Comrades:
The emerging SCP network is going through an interesting moment right now.
As you may recall, a month ago we announced the formation of an SCP-style group in the Bay Area (San Francisco and Berkeley) of California, USA. Someone named Redmist had put up the beginnings of a web site, and we linked to it and announced its presence. Though a change or two was made to the web site, and plans were made for a first meeting, no performance by the Bay Area SCP ever took place.
Things came to a head this past weekend, when the French paper "Liberation" carried a piece on a nasty little webcam in San Francisco. Translated into English by Bill and posted to the NYC SCP site, this article contains quotes from both the NYC SCP and Redmist, who is quite incorrectly (but amusingly!) described as the founder of the SCP and its representative in SF. In this piece, Redmist describes himself as unsure of his opposition to the webcam in question, which is apparently operated by an individual, not a corporation or government. This hesitance placed Redmist at variance with or even squarely in opposition to the basic principles of the SCP, which is unconditionally opposed to the use of any and all surveillance cameras in public places.
In the meantime, the NYC SCP posted Bill's translation of the "Liberation" article to the web site of the San Francisco Independent Media Center, which prompted someone named Gekkid to contact the SCP. A Bay Area resident, Gekkid was interested in helping to form a Bay Area SCP, and apparently had contacted Redmist about it. It was in response to Gekkid's overtures that Redmist wrote a few things in an e-mailed message that clearly suggested that he (Redmist) doesn't really understand the "ideology" or the organizational principles behind the NYC SCP and the global network of autonomous SCP groups that it is trying to help create. In particular, Redmist appears to be someone whose conception of organizing is based upon the traditional Leftist model of building one large, inclusive and centralized organization with local "chapters." By contrast, the SCP is trying to establish a decentralized network of autonomous groups.
Earlier today, we told Redmist that, while he is free to form or join any group that he wants to, it appears clear that he isn't well suited to or wouldn't fit in with the SCP network. As a result, we have taken down the link to Redmist's site and have temporarily replaced it with this message.
Bill, with and for the NYC SCP
27 August 2001
[Note added 9 September 2001: without any help from Redmist, the San Francisco Surveillance Camera Players gave their very first performance on 7 September 2001. To read more about the newly formed group, click here.]
Contact the Surveillance Camera Players
By e-mail SCP@notbored.org
By snail mail: SCP c/o NOT BORED! POB 1115, Stuyvesant Station, New York City 10009-9998
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