Hello, Jarek. Yes, hate is basically socially generated. However, it can also be strengthened or weakened in various ways. I am not sure whether I fully agree with you that "web sites only replicate the existing social divisions." I think they do more than that. I spend a lot of time researching websites related to Islam or anything Islamic. From all possible angles, both conservative ones, websites dealing with extremist militants calling for Jihad, reformist and secularist ones and even websites of people rejecting Islam. Now, if you take the extremes on both ends of this, the most violent Islamists and radical Islam-rejecters, these are groups that would have a hard time getting their message across in more traditional and conservative media. I do think the Internet itself is empowering such groups in a way that is significant, enabling them to spread their message to wider audiences. At the very least, the web is greatly facilitating social changes already underway. It may even be creating changes, even though I know many would reject such a view as technological determinism. This includes hate sites, such as those Islamic militant sites decsribed on the Internet Haganah. Just my 2 cents. Yous sincerely, Mr. Peder Jensen. Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 17:21:00 -0800 From: "J. J." <japeks@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [Air-l] 1. Re: Virtual Ethnicities/Online Hate Speech To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Message-ID: <BAY23-F37A0D77B14B2C3695B4C4CC9B90@phx.gbl> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hi Peder, I think that "hate" is socially generated, cyberspace or not. The web sites only replicate the existing social divisions. I've checked the links you provided, and they don't help me understand the phenomenon of the “Islamic extremists” much. I am not sure if that can be understood without active participation of the other side either and those web sites don't seem to be inviting any such discussion. My point then is that cyberspace will provide answers only to the point already determined (and allowed) in the world outside of it. What do you think? Jarek
From: Peder Are Jensen <pajensen75@yahoo.no> Reply-To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org To: air-l-aoir.org@listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-l] 1. Re: Virtual Ethnicities/Online Hate Speech Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 17:27:26 +0100 (CET)
From Peder Jensen, Master Student at the University of Oslo, Norway. Charles Ess mentioned searching for hate communities online. Have you tried looking at websites by Islamic extremists? You can track some of them through websites like these:
http://internet-haganah.co.il/haganah/
Yours sincerely, Mr. Peder Jensen.