Virtual Vandalism on John Edward’s ‘Second Life’ Campaign Headquarters
I wrote a very recent article regarding whether the internet has gone too far in simulating real life. Well, today it was reported that John Edward’s “Second Life” campaign headquarters was vandalized. Has the internet gone too far? Well, it wasn’t so much that it was vandalized, it’s how vicious the attack was. According to a post on Edward’s official blog, shortly before midnight on Monday, Feb. 26th, a group of Republican “Second Life” users with “Bush ‘08″ tags, plastered the area with Marxist/Lenninist posters and slogans, photoshopped a picture of Edward’s in blackface spewing obscentities and obscenity-laden verbal attacks of Democrats in general and Edward’s in particular. But it gets even crazier…
Evidently there was a “witness” to the virtual event and an investigation. The witness took names and photos, including the owners of the pictures and kept and saved a copy of the chat log. An abuse report has been filed with Linden Labs. And, there’s going to be a virtual investigation. I ask myself…could it get any more real than this? Are we really living alter egos with “disparate” personalities? Or is this just “desperate” lives living virtual egos?
Here are the photos taken of the Edward’s ‘08 Second Life Campaign Headquarters. Before is on the left, and after is on the right.
If nothing else, it makes me wonder about the true nature of human beings. Perhaps this is just art imitating life but it was the viciousness of the attacks that strike me as particularly revealing. But then again, it’s the power-infatuated Republicans who have nothing better to do than smear other people with vile remarks and personal attacks. I find that Republicans don’t have much else to bring to the table these days. It sure makes me question what the other one third of the country is thinking, especially when they promote “Bush ‘08″. Haven’t they heard that he is considered the worst American President in history by people not only in this country but all over the world? And, to think I used to be a Republican… it makes me shudder.
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I heard about Second Life only recently and I have to say, it just scares me. I already see myself calling friends to meet in the city but they are busy doing their shopping in Second Life. I mean aren’t we already spending enough time in the internet or in front of the computer in general? I am afraid that we will loose the ability to difference between the real life and the second life and that, to carry it to the extreme, we will end up living a fake life in a fake world.
For me real life is definitely more interesting than a virtual world and I would be delighted to see that other people share this opinion, but I fear a lot of people are just too fascinated by the the internet to see any dangers.
This article about virtual vandalism proofs to me that the real and the second world are already not distinguishable anymore. Well then “Brave New World” is all that I can say. At least we won’t cause any CO2 emissions if we always stay at home with our best friend, the PC.
You know it’s funny how over time everyone experiences a different disconnection with true human relationships. You remember times when your friends would do things with you. I remember as a kid, playing out in the front yard while my parents and neighbors chatted on the front porch. To me, those were the good old days.
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