Rita J. King: Gov 2.0 Hero.

Rita J. King joins Craig Newmark, among others, as a Gov2.0 Hero.

Congratulations to Rita J. King for being recognized by Government social media site as Gov 2.0 Hero. The complete list of Gov 2.0 Heros is here. Also included in the list is EPA Gov 2.0 guru Jeffrey Levy (who, coincidentally, bears the distinction of being the person who introduced me to the Internet in 1991.)

Each Gov 2.0 Hero is asked a series of questions about their thoughts on government and technology. Rita's entire response is worth a read, but here's an excerpt:

What was your path to Gov 2.0?

I’ve been studying the cultural effects of digital anonymity since 1996, but when I discovered a Muslim woman in a virtual Jewish synagogue in Second Life in 2006 I realized that global culture had entered a powerful new realm. The idea of “avatars” is polarizing. Some people instantly see the benefit of this new form of identity and community construction while others, believing that avatars dehumanize people, are appalled. I was not a gamer, nor did I ever expect to be mesmerized by the virtual world of Second Life after a friend of mine who works at IBM suggested that I check it out. I was reading Joseph Campbell’s “The Power of Myth,” and I searched on temples, synagogues, churches and mosques during my first few hours and days in Second Life, which was how I found myself at prayer services in a virtual Jewish synagogue speaking to a Muslim woman.

On September 8 at the O’Reilly Gov 2.0 Expo, Rita J. King will be discussing “Digital Diplomacy: Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds” as part of the Government as Peacekeeper section.