Sara Donnelly wrote an interesting and lengthy piece in The Phoenix on Second Life and political action entitled "Out-of-Body Politic." I must have been in a grinchy mood because I said some pretty unpolitic things about Second Life activism:
“SL ‘protests’ are
really just cop-outs for people who don’t want to show up in the
streets,” Panganiban’s avatar says as he sits cross-legged on a purple
pillow on the floor of the lounge. A leggy blonde avatar strides in,
sits down, and immediately takes a long drag from a hookah next to him.
The café is otherwise empty. “No one in power gives a shit about SL
avatars protesting.”
Ouch. That came out a lot harsher than I intended it. My overall point was that SL has not shown its utility as a place for political protest as much as for organizing, education and awareness raising. There might come a time when 10,000 avatars will rise up and defeat a Presidential candidate’s chances, but I don’t think it will happen in the 2008 elections. That said, if there’s an in-world protest about an issue I care about, I’m there, if only to lend moral support to folks trying to do something positive.
Anyway, interesting article.
Great article
I hope everybody read this article