CIM

Some points regarding

some of the questions,

Regarding question #8: U.S Army flooded the site for several months with ads, but these ads were also given to some other Iranian websites. 

Regarding question #9: Israeli Lobby as an organized force has been very active here through assigned bloggers in both English and Farsi languages and ads such as 'Support Israel' ads.

Regarding #10: The site is not responsive in publicly answering questions about the site in instances where neutrality or bias is questioned. Their attitude is: 'its our business and we do as we please'

Note: I believe the site is receiving government grants as do some other Iranian media here. The grants are given if the publisher claims his site is working 'For Democracy in Iran'.

My attitude towards IC:

I have accepted IC as it is,

Iraj  

It doesn't matter who is CIM, we discuss these weekly/daily.

Few years ago I wrote that we should have this type of discussions at least bi-weekly so we're in tune!  Then I got tired of it myself as I saw no other changes.

Now other users, new and old, write blogs and ask these same questions.  So to me it doesn't matter who wrote this as JJJ could've asked these questions himself but he doesn't care.

Everything is sacred

This is such a nonsense posting

Hows that response CIM, I think this posting looks pretty pathetic form of information gathering users points of view, you can't reliably get data like that in another way?  I hear Privacy is real important for you guys.  You think I have some trust issues here!!!!!!

Dear CIM, u forgot 2 ask @ credit card & SSN info!

Although, my mom's maiden name and my birthday also will help.

This blog reminds me of "via Chris Davis"

Who claimed
to be a journalist and promised us a grand expose of Fred and Darius
Kadivar, which, of course, never materialized. 

No let’s see if the “secondary intake” of “Center for Independent Media”
ever materializes.    

my first impression was that

my first impression was that this "survey" was done by a young non-iranian trying to get into the media consultancy business as so many have done in the past decade in middle east, near east and the "-stan" republics.  someone in this type of business would like to try get the pulse of the region they're working in from reliable media sources and then recycle it and feed it to their clients.  but after a more careful look, it sees that this blog was written by a foreigner.  my suspicion: bad grammer and language useage, and the type of questions asked.

I'm guessing

Wahid Azal -- this is the kind of thing he would try to pull.

Miaw

Oh joy! Expert from Silicon Valley say "yes"!!!! Woohoo!!!!  

TS-9 Jaan - if s/he is driven to this

S/he needs to get a life. :-)

Another tidbit:  the real CIM was founded in 2006, and then changed its name to American Independent News Network in 2010.  This blog says that CIM was established in 1990.  :-)

dear VM, no

I think this might be IMF and Friends. BTW I have a soft spot for Pof A, I think he is patriotic and hates "iran" being slagged off as IR. I could be wrong but I truly feel sad when people pick on him. He is also animal lover, we will bring him round, you'll see. 

ProofReader9!

For the first time I agree with you!

 TS9: LOL Professor

 TS9: LOL

Professor A??

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

IC ... "help shape public opinion"

Someone who feels they cannot get their views across here and Admin is showing bias against them. Seriously, if you've been driven to this, it's time to find another site. A suggestion:

True Vildemose jaan

And that should be JJ's job.  He shouldn't be allowing--let alone featuring--this kind of garbage on his site.  Any other good journalist would have at least verified this blog when s/he saw a Gmail account listed as method of contact.  

BTW- impersonation of an actual entity, even online, is a crime.  I was reading something last year about someone (I think he was a lawyer himself) being arrested for using someone else's identity online, and if I recall correctly , it wasn't for anything serious either.  The guy was just leaving comments pretending to be someone else (an actual someoen else, not an avatar). 

 One way is to call

 One way is to call American Independent New Network and verify if they are indeed behind this questionnaire or someone else is illegally using their old name for covert reasons??

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Vildemose Jaan

It just feels as if a disgruntled ex-user is asking the same questions that they always do.  Although I must admit that we always hear these fake indignation complaints by IR friendly users.  Unless, of course, those who posted this blog can respond to my inquiries and provide some satisfactory answers.  

 I would like to know who

 I would like to know who is behind this questionnaire?? It sounds like an Islamist ploy to me?

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

A bit fishy

"Center for Independent Media" does not exist anymore.  It was renamed American Independent news Network back in 2010:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_independent_media

So, the suggestion that an organization would post a questionnaire under a name that no longer exists comes across as a bit fishy.  

Another question: why would an organization that was hailed as a model for fundraisnig for nonprofits, and which raised $11.5 million in four years, and has an annual budget of $2.3 million, use a Gmail account?!!!  They can't afford a website or a private email acount?!!!

//www.niemanlab.org/2010/02/center-for-independent-media-four-lessons-from-a-nonprofit-that-raised-11-5-million-in-four-short-years/

Perhaps the people who posted this blog can answer those questions.  Inquiring minds want to know...

Oh yes

5. Are certain viewpoints represented more than others on the site as a result of editorial choices?

Anti sematism, joos this, joos that, joos , zionist, palestine. not a day goes on that some one posts an obnoxious discustng rant about it. As an Iranian I am genuinley embrassed that there are people (who claim to be Iranian) hate another person that  they never met or interacted with simply becuase of the person's culture and religon in this case jews!

Free expression I am all for but I wish you remove some of these degenrate blogs from the suuall characters.

My input....

1. How would you describe the level of difficulty in obtaining an account or having one approved? (Easy /Some Effort Required / Difficult)?
Easy

2. How many accounts do you have on this site (or have you had)?
one

3. Have you encountered any censorship on this site? (If “yes,” a short description of the content would be helpful.)
No

4. In your own words what are the standards for featuring content on the site?
I have no idea, rather ambiguous at best

5. Are certain viewpoints represented more than others on the site as a result of editorial choices?
I can’t say for sure but I doubt it

6. [a] What are the stated standards for approving comments orremoving them on the site and [b] based on your experiences are those standards applied equally or selectively?
[a] Use of profanity and character assassination [b] selectively

7. Is material on the site ever rejected on the basis of political content?
I can’t say for sure but I doubt it

8. Is government-created-or-financed content ever shown on this site, and if so, are disclaimers or notices of the same featured with the content?
Yes, in some cases there are disclaimers about it but not all

9. Do any corporations, special interest groups, or governments provide any financing or revenue for any of the site's operations?
I highly suspect so, perhaps indirectly

10. How receptive are the administrators of the site in publicly answering questions about the site in instances where neutrality or bias is questioned?
I have seen little to no engagement of the admin in answering any questions

11. Please provide any other information you think is germane for assessing the bias or neutrality of the site.
Just the fact that more and more neutral minded members are voluntarily leaving the site, should be a good indication of how it is managed and where it is headed.

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

dear CIM: Iranian.com is a great site.

even Jews are allowed to read and comment and be entertained by anti semetic commentary and daily news of islamic republics military might so much to fall on their backs and go  LOL 300 times.

Site Bashing!

Some feedback.

1. The level of difficulty in obtaining an account

- Extremely easy.

2. Number of accounts

- One.

3. Censorship on this site?

- Not really. A couple of times my jokes were flagged and removed, but I posted them in the Joke blog.

4. The standards for featuring content on the site

- No specific standards. However, what gets posted on the top of the page is usually high quality, relevant and gets many hits.

5. Certain viewpoints represented more than others

- Yes. In the name of fairness and equality, some junk, irrelevant pro-IR Regime, anti-US, anti-Israel material gets represented which get challenged/ridiculed by responsible bloggers.

6. [a] Standards for approving comments or removing them on the site and [b] standards applied equally or selectively

- There are stated standards of no profanity and no personal attacks. But the more articulate bloggers get around them while the less sophisticated and novice ones get caught.

7. Material on the site ever rejected on the basis of political content

- Not really. But I think that material that does not have much relevance to the Iranian dialogue should not be posted on the front page.

8. Government-created-or-financed content ever shown on this site, disclaimers provided

- Government and special interest material are regularly featured without full disclosure of the authors’ background. However, there are enough knowledgeable contributors that the truth eventually comes out.

9. Corporations, special interest groups, or governments provide any financing or revenue

- US Army, Republican Party ads generated by the ad supplier.
Too many dating ads; The Iranian Personals have been featuring the same women for years. You almost feel sorry for them!

10. The administrators of the site publicly answering questions

- Never. There is a deliberate avoidance of engaging in any dialogue of that kind.

11. The bias or neutrality of the site

- The site gets high marks for neutrality, but at times in the name of equality and at the expense of relevance or quality.

Here's my input ...

1. How would you describe the level of difficulty in obtaining an account or having one approved? (Easy /Some Effort Required / Difficult)?  Easy.

2. How many accounts do you have on this site (or have you had)? Two.

3. Have you encountered any censorship on this site? (If “yes,” a short description of the content would be helpful.)  Yes, absolutely yes!  We have an Editor here who censors at will.  In essence just like the Goverment in Iran we have a Supreme Leader!  He doesn't allow users to have comment control over their own blogs but when he blogs himself he deletes comments on his own blog!

4. In your own words what are the standards for featuring content on the site? I believe the only standard is that it should be your own work and not a copy and paste and no personal attack on another user.  You can still personally attack another user in your blog but you won't get featured. 

5. Are certain viewpoints represented more than others on the site as a result of editorial choices? Well as we say in Farsi we have what you'd call a hardambil here!  Because our Supreme Leader doesn't allow comment control many new would be users shy away or publish once only to get the troll treatment and then walk away. So what we end up with is viewpoints at each other throats all the time. 

6. [a] What are the stated standards for approving comments orremoving them on the site and [b] based on your experiences are those standards applied equally or selectively?  [a] The standards are wishy washy and what applies to one blog or article may not apply to another but in general if you write an overt profane comment it'll be removed. [b] The standards are applied selectively.

7. Is material on the site ever rejected on the basis of political content? Unfortunately no.  For example, you can write a blog and use the most racist language (say address blacks as N word) on an ethnicity and it'll remain on the site.   

8. Is government-created-or-financed content ever shown on this site, and if so, are disclaimers or notices of the same featured with the content?  That's another problem, the concept of putting disclaimer or notices on featured items is non-existent and a foreign concept for the Editor.  So you take it from here.

9. Do any corporations, special interest groups, or governments provide any financing or revenue for any of the site's operations?  Special interest groups have been known to pay for advertising, for example the US Army ads for finding translators.

10. How receptive are the administrators of the site in publicly answering questions about the site in instances where neutrality or bias is questioned? Randomly and on occasions.  Although, this subject has been discussed in great detail years ago and promised made but no actions.  So now the Editor just doesn't feel like talking about it anymore. 

11. Please provide any other information you think is germane for assessing the bias or neutrality of the site.   Neutrality of this site is irrelevant.  The main problem is that the Editor does not want to use the established policies of the industry and are stuck with Iranian mentality of trying to re-invent the wheel.  Kind of a sad story.  But in the end it is a good website.  Although as times goes by Iranians flock to newer websites such as radiojavan.com or even Twitter for that matter.

Everything is sacred