hi Wendy,

It was really great to meet up last week!

Here's the proposal that i mentioned: 

----------------------------------------------------
* web based book reviews, based on Open Publishing *
----------------------------------------------------

  collaboration between:
  - Indymedia UK
  - ATTAC Britain
  - Mute
  - Friends of LMD

  *Indymedia* is a network of IMC's (independent media centres). It is based
  on the Open Publishing system, where anyone can publish on its websites.
  Several unique points are that it is a global network, politically
  driven, almost entirely run by volunteers and committed to Open
  Publishing. http://uk.indymedia.org/ (indymedia UK)
  http://www.indymedia.org/about.php3 (about global network)  

  *ATTAC Britain* has an active editorial working group, and has chapters at
  three universities: London School of Economics, Oxford and University
  College London.
  
  *Mute* is a bi-monthly magazine on society, arts and technology. Its social
  network of collaborators and readers fits well with the political context of 
  this proposal.
  
  *Friends of LMD* is the UK chapter of the association of readers of Le Monde
  Diplomatique.  It promotes the English edition of LMD, and organises public
  debates on political, social and environmental issues.  
  http://www.amisuk.f9.co.uk
 
  ------------------
  How would it work?
  ------------------
  
  Indymedia has substantial on-line readership and developed electronic publishing
  tools, as well as transparent collaborations methods and editorial policies.
  The Indymedia UK website would provide a 'book reviews' section with its own
  publishing category.  ATTAC Britain has a growing network of students, and
  an active editorial group who could be initial book reviewers. Mute magazine
  is moving towards two annual printed issues, and will be more focused on web-based
  projects; this could be one of them.  They could provide visibility for this
  project within a social network that other organizations wouldn't otherwise
  reach, and could provide initial reviewers, too.  The Friends of LMD could
  also promote this project, and provide some of the reviews.
  
  Since Indymedia content is free for nonprofit use (unless noted otherwise),
  The English edition of LMD edition could publish book reviews of their choice.
  The involvement of ATTAC Britain, Mute and the Friends of LMD would ensure that 
  the project is promoted to wider social networks, and could provide initial book 
  reviews, too.  The nature of Open Publishing that Indymedia uses is such that, given
  the appropriate social networks, and initial content, the project can grow
  and spread wide.
  
  ----------------
  Why all of this?
  ----------------
  
  I feel (not completely convinced about the rational side) that all sides
  could benefit from such project, in different ways of course.  The immediate
  benefit that I see would be exposure of the participating organizations to each
  others' social networks.  Other benefits would differ.  For example: LMD gets free
  free content produced locally (which is what it's missing); Indymedia gets a
  new section on book reviews and a new kind of readership; ATTAC Britain gets to
  promote issues that are at the core of its platform -- by publishing book
  review; Mute came to my mind because Pauline (one of the editors) mentioned once
  that she would like to have a project with on-line book reviews resembling
  Amazon.com book reviews, and because they are moving much more towards the web.
  The Friends of LMD could be of great help to LMD and could get more exposure.
  
  
These are my initial thoughts. Something like this has been on my mind for a
while, but suddenly, after meeting you Wendy, the right context seemed to
emerge.

A more graphical representation of the proposed work-flow:

----------------     -----------------------------------------     -------
| Indymedia UK | <=> | Mute | Attac-Britain | Friends of LMD | <=> | LMD |
----------------     -----------------------------------------     -------

Left side is far more web based, and it serves as the input point for the
content; organizations in the middle are kind of social brokers and a glue
that could make this project work; on the right, content has a monthly
publishing outlet.

If this is interesting to all sides, we can discuss it more on a mailing
list that I just set up for discussing random projects in their early stages,
<early-stages@lists.southspace.net>, and arrange to meet up face to face.  To
subscribe to that list, please visit:

http://lists.southspace.net/listinfo/early-stages

thanks,

Toni Prug
[ indymedia london working group / attac-britain-communications ]