PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

PATROIT ACT -- IMC Style : Stop IMC Censorship and Assaults on your Privacy
by Ewan Kenkesmearse Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 at 11:49 AM

Apparently, other IMC's have been systematically tracking user IPs and activities. In many cases this would include user ID's. No PGH IMC has been approached to participate in this IMC wide program. This is a very dangerous proposal that PGH IMC should avoid, and all IMCs should immediately reject.

PGHIMC has tried to �reassure� us all that it does not censor or track user IPs. This has been a rather important issue to many who frequent these pages. And at the risk being verbally assaulted by the IMC staff and editors and others expressing an association with IMC and its affiliated organization, those readers who have raised these concerns have, for the most part, have raised valid concerns. With respect to the issue of censorship, there appear to be several interpretations of the definition of censorship among the users of these pages. However, it is notable that even an organization such as Faux News does not treat those with opposing or challenging viewpoints with the level of "un"professionalism and discourtesy that is exhibited by the IMC organization. For example, in response to significant student protests of its morning show which was being broad cast live from the University of Pennsylvania on Friday, Faux News did not disperse the gathered protesters. Instead, Fox gave the protesters access to the same prominent space backing its morning show broadcasters and guests. Thus providing the protesters and their statements prominent and continued display throughout the 2 hour national broadcast.

Even though IMC has attempted to say that they do not track IPs or utilize any intrusive programs, this assertion is incongruous with certain actions and conduct undertaken by IMC. This past Spring, IMC took action against a group of people who were posting comments that IMC considered to be �spam� but which were little more than users engaging in the sort of discussion that is commonplace on these pages. In an effort to exclude those persons from the IMC pages the IMC editors used a form of electronic expulsion. However, the application of this was indiscriminate and excluded persons unassociated with the heckling that IMC sought to silence.

During the debate and discussion that ensued in response to this conduct, and the tireless, if not tedious, efforts of one of the affected users, IMC editors and associates actively assaulted anyone who complained of the issue. IMC worked to actively demean any opposition to its editorial practices with personal attacks and a delusional effort to rationalize the actions of IMC by asserting that all heckling, spamming, or opposition at this site is the work of a single �freeper� set upon PGH IMC by a vast right-wing cabal. Also during these discussions, IMC has said that it does not employ any electronic means to exclude users from the site, arbitrarily apply its editorial policies (not matter how flawed those polices may be, an that IMC does not track user IPs or viewing habits.

Users of these pages may be interested in knowing that many IMC�s do track user viewing information very precisely. There is even a movement afoot among all IMCs to institute a standardized user profiling and tracking practice. This system is currently in use among several IMCs and a sample of the detail of tracking can be viewed at http://tallahassee.indymedia.org/logs/Report.html PGH IMC is considering participating in this user tracking and profiling. [see correspondence at http://howard.indypgh.org/pipermail/imc-pgh-editorial/2003-October/001096.html ] The information is being gathered at this time in some effort to track usage after the Iraq war. But this information could be collected for other purposes. The system of collection, once in place, would likely not be dismantled with any ease.

It is more interesting that this information could be used in conjunction with other technology already employed by IMC (or which is apparently �under development� http://howard.indypgh.org/pipermail/imc-pgh-editorial/2003-September/001067.html ) for the purpose of identifying and excluding individuals or entire web access (in a process not unlike that previously complained of over these past few months).

This information also becomes discoverable to law enforcement and others that may seek to use the postings of individuals at these pages for even more offensive purposes. All should recall the use of postings and film clips at the PGHIMC site in the criminal prosecutions earlier this year. IMC�s unprofessional conduct in matters of free speech, equality and respect to all users threatens to slip into a very dangerous realm of irresponsibility and ignorance. IMC PGH is held out to be one of the last forums for truly free speech and news and opinion gathering. Keep it true to that mission, free from the arbitrary exercises of authority that come with the intoxicating effects of the power to shape public discourse.

The conduct under consideration by PGH IMC is not different from the government collecting information on an individuals reading habits or attempts by a corporate media conglomerate to control what information you can see and hear. Please express your concerns and urge the IMC editors not to participate in the type of data mining and user profiling that other imcs are so eager to undertake. Also urge the IMC editors to carefully execute the responsibilities of their positions and not be tempted to place value judgments on the users of this site or the views expressed.

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