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Homeless women enters cyberspace

I found this post on Ceridwen Devi (a blog affiliate) posting about a story which was presented on BBC News.

A homeless woman in London has been living in a car since last summer and by writing a blog she has placed herself in contact with an international audience. According to the BBC report, she visits the public library to access the internet to update her online diary called WanderingScribe.

This is an amazing read. There are many reservations about this but I think it is genuine. What is really interesting to me is firstly that this lady is entering cyberspace to gain contacts and relations with other people.

In her situation this is most probably easier than trying to meet people in real life, I mean who actually spends time or acknowledges homeless people? A sad fact, but no matter how you look like, the connotations behind this unfortunate status will not get you far in our society, embedded with preconceived notions and judgments.

Secondly, by reading the various comments on her posts, clearly shows the power of blogging. She has started a forum on her own blog, arguing her case, but also getting a lot of recognition and motivation by people, and actual offers and aid. There are tips where she can wash, find a job etc. This I find phenomenal, as within this virtual realm, a virtual community has offered a helping hand. This is probably not as such possible in reality, and with this I mean outside the virtual realm. Does a virtual existence allow for easier correspondence and acceptance due to the limitless possibilities in the virtual sphere?

What is great is that the aid and motivation she gets is not only virtual but can be used within the real realm. And since the media has picked up this story this blog has been getting tremendous amounts of hits, just a pity that Blogs to this similar degree will in future most probably not get the same amount of attention and thus less exposure and thus less virtual friends that offer their sentiment or help.

There

  1. Anonymous Anonymous | Tuesday, April 25, 2006 10:56:00 pm |  

    It is a remarkable story. I like to call it the Red Paper Clip Effect after the guy who traded a red paper clip for a house through blogging. We can be a collective force of empowerment for everyone. You have Ubuntu in South Africa as a good example.

  2. Blogger Gregor | Tuesday, April 25, 2006 11:21:00 pm |  

    Yes, exactly, it is good to know that such an empowering system is still possible. And it seems like this medium is one which is extremely effective.

  3. Anonymous Anonymous | Saturday, May 13, 2006 9:25:00 pm |  

    "Save Karen" was the start of what was known as "cyberbegging". She actually got her credit card debt paid off. The "copycat" sites didn't fare too well. That was about 3 years ago and how I happened to start reading "The Homeless Guy" blog. When I started reading WS's blog, it didn't enter my mind to doubt her condition. Guess one who's slept in cars, would instinctively know what it feels like, and she describes it so well.

    Someone commented in her blog today, there is no such thing as luck. The NYC reported that interviewed her found her blog simply by a 'google search' on homeless. I think that involves "luck", that her blog was found and not the others.

  4. Anonymous Anonymous | Wednesday, May 24, 2006 12:15:00 am |  

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  5. Anonymous Anonymous | Monday, July 10, 2006 8:37:00 pm |  

    Old post comes up on new search. The update, is she's now homed, got a book deal, turned off her comments, is embarrassed by her early posts.