Comments on: Second Life enabling better US-Islam relations? http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Khannea Suntzu http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-13121 Khannea Suntzu Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:31:36 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/#comment-13121 Right now SL is clumsy, impractical and not very nice looking. It's very bulky and slow. But that'll change over time, as more people join, more business gets conducted and more research gets done inside SL. There may be competition in the shape of other VRs but I am betting on SL, despite all its flaws. However if some 20 million peeps have signed up, as LL gets a chance to hire some competent staffers, as hardware and connectivity speeds up in the second decade of the new millenium, we will see these things become a demographic disturbance. The potential is stunning, and as programming, hardware and general insight in the practicality increases this stuff will become a more compelling emoting device than heroin. Right now SL is clumsy, impractical and not very nice looking. It’s very bulky and slow. But that’ll change over time, as more people join, more business gets conducted and more research gets done inside SL. There may be competition in the shape of other VRs but I am betting on SL, despite all its flaws.

However if some 20 million peeps have signed up, as LL gets a chance to hire some competent staffers, as hardware and connectivity speeds up in the second decade of the new millenium, we will see these things become a demographic disturbance. The potential is stunning, and as programming, hardware and general insight in the practicality increases this stuff will become a more compelling emoting device than heroin.

]]> By: Cotton Thorne http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-13118 Cotton Thorne Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:48:22 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/#comment-13118 Fascinating - and yes, I think that virtual worlds present us a unique opportunity to explore other cultures and religions. Having some initial, even if virtual, exposure in a non-threatening or heavy-handed way to places of worship or gatherings of interested folks can do a lot to promote sensitivities that just seem to be too rare today. Interfaith connections will be one aspect of PeaceFest '08, happening in-world on Aug. 15-17. Check the website for more info. Cotton Fascinating – and yes, I think that virtual worlds present us a unique opportunity to explore other cultures and religions. Having some initial, even if virtual, exposure in a non-threatening or heavy-handed way to places of worship or gatherings of interested folks can do a lot to promote sensitivities that just seem to be too rare today.

Interfaith connections will be one aspect of PeaceFest ’08, happening in-world on Aug. 15-17. Check the website for more info.

Cotton

]]> By: Taran Rampersad http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/comment-page-1/#comment-13115 Taran Rampersad Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:15:38 +0000 http://futurismic.com/2008/02/12/second-life-enabling-better-us-islam-relations/#comment-13115 I am glad that you wrote this. I think that the majority of people tend to see what they want to see; for example, the Caliphate experiment sim is seen as being a travesty by some instead of an experiment - and the arguments against that experiment tend to be very bigoted. I would say... overall... that there is more exposure between cultures within Second Life, for better or worse. The prejudices on all sides become more apparent, and in some cases are honestly outspoken: That is good. It is the quiet prejudice that is usually the greatest problem. For myself, as Nobody Fugazi, I have had a lot of interesting sojourns within Second Life that have expanded my horizons. Of course, being open minded and explorative of other cultures makes one a target for people who are prejudiced themselves. :-) I am glad that you wrote this. I think that the majority of people tend to see what they want to see; for example, the Caliphate experiment sim is seen as being a travesty by some instead of an experiment – and the arguments against that experiment tend to be very bigoted.

I would say… overall… that there is more exposure between cultures within Second Life, for better or worse. The prejudices on all sides become more apparent, and in some cases are honestly outspoken: That is good. It is the quiet prejudice that is usually the greatest problem.

For myself, as Nobody Fugazi, I have had a lot of interesting sojourns within Second Life that have expanded my horizons. Of course, being open minded and explorative of other cultures makes one a target for people who are prejudiced themselves. :-)

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