Dear community self publishing enthusiasts,

In the absence of a functioning traditional Sydney indymedia site for the time being I've decided to kick this web facility off:

http://sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog

It doesn't claim to be an official indymedia site with all the culture and guidelines for collective open process that involves. It's really just a stop gap measure to apply my self publishing enthusiasm, and to leverage a relationship with the Alternative Media Group, which is essentially non profit and small scale:

http://www.alternativemediagroup.com/

However I will have total editorial control not AMG as such. That is consultation but I paid for it and am the gatekeeper for now anyway.

I am still deciding whether to have it moderated, and in quite what form. But I am quite willing to give it a go for up to a month to see what happens.

This will be a benevolent editorial control of one, me, for the time being but I will see how things go on that score too. The general idea is no breaches of the law regarding colour or creed, gender or sexual preference, and no defamation of individuals. I won't be taking the legal exposure for that.

The background of the editor includes

- community media activist for the last 5 years from deliverying the Sydney City Hub, Bondi View and Sydney City News

- self published website for my own network ecology action sydney with contacts to South America and local environment movement

- junior solicitor in NSW

- support for such community visual media like ARTV programme provider to Channel 31, Community TV station

- active user of Sydney Indymedia and related websites with usually 1 to 3 story or comment pieces per day.

- for anyone worried about empire building, I have to say I eschew a political career these days, also I am a confirmed downshifter which does nothing for my love life.

On legal matters anything here on this temporary site can be reused or copied with or without attribution, for commercial use or otherwise. It's free. One measure of utility is any of it does appear elsewhere as a ripple or echo effect.

Corrections and clarifications will be gratefully received and encouraged as well as vigorous debate.

Priority will be given to original news items. And if space allows useful interesting photographs given so many have digital cameras these days.

I am still learning how this blog based site can be made as interactive as possible and was not entirely sure how to choose the best web name address. But for the humble fee for 1 month I think this web address will do for now.

I have cross linked to the official indy media in Melbourne, Adeliade and Perth in the sidebar. When and if made redundant I don't really mind. Let a thousand flowers bloom is my view.

If there seem to be some rough edges or glitches my apologies in advance. Lets see how we go from here.

Yours truly, Tom McLoughlin community news activist

My own website heavy on environment and related politics is here at: http://cpppcltrust.com/ecologyactionsydney

sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog