In 2008 we launched the Virtual Coalition Against Censorship, A Project of the Arts Program at the NCAC.
Virtual worlds are becoming a new locus of civic conversation and debate, however they are governed by extremely restrictive speech rules set by the gaming companies. Our project’s goal is to bring free speech advocacy to the virtual world, as well as to open up a discussion within Second Life about who should be regulating free speech in MMPORGs, which are privately owned but function as communally created public spaces, as well as about the reasons game companies are setting speech restrictions and how these restrictions can be relaxed.
Our inaugural discussion, Censorship in Virtual Worlds, will take place on February 5th, 2008 4pm EST at the Virtual Coalition Against Censorship pavilion in Second Life Click here or copy and paste the url in your browser to be teleported to our pavilion in Second life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Commonwealth%20Island/104/81/30
If the automatic teleport link above does not work, you can instant message Amy Freelunch or Libertad Lane to be teleported to the site. For more information contact Svetlana Mintcheva.
*You will need to download Second Life and create an avatar – all free and quite easy.
Visit our October 2008 Virtual Coalition Against Censorship discussion for further discussion on censorship of child avatars in Second Life.
Read about free speech issues in Virtual Worlds in this interview with Svetlana Mintcheva, NCAC Arts Program Director: http://brooklyniswatching.com/2008/06/26/interview-with-svetlana-mintchevalibertad-lane/