your word for non UC-IMC people |
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Money Corrupts |
by Reseda
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
25 May 2005
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At the press converence after the acquisition of the postoffice it is verry clear to see how money (or postoffices) corrupt.
In an anarchistic social network there is one collective where time is not used to be part of the network, but to gather funds for an own building. At the moment the greed seems to have worked and the postoffice is bought UC-IMC claims to be the leader. The leader of an Anarchistic network!!!
And how can you claim to be part of a social network if you don't even act social within your own network. UC-IMC Manages to get thousands and thousands of dollars, while other collectives have problems just funding a server or other basic needs. The collective i am active in often has less than $100 on its bank account, but helps other IMC's where remotely possible.
PS: just call me a Troll, since that seems to be your word for non UC-IMC people |
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Money Corrupts |
by Reseda
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
25 May 2005
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At the press converence after the acquisition of the postoffice it is verry clear to see how money (or postoffices) corrupt.
In an anarchistic social network there is one collective where time is not used to be part of the network, but to gather funds for an own building. At the moment the greed seems to have worked and the postoffice is bought UC-IMC claims to be the leader. The leader of an Anarchistic network!!!
And how can you claim to be part of a social network if you don't even act social within your own network. UC-IMC Manages to get thousands and thousands of dollars, while other collectives have problems just funding a server or other basic needs. The collective i am active in often has less than $100 on its bank account, but helps other IMC's where remotely possible.
PS: just call me a Troll, since that seems to be your word for non UC-IMC people |
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Re: IMC BUYS THE POST OFFICE; Community Media & Arts Center Planned |
by Chuck Munson
chuck (nospam) mutualaid.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
26 May 2005
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Way to go UCIMC! Your work serves as an inspiration to many of us around the Midwest. I hope that the post office building gives your IMC some standing in your community.
Good luck and keep up the good work! |
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