(PhD candidate, College off Vermont within Chapel Slope, MA, Duke University, BA, Ny School) is a teacher regarding the Service out of Religion during the Duke University, where she instructs Ethics together with Internet sites, and you will coeditor of the issue of brand new Diary out-of Desktop-Mediated Correspondence. And additionally Duke, Ms. Robinson keeps trained programs toward the new technology, the online, and you can computer system experiences regarding the College or university regarding News media at the UNC-CH and Aftermath Tech Neighborhood School, and you will the woman is a research representative of the M.We.N.D. Research on the communication department regarding Michigan State College or university. Accountable for the organization and you will fix of a lot Internet sites, her practical experience has journalism and you will pr in New york Town and you may North carolina, where up until now she was new weekend online reports editor out-of the news and you will Observer for the Raleigh.
Agencies of Faith, Duke College or university, 118 Grey Building, Package 90964, Durham, NC 27708, U . s ..Identify so much more paperwork through this journalist
(PhD candidate, College out-of New york during the Chapel Mountain, MA, Duke College or university, BA, New york School) was a teacher in the Institution out of Faith within Duke School, in which she instructs Stability additionally the Internet, and coeditor with the issue of brand new Log off Pc-Mediated Communications. Along with Duke, Ms. Robinson has taught programmes towards the the technical, the web, and you will computers feel regarding University off News media within UNC-CH and you will Wake Technical People College, and you will she is a study associate of the Yards.We.Letter.D. Research in the telecommunications agencies away from Michigan Condition College or university. Guilty of the growth and you can restoration of numerous World wide web websites, her practical experience comes with news media and you can publicity into the Ny Urban area and you will North carolina, where until recently she was the week-end on the internet development publisher of the news headlines and you will Observer inside Raleigh 
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Department of Religion, Duke College or university, 118 Gray Strengthening, Container 90964, Durham, NC 27708, Us.Look for so much more documentation by this publisher
Abstract
During the North park toward February twenty six, 1997, the newest regulators was indeed discover off 39 also outfitted visitors which grabbed their particular stays in a size committing suicide. Provided from the Marshall Applewhite, the latest Heaven’s Gate cult thought that a flying saucer was take a trip at the rear of brand new Hale-Bopp comet. It made a decision to leave its real authorities trailing to find redemption inside the an enthusiastic extraterrestrial “Kingdom regarding Paradise.” The brand new sect plus discontinued apocalyptic texts inside their Rancho Santa Fe residence as well as on house profiles on the Web. This papers investigates on the internet issue created by the fresh cult and you may the mass media publicity of the tragic stop, they examines the backdrop of one’s cult while the science fiction and you will millennial affects to their thinking, also it considers this new group’s experience of cyberculture and some regarding all the questions increased by its mass suicide, and that possibly, as David Potz told you in the Record, “promises to end up being the basic great Internet mystery” [( Potz, March twenty eight, 1997) ].
Inclusion
It had been later Thursday nights, February 27, 1997, in the event that earliest headlines entered my personal dining table within Raleigh News and you may Observer. I’d come to assume a specific decorum from the Letter&O, however with the fresh new Heaven’s Gate suicides, the real difference inside the tone try striking: “Cult participants have been significantly into the online world,”“Cult frontrunner experienced in space aliens and apocalypse,”“Tapes remaining because of the cult suggest comet try the signal to perish” [( , March twenty eight, 1997) ]. At last, I imagined, brand new push has discovered the fresh bad-information facts which have an internet direction this might have been waiting to have.
This type of “keys to the fresh new empire” relationship to further information to the Heaven’s Entrance homepage, hence serves as the cult’s suicidenote and mission statement.