Originally posted as comments on anarchistnews.org or tweets, then compiled into a comment on Indybay, these words critically reflect on the legacy of u.s.-focused anarchist website It's Going Down. At the time of writing, IGD had just announced a hiatus, which was later followed up with a statement announcing they would continue operating.
The comments are reproduced below from Indybay with links edited & fixed for readability.
I'm concerned that IGD as a project is ending more or less where they started, appealing to left liberals &;uncritically redirecting people to white-domonated anglo anarchist "institutions." It would be nice for one of the upcoming reflection pieces to contradict this, but where's the (collective) self criticism about their scene being not much differently positioned than it was the last time Trump was becoming president? Is someone going to talk about their lack of interest in the Caribbean region, or any of the various public controversies & criticisms involving them originating from other anarchists? Or are they wanting to be another Crimethinc, where criticism & pressure to change course is disloyalty to The Cause? The "some of us are hopping on a podcast now" announcement isn't encouraging wrt these questions.
For example, their podcast, website, & author recommendations feel like they could be mostly unchanged from 8 years ago. Are they convinced that the usual suspects—mostly white u.s.ians—remain the best representatives of anarchist politics? Why else would they literally recommend billionaire-funded liberal media like The Intercept over new efforts, some of which they've promoted on the site themselves?
… that IGD didn't have to answer the question [of Caribbean inclusion] either way (no mention of it in the geographical breakdown, no pressure from readers asking why they didn't discuss it more) is itself telling about the environment they operated in.
While I agree that petty vandalism isn't necessarily the Most Important Thing they didn't publish, I still think their choice to stay quiet about the kind of reportbacks typical on other counterinfo sites should've been further explained. Did they come under explicit legal pressure? Did they just feel like it wasn't worth their time? Did others disagree (for example, Night Owls moving off the website)?
Generally speaking, I have seen other anarchist web projects leave closing statements that directly & critically addressed critical aspects of the anarchist "movement"/media space & their own role in it (link). This isn't one of them, though I would like to believe such an assessment is on its way. We'll see.
Igd says (correctly) ppl and movements should build their own media, lists projects but doesnt list a single counter info site. Leaving with one final disappointment.
90% of IGD was sharing articles, but that 10% of playing "More Anarchist Than Thou" while also promoting liberal ratfuckers, especially from elitist colleges was something else.
Let all that “communities!” “neighbors!” “abolitionist!” bullshit find its grave alongside the very American poison of trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator.