Rhizome Experiment, Fall 2015Main MenuPowerteam pageRhizome ConceptThe Virtual and The RealSelfTeam Overview Page & TagIntro to the Virtual SelfThe world of social media, avatars, and the brandscapeSimulation MachineDerived from the previous paper to make an introduction to AI, the advanced simulation machineArtificial IntelligenceRace and the Social MachineDrone PilotsFull Battle RattleTechnology and the Black ExperienceVideo GamesDwayne Dixon5129acc1d78d02bed532993adeb2cc39f7be6920
Skins in Second Life
12015-12-05T19:49:36-08:00Anna Quinnce7934d735971c9d732f90c8072fb6f45d7c154672255plain2015-12-08T17:34:35-08:00Anna Quinnce7934d735971c9d732f90c8072fb6f45d7c1546In the online virtual world Second Life, a player creates an avatar where the player can choose its physical characterizes. This includes gender and skin, which can be altered in shade and texture. Some users make a virtual living by designing and selling skins, dominantly white or off-white colors. In choosing skins, it is reported that “persons seeking darker skins complained of the difficulty in finding them” (Boellstorff 145). While darker skins are rare to obtain, finding white skins is simple since “whiteness acted as a kind of default” (Boellstorff 145). Through skins, the idea of white supremacy is strikingly visible. Being white is expected and therefore more powerful within the virtual world to the point where it is difficult to even give your avatar a non-white complexion. A racial hierarchy is formed in the Second Life where being black near the bottom and are not respected to the same degree. In the virtual world, the appearance of skin color causes instant prejudice and inequality similarly seen in the real world.