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Nottingham Trent University
The Green Internet University Certificate in Information Technology Assignment 4 |
Course Tutor: Phil Wane. October 1997
6.2. Communications and evidence
Aside from the difficulties that are sometimes created when people `impersonate’ others identity, (frequently for commercial gain), an assessment of the validity of the information contained is necessary. There are no `absolutes’ here however.
Much is made of the caution required when viewing a site. It is, by character, very different from a book. Many say that the writing in a book must be superior to that on a web-site, since the information will have been referenced, `vetted’ by publishers and perhaps experts in the field. In many instances, this will probably be true. Except, perhaps, in two important features.
Some web pages might be trusted over books because of their immediacy. Information, even when correctly referenced, can be out of date by the time the book is published. Web pages can be updated in minutes.
A second consideration is with trust and confidence. Some would accept a multi-national company, government or institu-tional site to give authoritative information. Others however, are suspicious of the `party line’ that might be pushed in the promotion of products, or in the presentation of policy. This is frequently true in the printing of `glossy brochures’. No less true on the net.
It is against this background that I have chosen to discuss the possibilities that the Internet brings for environmental pressure groups, minority interest groups and in researching information on an issue.
In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Environment met for the first time in Stockholm. There was growing alarm at the consequences of human industrial development and accompanying pollution. The 58 nations represented produced a report: `Only One Earth - The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet’, counselling urgent action. The principles of `sustainable development’ were the yardstick by which progress should be measured. The British Government prepared a White Paper committing itself to action.
Twenty years after Stockholm, 1992, 178 nation-States, 117 heads of States and representatives of Non Governmental Organisations, 35,000 people in all including 9000 journalists attended the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, otherwise known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Earth Summit gave rise to the adoption of 'The Rio Declaration,' which enshrined the objective of sustainable development, (just as had been done twenty years earlier) But its 27 principles, a kind of green human rights charter, are couched in vague terms and difficult to translate into action. They are so broad and abstract as to constitute little more than a pious wish.
I review this background since I well remember the urgency for action first espoused. Compared to the scale of emergency before us, nothing of note has been done!
A full historical account by Prof. Dimitrios I. Roussopoulos on the development of the United Nations Earth Summit Conferences can be viewed in an electronic published version of `Political Ecology: Beyond Environmentalism’. The United Nations website provides huge amounts of information on these matters. On inspection, however, it is not possible to find very much to be optimistic about. I found this recent Press Release (8 April 1997) to illustrate my point `UN - lack of financial aid will kill dream of sustainable development’. . . . Dream? It is required!
Having been aware of these concerns for all of my adult life, I have been involved in many `self-help’ `alternative’ and `environmentally concerned’ projects and groups. I have always subscribed to E.F. Schumacher’s dictum "Small is Beautiful".
Depending on ones perspective on politics, I think it is obvious that people will split between those with the opinion that the `public will’ be expressed through democracy and those who believe that the `vested interests’ in maintaining the status quo are so strong as to render the political process impotent. Particularly true perhaps when multi-national companies are involved.
It has been twenty five years since the establishment of national pressure groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Their membership in Britain is now greater than any of the political parties. In spite of this, people still feel ineffective in bringing about the required legislative changes.
Through the 1970’s and 1980’s, a number of campaigns were pursued against, nuclear weapons and power, consumption, pollution and the depletion of the Ozone layer. Through their flyers, newsletters and minority interest magazines such as Sanity, Resurgence and the Ecologist, it was attempted to present a case for change. The information contained had quite limited appeal and could not be easily distributed on the necessarily tight budgets. A lot of effort spent in preparing and distributing information to those that already know!.
The mainstream media has ignored all but the biggest stories and these come about only as the emergency develops. The mass audience thus are only informed of issues and events when they have happened. The Chenobyl reactor and the forest fires in Indonesia are obvious examples. Generally too late then to effect change. The media also become very interested to cover a story were there is protest, police action, arrests and injury. This then becomes the main story, but at least the issue being protested about then gets a mention, just.
It is against this background that people have engaged in civil dis-obedience and the idea of `Non Violent Direct Action’ (NVDA) on an issue has developed, now including people from a wide cross-section of society.
It is now currently the subject of some debate between TV News Managers and protesters. Is it really necessary for people to engage, in sometimes very dangerous, `media stunts’ such as climbing trees or digging tunnels to get noticed?
One of the environmentalists oldest maxims states:
"Think globally, Act Locally"
It refers to the argument that global environmental problems can be addressed only by considering ecological, economic, and the cultural differences of our local surroundings. This phrase was originated by René Dubos as an advisor to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.
With this in mind, Richard Sandbrook of Friends of the Earth observed:
"The challenge for environmental groups today is to solve problems locally which have national and international consequences,
There isn’t a short cut because all environmental problems are local. It’s ridiculous to try to solve everything with conventions nobody takes any notice of, because they come from the top down".
People taking action locally in small groups or on their own initiative would, in the past, necessarily be isolated. Sometimes the use of a `telephone tree’ alerted established activists to an action. However, it required a `membership’ to work and in some situations, if someone was out when called, a whole `branch’ of the tree would be missed. It should be noted that this form still largely relied on a `top down’ approach. It is a model that is only really appropriate to rally action. Information on issues continued to be hard to distribute.
Enter the Internet. Over the last two or three years, there has been a growth of environmentally related sites, the volume of which has mirrored the growth of the Internet as a whole. It provides the very model of de-centralisation. It is not organised hierarchically, all can contribute to their capabilities. Thus, the isolation previously felt by many in knowing what other groups were doing has been much overcome. Their are still more respected groups holding large repositories of information on actions and issues, but smaller groups and individuals can have a far greater say.
Again, it must be remembered that all information should be reviewed critically. Just as the situation with respect to police sites I referred to in the introduction, so it is with `green groups’. I think the most authoritative information is likely to be found on sites written by groups already having a long pedigree of involvement. In the UK for example, groups like, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Green-Net etc. Not only is their content frequently `moderated’ by people of some expertise in their field, they are also quite particular on what other sites that they provide a link to. The inclusion of a hypertext link in a web page to another group, is generally viewed as a validation.
When researching any matter, it is necessary to look into a variety of sources. However cautious in checking facts, even a `heavyweight’ group like Greenpeace can be in error. I am thinking of the campaign to stop the dumping of the BP `Brent Spa’ oil platform in the North Sea. Greenpeace made a number of claims that that later turned out to be unsubstantiated, for which they later apologised. Well, no one’s perfect!
A more celebrated case of Internet use in environmental action was the setting up of the McSpotlight pages. The McDonald's Corporation took exception to claims from environmental groups that their business practices were `less than ethical’. They then issued a libel suit to try to silence environmentalists David Morris, Helen Steel and others from London Greenpeace.
Launched in February 1996 in London, the site received over one million hits in the first month. The main server was latter based in the Netherlands, were there are less restrictive libel laws than in the UK. Mirror sites later appeared in USA, Finland, New Zealand
It was remarked: "The McSpotlight site is a sophisticated and grand undertaking. The offerings are painstakingly researched and well presented...regardless of the legal outcome, the activists can already claim victory."
Further, the Guardian commented: "It is claimed to be 'the most comprehensive source of information on a multi-national corporation ever assembled' and that doesn't sound like an exaggeration."
I had originally held the opinion that the Internet was elitist, in that the costs in owning and maintaining computer kit was prohibitive to many, thus restricting popular access. However, with the increased provision to millions of students and employees, (together with the growth of the `cybercafe’ network and in the public libraries) the numbers able to access continues to grow, hence the popularity of the Mcspotlight pages. Just a couple of years earlier, such access to an interested audience would have been thought impossible, without the medium of TV or radio.
With the co-operation of TV program makers (mostly Channel 4!), the targeting and use of the medium can be much enhanced. On the 19th and the 26th October 1997, Channel 4 broadcast `Undercurrents’. A collection of `activists’ video work. As with a lot of programming now, a website was announced at the end of the program, for further information <http://www.channel4.com/>. A résumé of their activities and links were provided. I telephoned Channel 4 and was told that the response after the screening of the film was `phenomenal’, they believe clocking up over 60,000 `hits’ the following day.
It is against this background that the authorities are showing increased `interest’ in these communications.
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Parallel to this, the Security Services Act 1996 has been passed to strengthen police operations against `serious crime’ . `Fair enough’ one might think. Except that by so `loosely’ drafting the wording of the new law, (redefining what serious crime is), government had deliberately set the security services (MI5 - Military Intelligence) to carry out intrusive surveillance against peaceful environmental action. Hardly considered to fall within their main objectives and parameters.
Serious crime has now been redefined as:
"..... conduct by large number of persons in
pursuit of a common purpose"
The police / MI5 relationship will now be co-ordinated by the National Criminal Intelligence Service. NCIS in their annual report for 1997, refers to the needs of law enforcement agencies to be able to decode encrypted messages.
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Putting their intelligence needs before the right of privacy, they insist that the state should hold `master keys’ This is still the subject of some debate, with the Dept. of Trade and Industry issuing a consultation paper on the subject in march of this year. Bugging and electronic monitoring and surveillance is now allowed for, under the new provisions of the Police Act 1996. |
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`Reclaim the Street’ are an environmental `direct action’ group. They are concerned with organising street parties and `media stunts’ to draw attention to the damage caused by yet more road building and increased car use. One of the ways they are able to marshall the support they do is by the imaginative use of their web site, links and the issue of frequent e-mail posting to subscribers.
Following the party / actions on the M41 motorway, London in July last year, officers from the `Public Order Intelligence Team’ of the Metropolitan Police raided their offices. They seized their three computers, although the information held on database was protected by the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encryption of the contents.
There have recently been a number of similar incidents that seems to demonstrate the concern the authorities feel for the use of electronic communications. Chief Superintendent Davies, head of the Met Public Order Branch says: " They (the protesters) are well educated, ingenious, organised, articulate and well informed on environmental matters. They use inventive tactics to achieve their aims. Forces are having to deploy increasingly sophisticated techniques in the policing of environmental protests".
My objective with this project was to demonstrate an ability to use the internet as a research tool to examine a subject. Further to show the influence that the internet has had on the groups affected. It will have been seen that the browsing of web pages provides an ideal opportunity to inform increasing numbers of people on issues that they may previously held a very one `sided’ view, or knew nothing about.
Next to this increased capacity for information dissemination has gone an increased awareness by the authorities. With the developing means of electronic monitoring and surveillance, many activist need to be concerned. In this respect , many people will still express their views in `anonymous pamphlets’, rather than by the use of the internet, since those with more radical views fear being `traced’.
The purpose of this assignment was not to write a full description of the issues I have researched, but to show the sources from where information may be obtained. This I hope I have done.
I include this flow diagram, prepared to show the means of my involvement and interest. The use of DTP packages has been liberating to small groups in explaining a case. Pictures next to words are far more expressive than words alone. This is also now true on the internet.
BRASS, E & POKLEWSKI KOZIELL, S., (photographs: LODGE, A.) 1997 Gathering Force - DIY Culture: Radical action for those tired of waiting.
London: Big Issue Publications.
DEARLING, A,. 1997 Youth Action and the Environment
Lyme Regis, Dorset: Russell House Publishing Ltd
GILBERT, J,. (photographs: LODGE, A.) 1997 Soundtrack to an Uncivil Society: Rave Culture, The Criminal Justice Act and the Politics of Modernity. New Formations, Number 3. Uncivil Societies
London: Lawrence & Wishart
KAHIN, B. & KELLER, J., eds., 1995 Public Access to the Internet
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US: MIT Press
MCKAY, G., 1996 Senseless Acts of Beauty: Cultures of Resistance since the Sixties.
London: Verso
NEELY, M., 1996. Business Guide to the Internet
Harrogate: Net.Works
ROAD ALERT! 1997 Road Raging - Top Tips For Wrecking Roadbuilding
Newbury, Berkshire: Road Alert!
ROUSSOPOULOS, D. I.,1993 Political Ecology: Beyond Environmentalism Miyazaki University, Japan
New York: Black Rose Books
SchNEWS COLLECTIVE 1997 SchNEWS - round Collected Newsletters.
Brighton: SchNEWS Collective
Environment
1. History
EnviroLink Library - Subject Listing http://www.envirolink.org/elib/alpha.html
United Nations Home Page http://www.un.org/
Rio Summit - United Nations Publications http://www.un.org/Pubs/whatnew/5rio1.htm
Political Ecology - Enviro Summit history http://www.miyazakimic.ac.jp/classes/
compoliss/copyrightedarticles/polecology.html
Small is Beautiful --
Economics as if People Mattered http://www.ecobooks.com/smbeaut.htm
2. Info
Earth First! http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/earthfirst.html
Centre for Alternative Technology http://www.foe.co.uk/CAT/
Environment Sites http://www.gn.apc.org/gn/links/netenv.html
Environmental Mailing Lists http://www.envirolink.org/archives/
Friends of the Earth Home Page http://www.foe.co.uk/
GreenNet Home Page http://www.gn.apc.org/
Greenpeace International Home Page http://www.greenpeace.org/
Mc Spotlight http://www.mcspotlight.org/home.html
One World Front Page http://www.oneworld.org/index.html
Resurgence Magazine Online http://www.gn.apc.org/resurgence/index.html
Surfers Against Sewage http://www.sas.org.uk/
Welcome to the Animal Rights Coalition (UK) http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/arc/
The Veggies Animals Contact Directory http://www.interalpha.net/customer/ecoslobs/veggies/v-index.htm
Earth First - PDF Action Update http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/AUpdate PDFs/EFAction.htm
Think Globally, Act Locally http://capita.wustl.edu/ME567_Informatics/concepts/global.html
3. Direct Action
Earth First! Home Page http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/ef/earthfirst.html
Friends of the Earth Home Page http://www.foe.co.uk/
Basic Law for Road Protestors http://www.wadham.ox.ac.uk/
~rhouston/basic_law/basic_law.html
Encyclopedia of Direct Action (v0.5) http://www.envirolink.org/action/eda.html
TLIO-The Land Is Ours Homepage http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/tlio/
Campaign Against Runway 2
Manchester Airport http://www.gn.apc.org/resurgence/car2.html
3rd Battle Of Newbury http://www.gn.apc.org/newbury/
A30 Action Road Protest http://www.fury361.demon.co.uk/a30/
Newbury Bypass Home Page http://www.foe.co.uk/action/newbury/index.html
FOE - The Newbury Bypass Campaign http://www.oneworld.org/news/partner_news/newbury.html
Reclaim the Streets http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/rts.html
4. Undercurrents on Channel 4
Undercurrents on Channel 4 http://www.channel4.com/news/majores/
Freedon Network on Channel 4 http://www.channel4.com/news/majores/
Freedom Network - Students http://www.freedomnet.demon.co.uk/webstud.htm
Freedon Network http://www.freedomnet.demon.co.uk/
5. Green-Net
GreenNet Services http://www.gn.apc.org/gn/services/index.html
GreenNet Conferences http://www.gn.apc.org/gn/info/conf/index.html
List of web sites on GreenNet http://www.gn.apc.org/gn/links/websites.html
Environmental Activism Web Page http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/
`Alternative' Media
Squall http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~squall/
SchNEWS http://www.cbuzz.co.uk/SchNEWS/
Frontline Magazine http://www.c-comm.demon.co.uk/frontline/frontline.html
Red Pepper http://www.redpepper.org.uk/
RutFIN Times http://www.bltn.com/rutfin/rutfin.htm
Small World Media - Index http://antenna.nl/~smallwor/index.html
UnderCurrents - The Web Site http://www.robndina.demon.co.uk/
Undercurrents - Index http://antenna.nl/~smallwor/undercurrents/index.html
Law - UK
London Advice Finder On-Line - Law Centres http://www.ris.org.uk/laf/lawcent.htm
Brixton Law Centre http://www.ris.org.uk/laf/LClist.htm#Brixton
Legal rights on a demo and in police custody http://www.tim1.demon.co.uk/Articles/demo.html
Taking Liberties Homepage http://www.tim1.demon.co.uk/
Court on the Web; Public legal info http://www.dircon.co.uk/belmarsh/
Homelessness in the UK - key organisations http://www.ris.org.uk/puborgs2.htm
Web Journal of Current Legal Issues http://www.ncl.ac.uk/~nlawwww/
Information for Lawyers home page http://www.infolaw.co.uk/ifl/
Legal and Law-Related Information http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Law/other.html
Martin Hogan's Human Rights Depository http://www.intac.com/PubService/human_rights/
Peter Gray - Barrister http://www.gn.apc.org/pgray/
Scarman Centre for Study of Public Order http://www.le.ac.uk/scarman/
The Law Society http://www.lawsoc.org.uk/
University of Bristol Law Faculty http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Law/
Legal Action Group (LAG) http://www.lag.org.uk/
The Lawyer - Home Page http://www.the-lawyer.co.uk/
Government
Houses of Parliament Home Page http://www.parliament.uk/
CCTA Government Information Service http://www.open.gov.uk/
Home Office Research and
Statistics Directorate - UK http://www.open.gov.uk/home_off/rsd/rsdhome.htm
Acts Summaries - Her Majesty's
Stationery Office http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/actssumm.htm
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/summary/01994033.htm#Part XII
Bills http://www.parliament.the-stationery- office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/allbills.htm
The Labour Party http://www.labour.org.uk/
Liberal Democrats http://www.libdems.org.uk/
The Conservative Party http://www.conservative-party.org.uk/
European Political Resources http://www.agora.stm.it/politic/europe.htm
Politicians Of The World -
Address Directory http://www.trytel.com/~aberdeen/
CJA Law and Stuff
All Systems are Go! http://www.tim1.demon.co.uk/Articles/systems.html
urban75 http://www.urban75.com/
Your rights on arrest http://www.urban75.com/Action/Legal/rights.html
CJA press releases http://www.chaos.org.uk/~maureen/cjapr.html
Free parties http://ecstasy.org/party.html
Home Office Press Rel; cja http://www.worldserver.pipex.com/coi/depts/GHO/coi7503a.ok
The Levellers Page http://chemistry.ohio-state.edu/~pfleming/lvlrs/
Penal Affairs Publications, Book Reviews http://www.penlex.org.uk/publists.html#pac
Squatters And The Criminal Law http://www.penlex.org.uk/pacsquat.html
Squatting Archive http://alt.venus.co.uk/weed/squatting/welcome.htm
The Criminal Justice Act http://www.intac.com/PubService/human_rights/CJA/
CJPOA 1994 - Oxford Univisity http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mert0063/green/lg/cja.html
Free Outdoor Party Network http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/7797/
Other Stuff
1. Stonehenge
Stonehenge Campaign Homepage! http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9000/stg-camp.htm
Stonehenge 1 http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9000/stonegeo.htm
Stonehenge 2 http://www.tcp.co.uk/~ait/index.html
Stonehenge 3 http://www.algroup.co.uk/wpb/stonehen.htm
2. Glastonbury & Greenfield
Glastonbury Festival 1997 http://www.tbphq.demon.co.uk/jo/glasto97.html
Glastonbury Home Page http://www.crg.cs.nott.ac.uk/~nlc/glast/glast.html
Glastonbury Festival http://www.glastonbury.co.uk/glastonbury_festival.html
RainbowNet Cultural Technologies -
Glastonbury 1995 http://www.poptel.org.uk/glastonbury/
The Glastonbury Green Fields http://www.poptel.org.uk/glastonbury/gfwww6d.html
The Tipi http://www.oakwood.demon.co.uk/chris/tipi.htm
Travelling, Land and stuff
Squatters and the County Court
(Criminal Justice Act 1994) http://www.letlink.co.uk/lfacts14.html
The Diggers http://www.tao.ca:80/~freedom/winst.html
The True Levellers -- Part One http://207.194.94.111/home/campbell/Leveller.html
The True Levellers -- Part Two http://207.194.94.111/home/campbell/Leveller(2).html
Monastery Permaculture Project http://www.manchester.com/organisations/monastery/
Frontline Magazine. - Travellers http://www.c-comm.demon.co.uk/frontline/travellers.html
Homelessness in the UK http://www.ris.org.uk/hsg_coop.htm
New Age Travellers http://www.kalika.demon.co.uk/steve/alternative/NAT.html
Telephone Advice Service for Travellers http://www.cf.ac.uk:80/uwcc/claws/research/tlast
Tim Walker, Chesterfield solicitor
"Taking Liberties" http://www.tim1.demon.co.uk
Encyclopedia of Direct Action (v0.5) http://www.envirolink.org/action/eda.html
Travellers and the Built Environment http://leevalley.co.uk/MondoDesigno/travel.html
Urban Gypsies http://www.caliach.com/paulr/gypsies/gypsies.html
White Paper on Land Use http://leevalley.co.uk/MondoDesigno/bubble.html
Organisations
Amnesty International http://www.organic.com/Non.profits/Amnesty/
Charter88 http://www.gn.apc.org/charter88/
Center for Utopian Studies http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~aw148888/
CND http://www.gn.apc.org/cnd/
Hunt Saboteurs Association http://envirolink.org/arrs/HSA/hsa.shtml
The Serious Road Trip http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~angus/SRT/index.html
UKCIA Legalise Cannabis! - Homepage http://www.foobar.co.uk/users/ukcia/groups/lc!home.html#Legg
Cyberbuss http://www.cyberbuss.com/
Computer Professionals for
Social Responsibility http://snyside.sunnyside.com/home/
Society for Computers and Law Home Page http://www.scl.org/
Police
Police Services of the UK http://www.police.uk
New Scotland Yard, Metropolitan Police http://www.open.gov.uk/police/mps/home.htm
Metropolitan Police Public Order Page http://www.open.gov.uk/police/mps/1hq/co11/1hqpuhom.htm
West Mercia Constabulary Homepage http://www.westmercia.police.uk
Police - training materials for the UK Police
OSPRE exam http://www.adv.co.uk
Police Review http://www.policereview.co.uk
National Criminal Intelligence Service http://www.open.gov.uk/ncis/ncishome.htm
Security Matters
Privacy International http://www.privacy.org/pi
Data Protection Register http://www.open.gov.uk/dpr/dprhome.htm
Statewatch Home Page http://www.poptel.org.uk/statewatch
Duncan Campbell's home page http://www.gn.apc.org/duncan
Harlequin computer Surveillance http://www.harlequin.com/
PGP
PGP encryption http://dcs.ex.ac.uk/~aba/pgp/
PGP in a Nutshell http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jgotts/underground/pgp- nutshell.html
PGP Startup Guide http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~jgotts/underground/pgp- startup.html
Beginner's Guide To Pretty Good Privacy http://netaccess.on.ca/~rbarclay/bg2pgp.txt
The International PGP Home Page http://www.ifi.uio.no/pgp/
Indians
Hopi ghostdance http://www.intac.com/PubService/human_rights/CJA/291194.html
Hopi Information Network http://www.InfoMagic.COM/~abyte/hopi/
> Date: 29 May 1997 16:47:39
> From: jreeds@spry.com
> To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
> Subject: Congratulations!!!
Hi Tash,
Congratulations! Your home page is our featured site for the >June 2 edition of Our World. As you may know, all members of CompuServe and SPRYNET are welcome to submit their home page for consideration, but only those pages which show a
high degree of planning and effort, contain educational and entertaining content, or are Web savvy are selected. Your page has what it takes. Be sure to tell your friends and family to >check out your site. They can find it at:
http://www.sprynet.com/ourworld/index.html or
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/ourworld/index.html or
http://165.121.20.65/neighborhood/index.html.
Again, congratulations! We are proud to have you as an Our World member.
Best wishes,
Jeff Reeds
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Sender: personalweb.guide@miningco.com
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
Subject: you site named a weekly "Net Find" by the Mining Company!
X-URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tash_lodge/MAIN1.HTM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
09 Jun 1997
Hello Tash,
I am the guide to Personal Web Pages for The Mining Co. and I'm happy to inform you that I've chosen your Festival and Travellin' Archive as a weekly "Net Find", or pick of the week.
The Mining Co. <www.miningco.com> is a network of hundreds of topic-specific sites, each run by a "guide" who selects the best of the genre.
Your site is mentioned right on my main page at the URL below, and will remain there through this week.
If, by chance, you would like to make note of this recognition on your site, you can copy a Mining Company logo from http://personalweb.miningco.com/blbutton.htm
and add whatever appropriate text. If you do so, I would appreciate if you added a link back to my site.
Cheers
--
Pamela O'Connell
Your Mining Co. Guide to Personal Web Pages
http://personalweb.miningco.com
email: personalweb.guide@miningco.com
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From: Richard Hester <kbl68@dial.pipex.com>
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
Subject: <greetings frm Richard>
X-URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tash_lodge/trav2.htm
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
13 Sept 1997
Hi Tash
Its been about four years since we met in Nottingham. I had just started an M.Soc.Sci. at Birmingham on social control of Travellers.
Its now turned into a Ph.D. which is nearly finished. I keep meeting people who know you. All are impresssed with your website.
Good luck and thank you for your time four years ago.
Richard Hester <kbl68@dial.pipex.com>
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Sender: adrian@gn.apc.org
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
Subject: Roads & Cars
X-URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tash_lodge/rts_m41.htm
1 Sep 1997
Hi Tash,
I'm working as the researcher for a forthcoming web site called "Roads & Cars" being produced by 'Camera Work', a community photography organisation who have branched into interactive computer multi-media. Have found you web-site and think it’s wicked!! Well done.
The site will be going on-line in October, & will hopefully be touring festivals, & possibly less friendly locations like garages, next summer.
We will explore a variety of topics around the issue including pollution, activism, the history of the campaign, & car advertising. Although I'm aware of most of what's happening, & have some historical archive material, I'd be grateful for any help, advice or information you might be able to offer me.
Most urgent are photographs of actions - Do you have any we could use, or do you know of anyone else who could help? I've ahd a loka t your home pages, but could'nt find many road action images.
I've got some images that I've taken on my travels; check out my site.
http://devserver.artec.org.uk/adac/exstudents/seven/Adrian/Adrian.html
If you have any thoughts, please e-mail me, phone or write:
Phone: 0171-713 1941
Postal address;
39 Amersham Road, New Cross, London SE14 6QQ.
Thanks in advance.
Adrian Harris.
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Sender: underc@gn.apc.org
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
From: underc@gn.apc.org (undercurrents)
Subject:
25 Sep 1997
hiya tash
do you know any NUJ press card holding journos that have been nicked while covering dissent in recent years? i have tracked down a few and we are putting in to dispatches on channel 4 to get a commision to highlight the situaion. We had a journo nicked recently for forgetting his NUJ PIN digits! Channel 4 wrote back and asked " do we have even a sniff of evidence at chief constable or ACPO level of anything that might amount to a co ordinated plan?" any ideas ? do you have any contacts within the force who could find any details of this?
all best
paul
undercurrents
ps- like your website thanks for link to undercurrents productions!
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From: "Jason Nevill" <sales@metalnet.co.uk>
To: <tash_lodge@compuserve.com>
Subject: you and your archive
Date: Tue,09:53:27 -0000
7 Oct 1997
dear alan,
i ran into nancy and mothball at the undercurrents weekend the other day, and they tell me that you have holed up in nottingham now. What are you up to there - anything interesting? I wondered if you might be interested in a new group that is being formed at the moment as an ef spin-off aimed at weekend activists, and getting the working population involved in nvda. we are keeping quiet at the moment, and will do the press releases soon, but were in the process of setting up the bank accounts, web pages etc, and i'll be making a short film about weekend resistance to show to unions, societies etc..
i wondered if you'd like to be involved as well in some way. i am sure you know Theo (of shannon and theo) already - there are about a dozen of us sorting it all out at the moment. What i certainly could use is a groovy photo or two for the web pages, and the promotional literature that i'll be producing...perhaps you can help? I know your photo library is pretty massive!
By the way - do you have them all backed up? it would be a great shame if for some reason you lost them - what about putting them on file with the national photo library or something? just a humble suggestion.
anyway, sorry to hassle you - but you are something of a legend in the movement now - like it or not. Your presence at actions/demos is always an empowering experience for others, and you should know how much we all love you. If you get a minute, perhaps you could drop me a line with a few (constructive!) suggestions.
Yours -
Jason Nevill.
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Sender: S.BORTHWICK@liverpool-john-moores.ac.uk
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
Reply-to: stuart borthwick <S.BORTHWICK@livjm.ac.uk>
Message-id: <01IHRZ9VLT428Y6AJY@vax.livjm.ac.uk>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
16 Aug 1997
Hell Tash
So now I understand the Tash element of your name. Is it as Dali-esque now as it was then, or have I got the complete wrong end of the stick?
What was interesting is what you said in your email, and how that matched up to one of the central points of my lecture... The point is that it is not important (in macro terms) that heads were broken and the police 'rioted', what is important is that they were obviously content to allow it to be filmed.
Now I'm not necessarily suggesting that this was a policy decision (although it may have been), or that the police on the ground were consciously thinking about the issue of whether they wanted their actions to be broadcast. What is important is that they knew that their actions were perfectly acceptable to the socio-cultural climate of the time. In the big "them and us" struggle, the police knew that the general public were on their side, on their side against the travellers.
I hope what I said was of interest (your email certainly was) or at least that it made sense.
any lectureships going?
I am merely a junior academic, and have no say in hiring and firing, but at the moment we are, as we say in the business, up to our SSRs (that is our Staff to Student Ratio is as it should be). Sorry and all that! However the module that I mentioned above runs every year, so maybe in a year's time we could arrange for you to give a guest lecture on Stonehenge and the Battle. I have already mentioned you to a colleague who is in charge of the module, and she is very keen, so we will stay in touch.
Stuart Borthwick
Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies
Liverpool John Moores University
Dean Walters Building
St.James Road
Liverpool L1 7BR
tel.0151 231 5038
p.s. I'm now off to look at your website....
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Sender: ziontrain@onelove.demon.co.uk
To: Alan Lodge <100653.3666@compuserve.com>
From: ZionTrain <ziontrain@onelove.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: interesting web pages!!
Message-ID: <839463337.9901.0@onelove.demon.co.uk>
8 Sept
Dear Tash
Funnily enough we were looking about for your phone no on the day you sent us some e-mail.
We're just about to make a video for the next ZT single which is called Stand Up and Fight. We want to intersperse people of all sizes, shapes,ages and colours dancing and singing in front of a large sound system with images of people standing up and fighting - from the black power salute at the Olympics in front of Hitler, to Reclaim the Streets etc - would you be prepared to let us use some of your photos?
Didn't see you at the gig in Nottingham -where are you these days?
Will check out the new site - have you seen our new one?
http://wobblyweb.com
Take care
Free the land
One Love
Zion Train
Zion is a state of mind.
http://www.cityscape.co.uk/users/cs23/ziontrain/index.html
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Sender: ed@cci.glasnet.ru
To: Alan Lodge <100653.3666@CompuServe.COM>
5 Aug 1996
Dearest Tash,
It's always great to have new friends in the internet.
Our authorities were always organizing repressions against that kind of people: travellers, gypsies, national minorities, homeless, etc.
We had no special laws on (exept one: that must be registered where you live all the time and you'll be arrested if you have no that registration. But our police always had enough freedom to arrest everybody, It doesn't metter did you something criminal or not. Policemen don't like and that's enough. I started to participate in political and environmental movements in 1989 and was arrested first time that year because of my hair (looked like a punk). I was just standing near entrance of the supermarket and
was smoking (very peacefully).
Yes, we have alternative festivals but unfortunately I have no information about future's fests because I'm working against nuclear power right now and campaigning in some places at same time.
Simply have no time (but sometimes it can be, still).
We definetely have a lot of rave parties (I mean Moscow).
The gypsies are were under repressions during USSR time.
Now their situation is not better.
looking forward to hear from you,
Vladimir
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Sender: davies@demon.co.uk
Subject: idea
To: Alan Lodge <tash_lodge@compuserve.com>
X-Mailer: LeeMail 2.0.4
11 Sept 97
Alan,
just followng on from my phone message, I had a chat yesterday with the editor of the Independent's Saturday Magazine and suggested to him an idea for an article on People v the police. He seemed to be interested in the idea, particularly if it centred around a selection of your work
Now my idea is as follows : now that we have an expression of interest from the Independent, how about we try to interest a sponsor in backing an exhibition of your work. I'm thinking of a foundation such as Nuffield, or even Liberty. We can then return to the Independent, and negotiate a good deal to promote the event.
If you think this has merit, could you have a think about the sort of angle that wold work well for (a) an exhibition, and (b) a pictorial story for the paper. If we proceed with this I'll need at least good photocopies of a selection of pics, and I'm happy to do the leg work here in London
Thoughts ?
cheers
Simon
p.s. I WILL send that book to you !!
Simon Davies
Visiting Fellow
Computer Security Research Centre
The London School of Economics
Telephone (+44) (0) 958 466 552
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Sender: Z.Wangler@uea.ac.uk
Subject: Re: police photography
To: Alan Lodge <tash_lodge@compuserve.com>
Message-Id: <ECS9705081424A@smtp.uea.ac.uk>
8 Oct 1997
Thanks for getting back to me Tash.
I don't check my E-mail very often when I'm at college and I only just read your message today.
I hope you got the copy of The Job. I couldn't think of anything else to send in the end. From what I've seen at Jim's house, you have a great selection of background information already. I found some other relevant POlice Review articles, but I didn't send them because I thought you'd have them already - was that the right decision?
I saw Sandy Smith's documentary, which I thought was pretty good, if not a little concerning; ex-Commissioner at Scotland Yard thought surveillance would be a greater problem than crime ... and he should know.
With regard to the photograph ... I have to move on to another project for a while, a month or so. When I finish with that I'll have a little lighter work load and will be able to have a chat about it with ya. I hope that's alright, I don't want to inconvience you in anyway, because it really isn't that important that I get a picture. I'll probably get passed something through Jim eventually anyway.
Thanx again,
Hope family concerns are now family cuddles ...
All zee best,
Zoe...
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Sender: zzzen@netvision.net.il
From: "Nimrod S. Kerrett" <zzzen@netvision.net.il>
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
Subject: Looking for police brutality pics
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
19 Oct 1997
Hello.
My name's Nimrod and I write for the Internet-supplement of the Israeli paper "Ha'aretz".
This week I'm doing an article about the relationship between rave culture and the establishment in various countries (Israel is a good place for getting a beating from the police).
I just got your "Tash on festivals" message and was looking at you pages and was wondering whether you had any larger picture files shouwing police violence. If you do, please let me know. Anyway, I'll mention your page as a good resource about the UK situation.
Peace,
Nimrod Kerrett,
http://shani.net/zombit/asp
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Sender: davies@demon.co.uk
Date: Thu, 01:46:14 0
From: Simon Davies <davies@privint.demon.co.uk>
To: Alan Lodge <tash_lodge@compuserve.com>
Message-Id: <AF43D269@demon.co.uk>
6 Mar 97
Alan,
it was great to meet you (virtually) on the SciFiles programme the other night. I thought the BBC did a great job with it
Shez told me you wanted some more stuff on the police technologies being used. I'm just putting together some coherent stuff at the moment, but meanwhile I'll send the raw data to you in bits and pieces. I'll send some stuff on Harlequin's telephone analysis systems shortly
Keep up the great work
cheers
Simon
ps. Additional Information : ------------------------ Police & Security Expo 96: Provides Criminal Intelligence suites to many of the UK Police Forces. Our main customers include the Metropolitan Police and the National Criminal Intelligence Services. Criminal Intelligence enables the user to create an Intelligence Report in structured format, search for pre-existing records and easily edit reports when further information becomes available. ----
Police & Government Security Technology 10/95: Criminal Intelligence computer systems.
Criminal Intelligence version 1, as used by the Metrpolitan Police. A comprehensive force intelligence tool that records, researches and analyses the everyday intelligence gathered by the police force.
Criminal Intelligence - version 2. ALERT as used by NCIS (National Criminal Intelligence Service). A sophisticated intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination package.
Crime Recording & Reporting, Event recording and reporting systems. Custody management, Property Management, Exhibit Handling, Administration Support systems.
Traffic Management systems, Information Management Systems, HOLMES Support, Crime pattern analysis Systems. ----
IPEC 93 Catalog: Information management specialists who provide solutions to Law Enforcement and intelligence agencies worldwide. Products are in use with Pentagon, US DoD, UK MoD, US DEA and UK police forces.
Simon Davies
Visiting Fellow
Computer Security Research Centre
The London School of Economics
Telephone (+44) (0) 958 466 552
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Sender: S.BORTHWICK@liverpool-john-moores.ac.uk
Subject: Re: intro from tash
To: tash_lodge@compuserve.com
23 Jul 1997
Cheers for the directions to your web-site. I hope you don't mind, I downloaded your eye witness report from the Battle of the Beanfield, and used it as stimulus material in a follow-up workshop to the Stonehenge lecture.
I've also been speaking to others in the University, and the John Moores University Interdisciplinary Surveillance Group have shown interest in inviting you down to talk about the travellers, environmental and surveillance issues. I'll keep you posted, it might come to nothing, or it might be a good opportunity.
Stuart
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Alan Lodge / Tash: ... tash@gn.apc.org