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We're Not Who You Think We Are

Politics

Second Life, Activism, and the Digital Arena

December 18, 2006 by Sherilyn Connelly

Winners don't forget real world drugs.

Someone always has to harsh the mellow, don’t they? If it’s not grey goo (ding! ding! ding!), it’s do-gooders like the World Development Movement. Yeah, I’d never heard of them either, probably because they haven’t been adopted by Bono or Sting. Their big move is to place a counter in Second Life which ostensibly keeps track of the (estimated) number of children who’ve died from poverty and other preventable causes since the virtal world went live in 2003.

Unfortunately for the message, the counter is in fairly small type at the bottom of a large, underdesigned billboard which reads DON’T FORGET THE REAL WORLD. A valid if admonishing message, as is the counter, but what exactly are they expecting? That Second Lifers will see the billboard from afar, decide for some reason to come in for a (much) closer look, see the counter, then have an attack of conscience and do something about that world with its children croaking like clockwork?

An argument could be made that if it makes just one user, like Aimee The Scary Blowup Doll, get off their Frito-enhanced duff and do something—”something” probably meaning making a
contribution to the WDM—it was worth the effort. I guess, but even if Second Life shut down tomorrow, social conditions in meatspace would not improve. I’m reminded of the arguments against NASA and space exploration: we should take care of our problems on earth before we go into space! Yeah, well, if NASA was dismantled, the money would not go towards feeding the poor or educating children. When Napster was shut down, I kept an eye on the Billboard charts to see if Metallica albums would shoot to the top of the charts. Never quite happened.

[Read more…] about Second Life, Activism, and the Digital Arena

Filed Under: Social Media, Television Tagged With: Activisim, Politics, Second Life

More Politicians In The New World

August 31, 2006 by Kassia Krozser

It’s no secret that we get really excited about the little things here at Medialoper, especially the bright and shiny things. So when I caught wind of potential presidential candidate Mark Warner (he’s now running the State of Virginia) appearing in Second Life, my first thought was (and I quote), “Huh?”

It was quickly followed by “Hmm, interesting.” Things moved rapidly to “Cool!” before I had a chance to refill my coffee. That’s the Internet for you, always moving at the speed of the mind.

[Read more…] about More Politicians In The New World

Filed Under: Games, Independent Channel, Services Tagged With: avatars, mark-warner, Politics, Second Life, town-hall-meetings, virtual-worlds

Stop With The Fracking Robo-Calls Already!!!

June 6, 2006 by Jim Connelly

Today is another election day here in California. By my (admittedly unofficial) count, it is the 6,586th election we have had in California since the turn of the century.

For whatever reason, out here on the Left Coast, we have pretty much perfected the perpetual election cycle, which, as you know spawns a flurry of campaign ads, which this year seem to have been dominated by our Democratic Gubernatorial1 candidates flinging huge bags of shit at each other. On camera. Like monkeys. Dumb monkeys. Meanwhile, Arnold just sits back somewhere smoking a huge stogie and laughing.

While the commercials — most of which I make blipvert by at tivo speed — are as annoying as ever, they are nothing compared to the insidious monster that has infiltrated my phone in ever growing numbers: the robo-call.

For the lucky lucky few who have no idea what I’m talking about, these are pre-recorded phone calls that are robotically automated so that the only humans involved are the ones actually receiving the calls.

We need to stop these, and I have a plan.

[Read more…] about Stop With The Fracking Robo-Calls Already!!!

Filed Under: Actual Mileage, Robots! Tagged With: Cylons, elections, Politics, robo-call, telco, telephone

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Previously on Medialoper

  • Certain Songs #2582: The Supremes – “Come See About Me”
  • Certain Songs #2581: Supertramp – “The Logical Song”
  • Certain Songs #2580: Supertramp – “Even in the Quietest Moments”
  • Certain Songs #2579: Supertramp – “Bloody Well Right”
  • Certain Songs #2578: Supergrass – “Sun Hits The Sky”

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