The Angry Mob

Today while exploring SL I ran across a gentleman that was a RL journalist in the Netherlands. This journalist was only three days old and was already "hunting for a story" interviewing people about their reasons for joining SL and asking questions such as " How much time do you play?" Do you feel you need a face to face communication to form friendships?" and so on. I asked this journalist a question? How much time do you plan on exploring SL for yourself before you begin to write about your experiences? his response, one month. I found this to be rather appalling I don't believe that a non objective view about SL can be formulated with only one month of time in world. It's become too common for media personnel to log into SL looking for a story, spend a limited amount of time in world, run across a particular crowd of people and then assume that everyone in SL falls into that category. When I told this journalist that I didn't believe he was able to give a non objective view, and that he already had preconceived ideas about SL and was looking for a ways to prove them he called me cynical. Perhaps I am cynical, but I believe that the best way to gain knowledge is to experience it for yourself, so that you can have a personal understanding of the emotions or lack of emotions invoked by playing this "video game". I feel that if this journalist decided to invest in additional time exploring SL, he would be able to answer these questions on his own. While I do realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinions on SL, I feel that someone reporting facts to readers should have a personal understanding of the "virtual world". They should become an active member of the community or attempt to read resources that other members contribute to. I'm just a little tired of the media pushing it's stereotypical views on what a Second Life resident is. There is more than Sex in SL.. more than making money... more than the so called "crazies" or odd story. It's just such a shame that the media chooses to write on these kinds of topics, rather than the stories about raising revenue for charitable causes, educating individuals, or establishing contacts that transcend into real life friendships, but hey those kinds of stories don't sell papers, so who would want to read them? After all we have to appease the angry mob.

I can prove anything
I'll make you admit again and again
I can prove anything
The way that it's read again and again

And its only cos you came here with your brothers too
If you came here on your own you'd be dead
Its only cos you follow what the others do
Its no excuse to say your easily lead

You can choose anything
You choose to lose again and again
You could do anything
Why should you do anything again

And its only cos you came here with your brothers too
If you came here on your own you'd be dead
Winding yourself up until your turning blue
Repeating everything that you've read

And here we go with the letter
Well can you fix it for me
Cos we need entertainment
To keep us all off the streets

We are the angry mob
We read the papers everyday day
We like who like
We hate who we hate
But we're also easily swayed
- The Angry Mob- Kaiser Cheifs