[Imc-alternatives] Content irc chat notes

[strypes]

Kia ora

Jay and I had a good chat on irc today about the editorial/ content side
of things. Here is a summary:

Tech List

One of the most important things from an organisational point of view,
we were in agreement that it's time to set up a separate imc-alt-tech
list. That way detailed tech discussions can carry on without swamping
the non-geeks, and we can get into some detailed content discussion on
this list, in readiness for the (hopefully) immanent launch of version
1.0 of Alt-IMC.. Off the top of my head this will include:
- editorial policy
- gathering suitable seed content
- networking with like-minded organisations to invite articles

Unless anyone objects, Jay will contact listwork about setting up a tech
list.

Editorial Tasks

With the tech team moving in observable lurches towards a 1.0 site, we
need a checklist of tasks that need to be completed on the editorial/
content side of things in time for launch. Keeping in mind that our
goals for the 1.0 site were to have the news aspect of the site fully
usable - including both features and solutions-wire, from the editorial
side of things that means we need to have:

- website text
http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/static-texts

- editorial policy to guide moderation of solutions-wire
http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/editorial-policy

- opening feature
http://www.openplans.org/projects/imc-alternatives/alternatives-to-corporate-globalization

Please have a look over the drafts for both of these on the OpenPlans
wiki, and send any feedback to the list, or add edit notes on the wiki.

Content and Tone

We talked a bit about the editorial tone we wanted the site to have,
focusing on the positive, the constructive, steering away from the
demoralizing habit of reporting defeats more often than victories that
has afflicted some IMC sites at times.

To achieve this, editors will need a clear set of criteria for deciding
when to hide stories. Then, if an ed decision is challenged, the policy
can be the basis for a structured discussion, rather than descending
into formless ideological headbutting. Suggestions for what these
criteria could be, and how to word them are welcome (I will put forward
my own ideas in a separate email). This will be the first agenda item
for the next content chat.

The opening feature will also help to set the tone. I think having a
body of sample solutions-wire articles, photos, graphics, audio-visual
media etc ready to upload before open-publishing is opened would help too.

Group Calendar

We agreed that it would be good to have a group calendar, where we could
enter details about upcoming irc chats, and maybe start putting together
a timeline for when we want to have different things completed, as we
move towards launching Alt-IMC 1.0.

New-IMC Process

I am keen to kick this off as a way to provide some external motivation
and help us checklist the things that need doing before our official
launch. Jay, having been a new-IMC volunteer, is a bit more hesitant -
he feels we need to do our homework before we approach new-IMC. Perhaps
if someone can post the list of things we need to have sorted, we could
start breaking it up into discrete tasks people can volunteer for?

Tasks

Strypey has taken on:
- send out reminders for ed chats every fortnight
- sorting out a group calendar

Jay will:
- ask for a volunteer to send out reminders for the tech chats
- ask listwork for tech list

Following my suggestion of alternating tech/ ed chats in the same weekly
timeslot, the next editorial chat would be in a fortnight, say:
UTC (GMT) Tuesday, June 9, 1AM
Philadelphia: (U.S.A.) Monday, June 8, 9PM	UTC-4 hours EDT
Aotearoa: Tuesday, June 9, 1PM	UTC+12 hours

If anyone would like to be involved but can't make it at that time, let
me know asap, and we can try to reschedule.

(The next text chat will be next Monday/ Tuesday after the weekend's
code sprint).

RnB
Strypes

-- 
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