So buying virtual stuff through internet communities is profitable. It’s so profitable that I should totally create an addictive internet community that sells virtual crap. It makes tons of money for the website owners, as such items cost literally nothing to produce when ignoring labor costs for creating and maintaining the websites. Facebook’s virtual gifts net a cool $15 million a year if I remember correctly. That’s basically no different than people sending you $15 million, because what they’re getting in return is pretty much nothing because it’s virtual.

“Some have called the process inhumane, and news reports describe sweat-shop-like conditions for the people who work to earn the virtual cash,” says CNN. But then, compared to the wide range of other jobs, say, construction labor, what’s more “humane”? At least the gold farmer is sitting in a room, in no real physical danger, and earning more than the construction worker.

While I can see where they are going with this, they’re blocking the exchange of money the wrong way. Instead of preventing people from blowing their hard earned cash on virtual garbage, they’ve instead prevented people from turning virtual cash into real money. All this does is continue allowing people to waste money, while preventing people who are able to make a nice chunk of change gaming the internet from making a living.