Reports are coming in fast and furious to the Alternative Media Centre about house raids and pre-emptive arrests of key organizers in the G20 resistance. It appears as if the Integrated Security Unit is deploying a pre-planned sweep of known activists.
Police visited two houses in Toronto’s westend early this morning. In one, a warrant was [...]

If I can’t dance with crossdressing Harper I want no part of your revolution.

If there’s one thing the corporate mainstream media love, it’s a good story. And by good story I mean sensational. And by sensational, I mean fear mongering.
We have seen this as a baseline for [...]

Day 2 in the Alternative Media Centre saw more media making and collaborating activity, with AMCistas sharing tips, sources and story ideas, working out tech problems and forming affinity crews to cover events based on interest and need. There have been a number of activist arrests, including one beating and one raid… rest assured, AMCistas [...]

I’ve been at the AMC all day – arriving just before the press conference at 10 this morning. You can read my story on the media scrum here. The mainstream media never cease to amaze me with their myopia and single-minded focus on sensationalism. Goddessforbid we talk about some issues. It really does get boring.
Right now, [...]

It has been a ridiculously busy last bit, but I thought I’d try to get a few things down.
My research on social justice activists’ experience of and response to cybersurveillance in the lead up to the G20 is proceeding apace – I’m slowly gathering the stories of folks who’ve been followed [...]

Remember Channel Zero? An oldie but goodie:
Confessions of a Surveillance Society

The Electronic Frontier Foundation reported on a bogus “secret” subpoena issued by the FBI to Indymedia. The subpoena requested the following: “All IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us” for a particular date, including “IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information.” Writes the EFF senior staff attorney:
“the government was asking for the IP address [...]

Some rad folks have been organizing, lobbying and generally raising a ruckus around the corporate-sponsored push to close down the internet, commodify internet travel (using surveillance and discriminatory practices) and generally mess with net neutrality. The work is largely volunteer-driven, natch, and donation-funded. That’s why the SaveOurNet cats are hosting a fundraiser – a film [...]

I am a supporter and user of free software (though I admit I have not migrated entirely). I research and write about the social movement aspect of free software, and its potential as a model for alternative social organization beyond the realm of software development. I am inspired by the future envisioned by free software [...]

I went to the Union for Democratic Communication conference last weekend, held at Buffalo State College. I had never been to Buffalo, which is what made me pick this conference over the annual meeting of the Canadian Communication Association. I’ve been to Ottawa before; heck, I used to live there. I hedged my bets a [...]