There's the E-spot!

Tempatation and rebelion. Two parts of the human condition that cannot be repressed. These traits creep in everywhere and the inernet is no exception. In the beginning there was instant messaging, electronic mail an endless number of internet websites bringing you any information you may desire. But if only you knew how true this is now...

Where theres tempation the urge to rebel against society comes an influx of online pornography. Images, videos and it has even penetrated gaming over the years in games like Grand Theft Auto where virtual strip clubs are present and ofcourse the original sex symbol of gaming...Lara Croft.

But like all socially outcast things, there may have been a reson to this. Even Ryan Singel in his article 'Internet Porn: Worse Than Crack?' notes, "According to clinicians and researchers internet pornography is the new crack cocaine, leading to addiction, misogyny, pedophilia, boob jobs and erectile dysfunction."

Even Marnie Ferree in her article 'Women and the web: cybersex
activity and implications' acknowleges that the potential poblems for female participants of cybersex and online pornography can be damaging to oneself.

While I have no issue with how people choose to spend their time on the internet, its the question of how easily accessible online pornography is that is the issue. I hear stories of primary school children being suspended for looking up 'boobies' on the net. Kids can so easily access these forms of pornography and we wouldnt even know. By simply deleting their browser history, its an unseen addiction.

Some people have even expressed that cybersex may be sexier than sex itself! I cannot speak for everyone but this perhaps isnt where I would place my money. But taking the larger population of internet sers into account, many overwieght and even obese people who may not be terribly successful in the dating area would be likely to flock to this...uh...phenomenon? But Cybersex does offer a more or less protected environment. Without the risk of Sexually transmitted diseases or having to worry about falling pregnant. Its no wonder that many people, unhappy with real life results in dating turn to such an alternative. Just keep it away from the kids...

Second Life: What about our first one?

Are we as a people heading towards the online addiction of living our lives through a virtual reality such as second life?

This seems to be happening more and more especially on an ever growing online virtual reality known as Second Life. This virtual world has become something that is beyond a game where now people live through this environment and some even run businessed through it.

Meadows (2008:51) argues that experiences create a grounding of belief. “People in virtual worlds build things, use them, sell them, trade them and discuss them. When another person confirms what I am seeing, places value on it, spends time working to pay for it, buys it, keeps it, uses it, talks about it, gets emotional about it, and then sells it – this tells me there is something real happening. The suspension of disbelief has become a grounding of belief”

This is one statement I cannot fault. Upon leading my own investigation into Second Life, I was able to see just what the hype is about. From the word go I was able to customise my avatar. I could keep it realistic to make it look similar to me as done by Bill Lichtenstein of Lichtenstein Creative Media. Otherwise I can make my avatar to look like a green goblin.

From creating your avatar in the image of yourself or how you would like to look, you gain an almost emotional attachment right from the word go. Avatars can only control objects which they build or create and with the introduction of a Second Life currency that can be traded with real life currency, this means we can buy/sell objects for a profit. Many companies have already jumped on board to this such as corporate giants such as Dell computers who have recreated their head office in this virtual world.

But with the practice of running a business of Second Life the question is raised, how much do you really own your property? ABC's 4 Corners looked into the Virtual rights of Second Life.

But by all definitions, it would seem I have come to agree with Meadows. Second Life is in fact a series of 'real' interactions where people have real attachments to their avatars and the actions they commit. But this phenomenon is not just isolated to Second Life but rather the broader genre of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) that Second Life belongs to that encorporate a virtual world with a sense of achievement, the biggest of which being Blizzard's World Of Warcraft.

So I ask you this. If people are spending 10-14 hours a day "in-world" on these games, do they really have much of a first life to talk about?

Australian First Party labelled as extremists?

So what we really want to know today is can we really label the Australian First Party (AFP) as an extremist movement who use the internet to spread messages and recruit people?

When people look at the website, you are confronted by the main policies of the AFP, which are in their own right extreme as they propose the radical change of Australian society to conform to a "white" Australia. extreme ideas include that theNational Apology PM Kevin Rudd delivered to the Aboriginal people for the treatment of their 'Stolen Generation' was (in their a psychological attack on "European Australin's" history, culture and place on this continent.

But do they really use the web to spread messages? I dont really think so. Looking at their website it is nothing more than an informational spread saying who they are and what they do. Unless you go digging there is nothing to suggest that they want to influence your opinion atleast at face value.

But using other avenues of social media including video clips on youtube.com it becomes apparent that thier policy of abolishing Multiculturalism is no joke, as shown by this view on International students from an AFP member Jim Saleam.

And as for recruitment. There doesnt seem to be any active form of recruitment but that said ofcourse there is the option on the web page to join the party and recieve media such as AFP newsletters.

They may certainly be activists but also the radical nature of their policies, theories and campaigns certainly is worthy of being deemed the acts of extremeists. Through distributable media online their message is certainly spread by the activists that are linked with them but their recruitment and campaigns seem to be largely offline.