Media technologies continue to necessitate themselves in our everyday lives. The majority of the developed world relies on digitalism 24/7. Emailing documents to your boss from your laptop via wifi. Confirming boardmeetings with your peers on your mobile phones. Paying for your dinner with your credit card via chip and pin. Listening to Mr Tambourine Man on your MP3 player. All these things and more depend on the transfer of information via digital networks.
The paradigm of our time, the internet. The information superhighway has fast become the personal information superhighway, where we are willingly displaying our private lives for all the online public to see. Not to mention the corporations buying, selling, and categorising our data to the best advertising bidder. In the last two years we have seen a massive increase in cases from the web spilling into our first life law courts. Online paedofilia, information vandalism and employees losing their jobs after superiors have an unannounced browse on their Facebook profiles, are all prime examples of how virtual world causes are having real world effects. Second Life is facing tax potential because it is possible to make serious First Life money from the online Linden Dollars.
Real world ramifications from virtual activities. As the fourth order simulacrum spills into the original model of the real we are faced with a big issue. Not simply how do we police the net - a problem our govenments are still nowhere near capable of. But where is the line drawn? How do we establish an online judicial system that is and will continue to inevitably seep into our actual one? What is the difference between online racism, plagiarism or extortion, is there one at all? If so, is it dealt with online, or in the real world? The answer is both. But how?
In a few generations time our children will see very little difference between existing in Second Life and online in general, and existing in tangible realtiy. This is not to say that they won't "know" or be able to define the inherent differences between the two but the way in which they distinguish the idea of living in one and the other and the social relationships between the two will be of such an advanced understanding that their perception of both will amalgamate so that they are intrinsicly linked and naturally considered synonymously.
2 comments:
There is some interesting stuff on paedofilia and social networking sites on the essay i linked to in my blog suggesting that its not as huge a problem has the main steam media would have you believe. Mainstream media is made up of white western males aged around 30-40, (i think i read that on the BBC website) they worry about their kids online, so thats what they write about.
Maybe the question should not be how do we police the internet but SHOULD we police the internet? Im not convinced the real world needs policing in the way it is now. So why should we do it online as well?
How would you feel if you had to ask the permission of an authority before publishing this document online? Do you really need the approval of your/a government before you publish this? what would that achieve?
Most, nearly all, humans can be trusted to behave in a constructive manner, we wouldnt have lasted this long otherwise. Those who dont want to, are disruptive with or without laws and rules.
Dont governments, in some way, continue to necessitate themselves in our everyday lives? and we still have to put up with them? (Why am i always asked for ID for alcohol, by the same shop workers who asked me the week before?)
Why do you make such a distinction between "real" and virtual environments? As i research virtual worlds, the "issue" of paying "real" money for virtual items, like in second life, is presented as an issue...because, as it doesnt exist, it has not value, but anything someone places value on, real not, has a value to that individual. If they want to pay for it why not?
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