the roots of resistance, something can also just simply be called the pursuit of REAL LIFE, lie in the connections between people, in the things we do together. these connections and interactions form one basis for becoming a social force - in doing things outside of the mainstream were we create an oppositional culture, a counter culture. as physical spaces have become increasingly embattled the internet provided one open frontier where substream culture could exist, expand, take refuge, retreat. however in all these layers of communication and mediation something peculiar has happened. the virtual has replaced the actual and the real life manifestations of resistive ideas have crumpled.
many, many people create networks in virtual spaces, and over time begin to equate these networks with actual real life communication. but though connections such as myspace, instant messaging, blogging, and mp3 sharing are potentially usefull tools they in fact do not necessarily translate into physical coordination. they are virtual, and our peceptions of what coordination and resistance means has been polluted by this practice. online networks easily fall into a trap of being merely a simulation of what could be: an impression of connection void of the face to face interaction and locality essential to accomplishing something concrete. virtuality requires none of the day to day struggle that the physical world requires, and as online networks expand our actual resources - spaces, functioning collectives, quality underground media - disappear.
taking a radical or even just critical stance involves facing severe real life limitations and challenges - your ideas will be marginalized by established practices, you will lack access to usefull resources and information, you will not have 'investors' to support your record or your magazine. at times the internet has given the impression that these limitations, which exist largely because of control over physical resources, can be overcome. perhaps they can, but media technology even at its best is still only a mediation of life. simply accomplishing something online where resources are abundant does not indicate anything about what goes on in the real world. in other words, the internet is a way to communicate but it is not where actual work is done. because it does not require people to translate dreams to action, or simply because media allows us to present our lives according whatever fantasy we choose, the necessity of real world struggle often falls by the wayside. being overly involved in virual resources turns media into our reality rather than a tool for understanding it and we are lost in the virtual while the actual completely disintegrates.