last updated: January 16, 2005
page editor: Ben Seattle
Media Weapon home page Media Weapon wiki
Projects (active and proposed)
for the Media Weapon community

Here is how we will make use of:
(1) the emerging revolution in communications and
(2) open source methods of project management
to wage information war that will energize progressive activists
and swept away the confusion and corruption which paralyzes the left

The Media Weapon community may eventually emerge
in the form of a group of activists who work in common on
projects that advance our mission and program of action.

Different projects will compete with one another for
mindshare and attention in a way that is somewhat darwinian.

The projects that advance our mission in a practical and realistic way will
tend to generate the most enthusiasm and attract the attention of the most
talented people -- and will be more likely to get done. The projects that
are poorly thought-out or which do not correspond to the needs of
our mission -- will tend to be ignored and abandoned.

The projects listed on this page
may be able to help get this process started.

If you are a subscriber to the pof-200 email list -- then feel free to
add your "endorsement" (see the extreme right-hand column of the
projects table) to projects which you believe would be the most useful.


Time for action
project status
will be one of the following:
Active projects
  -- work is being done every week
( Project has momentum )
Semi-active projects
  -- some activity in the last six months
( Project may be gaining or losing momentum )
Projects in hibernation
  -- no activity in the last six months
( Project has lost momentum )
Proposed projects
  -- may become active someday
Completed projects
  -- projects that are done
project categories
will be one or more of the following:

wiki function -- improving the wiki: navigation, help files, software scripts
wiki content -- adding pages of interest to readers

theory -- development (or popularization) of ideas or theory (via exposition, discussion
  or debate) which confronts the crisis of theory which has paralyzed the left
syndication -- developing digital channels of revolutionary syndication:
  (a) email lists, (b) Indymedia sites and other web-based forums, (c) blogs/RSS,
  (d) pages on other wikis (such as wikipedia or the urban dictionary)
leaflets -- creation of leaflets (or modification of leaflets created by other groups
  on the left) that can be distributed at antiwar actions and progressive meetings

anti-reformism -- the struggle against reformism which converts
  the progressive movement into a plaything in the hands of the bourgeoisie
anti-sectarianism -- the struggle against sectarianism which isolates activists
  from one another, engenders stupid quarrels and undermines principled cooperation

news site -- development of an interactive news site fueled by the consciousness
  of readers who will filter articles, posts and comments and create
  a signal-to-noise ratio far more powerful than anything found on Indymedia
left-transparency -- development of a comprehensive and in-depth survey and analysis
  of the progressive movement: including a study of the strengths and weaknesses of
  the theory and practice of the most important anarchist, "marxist" and
  left social-democratic organizations, newspapers, web sites, blogs and email lists.
  Which of these groups, sites or lists are most deserving of attention and support?
  Where do these various groups stand in relation to the life-and-death struggles
  against reformism and sectarianism?

List of Projects     ( please see detailed explanation below concerning the content of each column )

proj
nbr
project name and description
status
Project
categories
• Who is the lead?
• Who has endorsed?
• Size of the project?
• Date of most recent
status report?
• Related projects?
What skills
are
required?
Add your endorsement
Only one endorsement per minute

Want to make a comment
on a project ?
100
anti-reformism wiki page • create a page explaining, in simple language, what reformism is, how it works, and the social strata it is based on. Give lots of good examples.
active
wiki content,
anti-reformism,
left-transparency
Lead: DJ / Ben
Endorsed by:
DJ, Ben
Size: * * *
Status: Jan 16
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
116
Organize a study group to learn something about Marxism • A number of pof-200 subscribers are enthusiastic about this. We have not settled on what to study. Our first study will be of Lenin's famous Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism
active
theory
Lead: DJ
Endorsed by:
DJ, Ben
Size: * * *
Status: Jan 10
requires:
Political skill
comment
name
105
add "blog" feature to wiki • add functionality that allows readers to post a comment in the right-hand column of any wiki page. (See this mockup page )
semi-
active
wiki function
Lead: Ben
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Tech skill
comment
name
118
DJ / Ben discussion concerning the fundamental goals and tactics of our movement • Continue the DL/Ben exchange from September-October
See: DJ-566 (Sep 2), WF-17 (Sep 19),
DJ-588 (Sep 20) and WF-18 (Oct 3)
regarding these topics:
(1) should our focus be on building a party or a community of activists? (2) the crisis of theory, (3) political transparency and (4) the struggle against the draft as a struggle for partial demands. This discussion holds potential for clarifying key issues and raising the consciousness of some of the pof-200 subscribers.
Prerequisite: DJ and Ben have agreed to first work together on an anti-reformist web page as a confidence-building measure.
semi-
active
theory
Lead: DJ, Ben
Endorsed by:
DJ, Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 100
requires:
Political skill
comment
name
117
Create a leaflet • A pof-200 reader proposed that we create a leaflet briefly describing how a society run by workers would function -- so that people know that there is an alternative. Ben responded with a proposal for a "dual-use" leaflet that (at least on its front side) would address the tasks of activists in the antiwar movement.
proposed
leaflets, theory
Lead: no one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
110
Wiki / clean-up top, side and bottom margins • eliminate all dead or useless links from the margins which appear on all wiki pages
proposed
wiki function
Lead: no one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * *
requires:
Political skill
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name
104
create user zones in wiki • modify scripts so that each user has a "zone" such that only he can modify the pages in that zone
Also: (1) users will have the ability to give specific users editing rights to specific pages in their zone (2) each page will have text at top explaining to readers who is allowed to edit
proposed
wiki function
Lead: no one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Tech skill
comment
name
             
111
Registration page for community members • a web-based form will ask new users questions and create a standardized output formatted for use as the source of a wiki "who" page
proposed
wiki function,
left-transparency
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 114
requires:
Political skill
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name
114
Wiki / Improved who's who page • Readers should not get lost in a sea of verbage when trying to learn about community members. All information should be clearly and cleanly laid out and easy to find.
proposed
wiki function
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 111
requires:
Political skill
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name
112
Wiki / member links page • recommendations by community members • everyone gets a small window
(or combines their real estate with others to get a larger joint window)
proposed
wiki function,
left-transparency
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name
115
Wiki / recommended reading page • everyone can promote their views and favorite articles on a level playing field.
proposed
wiki content
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name
             
113
Wiki / Democracy page • we need one good enough to replace the crap on wikipedia.
The word "democracy" is a decisive ideological fortress serving the bourgeoisie. The proletariat must storm this fortress and put it at the service of our class.
Note 1: We could also send email to various left groups asking for their opinions on how to best define this.
Note 2: We can eventually replicate our success with other key words such as communism, proletarism, reformism, etc
proposed
syndication,
theory,
left-transparency
wiki content
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 107
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
101
experiment with email syndication • (a) send article (formatted for email) to a number of lists and systematically (b) collect all responses, (c) give "quick response" within 48 hours, (d) give deeper response within ten days
Candidate articles for syndication: proletarism, burning man, part 7 of ALDS (in installments), article on religion in post-bourgeois society which could be written
proposed
syndication,
theory
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 106
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
102
Report on Indymedia development and evolution • a series of ongoing reports, 3 or 4 times a year, summarising developments in the indymedia world. What sites are being added, removed or reorganized (and why)? What are the controversies? What are the major schools of thought and practice re: filtering of posts by trolls, more advanced filtering, reformism, team-building, 501(3)c status, etc
proposed
news site,
left-transparency
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
106
Survey of radical email lists • Which are the best ones? Where do we go to make contact with the most serious, thoughtful, militant activists?
We should survey anarchist, "marxist" and antiwar lists as well as lists for technical activism. We need something better than the outdated, incomplete and one-sided list at marxism.org
proposed
left-transparency,
syndication
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
Related: 101
requires:
Political skill
comment
name
107
Systematic line comparison • compare the views of 3 or 4 leftist groups on religion in post-bourgeois society -- or reformism -- or democracy -- or something interesting
proposed
left-transparency
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
comment
name
103
Report on a key email list • A monthly report on Proyect's list at marxmail.org
proposed
left-transparency
Lead: No one
Endorsed by:
Ben
Size: * * *
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
             
108
Wiki / clean-up front page • have nothing on the front page except the bare minimum that needs to be there so page is not so confusing to readers • eliminate all dead or useless links and garbage
done
Dec 2004
wiki function
Lead: Ben
Size: * *
requires:
Political skill
Media skill
comment
name
109
Wiki / create decent help pages • New readers should be able to navigate around and create wiki pages without a college degree in software development
done
Dec 2004
wiki function
Lead: Ben
Size: * *
requires:
Tech skill
Media skill
comment
name

More projects can be found at: Digital Infrastructure for Communist Transparency

Explanation of columns in the list of projects

project number
project numbers are added sequentially as projects are added to the list
project name
concise descriptive name of project
project description and/or
mission statement
concrete objectives of project
project status
will be one of these: active • semi-active • hibernation • proposed • completed (see top of this page for detailed descriptions of each)
project categories
will be one or more of these: wiki function • wiki content • theory
• syndication • leaflets • anti-reformism • news site • left transparency

(see top of this page for detailed descriptions of each)
Lead
(ie: person
in charge)
Who has volunteered to make this project happen?
Who do you contact if you want to complain about something,
or have a suggestion or want to help?
Who "owns" the project and has responsibility for making hard decisions?
endorsements
who endorses this project (ie: recommends it to others as a potentially useful place to invest one's time, energy and passion) ?
size of project
Does this project require a lot of time, effort and thought?
Will it be easy? -- or will it require a medium or substantial amount of effort?
Or should the project be broken into smaller, easier projects?
* = easy
** = medium
*** = substantial
**** = we need to break this project up into smaller, easier projects
status report date
date of most recent status report
(and link to the wiki page with status report)
related projects
Related to other projects? (ie: mother, daughter or sister projects)
If so -- there will be link to the row in the Projects table that describes the project
Political skill req?
Requires political experience and judgement.
This includes understanding how the bourgeois/imperialist political system works,
and how reformism and sectarianism corrupt and paralyze the progressive movement.
tech skill req?
Requires technical experience or aptitude
This ranges from being comfortable playing with the wiki as a user -- to being comfortable modifying the wiki code.
media skill req?
Requires media or journalistic skill.
• Can you write effectively so that readers can understand new ideas?
• Do you understand how how to lay out a web page so readers can easily navigate around?
• Do you understand how new readers might "see" an email posting or web page?
add your endorsement

or make
a comment

add your name here together with a short comment if you believe that this would be a worthwhile project. Of course the most powerful endorsement would be to volunteer to help out with the project or to lead the project.

Note 1: If you want to simply make a comment or ask a question without endorsing the project -- then simply add "(comment only)" or "(question only)" at the beginning of the comment text field.
Note 2: If you want to volunteer to help out on the project, then simply add "(volunteer)" at the beginning of the comment text field.
Note 3: Want to suggest a new project? Post your ideas on the pof-200 list.
Note 4: You can use up to 240 characters (about 40 words) for your comment.

Project comments
questions and endorsements 
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