Forum Post: Illumination for the disillusioned (Media Solution)
Posted 11 years ago on June 6, 2012, 2:10 p.m. EST by richardkentgates
(3269)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Throughout my day I encounter many people that don't care about politics and when pushed to the conversation I find they don't really know any of what is happening in our world. They just know they are getting shafted and that there is nothing they can do about it.
We need a resource that gets people involved. There are things like political forums but nothing large scale at the introductory level. Forums assume some level of understanding to even begin the debate and many of the users on them are equally uninformed but they try anyway with what they know. I have suggested a grass roots media network but anyone with the skill is too busy patting their own backs to see that their limited success is a drop in the bucket and not actually helping to grow the movement nor educating nor inviting.
So... we need a media network built by activist that can bring the timid into the fold, educate and inform. It needs funding for marketing. It needs to be politically neutral (this is not to say socially neutral).
A central media network could be valuable to me personally as I could pass around fliers in our local ghettos and labor pools that point the disenfranchised to a resource that informs and gives them options to participation. A movement in NY is what they see and it doesn't give them any sense of empowerment. Help myself and others bring them into the fold.
I failed at an attempt and in the rear-view mirror, my project would not have accomplished any of these goals either. We have the attention of the world, we have a social position that most can relate to. Before it's gone, I think we should do this.
It is sad but true, that most people just do not care about the political situation, or see their own sufferings as caused by it,. or if they do they hopelessly believe they can not "change the system" people are caught up in their daily lives,. and do not think very far into the future, or if they do it is only to dream about when they too will become the rich upper crust of "millionaires", in some fantasy future.
I am cycling back around, to where I was a few years back,. that it is futile to even attempt to "wake people up", or to organize a political resistance to the rising corporate fascism we face. Instead the only real option seems to be to work locally to build structures and systems to do the things we need,. green and clean energy production, storage, transition, organic food production, clean water systems,. housing, etc. and on and on. and just wait for the corporate fools/tools to crash as they inevitably will. We can live the future we want to see, and do not compromise,. and keep fighting the greed-whores whenever we get the opportunity and have the energy. However trying to show people the broken system just does not seem to generate much change at all.
I just keep seeing, over and over, any good organizing done, then compromised and taken over, then driven into the corporate net. It seem fruitless really. The only alternative seems to be to keep working for what is right,. and letting the fools do the foolish things that they choose to do,. failure is the only end they will find,. and we will have some basic systems just waiting to replace the dead or dying corporate systems that will eventually fail to provide comfort to the masses of easily manipulated people that we seem to be stuck with. But that is just me and I could be wrong.
Hmm. Excuse me. I'll try to do a little trolling again if you dont mind =) http://teeveetee.blogspot.com/2012/04/breaking-world-tomorrow-wikileaks.html What do you think about Julian Assange and his show, lets called this way?
I think it's hard to read, and cluttered. try http://blog.richardkentgates.com
Grass roots, face to face....Nothing beats it.
Agreed.
Here are some flyers you could hand out:
http://lab.osixs.org/Resources/Flyers.aspx
I have handed out plenty of fliers. This post is about something much larger in scope than just another flyer.
What is it about? Can you describe it?
Can you? This is a forum, not a classroom or training session. Use the reply box to do something besides bitch.
How can we discuss your idea if you can not or will not provide any details?
The post isn't going to change.
I have no idea what you mean by "central media network".
Here's what you need to do:
Define your idea in the smallest details possible, because we can't discuss your software ideas if we don't even know what they are.
Once you have a thorough description, create a PDF file and put it on your server so that you can link to it. Then we can look at it and discuss it on the forum. Once in a while, tally up the suggestions, and redo your PDF with the new ideas. Keep repeating this until the main idea is good and clearly defined. You can start new postings when they get too many comments.
Look around to see if someone else made a similar software. It's very rare to have an original software idea. 95% of the time something very close already exists.
Once the idea is clear and defined (including the programming environment to use), then start the project on Github and invite whoever wants to contribute to drop in and code. If you don't feel comfortable as the project leader, find someone else.
Honestly, you won't get anywhere unless you define your idea in detail.
A network built on current media participants within the movement.
Software? A media network involves a range of resources and skills, yes software is in the mix but is not relevant to the overarching concept being introduced in this post.
If I was so arrogant to think I would do this alone or even be the head or organizer of such an effort, I certainly wouldn't waste my time posting about it on a forum :D
The purpose of a forum is to discuss. I posted this to discuss the potential and introduce debate on the topic. I have no details for you.
Nice attitude. That always helps.
I misunderstood your post. I thought you were talking about a software, like a forum/direct democracy website.
Still, if you want to foster productive discussion it's always good to start with a detailed idea. What you have presented is quite empty. Perhaps your idea stopped after "We need a central media network"?
If you have an idea of how to clarify, I am all ears, thats why I posted.
If you perceive an attitude, it's because you're trolling my thread.
Personnel
Corespondents
Anchors
Writers
Editors
Producers
Resources
Internal Communication (Secure)
Radio episodes (Call in ready) (Scheduled) [Apply for air time on preexisting stations]
Video episodes (Scheduled) [Reach out to mainstream and alternative media]
Printing (Daily or Weekly) [Coordinate for printing in metro areas]
Website
You're all over the map with a zillion things. Isolate one and detail it. For example, take your printing idea. Make a posting on your idea of what kind of daily, or weekly magazine or other print Occupy should have.
For example, I would make a posting detailing how Occupy should start a magazine called Occupy or OWS which would be bi-monthly and which would print stories of Occupiers in US and elsewhere in the world. There would also be a section with upcoming events. The magazine would be run in anarcho-syndicalist fashion. It would be a co-op. The staff would get paid a decent wage. The point is to show that it's possible to create our own jobs, and to make good ones. The magazine would not talk about politics, it would remain apolitical and it would truly be about Occupy. There could be a section teaching activists about laws, another on what to wear at a protest, a letter to the editor section, etc... So many ideas. I just took a few sections to write this. You should take a few hours to write a really good post full of ideas. You really didn't give us any specifics at all = no ideas.
LOL, now I should scale down the concept so you can digest it? Sorry dude but if you need small ideas, try a GOP forum.
A media network wouldn't be a network if it was a magazine, or a radio show. A media network implies the combining of all things media into a "network".
Not small ideas, detailed ones. You provided no details at all = you have no ideas. You just said, let's make a media thing. Give us some specifics. What is your idea?
The post isn't going to change.
Just give us some details in a comment. Tell us about your idea.
I have given what I choose to give on the matter. Participate or don't, that is the only thing you can control.
Your first sentence is something you need to accept as truth.
"Many people don't care about politics"
You can build anything you like. You will most likely build something that YOU THINK/ASSUME/BELIEVE will appeal to everyone else in the same way it appeals to you.
But you cannot make people who don't care-CARE. You cannot make people who don't want to be informed-get informed. You cannot make people who don't want to participate-take action.
It's a hard truth to internalize, but everyone else on the planet does not share the same point of view, or the same goals.
Everyone cares when they are being shafted, they give up on trying to change it when they feel the fight is already over. I was paraphrasing when I used the word "care".
If people cared enough, if they were truly experiencing discomfort to an unacceptable degree, they'd do something about it. They aren't, so they don't.
All the education in the world won't make someone take action that doesn't WANT to take action. Most people only take action when they HAVE to.
From the first paragraph of this thread
You're selecting word at a time to argue while exuding the context of the post. You aren't offering anything to the thread but rather trying to argue why it shouldn't be done. This thread doesn't ask if it should be done or not but rather why we should and how. Your replies are so far off base and trolling. I will disregard any further replies from you on this thread.
From your harsh replies to Betsy and I, I have to wonder why you are even here? You certainly don't seem to want to exchange ideas with others, since you spit in the eyes of anyone providing opinions you don't agree with. Anger seems to be your major fuel. I suggest getting laid or participating in a yoga class.
If you have been on the forum, I'm sure you're aware of the trolls and resulting tension. Either you feel I should transcend my human imperfections or are disregarding the existence of the tension on this forum for sake of argument. Either way, I don't feel the need to justify anything to anyone. Your replies have offered nothing to the thread other than assessing my personality.
I offered the idea that you should present a more detailed idea instead of a seed so broad with possibilities that we don't know if you're talking about a cherry tree or an oak tree, or something else.
Fill in the blanks. Thats what a forum is for. If you have nothing to add, why do you continue posting? Pretty damn arrogant of yourself to figure you could and should pressure me to change my post or offer something I haven't already. Participate or don't but get it out of your head that anyone has to play by some bullshit you think we should all adhere to.
That's your problem rg...you default position SEEMS TO BE "I'm here to bestow my grand opinions on all of you, you are here to work out the details and implement them". "I imagine....YOU "fill in the blanks". "This thread.....is about why we should and how".
If you don't feel the need or requirement to "transcend your own human imperfections, you've got a hell of a lot of nerve expecting the populace at large to even want to-let alone do it.
You stated that a previous project of yours failed. One of the things that people who eventually SUCCEED do-is evaluate their failures to find out why they failed. Part of that evaluation is determining exactly what kind of success rate they can REASONABLY expect from the person, place or thing they are targeting.
But HELL no. Let's not introduce facts, human nature, and actual statistics regarding human behavior into the mix first. Let's postulate and pontificate and plan without any regard whatsoever for what the outcome might be. After all, doesn't everyone have endless patience and energy and time to create elaborate plans based on every good idea under the sun??
Good luck to you.
You got it! Good for you. I am not an authority figure so I make no absolutes. Also, it is proven that you will get further with decision makers if you give them room to mold an idea the way they see fit. I provide an outline, an intentionally vague idea and give others room to add or adjust as they see fit. ie... I leave room for others. You're catching on.
Nah, it seems like you have no idea and you want others to come up with one for you. It looks like you're lazy. "We need a media center" is not an idea detailed enough for molding. Molding is essentially playing with something that already exists. What you are asking us is to build the idea from essentially nothing, well two words. Give me a lot of details!!! Then, I'll be happy to play with those details, I'll add some, delete some, change some, etc... You're asking us to mold a blank page.
Who is us, we? :D I highly doubt that someone who spends their time challenging the quality of paper rather than what is printed on it has the ability and/or resources to take any action what so ever on something of this scale.
psssst his point is that there isn't ANYTHING written on the freaking paper. Good luck finding people with the ability and/or resources to take action on this website.
Just because they know better than to engage the trolls on here, doesn't mean they aren't using the website. ;)
Find a girl.
The post isn't going to change.
That's OK. Just give us some details in the comments. You said you were thinking of a media network. What other details can you share?