So I know this is late, but I just wanted to return to the point I made about internet protest and sit-ins, as we were talking about the Online Zapatistas and such. I think, while online protest is a great means of keeping up with the continuing advance in technology as well as a means of connecting activists on a global level, it devalues, or rather diminishes, the power of protest as people can merely push a button to support a cause. The ability to appear good-natured and philanthropic online is enough for many people, and I too can't deny being a guilty of this a time or two. The fact is, the physical act of protesting in the streets or attending a rally or meeting is when one truly becomes invested. Even with the article on the simulated night-walk border crossing experience, it is clear the author was affected on a much more visceral level when experiencing the issue in person.
Also, as I mentioned in class, the internet can provide a cloak of anonymity for people to voice strong, antagonizing opinions that they would never express in real life. While there is nothing wrong with the desire to be anonymous, protest simply doesn't carry the same weight in power when it is done in an online commentary setting. The fact that people can rally around a cause together from across the world is, in theory, very innovative and exciting.I think as time goes on, the entire world could adapt towards a place where anything but online protest and activism is irrelevant. Until then, it seems much of the online protest appears to be an effort to raise awareness of a cause, at best, or flaunt a type of faux-altruism, at worst.
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