Race and Ethnicity in Digital Spaces

I'm not at all surprised by the experiences shared in these readings. It seems as if the virtual worlds are, unfortunately, somewhat a reflection of the real world, and all the ignorance and unfounded negativity that exists here.

The issues are much the same as those that face modern society (and have for many years), in terms of diversity and acceptance. Even in situations such as the Star Wars game that was metioned, in worlds where ethnicity is of no concern, they become a concern when put into the hands of humans. The anonymity and distance between different players certainly acts as an enabler for those with racist/xenophobic ideologies to espouse those behind the mask of the internet.

Many developers are looking into the idea of removing noticeable traces of gender or ethnicity in their characters. This is especially evidenced in RPG games, particularly those produced in Japan. Many characters, drawn in the popular anime style, have a somewhat androdgynous apperance. Of course, depending on your perspective, this could be read as either a positive or negative step.

Virtual worlds offer new possibilities for communication and networking. However, as evidenced through these articles, any hope that the virtual world could be devoid of real world ideologies is a somewhat Utopian line of thinking.