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Opinions: The ugly children of MySpace


Racial hatred and social networking don't seem to go hand in hand. All-inclusive social networking Web sites like MySpace.com allow anyone to join.

The sites promote interaction across social, racial and regional borders by exposing members to people they would never normally meet. However, several new Web sites like NiggaSpace.com and NewSaxon.org are showing that the MySpace-model of interconnectivity can be perverted to create a web of hate or ignorance.

Friendster, MySpace and Facebook are lodged firmly in the collective consciousness of college students nationwide. Students use the sites to stay in touch with old friends, plan parties or creepily look through the photo albums of people they barely know.

For our generation of students, these social networking sites are indispensable tools; millions of college students visit them on a daily basis. However, with the success of the mainstream Web sites, a plethora of copycat sites are popping up across the Internet.

Most are harmless.

But what about when common interests are not as benign as pets or black eye makeup?

NewSaxon.org, which advertises itself as the MySpace "for whites, by whites," is emblazoned with Nazi swastikas and hosts thousands of members from around the United States. Blog topics include "Blacks never tip...it's true" and other racially charged material. Member pictures show skinheads posing in front of SS flags, and tips are traded on where to buy Nazi clothing for babies.

It's not a secret that racism still lives in America, but the boldness of those on NewSaxon.org is unnerving.

Thousands of people across the country are apparently gung-ho enough about white supremacy to post their names, faces and cities of residence for all to see. Creepy, to say the least.

On the other end of the racial spectrum are two new sites also molded after MySpace. NiggaSpace.com -- "a place fo niggas" -- and CrackSpace.com -- "the place for hip-hop" -- are a pair of sites aimed at the black community and hip-hop culture.

NiggaSpace.com, which boasts the exact same look, format and functions as NewSaxon.org, was started in November by an 18-year-old using the name "Tyrone."

The creator of the site has refused to reveal his real name or his race and has since changed his age on his profile to 28.

Over 30,000 people, mostly black, have joined the Web site, which, in addition to the usual social networking features, does a great job of reinforcing false racial stereotypes while providing an excuse for the NiggaSpace name that rings false.

The creator argues that he is using the word "Nigga" in an attempt to change the meaning of the word to reflect a unified black community.

Right.

More likely, the creator is the same kind of racist that created NewSaxon.org, laughing all the way to the bank with handfuls of advertising money from the thousands of daily visitors to his site.

These sites show that the Internet can be a well of knowledge or a den of ignorance, greed and violence. The online environment of complete freedom fosters both equally well.

It's a shame that sites like these are what we're faced with when people can't resist the temptation to abuse the Internet's freedom.

I'd rather get spam.

Jed will soon be starting ramenspace.com, a place for ramen enthusiasts. To learn more or talk trash, email him at: john.dougherty@asu.edu.


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