Debate on the Second Life "House"
Some of the comments over on The Caucus at the New York Times about the congressional event in Second Life on Thursday are just too good not to pass along. Some of my favorites:
What the heck is Second Life??
— Posted by Larky
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Intriguing…but why do I feel like “Get a Life!” is the best response to these Second Lifers?
— Posted by Pete
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Let me get this straight: You seem to think is perfectly reasonable to participate in an online community to the extent that you are having a conversation with people in the comments section of a blog. Yet when other people do much the same thing using more sophisticated software, somehow they need to ‘get a life?’
They’re the ones who are apparantly meeting with leading members of Congress to discuss the new agenda in Washington. How about you? Got any big meetings with members of Congress planned in the next few days? This very fact suggests that the people using Second Life (of which I am not one) certainly do have their act together.
— Posted by Jackson Landers
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Zach wrote, “One comes to the frightening conclusion that, rather than producing greater political cohesion and awareness, the Internet has spawned a framework for virtualized ‘action,’ action with merely perceived consequence — in other words, the perfect form of social control.”
This is an excellent thought that I think bears repeating. The internet is a tool for communication and can be useful in organizing, but the action is still out in the real world. And let’s not forget the 80% of humanity who don’t even have computers — in fact, in many nations the majority is illiterate. Don’t those people count too, or is social justice only for the tech-savvy these days?
— Posted by eatbees
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If it’s fantasy politics your looking for…try http://www.fantasycongress.com/fc/
— Posted by Lewis
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Millions of people cannot “go to France” or Washington, DC or even enjoy the nightlife of major cities. However they can and do participate in online forums, including this blog and Second Life, and carry the ideas they learn there back to others in their physical lives. All the people posting to this forum are already using technology to leap over barriers to communication put in place by governments, corporations, and powerful interests.
— Posted by Thomas Williams
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Wow, I got sick reading many of these comments. Those who think it is, “the gaming community” only, those who said it is boring, those who simple laugh and write off Second Life well, I just feel bad for you. I will not criticize you rather I would recommend you open your minds as you are missing the point and your facts are incorrect.
— Posted by Adam Broitman
And, for an entirely different perspective and if you have some time, see this post by Metaveral Myrmidons at Second Thoughts.
January 6, 2007
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