the digital divide and information technology // cultural clashes, the ideology of linden lab, and consumer culture // a return to orientalism
With this in mind, it is interesting to look at the cultural breakdown currently in place on Second Life. Ondrejka recognizes the necessity for "virtual worlds to be broadly accessible" if they are to achieve any sense of global worth, claiming "if only a tiny minority of Web users were able to master and enjoy the new technology, virtual worlds would remain a technologically feasible but largely irrelevant form of communication." Ondrejka states, "the evidence so far indicates users of Second Life, while still early adopters, come from a more gender-balanced, older, and multinational audience than would normally be expected of first users of new technology [...] rather than young American males, Second Life's community is nearly evenly divided between men and women, has a median age in the 30's, and most residents live outside of the United States" . This systematic revelation is inspiring to say the least, although we must be careful to not place too much faith in this analysis. Firstly, Ondrejka has a vested interest in the perception of Second Life as a true digital utopia as both an employee of Linden Lab and also as a Second Life user. More importantly, a key component is left out of these statistics in that economic status is not assessed. While most residents may live outside of the United States with an equal gender split, the majority could very well come from the same socio-economic class. In relation to the postmodern self-attempting to explore identity amongst like-minded peers online, it is not unlikely that cultural similarities are derived from Residents who, although in different geographical locations, gravitate towards Second Life because of similar societal status within their own nations.
While I have both implicitly and explicitly argued up to this point that virtual worlds provide an ability to escape cultural imperialism by allowing users to experiment with a variety of cultural identities, it is important to recognize the difference between potentiality and actuality. While groups are free to form, exist, and are often keen to allow others in, there nonetheless exists clear cultural differences between Residents in Second Life. Au tells the story of a particularly harsh cultural battle that raged in Second Life during the spring and summer of 2003 in relation to the political climate surrounding the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Expectedly, this ideological battle was waged between those who supported the war - politically conservative Residents who came primarily from the online game World War II Online (WWIIOL) - and anti-war activists - politically liberal Residents who came to Second Life as a means to escape the ills of contemporary society such as war and unnecessary death.
This cultural battle took place at "The Outlands", an area of Second Life where you can be "killed", an act described by Au as more obnoxious than anything else, as it sends you back to your last 'home' point you set. Created by Linden Lab as a place where Residents "could let their id rage", WWIIOLers saw the Outlands as an extension of their own online territory, converting it into a simulated war zone. Peaceful residents gravitated to the Outlands because there was an immense amount of land available, ripe for building. While there were various conflicts between the two groups, with WWIIOLers shooting Residents who would not fight back and Residents taking claim to land that was admittedly meant for this sort of gaming, cultural differences truly manifested themselves along the 'Jessie Wall', a virtual 3D barrier between the area where killing was allowed and where it was forbidden. The 'Jessie Wall' soon became an experiment in virtual graffiti, with anti-war activists posting anti-American and anti-Bush images only to be covered up by 'Support Our Troops' slogans and images of the military. Residents were unknowingly participating in an "odd battle of ideological iconography" with its zenith being the posting of a Confederate Flag, a symbol viewed by many residents (and Linden Lab) as a "symbol of racism and slavery" . That image pushed Linden Lab to lock the 'Jessie Wall' - no one but the company would be able to post images on it from there after.
Au relates this story to Robert Rozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia, in which Rozick argues that a true utopia is not be ruled by one singular set of principles, but rather is "open to allow a variety of utopian visions - many of them inevitably conflicting" to coexist. The battle of the 'Jessie Wall' is framed nicely by Rozick's theory - Second Life exists as a place where numerous cultures, while independent of one another and each with their own vision of society, coexist in the same relative space. This concept goes far to mediate the ills of cultural imperialism, allowing for coexisting ideologies. An equitable exchange was exhibited between those who were pro-war and those who were pacifists. Each was afforded equal voice through the 'Jessie Wall' and neither was privileged in its closing. With this said, it is important to analyze Linden Lab's decision to close the wall in relation to Linden Lab as a source for imperialism. While in this situation acting the benevolent dictator, Linden Lab would not be able to maintain such objectivity later.
Thus we turn a sharp eye to the policies enacted by Linden Lab in regards to Residents' ability to express themselves in a manner they see fit. The promise of virtual communities lies as much in a users ability to express notions of self they would otherwise be forced to internalize as it does in a reliance on self-governance. As such, Linden Lab's decision to enact age and identity verification within Second Life, in what can only be seen as a response to criticism from mainstream media in relation to child pornography, understandably raises eyebrows. The following post on Linden Lab's blog is particularly troublesome:
The diversity of things to see and do within Second Life is almost unimaginable, but our community has made it clear to us that certain types of content and activity are simply not acceptable in any form. Real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depiction of sexual or lewd acts involving or appearing to involve children or minors; real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of sexual violence including rape, real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of extreme or graphic violence, and other broadly offensive content are never allowed or tolerated within Second Life.
"Please help us to keep Second Life a safe and welcoming space by continuing to notify Linden Lab about locations in-world that are violating our Community Standards regarding broadly offensive and potentially illegal content. Our team monitors such notification 24-hours a day, seven-days a week. Individuals and groups promoting or providing such content and activities will be swiftly met with a variety of sanctions, including termination of accounts, closure of groups, removal of content, and loss of land. It's up to all of us to make sure Second Life remains a safe and welcoming haven of creativity and social vision.""
While child pornography and pedophilia is particularly contentious in modern society, representing a dangerous exploitation of the under-represented, censorship of any sort imposes a particular worldview upon Second Life and its inhabitants. As Bonnie Ruberg points out, one of Second Life's major strengths is its ability to allow experimentation with differing forms of identity:
This freedom creates a welcoming environment where fantasy can grow, where it can turn into community and eventually cultural practice. Where else but Second Life could we have such an extensive population of furries, or Goreans? While the real world may wag a finger of judgment at these sexual preferences, Second Life has always seemed to say, "To each his/her own.""
Ruberg, who studies sexual expression in Second Life, differentiates between child pornography (i.e. pornography featuring those under the age of 18), virtual child pornography, where avatars are rendered as children, and age play, where "consenting adults pretend to be children" . While child pornography is obviously eplotation, virtual child pornography is not illegal in the United States. Neither is age play. While society as whole looks down upon these urges, in censoring people's ability to formulate identity without restriction, Linden Lab prescribes its own moral code upon. To say that this is culturally imperialistic, with Residents given no potion but a termination of account - essentially the 'death' of their Second Life - is an understatement.
While Linden Lab as an actor presents its own quandary in reference to cultural imperialism within Second Life, so too does the 'ingenuity' of Residents. Eager to build, buy, and sell, Second Life has created (as previously noted) a vibrant economy based on grassroots efforts. While Residents seem to reject the pillars of global capitalism in big business - either because of indifference or meditated dismissal - they nonetheless absorb the tenants of capitalist society, a system which in itself carries a particularly ideological agenda. While it doesn't cost anything to join Second Life, and one can theoretically never spend a L$, a long-term resident will inevitably purchase at the very least additions to their avatars, if not and other objects. As such, consumerism enters the sphere of the digital utopia, and while it doesn't negate the positives provided by Second Life's infrastructure, it nonetheless taints its philosophical lineage.