Virtual Passion
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in 2008 | The 2008 Campaign Meets World Of Warcraft — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
How intense is the Democratic primary contest?
The presidential campaign has gotten nasty in the real world. It's getting nasty in the virtual world, too.
As Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama duke it out in the Democratic primary, unofficial campaigns are being waged by fervent supporters in Second Life, the virtual world run by Linden Lab.
In Second Life, where people create characters called avatars and own and develop land, the two main groups representing the rival candidates -- Obama for President and Hillary Clinton 2008 -- each have amassed more than 500 members, who have hosted virtual meetings and rallies where they urge others to make calls and donations in real life to support the politicians. Obama and Clinton supporters can be seen inside Second Life sporting shirts and caps boosting their candidate.
But campaign rallies increasingly are being disrupted by supposed supporters of other candidates. Virtual organizers have had their headquarters vandalized, their events ambushed and their marches sabotaged.
The incidents are the latest signs of bad behavior in Second Life, which has some 13.3 million residents, though only 1.3 million have logged on during the past 60 days, according to Linden Lab, in San Francisco. Disruptive behavior is often referred to as "griefing" and can include hurling insults or shooting at characters. While the virtual violence leaves no real bloodshed, enough bullets flying can crash a Second Life server and knock people offline.
Of course, this isn't the first time that things have gotten disturbingly serious at Second Life.
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Virtual Passion 9 Comments (0 topical, 9 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I mean virtual rallies and virtual third world thuggish smackdowns... Don't these people really need to get real hobbies??? friends??? a sex life???
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
There was this one notorious incident when a guy who played World of Warcraft died, and his guild had sort of an honorary funeral for him, in-game, since I guess it was all they could do, really, and they let people know they were going to be doing this so members of the opposing faction wouldn't attack them during the "memorial," and then members of the opposing faction went out of their way to attack them and break things up. That's disturbing. On several levels, actually. Teh internets are a scary place.
"Virtual organizers have had their headquarters vandalized, their events ambushed and their marches sabotaged."
They just cant help themselves....
P.S....Griefing is my new favorite word..I need to come up with something funny before you guys do..
"40 million American households with guns are generally happier
than those people in households that don't have guns."
Perhaps a first life should be a priority.
_____________________________
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
--Aristotle
OK...The east coast guys are asleep...Lets go raid the Fridge...
Then we'll go and toilet paper Moe's house...
"40 million American households with guns are generally happier
than those people in households that don't have guns."
"But [virtual] campaign rallies increasingly are being [virtually] disrupted by supposed [virtual] supporters of other candidates. Virtual organizers have had their [virtual] headquarters [virtually] vandalized, their [virtual] events [virtually] ambushed and their [virtual] marches [virtually] sabotaged."
2 things about this:
1) It's, like, the new, like, "Totally!" You know?!
2) I keep thinking about the Hitchhiker's Guide: If the Improbability Drive is "virtually impossible" then it must be Actually possible...
"Guns don't kill people...
"...But they sure help!"
-Paul Giamatti, Shoot 'Em Up
I have to drop in again. See if the campaign is as much fun virtually as it is on this side of the glass.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777