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Independent filmmaking used to mean something distinct. It was not only a way to produce films but an ethos, principles to live by. Just as anything that gets popular, it was co-opted by many groups that change the meaning of the word. These days you can't be sure what you are talking about when you say independent film. It's different to different people.

Aspiring Hollywood

Not only do many studios actually run indie film divisions, but many filmmakers just see independent filmmaking as a stepping stone to mainstream filmmaking. They don't necessarily have a unique vision they want to communicate with the least interference, they see it as a good way to get a job.

Unskilled, Low Production Value

Some movies that are basically exploitation pictures or nearly straight-to-video films get lumped into the independent category. Most aren't artists that want to use what resources they have to tell a story, these are broke people that want to get rich in the movie business.

Boring Subject

Sadly many movies that are produced independently are not so interesting. Lots of people don't want to judge movies by Hollywood standards of audience satisfaction and often lean a little to far in the other direction. A director is trusted to know what to do and often it can result in a self-indulgent exercise that most people don't want to pay to see. For people uninitiated in the film world it's clear why indie film can mean boring movie.

Outside Studio System

The most pure definition, the one with the least connotations is the making of movies without the support of large studios. These can include any of the above and then some, but what it won't define is an aesthetic. The issue that is clear now is that the independent route of filmmaking is now being used by many different people with many different goals and motivations.

Take care with the assumptions you have attached to any words because they might steer you wrong. It's important to look beyond face value and define important things for yourself. You may or may not want to be associated with the independent film movement, you may just want to use their tools and be your own person. Just because you do what others do doesn't mean you have to be in their club, and vice versa.