Re: filling its 404 error logs with the names of the men,women and

[Chuck0 <chuck@tao.ca>]

[: hacktivism :]


Valerie Taraska wrote:

> However, I do appreciate that Hacktivism does imply something quite
> different.    I joined the list because I run a citizen democracy site and
> was interesting on any new techniques of organising on the web.  I thought
> this group would have a technical knowledge above other lists on this
> subject.  I also thought I would learn how to use my site to a better
> advantage.  I hoped that the exchange of ideas would help change things,
> not suppression of them.

Valerie: This list is still quite new (just born as a manner of
speaking), so don't be too quick to judge what it will be like. I
certainly consider "hacktivism" to be something much broader than
*electronic civil disobedience* actions.

I run several websites, including one large activist one
(www.infoshop.org), so I'm probably interested in the same things you
are. I'm also interesting in setting up our own local anarchist/activist
ISP in Washington, DC, that would be modeled on TAO Communications, but
would be more like Geocities in that it would easily allow activists and
activist groups to put websites online. I'm going to need alot of advice
on how to do that.

In terms of running a popular activist website, you need to do outreach
in a variety of places, not just online. Think about cheap "notice" ads
in your local alternative newspaper. I've even put the URL for my site
on the bottom of a placard (while protesting the NATO summit).

Don't be afraid to get involved in controversy. The most popular page on
my site is now the Dr. Laura page
(http://www.infoshop.org/library/drlaura.html) which has surpassed the
main homepage and the perennial favorite: the Infoshop page on the
Anarchist Cookbook (http://www.infoshop.org/cookbook.html).

The Dr. Laura page is my humorous response to the talk show host's
hostile attacks on the American Library Association. I'm a pretty
visible activist within the library profession, so I jumped at the
chance to promote my site when Dr. Laura insulted another one of my
projects, the Spunk Library (http://www.spunk.org/) on one of her shows.

I wasn't going to let her get off that easy. I may get thousands
visiting my site everyday, but she still has a gold-plated soapbox that
lets her speak to 15-20 million listeners.

The other important thing that drives people to your website is CONTENT,
content, and more content. Also, that content needs to be update on a
regular basis. 

All of this involves responsibilities to your site visitors, which will
many times keep you up to 1 in the morning.

It's worth it though, because the Internet has been one of the best
things to ever happen to activism.

-- 
Chuck0

Alternative Press Review
http://flag.blackened.net/apr/

Free Leonard Peltier!

"A society is a healthy society only to the degree 
that it exhibits anarchistic traits." 
        - Jens Bjørneboe

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