• Makan
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    4 years ago

    I’m thinking of starting my own website where other communists can congregate.

    Basically, a forum that also has info on this stuff in case we lose places like /r/GenZedong and /r/InformedTankie.

      • Makan
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        4 years ago

        It’s good and all, but I want to do my part in making other alternatives. Also, this will be like an old-fashioned forum rather than a comments section. Lemmygrad is just one site, but multiple sites like this one will make us more secure. If one is somehow shut down, we’ll have others.

        • Camarada ForteA
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          4 years ago

          I agree with you comrade. And it’s not necessarily sectarian like some comments have pointed out.

          With more projects, we can organize ourselves in administrative functions related to those websites. I contribute to ProleWiki, and to Lemmygrad too, being an administrator in both projects. This helps develop both communities at the same time, while having a kinda centralized (I am the only administrator currently contributing to ProleWiki, so not that centralized) administrative process.

          A centralized decision-making and people-centric approach to the development of each of those projects is a valuable asset for the future, especially to propagate our ideas.

          I not only encourage you to develop your project, but I can also suggest you some things.

          Both projects, ProleWiki and Lemmygrad are currently still niche-like projects. While this may help develop ideas more easily, we eventually need a system of mass communication. We aren’t conspiratorial sects, we are revolutionaries, so we should be working and thinking of ways to make marxism-leninism as accessible as possible to the people.

          So, I suggest a few ideas:

          • Our website should have internationalization features, obviously.
          • It can have a bunch of social media services run by marxists-leninists, using alternative software similar to Instagram (like PixelFed), Twitter (like Mastodon) and Facebook (don’t know any). This could function by using subdomains, like “pixelfed.ourwebsite.com” or any other name we give to these services. These services would be intended mostly for the masses, including us, transparently moderated by us.
          • Any website should be accessible to mobile phones. Computers are way less accessible in exploited countries, and most people in the world today use smartphones instead of computers. Making apps would be probably needed for a project intended for the masses. For instance, a ProleWiki mobile app is essential. The Wikipedia app could be used as a reference, since it’s open-source, but labor is needed for this, and I know nothing about programming, otherwise I’d already have done something.

          Considering all I’ve said, I guess you realize there’s no point in creating another project now, since it involves a lot of work, and if you do it individually you will waste your time, because it’s really a lot of work. We can’t do these projects alone, all by ourselves.

          I still encourage you to build more projects, however, in the near future. Right now, we need to develop our current projects further, and we need more people to contribute to their growth and development. We need to make both Lemmygrad and ProleWiki known to the people, we need to use any means available to us to spread these tools developed for and by the working class in preparation to our future revolutions.

          Provided a project fits, or intends to fit into those points I mentioned, I’d happily contribute to its development in any way possible. And we can later create a centralized and democratic organ, with devices developed to make it as democratic, participatory and transparent as possible, taking care both of Lemmygrad, ProleWiki and future projects. One thing that worries me about ProleWiki, for instance, is security. If I ever get “disappeared”, the project is dead, because the website is legally paid in my name. Finding a way to make responsibilities a collective, not an individual practice is essential.

          I bring these thoughts so we can think together how to solve these contradictions that eventually we have to face.

          • Makan
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            4 years ago

            Yes, and thanks for the lengthy response. I agree and on second thought I think it’s best that I hold off on this project of mine. It’s really only the germ of an idea right now. I think that it’s something to keep in mind. We can’t put all our eggs in one basket, as the saying goes, in case something gets “disappeared” or there’s somehow legal action or whatever. It’s best to have alternatives, even if there’s a main website here and there. That being said, I agree with each and every one of your points. And yeah, managing a website is a lot of work so I think I’ll hold off on it for now.

            Still, let’s try to brainstorm more on this. I’m writing down some ideas in notebooks that I have IRL. It should help, but I also want to grow Lemmygrad as well (and tell more people about ProleWiki!). That being said, now is probably not the best time and “haste makes waste,” as another saying goes. Best to plan our next move.

            • Camarada ForteA
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              4 years ago

              Join our effort in ProleWiki, comrade. I’ve been having this exact discussion with other comrades that have contributed. Take a while to surf our work, and see where you can help.

              Once we have enough contributors, I will promote a discussion about wiki governance, and we’ll share our ideas. We need first, of course, people who contribute to the project.

              • Makan
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                4 years ago

                Hey, just joined today! Thanks for the suggestion. I’m hoping to contribute in any meaningful way I can.

                • Camarada ForteA
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                  4 years ago

                  Nice, comrade! If there’s anything I can do so you can get acquainted to how wiki works, you can edit my talk page over there, and I’ll help you out!

              • Makan
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                4 years ago

                Very well. I’m a bit busy now, but I’ll try to join tomorrow. Thank you!

          • Makan
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            4 years ago

            We can’t put all our eggs in one basket, I feel. It’s not safe. Better to at least have 2 or 3 more alternatives to Lemmygrad.

            • darkcalling
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              4 years ago

              Why further split and splinter what is already a very small community even further? It would only impoverish both sites more by virtue of having less users. It’s smart to congregate as many people as reasonable in one place. That way more people can interact, share knowledge, etc.

              • pimento
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                4 years ago

                The problem of splitting the community could be avoided by creating another Lemmy instance, and federating with Lemmygrad. I think in that case it would be a good thing, giving more options to users.

                @Makan@lemmygrad.ml

                • Makan
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                  4 years ago

                  That’s certainly something to consider.

              • Makan
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                4 years ago

                We only really have Lemmygrad and the communist community on Reddit. I’m just afraid that we’ll put too much emphasis on one site. But we’ll see.

                Honestly, it’s not a done deal.

                • Camarada ForteA
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                  4 years ago

                  We haven’t been attacked yet. We don’t really know what to expect, so, yeah, you shouldn’t worry about it now. You can share Lemmygrad ProleWiki to your friends and comrades and encourage them to develop with us.

                  • Makan
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                    4 years ago

                    I will! I will also put ProleWiki in the announcements of our Discord, unless you want to do it (which I think more people will accept). Tankie Bunker has over 1,000 users and about 300 - 400 active ones at various times.