[Imc-alternatives] draft2: new alternatives invite

[Jay]

a new draft of a new alternatives invite.  The new part is the 
"exciting progress" section at the bottom.  Please edit it for 
accuracy or scope.

Strypey or anyone else, could you add more appropriate links 
throughout the text to our openplans wiki?

Jay

***

Hello,

The "imc-alternatives" working group invites you to join us in the 
formation of a global "Alternatives IMC!!"

The "Alternatives IMC" will be a "next generation" Indymedia website 
that will both gather content about all the great things people are 
doing to create a better world (pioneering alternative social 
structures, economics, education, energy, etc.) and to provide a 
place for people who are organizing these projects to network with 
each other to do practical, world-changing work.

We intend this site to become an indispensable resource for those 
interested in the basic fundamentals of fundamental change -- the 
who/what/where/when/why of what people are doing to better the world 
-- as well as a living laboratory for those who want to make change 
happen NOW.

The Alternatives IMC Working Group has been making substantial 
progress toward launching a beta site; we invite you to join us in 
realizing this vision.  (If you are interested in learning about our 
progress, please read the update below this e-mail or visit 
"http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/tech")

Right now, we are looking for:

(1) A DESIGNER:  Someone with site-building experience who 
bottom-line a design process (working with current imc-alternatives 
volunteers) for this elegant, exciting new kind of IMC site.

(2) Techies: Specifically those familiar with Drupal and do web site 
development who are interested in building the next generation of 
Indymedia.  (http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/tech)

(3) all organizers who share our desire to harness the power of 
Indymedia to advance social change,

Please visit our wiki pages at 
"http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/" to learn more 
about this adventure.  Then, join our working group email list 
("http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-alternatives") to 
participate.

You may also contact Jay (jay at fundamentalchange.net) and/or Sheri 
(Sheri at indymedia.org) for more information. We look forward to 
working together to create a shift in thinking, perception and 
individual and collective political will.

***
Exciting progress:
-- Axxs.org has offered to host the Alternatives IMC site
-- Members of the Alternatives IMC working group are working with the 
Philadelphia IMC (http://www.phillyimc.org) as they redesign their 
site using Drupal.  They and other IMCs are loosely working toward an 
Indymedia-specific installation of Drupal.
-- Once a PhillyIMC Drupal or an IndyDrupal installation is ready, 
the Alternatives IMC plans develop an iteration specific to our needs 
and launch it as a beta site.  Using agile development 
(http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/agile-development) 
we intend to add a knowledge-base and community-building features.
-- We are considering working closely with ActivismNetwork 
(http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/howtouseactivismnetworkforimcs) 
and/or Crabgrass (https://we.riseup.net/crabgrass/about)
-- We have been having weekly IRC checkins in the #alternatives room 
on the chat.indymedia.org server at 22:00GMT on Sunday evening in US 
and Europe/Monday morning in the Pacific.  Join us.