I hate IndyMedia.

I'm so sick of IndyMedia anymore. It was great when it first started out back in '99. But it's outlived its usefulness.

Many of the newswires are overrun with FReepers and cops. This is especially true of my local site, Pittsburgh.

Anyone share my frustration?

nt

But there's also a bunch of unsubstantiated conspiracy theory and anti-Semitic nonsense.

how the hell do you know that?

Reading the comments attached to any of the articles, a lot of them come from obvious FReepers.

As far as cops go: in Pittsburgh, it's suspected that police attempted a disinformation campaign over IndyMedia. A bunch of people (maybe one person under different names) posted after a protest, claiming that he or she witnessed protestors doing several highly illegal things (which certainly *did not* happen), trying to turn people against one another, etc. Real COINTELPRO-type stuff.

We also know from court proceedings that the local cops *do* read IndyMedia on a regular basis.

...where one of them took a graphic of a cop with the words "Hi. I'm going to kick your ass and get away with it" that was posted on the indymedia site, that was attached to an announcement of protests at a courthouse relating to the arrests of anti-war protesters, and printed it and showed it out the window of a cop car in front of the courthouse, basically showing that they're watching.

crowed, including left-wing media whore Geov Parrish and Green Party of Seattle facilitator Brita Butler-Wall. As others have mentioned, IndyMedia sites are buried in so much information - much of it amateurish, deranged or establishment propaganda - they're of little use.

I recently discovered that my Jail4Bush website is finally getting more links in Google. However, many of these appear to derive from some kook who's been copying and pasting his drivel - with my URL attached - on IndyMedia websites. (Type "Jail4Bush" into Google.) I'm a little suspicious it might be some sort of smear job, but who knows?

One of the corrupt operatives (no one you named)
*allegedly* stole their budget and disappeared.
It really (allegedly) underscored how badly they
need structure and someone to be accountable (literally).

If they could pay the rent and some employees,
their site probably wouldn't be overrun with trolls
and anti-semites.

I would hate to lose anyone in the IndyMedia
chain 'cause, like proud patriot, I depend on them
for info during events.

It think it was the IndyMedia reporters that were attacked
(among many other) in the Miami protests recently.

I'm sure the right would love to see IndyMedia die.
They probably won't have to wait long.

It's become just as much an organ for right-wingers, anti-Semites, and conspiracy nutters as progressives.

And even if it was more organized, I don't think they'd do anything about it. Their idea of "free speech" means letting people spread slanders and use up their bandwidth for all kinds of pointless crap. They really do believe that they'd be hypocrites if they do anything to moderate it.

Reason #4321B why I don't like anarchism.

Or right wingers trying to discredit IndyMedia.
It's probably not a significant distinction.

If it was a well run org that had a decent budget
and an actual reasonably well paid staff that used
the funds properly (i.e., for rent & website), they'd probably
moderate out the freepers and KKK types.

But that's moot.
They don't have either.

go straight to indymedia whereever a protest etc. happened
for pictures .

n/t

besides, the articles arn't written by freepers now is it?

Everyone who posts on DU either hates (well, at least dislikes) FReepers or *is* a FReeper. ;-)

Indymedia is an important and useful source

but i just read the articles, will sometimes reply.

its the best way to stay on top of local dc issues.