Egyptians Worldwide Gather in Second Life to Share Resources, Information, Support for Uprising

February 2: Update here.

Click here to visit the Second Life island called Egypt, which right now is crowded with Egyptians from around the world, waving flags of their nation and sharing information and resources in support of the uprising in Egypt that now seems destined to overthrow the autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Owned by Ammroty Aedipo, an Egyptian who lives in the United Arab Emirates, the Egypt sim is also quite popular with Egyptians actually in Egypt -- but as everyone knows, Mubarak's government has all but taken the nation's Internet connections offline. However, this hasn't stopped Egyptians worlwide from converging on Egypt in SL.

When I visited today, there were Egyptian Residents logging in from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Arab world; also the UK, and Bosnia, and surely many places beyond. One of them was sending out in chat instructions on how to covertly communicate with Egyptians in the country, others were waving their flags and cheering at the latest news from Egypt, all while raucous Arab pop blasted from the audio stream, and occasional bursts of Arabic from Residents using VOIP erupted across the sim. While the main channels for supporting the uprising in Egypt online are Facebook and Twitter, this community in Second Life is definitely the most immersive, very closely simulating what it must be like to share a town square or a living room with Egyptians on the edge of suspense and hope as they anticipate a new era for their country. Standing there as an avatar, you can feel and share their mounting jubilation through the pixels themselves. Once again, you can join them by clicking here.

Hat tip: Melissa Yeuxdoux.

Comments

[Harper Ganesvoort]

I'd be cautious about thinking that Mubarak will be unseated by this, though a more democratic Egypt will be a good thing in itself. One wishes, as well, that it would be by more peaceful means; not only because of the hurt and death here, but because an unstable Egypt will be just one more diplomatic egg we'll need to juggle in the Middle East. Things are tricky enough right now as they are.

As for the Egypt sim, I'm going in to visit right now.

[Laetizia Coronet]

Maybe it's better to NOT go there and leave that place to the Egyptians, since they appear not to have many other ways to communicate online right now.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

I'm just hoping we don't see a replay of 1979 Tehran. There was a period, very short, of flexibility and possible democracy before the theocrats took over. I suspect we'll know in a few days.

[rikomatic]

FYI the owner of the sim has been warning people to not "abuse" Mubarak while they are there or risk being banned: http://www.betterverse.org/2011/02/owner-of-egypt-sim-in-second-life-bans-avatars-for-abusing-mubarak.html