living a second life?

If you have never heard of this term before you are bound to be either intrigued, scared and maybe even a little confused. These were my first reactions to the world of second life. Second life is a virtual online world where you create an avatar or replication of yourself where there is no limit to who and what you can be.At first glance I thought it was just another game like Sims or some other virtual but non- real online world. However on close inspection I saw it was so much more, the other people in this world have real people controlling their every move. People in this virtual world had made real jobs, lives and relationships with others and were living and working in this second world as their primary source of living. This form of social interaction is a growing culture and is heading in an upward trend.

Steven Meadows (2008) is the author of the book “I Avatar the Culture and Consequence of Having a Second Life. In the book Meadows states, “The suspension of disbelief has become a grounding belief”. In my opinion I agree with this statement the people who have avatars in second life become attached and feel real emotions and connections not only to their own avatar but also to others creating a sense of belief that this world is real to them. How do we measure what is and isn’t real when there are emotions and feelings involved and a sense of belonging. Is it really so bad to interact in another world and life if your not happy with the one you have been living. If a person is not satisfied in their real first life then it only makes sense to be able to create a world and life where you can be and do whatever you want. In a sense if you can work, live, communicate and build relationships in second life and can profit from the work you do, how is it any different from real life. When is the line drawn between reality and virtual reality in Second Life? And who should be the judge of this?

Based on the amount of members in second life it seems this virtual second world is becoming more and more popular and people are seeking more than just a place to meet new people they are living in this virtual world. However the question has to be asked does second life build a false sense of reality to the people who put their entire selves into this world? And more so how will one ever strive and achieve in their first lives if their never actually living in it.

(E) EXTREMISTS

What is extremism and what comes to mind when we think of extremism?

Extremism is defined as the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards. When thinking of the word extremist the first thing that comes to mind are images of people rallying, violence and destruction. Extremists are usually driven by prejudices such as political views, racial purity and Anti- Semitism.

Extremist individuals and groups are always looking for members to recruit that share their views and beliefs. The Internet has played a major role in aiding recruiting members as more extremist groups are making websites and utilizing them to spread their message and draw in others. As these websites are easily accessible they are being recognized at an international level and through links from other sites. It is not hard to merely stumble across one of the groups and be drawn in.

The Australia first party is a group that is utilizing the Internet to spread their ideologies and beliefs. Their main policies consist of “abolishing multiculturalism -
end the divisive, government funded and institutionalized policy of multiculturalism,” "strengthen the family - promote policies that strengthen and protect the traditional family" these phrases are quite disheartening. To see the word Australia within their website gives people the idea that all Australians share this idea which is defiantly not the case. The Australia first party could be seen as an extremist group but they execute their ideologies in a subtle way that does not come across as fanatical. It is only when you scroll throughout the sight you are aware of the white supremacy and racial unity that is expressed.

Aryan Nations is a Neo-Nazi, racial purity and Christian identity organization when clicking into this sight you are bombarded with words such as “Jew Haters”, “nuke the Israelis” and words and quotes straight from the mouth of Adolf Hitler. This sight truly expresses for me of what extremist is and how much it can vary from one group to another. The Aryan Nations offers ways to behave when being questioned by police and also never to be left unarmed to protect your family. Also suggesting that Jews and people from middle- east countries are all bad people that deserve to die a painful and grotesque death. In comparison to the Australian First Party, The Aryan Nations have been less vigilant in masking their views and also their links that teach destruction and death.

A similar extremist group to the Aryan Nation is the Hammerskin Nation! The Hammer skin nation describe themselves as a" leaderless group of men and women who have adopted the White Power Skinhead Lifestyle". Their main message is "we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children". Seeing these words is enough to make me not want to read on however with a scan throughout their site its scary to think people like this exist. The Hammerskin Nations main appeal is to a younger audience and they hold online forums and chat rooms and also concerts and events in allegiance with their views and beliefs.

With technologies advances and the impact the internet has on a global scale its easy to see how these extremists are able to recruit more followers and utilise the internet in a way that has no boundaries and is ever growing. In conclusion these extremist groups and organisations have used the internet to their advantage to spread their messages and beliefs about white supremacy and racial purity. These groups are out to destruct and and destroy through brain washing and influencing the younger generation. Instead of making peace they are causing war between different races. It is through their slain and racist viewpoints thats saddening, the fact that people are still living their lives like this and the idealism towards peace for all mankind is getting further and further away.