[lbo-talk] workers take pay in virtual coin

shag carpet bomb shag at cleandraws.com
Mon Jun 21 03:39:09 PDT 2010


At 10:56 AM 6/20/2010, Alan Rudy wrote:
>So, the argument is that the avatar augmentations enhance the reputation of
>the game player and are going to lead to future opportunities for real
>money?
>I don't see the foodstamps or webvertizement things as equivalent, you
>(presumably) bought real food or gained real repute with them... unless, as
>before, the cooler stuff for the woman's avatar are going to get her real
>stuff or more real business...

good point. i'm guessing that these people have regular jobs. the virtual coin is earned simply to have fun. they were going to spend the money anyway. it reminds me of people who take second jobs selling avon so they can buy more avon.

as for the rest, below, i didn't understand what you're talking about. class bound?


>I don't think Doug (and my) issue is that a person is living off of
>unemployment insurance while working for play money of no material utility,
>though it may be that such a strategy (of doing a great deal for nothing
>tangible or reputational - unless I'm wrong about this woman in particular)
>is so deeply class-bound. This is the sort of work and remuneration simply
>not available to the vast majority of those on or with creative access to
>foodstamps, no?
>
>
>On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 8:00 AM, shag carpet bomb <shag at cleandraws.com>wrote:
>
> > At 07:45 AM 6/19/2010, Doug Henwood wrote:
> >
> > Wait a minute - we've got people working for play money and you think
> >> there's something *good* about it?
> >>
> >> Doug
> >>
> >
> > Isn't it the same thing as me once babysitting in exchange for someone's
> > foodstamps? the money was extra money to me. she, always 'creative' about
> > her finances, had foodstamps to spare since she'd gotten 'paid' in
> > foodstamps for some babysitting she'd done for someone.
> >
> > i mean, it's just the same as getting paid cash money. these folks were
> > going to spend it on gaming anyway.
> >
> > i'm not saying it's right, good, true, or beautiful. but i don't see a
> > whole lot of difference between that and, say, as a freelancer, creating
> > someone's website in exchange for an advertisement placed on that web site.
> > Dude could have paid me cash money and i could have turned around and paid
> > him cash money for the ad placement. *shrug* Freelancers do this all the
> > time. They provide services in exchange for the publicity they get from an
> > appearance for instance.
> >
> >
> > --
> > http://cleandraws.com
> > Wear Clean Draws
> > ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)
> >
> >
> > ___________________________________
> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >
>
>
>
>--
>*********************************************************
>Alan P. Rudy
>Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
>Central Michigan University
>124 Anspach Hall
>Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
>517-881-6319
>___________________________________
>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk

-- http://cleandraws.com Wear Clean Draws ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)



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