Disordered Cogitations

Second Life, a Massively Multiplayer On-line Role Playing Game (MMORPG), has one really cool feature: The money one makes "in-world" (Linden Dollars or L$) can be converted to an "out-word" currency, such as US Dollars (US$). See Gaming Open Market. The current exchange rate is about L$1000=US$4. Now, when the dad comes home from work and tells his lazy teenage son to go get a job--the teen can actually make real money playing computer games!

Gaming Open Market (GOM) also allow people to put GOM ATMs into Second Life. Now imagine this conversation: "Dad can I have $20 to put into my GOM account, because I need an extra L$5000 to have my avatar go on a date with Susie's avatar?" (You fill in the rest of the conversation. . .)

There is even a wiki devoted to Second Life, called Game Slave. It really focuses on the games avatars play inside Second Life.

And don't forget the several Blogs devoted to Second Life "in-world" societal happenings. This posting tells of a young Chinese woman who was told by her employer to make US$2 a day inside Second Life. She makes the money by having her avatar dance in an "in-world" club. So let's talk ethics. Do out-world ethics apply to in-world behavior?