Review: WSM web site (www.struggle.ws/wsm)

A search on "anarchism+Ireland" led me to the website of the Workers Solidarity Movement (www.struggle.ws/wsm) when I used the Google and Yahoo search engines. A similar search using MSN and Altavista proved less successful however. Content-wise, the site is rather impressive. There is a regularly updated news section with reports, and often photos, of the various activities of WSM members and, where applicable, links to the various associated campaigns. PDF versions of various WSM publications are provided and their bookservice is plugged also.

The site also provides an opportunity to subscribe to some of the Irish and international anarchist mailing lists. However, much of this information is contained on the homepage itself, which could result in an information overload for the uninitiated browser. Perhaps a simpler, clearer homepage with links to all the above subsections, placed on different pages, would be more navigable. Also, while there is a primer on anarchism provided, based on a WSM publication, I think that links to other anarchist educational material on the web would be a good idea.

The site itself is one of a larger collection of anarchist leaning sites that together constitute part of the Struggle collection. While Struggle provides a good overview of all anarcho-type happenings in this country, if one was to access the WSM site directly, there is a distinct lack of information about other anarchist groups and tendencies existing in Ireland. To avoid duplication, perhaps a clearer link to the struggle collection, with a brief outline of it, would suffice.

Aesthetically, the site leaves a bit to be desired. I found the combination of, almost fluorescent, shades of blue, yellow and red, rather hard on the eye and even somewhat garish! In conclusion, and, ultimately, mitigation, many of these criticisms are perhaps only a step above nit picking. The WSM site is pretty damn good. Check it out!

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This page is from the print version of the Irish Anarchist paper 'Workers Solidarity'. We also provide PDF files of all our publications for you to print out and distribute locally Print out the PDF file of this issue Print out the PDF file of the most recent issue As well as writting a letter to us at WSM, PO Box 1528, Dublin 8 you can also comment on any of the articles in this issue at www.struggle.ws/wsm/comment.html You can find out when new issues of the paper come out by joining the Ainriail list This edition is No70 published in June 2002