Jump to content

Racism And Prejudice In Second life


You are about to reply to a thread that has been inactive for 2778 days.

Please take a moment to consider if this thread is worth bumping.

Recommended Posts

I know this is a different way and version of communcation with others. Other then yahoo and paltalk ,etc. I don't understand why racism and predjuice happens to pop up in a place like this. Yes there are people who have preference and people who are just what they are. But to bully and harass others with racial discrimnation is the one thing most of us are coming here to secondlife to get away from. 

 

My friend on here is in a irracial relationship. And he and his partner have had problems of hate from others on here of all places. I was sicken to hear the things people have said to him and his partner. And this should be the last place you would think this type of behavior would be. 

I also have another friend on here who have had problems with this also. She's a skin shopper and she loves skin no matter what color it is as long as it looks good on her shape.  And she also roleplays in some sims on secondlife. She is an african American woman in real life  but she roleplays many different types of characters. An one day in a conversation. One of the chatters told her that she should change her skin because she was not that skin color in real life.   I don't see what her character has anything to do with her in real life? Seriously.. this is gone far enough.

 People should have to the right the wear what skin color they want on their avi's and be what ever they want to be. This is not realife this is SECONDLIFE.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 65
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic


Minx Kurosawa wrote:

I know this is a different way and version of communcation with others. Other then yahoo and paltalk ,etc. I don't understand why racism and predjuice happens to pop up in a place like this. Yes there are people who have preference and people who are just what they are. But to bully and harass others with racial discrimnation is the one thing most of us are coming here to secondlife to get away from. 

 

My friend on here is in a irracial relationship. And he and his partner have had problems of hate from others on here of all places. I was sicken to hear the things people have said to him and his partner. And this should be the last place you would think this type of behavior would be. 

I also have another friend on here who have had problems with this also. She's a skin shopper and she loves skin no matter what color it is as long as it looks good on her shape.  And she also roleplays in some sims on secondlife. She is an african American woman in real life  but she roleplays many different types of characters. An one day in a conversation. One of the chatters told her that she should change her skin because she was not that skin color in real life.   I don't see what her character has anything to do with her in real life? Seriously.. this is gone far enough.

 People should have to the right the wear what skin color they want on their avi's and be what ever they want to be. This is not realife this is SECONDLIFE.

 

 

i won't say it never comes up..but it doesn't happen that much to me in here...i wouldn't say this would be the last place to expect that sort of thing though..this is the internet and people will be more bold on the net than they would in rl..

but there are rules in place to deal with the haters and options to ignore them to assure that they are out of our second lives..

i found the best way to deal with them for me  is to give them  a big "LOL What ever!" then mute or AR them depending on how stupid they were at the time..hehehehe

i refuse to let some ignorant fool wreck my day..Especially since they probably wouldn't have the guts to say something so stupid in RL to my face..

just remember most of those idiots are only as brave and their Sekrit identity is Sekrit hehehehe

just mute and AR *winks*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This saddens me to hear, because I've always found the majority of SLers to be entirely accepting of diversity. The very nature of a virtual world is that we can be anything we choose, so why someone would grief another avatar for the ethnicity/gender/species they happen to have their pixels arranged as that morning baffles me.

I agree with Ceka though, just tell your friends to send Abuse Reports as soon as a situation like this occurs, and go on your way.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you can't go anywhere without being attacked, you have a problem.
When you file an abuse report and nothing happens, you have another problem.

Unfortunately, this seems to be an all to common occurrence in second life and if you're not seeing it, it's only because you live a relatively reclusive virual life. Just visit a sandbox or a welcome area once in awhile or turn on voice chat at violet or korea and you'll witness the kind of people I'm talking about. Just today for example, someone wearing a p*nis suit was particle spamming at bear and in almost every sandbox on sandbox island there were those sculpties that crash your viewer everywhere and those can actually damage your videocard; I watched my card temperature go through the roof.

I've been in this game forever it seems and I know there has to be far more abusive personality types within second life than any other online community and I just wonder how much is Linden Lab's doing for their apparent lack of involvement. Without going into detail, right now I'm very frustrated at the way Linden Lab handles cases of harassment and I thought I had at least another year left here; I'm really not so sure now so, back to the poster, I completely agree and I really don't know what happened because second life used to be filled with exceptional people but, sometime starting in 2008, everything started going downhill in a very big way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Kobuk Farshore wrote:

This saddens me to hear, because I've always found the majority of SLers to be entirely accepting of diversity. 

There's no good way to put this and I don't mean to offend, but - you're not a target with a blond caucasian avatar, assuming your forum pic is a match for your inworld look. So you might not ever see it.

And even observing it happening to others is not the same as seeing it happen to onseself or family.

But its there.

 

Some rather old blogs to read:

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2003/10/white_like_me.html

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2006/02/the_skin_youre_.html

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/06/new-second-life-skin-gets-it-right.html

- The last one isn't direct to this, but the comments might be illuminating a little.

 

My own blog has limited the discussion of this to this so far:

http://catnapkitty.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/getting-started-in-second-life/#Socializing

- two paragraphs from the header that local-link goes to.

I've found the problem is worse in third party forums than here or inworld itself - which has made it easier to avoid. But it -is- present inworld.

 

Been meaning to write up a larger article on the subject.

 

People who are from an ethnic group that controls the region they live in will never experience 'systemic racism' - only 'personal racism'. People who are from an ethnic group that lacks control over the region they are from will experience both. The two are worlds apart.

Modern western societies have swept both forms under the rug and largely pushed them into the realm of being unnacceptable conduct. But that hasn't killed off all of the feelings behind them. In some countries like the USA each coming generation is less and less 'embedded' with the feelings of racism, but while still raised within the lingering effects of the systemic racism we used to be infamous for.

Meanwhile in places like Europe, the trendline seems to be going the other way, unless our media of the Europeans is grossly off. Reports of growing hostility between Europeans and South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern immigrant communities seem to come out on a regular basis.

- But again, I know world media exagerates what goes on in the USA- so I suspect our media exagerates their problems...

Asia I dunno... Social change is happening over there at an insane pace right now, and what I saw about it on a Monday won't be true by Tuesday... And each country seems to be going in a different direction.

 

Add to this that SL is international.

We're the UN of regular folks. Unlike Facebook, in SL, you -WILL- end up meeting and socializing with people from 'that strange country over there.'

When it happens, the mix can get ugly when the wrong stereotypes come in.

But European folks, and their diaspora around the globe, seem to be the dominant group here. The system of SL is certainly set up to their advantage; by virtue of resident made goods favoring them; more skins to choose from, cultures represented having a higher chance of being accurate rather than stereotyped, social venues featuring their themes.

- That's how systemic racialism works (different from racism) - the system sets up for a given group, creating a subtle alienation for those outside of it. The problem becomes self-perpeptuating, as those it is ideal for increase and make it more catered for their norms. All without any intentional bias.

But that makes those who -do- have an intentional bias feel more 'comfort' in expressing such bias when confronted with an 'outsider.'

(and I could go on... but I'm not sure if my point might be ambling around too much - this is why I want to write this up into an article, so I can sit down, edit it, and make sure it makes sense.)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Setekh Ichtama wrote:

When you can't go anywhere without being attacked, you have a problem.

When you file an abuse report and nothing happens, you have another problem.

Unfortunately, this seems to be an all to common occurrence in second life and if you're not seeing it, it's only because you live a relatively reclusive virual life. Just visit a sandbox or a welcome area once in awhile or turn on voice chat at violet or korea and you'll witness the kind of people I'm talking about. Just today for example, someone wearing a p*nis suit was particle spamming at bear and in almost every sandbox on sandbox island there were those sculpties that crash your viewer everywhere and those can actually damage your videocard; I watched my card temperature go through the roof.

I've been in this game forever it seems and I know there has to be far more abusive personality types within second life than any other online community and I just wonder how much is Linden Lab's doing for their apparent lack of involvement. Without going into detail, right now I'm very frustrated at the way Linden Lab handles cases of harassment and I thought I had at least another year left here; I'm really not so sure now so, back to the poster, I completely agree and I really don't know what happened because second life used to be filled with exceptional people but, sometime starting in 2008, everything started going downhill in a very big way.

really i think it is because skins really never started to look realistic until that time..

i came to sl in 2006 and about the darkest tone i could find was the tan malibu skin from CS and then nomine having something much darker later on..

then around 2008 or so ethnic skins and darker tones really started to show up in more places and people using them...

i was using a  tanned skin with black hair and people were thinking i was african american..it was a world of blond hair and light skins it seemed before that..

i didn't get slammed with hard core names..it was more things like..wow i never had a black girl before...

I'm apache for the last time!!  and there will be no having going on!!\o/

lots of crude sexual comments more than anything..that always pissed me off..i had that in RL all through highschool until i met my husband..then they shut up pretty fast..he makes them all look like ants next to him lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Pussycat Catnap wrote:

There's no good way to put this and I don't mean to offend, but - you're not a target with a blond caucasian avatar, assuming your forum pic is a match for your inworld look. So you might not ever see it.

And even observing it happening to others is not the same as seeing it happen to onseself or family.


I understand, but one of my two partners in SL is latino both RL and in SL. We also happen to both be female, so of course I'm aware of prejudice in both worlds. I do, however, experience much less of it in SL than in RL. There are idiots in SL who will harass people for anything-- call me optimistic or undramatic, but I'd rather just TP away, AR them, get any witnesses to AR them, and get on with what I come to SL for, which is to have fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finds its the other way round in SL, the rabble I hang with love seeing coloured skins! :matte-motes-inlove: In RL we are mostly white Kiwis, Aussies, Brits, and some Americans. All of us absolutely adore diffrent skin colours, not many of us shop at the big skin shops though... Heartsicks possibly the most mainstream skin shop we tend to use. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mother lenguage is not english and it the past when I made I little typo mistake someone had to come up wit disgusting comments.

Luckily for us this incdents are very rare and most of the people are very nice. You could either:

- Ignore them.

- Tell them to mind their own bussines

- tp away and report it.

 

Don't let just a couple of rude people to ruin your awesomw times in sl =)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


madman626 Fall wrote:

People will be like they are in RL why you think they be any different in SL ? And they get away with it, it that easy

why would they be different on the internet than they would in RL?because there are a lot of people that would never say 3/4 of the crap they say on the internet to someones face in RL..

because they cannot be reached out and touched and because more times than not..they can get away with it..

Link to comment
Share on other sites


madman626 Fall wrote:

to there face no i ageed with that but really we gotting hate groups and haters , stalkers killers and more in rl just to prove my point how would sl be any different ? its wont be

true you have those in RL and on the net..and really only some of us get to experience those on a daily basis..where on the net we wont see it as much..

but someone not experiencing it on a daily basis will see more of it on the net lol

crazy worlds huh? hehehehe

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's stupid anywhere. But some people bring their stupid with them.


Minx Kurosawa wrote:

 She is an african American woman in real life  but she roleplays many different types of characters. An one day in a conversation. One of the chatters told her that she should change her skin because she was not that skin color in real life.  

  

Case in point! Hope she muted that person quick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

ha, I have same problem here in club Ambrosia

see what i get

[14:47] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Need to talk English only please
[14:47] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): save that for IM
[14:48] Olivetti Derryth: way, whats wrong whit my lenguare?
[14:48] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Nothing but this is English speaking club only
[14:48] Olivetti Derryth: realy
[14:48] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): You are chatting in local and no one can understand you
[14:48] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Talk in IM in your own language please
[14:48] Olivetti Derryth: way
[14:49] Olivetti Derryth: i can speak Croatian or Serbian where I want
[14:49] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Not in here, club rules
[14:50] Olivetti Derryth: sand be that rules sing by LL pleas
[14:50] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): dont understand
[14:50] Olivetti Derryth: if LL say that i most speak only english thats ok
[14:51] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Sorry Club Rules, owner pays Lindens to do what he wants on his land
[14:51] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): so not against terms of service
[14:52] Sheff (sheffield.chauveau): Im not arguing with you all night, im sure you were banned previously

they just want to ban me for Croatian and Serbian type in local....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First off, you need to remove the other persons name and club name from your Post.  It's not allowed here.

Secondly, reading this it sounds to me like you were just being rude.

Third, their SIM, their rules.  Though I have never seen anyplace that wouldn't accommodate the use of a translator.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

As a **bleep** I came for the first time at thesim Venice Passion. I wanted to rent a house. I was ignored. After I had given myself a white skin I finally obtained the apartment that I wanted. After I had shown me in my own dark skin once I was thrown out with a weak excuse Venice and even banned. It is clear. Racism is in SL even worse than in RL. Especially in the Italian sim Venice Passion. An advice for those who want to stay there. So do not look like a **bleep**.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I am new to SL and this blog is my first encounter.  I am intrigued by this conversation.  Can you better clarify what you mean by "systemic" racism?  Is it simply that it is set up by one group who is at an advantage over another?  Is the advantage intentional or incidental?    I have read that racism involves having power over the disparaged group in question, while prejudice behavior is relatively powerless.

I am curious about pursuing conversations regarding prejudice in America and I'd like different viewpoints from people who have experienced prejudice aimed at them as well as people who have realized that they have practiced prejudice against others.  I know that many people think that there is no longer racism in America - but I disagree.  Overt racism is no longer expressed openly because it is unacceptable, however, there are many regions in the U.S. which still harbor more subtle forms of racism.

Can you recommend an SL world to me where I might have conversations with other avatars along these subject lines? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


dana5082 wrote:

I am new to SL and this blog is my first encounter.  I am intrigued by this conversation.  Can you better clarify what you mean by "systemic" racism?  Is it simply that it is set up by one group who is at an advantage over another?  Is the advantage intentional or incidental?    I have read that racism involves having power over the disparaged group in question, while prejudice behavior is relatively powerless.

I am curious about pursuing conversations regarding prejudice in America and I'd like different viewpoints from people who have experienced prejudice aimed at them as well as people who have realized that they have practiced prejudice against others.  I know that many people think that there is no longer racism in America - but I disagree.  Overt racism is no longer expressed openly because it is unacceptable, however, there are many regions in the U.S. which still harbor more subtle forms of racism.

Can you recommend an SL world to me where I might have conversations with other avatars along these subject lines? 

This sounds like a stealth approach to garnering information for a research project.

Awe . . . discriminates against naive students who think they are smarter than they are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I find people are not racist in SL until they figure out who you are in RL. Then yes, it is no different here than it is in RL. I stopped playing SL because of it. Got tired of the internet warriors hidding beind their keyboards..none of the racist scum would say half or even 1%Q of what they do in real life...they have not the courage...they are cowards. I know we are al different based on our abilties. Someone with a PhD would be more inclined to feel they are intellectually superior to some degree...and rightfully so...just using this as an example. But racism in itself is just  delusion...something ignorant people readily feed into in spite of the siene and the evidence showing otherwise. Even debunking the whole idea of racism...but let the idiots keep it going...I do not hink it will ever stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's the internet, in which animosity reigns surpreme. Second Life is just the meta-verse of the internet, so all the horrible things you'd expect from any other website can also come to life here.

And don't think being a furry makes life easier; not only can other furries be racist and rude, they'll start to slap a lot of negative animal stereotypes on you. As long as you're white and happen to be a fox, wolf, dog, or cat, you're pretty much safe... All other racial groups/animal combinations tend to get picked on... Heck, I'm a white guy, but because I always use some kind of reptilian, avain, or shark as my avatar, I tend to get a few disgruntled comments from the other furries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are about to reply to a thread that has been inactive for 2778 days.

Please take a moment to consider if this thread is worth bumping.

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...