Back in 2006 when Second Life was founded there seemed to be a realistic possibility that a better world was being built, albeit of the virtual kind. Second Life, for those who don't know, is one of several virtual worlds inspired by the cyberpunk novels of Neal Stephenson. Very basically, you download some software and, having created your own profile and chosen how you want to look, you are transformed into a Resident - or Avatar, as Second Lifers prefer to be referred to. You are now free to walk, drive or even fly around the world, chat to others Avs, build your own home and even set up a virtual branch of your own business. The world, perpetually sunny, looks a little like a digitised version of Valencia and everyone you meet - six million residents and counting - is good-looking in a Lara Croft sort of way. It all seemed so perfect, then along come the French elections to mess everything up.
French Elections are always fairly volatile affairs, but when Jean Marie Le Pen's Front National decided to go canvassing and recruiting in Second Life, things very swiftly turned nasty. A group, hitherto unknown to me, calling itselr Second Life Left Unity began to picket Le Pen's offices. By the second night, they were throwing virtual Molotov cocktails and by the third, there were running gun battles so savage that one French journalist said he had to turn off the speakers on his computer. By night four, the rioters had run Le Pen out of town. But Jean Marie is no quitter. According to internet buzz, he has set up new offices in a quieter part of cyber space. I went hunting for them yesterday, but was unable to find them anywhere. So I am beginning to suspect that this was all a clever ruse to get lefties to spend all day wandering around a place that doesn't actually exist when they could be out on real streets meeting real people. By the way, if anyone does know where the Front National is based, could they post me the details below?
