Indymedia Sweden In Violation: Unilaterally Dumps Open Publishing Policy
Polar Wind | 01.11.2003 22:00 | Indymedia
Despite fierce criticism from most left-wing and democratically progressive quarters in Sweden, the local Indymedia team takes the unprecedented step of unilaterally scrapping the Open Publishing Policy that has shaped the network internationally since its founding. Readers complain of "Neo-Nazi" tactics and "fascism" on the part of the Swedish editors, and call for them to be removed.
Indymedia Sweden has taken the decision to liquidate the Open Publishing Policy on its website.
The new draconian regime will affect not only the publishing of articles, but also the individual personal comments that readers can post beneath each article in order to express opinions on it.
Anybody may still post articles and comments, but the material will not be immediately visible on the site. This is because the ranking system has been modified, so that each post will initially receive a '0'- ranking. For the article or the personal comment to be shown on the site, the editors will personally have to "approve" it, by giving the article or comment a '+1' ranking.
In effect, this means that even personal opinions (comments) will have to be individually OK'd by Indymedia's censorship panel.
The move has been vociferously protested and opposed my most readers and contributors to Indymedia Sweden (including the respected independent left-wing news service Ryter), but apparently without effect. Readers say the editors have started to act like the fascists they claim to oppose, and to use tactics aimed to stymie free debate. Others have complained about the apparent racism of the editors, since censorship has been particularly harsh regarding comments or articles from specific ethnic groups.
The regime-change is apparently going ahead anyway.
The Swedish editors try to defend the move, claiming that it is the only way to fight spamming. They also maintain that registered readers will be able to alter their ranking options, so that contributions ranked below +1 would still be visible to those registered readers.
This purported technical feature does not work, at the time of this posting.
In essence, the Swedish Indymedia has violated one of the most crucial tenets of the Indymedia Network, effectively shutting out even comments, unless they obtain the explicit approval of the Swedish IMC Censor. It remains to be seen whether Indymedia, globally, will accept this new censorship, and the blatant dumping of the fundamental principles that has constituted the 'raison d'etre' of Indymedia.
If you would like to add your opinion on this intolerant regime-change, you can do so in English by clicking the link below, and submitting your comment. Unfortunately though, you will have to await possible approval from the Censor before it will be posted and visible for most viewers.
LET INDYMEDIA SWEDEN KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS:
http://se.indymedia.org/newswire/display/50860/index.php
The new draconian regime will affect not only the publishing of articles, but also the individual personal comments that readers can post beneath each article in order to express opinions on it.
Anybody may still post articles and comments, but the material will not be immediately visible on the site. This is because the ranking system has been modified, so that each post will initially receive a '0'- ranking. For the article or the personal comment to be shown on the site, the editors will personally have to "approve" it, by giving the article or comment a '+1' ranking.
In effect, this means that even personal opinions (comments) will have to be individually OK'd by Indymedia's censorship panel.
The move has been vociferously protested and opposed my most readers and contributors to Indymedia Sweden (including the respected independent left-wing news service Ryter), but apparently without effect. Readers say the editors have started to act like the fascists they claim to oppose, and to use tactics aimed to stymie free debate. Others have complained about the apparent racism of the editors, since censorship has been particularly harsh regarding comments or articles from specific ethnic groups.
The regime-change is apparently going ahead anyway.
The Swedish editors try to defend the move, claiming that it is the only way to fight spamming. They also maintain that registered readers will be able to alter their ranking options, so that contributions ranked below +1 would still be visible to those registered readers.
This purported technical feature does not work, at the time of this posting.
In essence, the Swedish Indymedia has violated one of the most crucial tenets of the Indymedia Network, effectively shutting out even comments, unless they obtain the explicit approval of the Swedish IMC Censor. It remains to be seen whether Indymedia, globally, will accept this new censorship, and the blatant dumping of the fundamental principles that has constituted the 'raison d'etre' of Indymedia.
If you would like to add your opinion on this intolerant regime-change, you can do so in English by clicking the link below, and submitting your comment. Unfortunately though, you will have to await possible approval from the Censor before it will be posted and visible for most viewers.
LET INDYMEDIA SWEDEN KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS:
http://se.indymedia.org/newswire/display/50860/index.php
Polar Wind
Homepage:
http://se.indymedia.org
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