PEUPLADE

-PEUPLADE-
As for the first, I would like to thank a friend of mine named Chahine for his initiative in talking about “Peuplade” in a classroom presentation when we were 1st year MA students. I think it is really beneficial for all of us and especially for me because I discovered a new way of communication between people and specifically in this context about ‘French neighbors’ meeting in a web site called ‘Peuplade’. In addition, I learnt about the ‘Second Life’ which is as he said a software where we can find real people manipulating virtual avatars that reflect those people in terms of their personality, daily behaviors, hobbies, and many other things. What I am going to add is not really a criticism but it is somehow a simple reflection or a comment and of course the door is open for him and others to give their opinion on it as what I will say may not seem true for some people.
In my opinion, Peuplade or the Second Life is the product (result) of globalization. The creation of these web sites in itself and their objective seems to me as an implication of the modern and developed life on the community. These sites are signs of the shift of the society from a traditional one, in which people used to see each other face to face; neighbors do not hesitate to help each other, individuals used to talk a lot and have important gossips about so many subjects i.e. the family, the job, entertainment, hobbies, TV programs, health, education,…etc, to a modern society in which even the mentality of the individuals has changed. People still not visiting each other regularly and some times they spend months and months far away without caring about their relatives.
However, we should admit that the society is taking change gradually and we can not stop it. In this case, it is better to look at the positive side of the phenomenon. In the article that was under scrutiny, it was mentioned that those French people are some meters far from each other, yet they go on Peuplade in order to talk together. Personally, I think that this web site offers them the possibility to subscribe without demanding their age or sex to prevent any kind of racism or discrimination thus to encourage them to integrate in a virtual community in which they are able to talk freely and may be use the “asl” language which is a simple form of communication allowing ‘chatters’ to ask about the age, sex and location of their interlocutors.
Moreover, this site is an opportunity for individuals, on the one hand, to hide what they want to hide about their personal life i.e. people will enjoy a great deal of intimacy and, on the other hand, they have the chance to reveal many things which can intimidate them in the actual life. Also, we should highlight the fact that there are people who can not move outside their homes such as ‘handicaps’ and others who work or study so it is a good chance for them to mix with other people in the world.
To end up, we are aware that the society is undergoing radical changes and the old community is taking other forms. It is also true that the way people communicate has changed but we must acknowledge that there are benefits of the new world in which everybody can share an idea with someone else or adopt a point of view and defend it without being offended, therefore, we can talk about a new society that believes in diversity and intercultural exchange .