This past Monday a bunch of RootsCamp alumni, led by Ruby Sinreich, Rik Riel, and avatars named errcheck Hicks and Effulgent Brown, organized an anti-war protest on Virtual Capitol Hill in Second Life. Sinreich (nom de avatar: Ruby Glitter) expected about 80 avatars to show up -- 40 more than Second Life usually recommends, due to massive slowdown issues -- but in the end 126 residents showed up to dance, wave signs, yell slogans, and show their support. It was, Sinreich says, a smashing success.

Some of you might think all of the virtual activity, is, well, pointless. You're not alone. The event caught the attention of the unwavering satirical skewer known as Wonkette, who, as expected, laid into it:

Give it up for liberals: they managed to find the one way left to make traditional protests even more ineffectual and embarrassing. Have ‘em on the internet!

The sick and unhealthy online fantasy world of Second Life was home to its own anti-war demonstration last weekend, just outside the pixilated “capitol” that doesn’t really look very much like the Capitol. 120 avatars (the Second Life term for “losers”) descended on the boxy structure waving incomprehensible signs, dancing, and feverishly awaiting their next bout of pretend internet-sex with fellow 27-year-old men pretending to be 19-year-old girls.

We stopped watching half-way through — who gave a better speech, Jesse Jackson or Lawnmower Man?

Hey Wonkette, tell us what you really think!

The organizers saw the event as a real success and proof that "a normally apolitical population like SL residents" can engage in political activism there. Sinreich's post-protest analysis wasn't intended as a direct rebuttal to Wonkette's response, but it works as such:

SL is a very creative medium, and events like this help to develop it as a outlet for activism and political expression, as well as a place where people can find and participate in a community of like-minded advocates. This person-to-person connection is as “real” as any other. This is movement-building. Although we can’t vote in Second Life, we can raise awareness and connect people and show our strength. We will continue to do so!

In an email, Sinreich added, "We don't expect that this kind of event is going to have much impact on politicians (at least for a few years) but that the value in it is the energy created by getting people together, amplifying their voices, building community, and forging the new territory of progressive political organizing in virtual worlds."

In other virtual protest news, Moveon.org has introduced a way to protest the war using instant messaging. Apparently, if you click on the following link, your AIM buddy icon will magically become a Moveon.org-sponsored anti-war slogan. Try it: aim:BuddyIcon?src=http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2331. It should look like this:

It didn't work for me, but I'm a stubborn person and insist on using the third-party Adium messaging software rather my Mac's built-in iChat. This strategy reminds me of the growing popularity of charity badge widgets, easy ways for people to personalize their sites, participate in fundraising drives, and promote social causes.

Does it work for you, and do you know of other ways IM icons are being distributed to broadcast a message?

Tags: instant messaging, moveon, protest, second life

Grassroots Activism | Netroots
Joshua Levy's blog | email this page | delicious | digg | technorati