Alternative Media

The term Alternative Media (or Independent Media) describes any content produced and released by an independent or non-traditional source. This can be anything from a single person to an organized group, producing anything from blogs, newsletters and podcasts to videos, music, books and games.

Basically, alternative media is any media content that is not mainstream.

Diversified Sources

Many of us do not think enough about the sources of our information--gossip, television, random websites, magazines, etc. We live in an age where there is an overwhelming amount of information available to us, and as such we are able to reap the benefits of this huge mass of human knowledge.

Thing is, one needs to be very careful about where one gets one's information, and exactly who to believe. There are an inordinate number of conflicting sources, as well as just plain disinformation.

In order to make the best decisions, it is important to examine all the facts available, rate the sources, and put together your own picture based on all the info you have available. Common sense, right? So why don't more of us use this critical thinking to filter our inputs?

By examining a more broad set of sources, you can start to see different perspectives, and begin to piece together a larger picture. The more diverse your pool of inputs, the more information you'll have to help you on your quest for the truth.

 

Trust

Each source needs to be weighted by how much you trust it. Here's the tricky part--there is no master list to check who to trust, so you'll just have to make up your own mind. Sources (both mainstream and alternative) can be rated for trust in a number of ways.

Friend of a Friend--If a media source is recommended to you, you can weight the new source based on how much you trust the judgement of whoever recommended it to you. In fact, you probably do this already, automatically, but by consciously thinking about who's telling you what, you'll be less likely to believe something you shouldn't.

Prior Record--By examining a source over time, you are able to better determine how you feel about it. If the source always releases content that's spot on, that trust level will build. When you see crap coming out, it's a big clue to take what's said with a grain of salt.

Critical Analysis--Even if you have no other info to base trust (or lack thereof) on, you can still use your head to examine what you're being fed. Does the info make sense? Do you like what you see/hear? Can claims and references be verified? Common sense and critical thinking/logic skills go a long way in this area. Is your bullshit filter in good repair and engaged?

 

Finding New Media

There are a plethora of media outlets to experience. In fact, there's more media content out there than you'll likely be able to soak up no matter how hard you try, or how long you live. Not all of this media is digital, by any means, but the Interweb has provided us such a unique and powerful new paradigm for sharing and distributing information.

 

http://www.zinelibrary.net/

The best way to find new media is to keep your eyes and ears open. Search engines can be powerful tools for finding new media--though advanced searching techniques are a bit beyond the scope of this page. Audio and video directories are also great tools for stumbling onto the newness.

 

Below, I'll provide a few content categories and some of my favourite links to independent content.

Indymedia is a network of independent journalism web sites where you can find local news and post news stories in your community. 

Audio

hackermedia . org

A collection of hacking/phreaking/security/technology audio feeds all in one place.

off the hook

A weekly hacking/phreaking radio show produced by 2600 staffers.

binary revolution radio

A (formerly weekly) hacking broadcast on a variety of subjects.

newsreal with sean kennedy

A weekly independent news baudcast on current events, interesting thoughts, and opinions from a wog perspective.

rant radio

An alternative audio source, a division of RantMedia, they have music, news and talk.

radio freek america

A (now defunct, but still informative and entertaining) phreaking/hacking internet radio show.

song fight

An open music competition--song title is release and competitors have a week to make the best song, which users vote on.

overclocked remix

A collection of homemade songs and remixes of video game musihttp://www.zinelibrary.net/c.

frontalot . com

MC Frontalot, the Godfather of Nerdcore Hiphop.

rhyme torrents

Several compilations of various nerdcore/geeksta tracks, distributed in bittorrent form.

twat radio - today with a techie

A community produced show on anything technology related.

Video

Recently, a plethora of video hosting sites have popped up. I don't think you'll have to much trouble....

google video

youtube

veoh

break

metacafe

Images

Images are a wonderful form of media which is often overlooked in this sort of list. Everything from scans to digital art to photography.

deviant art

flickr

photobucket

google images

Books, Zines and other Text

textfiles . com

An extremely diverse collection of various textfiles assembled by Jason Scott.

freecomputerbooks . com

A collection of free books on computers, programming, networking, etc.

google books

Google's collection of scanned books, freely available.

zine library . net

An online collection of various Zines.

the denver zine library

An actual physical library of various Zines, located in Denver, CO.

doc droppers

A collaborative collection of papers on computer/hacking/technology/free thought/culture jamming/etc topics run by the ddp.

cryptome

A very interesting source of very interesting links and stories.

Other

open educational resources

open course ware

MIT's project to make public their course materials.

user moderated news feeds

slashdot (/.)

digg

fark

 

DIY - Get your own voice out there

"Don't hate the media. Become the media." --Jello Biafra

The best thing about the internet is its ability to connect us to anybody else (or everybody else) on the planet, regardless of physical location. And the best thing about digital media is its inherent ability to be reproduced perfectly, without additional overhead.

 

Take these two things together, mix in your own ideas, style and opinions, add a dash of motivation and patience as required, and you can become dj of your very own radio or tv station. You can author something which has the potential to reach millions of other minds, and what some publisher says is irrelevant. You have the potential to communicate with the world.

 

Cool to think about, huh?

Closing thoughts

The point of Alternative and Independent Media is not simply to cut yourself out of the mainstream. It is to provide a more rich set of resources for you to inform yourself about the universe we live in.

 

Look at all your choices, and try to build a broad view. Weight everything you take in by how much you trust it, how reliable, how useful it's likely to be. Don't necessarily shun the mainstream simply because it's mainstream (very hipster, I know, but a silly idea nonetheless).

 

Keep your eyes peeled.

 

If you have something to say, put your own voice out there. Be the media.

COMMS Failure

What is a COMMS failure?

COMMS failure is short for communications failure. It is used to describe a break down of COMMS (communications systems) especially during emergencies where a lack of communication causes problems. It is also used to describe an error caused by the inability to communicate in between computer hardware or software. In military operations, a COMMS failure is often the cause of blue-on-blue deaths or "friendly fire" incidents. COMMS failure is used by activists in an expanded sense to describe communications problems. It is originally a military term. Causes of COMMS Failure COMMS failures are usually due to malfunctioning equipment or communicator's human error. Equipment Failure signal loss service provider malfunction dead batteries unpaid cell phone bills inadequate range Human Error misplaced or forgotten phone unheard phone call due to loud music or other distractions Failure to reactivate phone's ringer after setting to vibrate for event Inability to reach people contact information lost, incorrect or out-of-date promised contact not made failure to inform someone of something in a timely fashion people being out of the loop information being lost or forgotten confused people miscommunicating misinterpreted communications insufficient skill to operate equipment inadequate contact information passive aggressive avoidance of responsibility COMMS Discipline: Preventing COMMS Failures "A forgotten idea is as serious a COMMS failure as a broken phone. Romeo & Julet is the tragedy of undelivered communications. Don't be tragic!" Equipment Always carry phone turned on Reactivate phone's ringer after setting to vibrate Recharge phone daily & carry charger on trips Keep bills paid in advance of cutoffs COMMS Discipline Clarify plans Repeat what you hear for confirmation to avoid misinterpretation communicate clearly RSVP: Regulate rythmn, speed, volume pitch. Incomprehensible voice messages are worthless. Acknowledge when you hear from someone so they know that you copied Check in periodically to let people know you are on track Confirm plans rather than assuming people remember and are on track Obtain multiple redundant forms of contact information for all contacts. Multiple emails, IM accounts on different services prevent loss of communication from regular network outages When you meet new people, add them to a queue to contact Queueing people to contact with specific details about them to remember who they are and what you want to tell them.

Example COMMS Failures Romeo And Juliet "Welcome from Mantua: what says Romeo? Or, if his mind be writ, give me his letter." "Suspecting that we both were in a house Where the infectious pestilence did reign, Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth; So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd." "Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo?" "I could not send it,–here it is again,– Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, So fearful were they of infection." "Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, The letter was not nice but full of charge Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger." "Romeo, there dead, was husband to that Juliet; And she, there dead, that Romeo's faithful wife: I married them; and their stol'n marriage-day Was Tybalt's dooms-day, whose untimely death Banish'd the new-made bridegroom from the city, For whom, and not for Tybalt, Juliet pined. You, to remove that siege of grief from her, Betroth'd and would have married her perforce To County Paris: then comes she to me, And, with wild looks, bid me devise some mean To rid her from this second marriage, Or in my cell there would she kill herself. Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art, A sleeping potion; which so took effect As I intended, for it wrought on her The form of death: meantime I writ to Romeo, That he should hither come as this dire night, To help to take her from her borrow'd grave, Being the time the potion's force should cease. But he which bore my letter, Friar John, Was stay'd by accident, and yesternight Return'd my letter back. Then all alone At the prefixed hour of her waking, Came I to take her from her kindred's vault; Meaning to keep her closely at my cell, Till I conveniently could send to Romeo: But when I came, some minute ere the time Of her awaking, here untimely lay The noble Paris and true Romeo dead. She wakes; and I entreated her come forth, And bear this work of heaven with patience: But then a noise did scare me from the tomb; And she, too desperate, would not go with me, But, as it seems, did violence on herself." —Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare Operation Just Cause "1990 Comms failure blights SEAL operation: Reveals details of a US Navy commando operation to secure Paitilla airport, SE of Panama City, during Op JUST CAUSE, in order to prevent Gen Noriega's escape by private jet. The SEAL force ran into unexpectedly heavy resistance, and took heavy casualties. It proved unable to communicate with a USAF AC-130 circling the airfield, and thus could not call on it for intelligence or fire support. The SEAL leadership has concluded that "if they had known that 'Just Cause' was compromised", the raiders would have called for AC-130 suppressive fire before approaching the hangar." —Barbara Starr, Jane's Defence Weekly, Article Indonesian Massacre of East Timor "The Indonesian forces carried out a massacre against the East Timorese during the election there - from memory, the Australian security forces were supposed to be there monitoring the election... Anyways, just as the massacre was ramping up, the communications link for the Australian Defence Forces and Canberra inexplicably failed for 26 hours. it was widely rumoured that an "Indonesian Lobby" in canberra had orchestrated the comms failure so that the indonesians could carry out a massacre and prevent the secession of east timor (literally one of the poorest countries in the world). There have been four inquiries trying to ascertain what the hell happened - all of them looked like whitewashes. An inquiry has just been completed and 2 "military intelligence officers have been disciplined for misleading a top-level inquiry" - you wont be surprised to learn that their evidence was key in 'proving' that the comms shutdown was accidental." —Source Article Article