Curse

Dalia · Jul 12, 2005, 03:43 PM // 15:43

This is enlightening. (GW is not mentioned, by the way.)

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3141815

Dalia

Muffles 12 · Jul 12, 2005, 03:50 PM // 15:50

Wow, thats terible. I would never have thought about that kinda thing actually happening.

Diomedes · Jul 12, 2005, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Quote:

From the Article:
Currently, Chinese farmers are the main suppliers of WOW's in-game items and gold, and they control the market. Does this mean IGE needs to buy from these suppliers to stay competitive?

No, we just need to revalue Chinese currency to help close the trade deficit

-Diomedes

salja Wachi · Jul 12, 2005, 03:52 PM // 15:52

very very bad. i feel sorry for those people. the ony way to stop it is to take away the demand for gold in games. or make the penalties for buying it permanent ban for the players that do buy it

Dax · Jul 12, 2005, 04:07 PM // 16:07

Yea, it's pretty sad... but then again if there wasn't a demand for it.

Funny because I was doing some surfing and saw an ad for one of those gold sales sites and for chits and giggles decided to check it out. Pretty impressive little operation considering. Not only did they have gold but you could hire powerlevelers as well for a couple of games..... and they had live chat tech support. It was all too funny.

Odd Sock · Jul 12, 2005, 04:16 PM // 16:16

Errr no, these people wouldn't have anything if it weren't for farming. As the article mentionned it's either sit in an office watching bots or bust your ass sewing up sneakers. Even worse, having no job at all. They might get paid 150$ a month but with that they feed half their family only on one salary. Sure they could get paid more but the foundation of our economy (Canada, US, Europe) revolves around such exploitations. Take these people away and to stay alive you'll need a 6 figure income job yourself to afford your daily commodities. You might find this unethical but at the same you largely profit from it.

Aniewiel · Jul 12, 2005, 04:17 PM // 16:17

It's very sad and a horrifying condemnation of some countries' obsessions with online gaming. How sad that some poor slob in China, supporting his family on 56 cents an hour, profits from our leisure. That's just...sickening.

Damon Windwalker · Jul 12, 2005, 04:36 PM // 16:36

I wish I could get paid $150 per month to play Guild Wars...

viet · Jul 12, 2005, 04:39 PM // 16:39

they'r not actualy sweating
i dont mind playing online for 12hrs to feed my family

Accolon Pendragon · Jul 12, 2005, 04:42 PM // 16:42

The first time I read something about it I thought that it had to do with people who just had a lot of free time and did this for a couple of extra bucks. It's really sad to see things get to this point.

Even though this might be better than what they usually would get paid for any other job, it still doesn't make it right.

Skean Dau · Jul 12, 2005, 04:47 PM // 16:47

There is always 2 problems with articles like this:

1. They never delve into the alternatives for these people that are working for "dirt".

2. They assume that making lots of money is "evil".

There was an article that was done by one of the "big" US papers, like the Times. It showed that many of the workers in the "sweat shops" were the largest earners in families of 10 or more. The problem is with the economy of these countries. The statement that they make dirt but dirt is good from where they come from is very true...very,very sad....but true.

And everyone always jump on the folks that come up with the idea to make a living, and because they do, and make a huge living, and do it on a computer game...they get crapped on.

Not right at all.

So to sum up.

Exploitation of workers = BAD BAD BAD
Computer Farming = Sweat shops
Making pots of money(legally) = GREAT GREAT GREAT

Eet GnomeSmasher · Jul 12, 2005, 04:49 PM // 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odd Sock

Errr no, these people wouldn't have anything if it weren't for farming. As the article mentionned it's either sit in an office watching bots or bust your ass sewing up sneakers. Even worse, having no job at all. They might get paid 150$ a month but with that they feed half their family only on one salary. Sure they could get paid more but the foundation of our economy (Canada, US, Europe) revolves around such exploitations. Take these people away and to stay alive you'll need a 6 figure income job yourself to afford your daily commodities. You might find this unethical but at the same you largely profit from it.

Ahh so you condone such exploitations eh? Why am I not surprised? And NO, the only ones profiting from this are the ones exploiting them.

Damon Windwalker · Jul 12, 2005, 04:52 PM // 16:52

Skean,

the other problem is that we read this and say "How Horrible!!!!!!11!11!!oneoneone! - only $150 per month???" - but forget what that actually eqwuates to in THEIR economy. In a lot of places, $150 per month is a metric crapload of money....

Diomedes · Jul 12, 2005, 04:56 PM // 16:56

Quote:

Ahh so you condone such exploitations eh? Why am I not surprised? And NO, the only ones profiting from this are the ones exploiting them.

I typically avoid these arguments along with abortion and religion arguments as emotions and beliefs tend to drown out the discussion. However, against my better judgment, I will simply ask what does it mean to be exploited? To me, being exploited means not earning a fair wage rate. A fair wage rate means that I could be paid more for my time just down the street. Typically, it's only possible to exploit a person if there is some mechanism, like a law, that ties someone to a job. Hence a serf, an indentured servant, or a slave can be exploited since their "employer" can give them a low wage rate and if they were free to get up and leave, they could make more money. To that end, while I don't like child labor, I would suggest that these children may not be being exploited. However, to be quite honest, I don't know what a fair wage for a kid in China is, so perhaps they're not making very much, I'd have to do some research.

Anyhow, before I get yelled at, no, I don't like child labor. However I will point out that these children may or may not be being exploited (by my definition at least), and further that every single developed country in the world has endured child labor at one point in their history.

In short giving children a life a leisure is a luxury that many countries simply cannot afford. This does not make me /for/ child labor, I'm simply trying to state how things are. (feel free to disagree and yell at me now, thanks for your time)

-Diomedes

EF2NYD · Jul 12, 2005, 04:58 PM // 16:58

hehe $150 is a crapload to poor college students too

Mormegil · Jul 12, 2005, 05:02 PM // 17:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diomedes

I typically avoid these arguments along with abortion and religion arguments as emotions and beliefs tend to drown out the discussion. However, against my better judgment, I will simply ask what does it mean to be exploited? To me, being exploited means not earning a fair wage rate. A fair wage rate means that I could be paid more for my time just down the street. Typically, it's only possible to exploit a person if there is some mechanism, like a law, that ties someone to a job. Hence a serf, an indentured servant, or a slave can be exploited since their "employer" can give them a low wage rate and if they were free to get up and leave, they could make more money. To that end, while I don't like child labor, I would suggest that these children may not be being exploited. However, to be quite honest, I don't know what a fair wage for a kid in China is, so perhaps they're not making very much, I'd have to do some research.

Anyhow, before I get yelled at, no, I don't like child labor. However I will point out that these children may or may not be being exploited (by my definition at least), and further that every single developed country in the world has endured child labor at one point in their history.

In short giving children a life a leisure is a luxury that many countries simply cannot afford. This does not make me /for/ child labor, I'm simply trying to state how things are. (feel free to disagree and yell at me now, thanks for your time)

-Diomedes

The attitude that makes us accept these kind of things, along with child labor in general, is the same attitude that generated them.

Eet GnomeSmasher · Jul 12, 2005, 05:05 PM // 17:05

Diomedes, I'm not going into the whole debate of whether it's right or wrong but the tone of Odd Sock's post (Like most of whatever he posts) just struck me the wrong way.

Yes, it's a good thing that these people are working in a decent working environment and getting paid relatively well in their country but to say that it's a neccesary thing to take advantage of it just so us Westerners can live our cushy lives smacks of elitism.

He's basically saying, "Oh well, if we don't screw them out of their rightful wages then we'd have to work more to pay for our new fancy MP4 player next week" And the rest of OddSock's post was just pure garbage.

Damon Windwalker · Jul 12, 2005, 05:08 PM // 17:08

I want a fancy new MP4 player....

Skean Dau · Jul 12, 2005, 05:09 PM // 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mormegil

The attitude that makes us accept these kind of things, along with child labor in general, is the same attitude that generated them.

Actually his post is well reasoned. Yours, on the other hand, is a broad sweeping assumption will little merit other than something bothers you. Unless you can offer up something more than just slamming your fist down and saying "Its wrong", I cant buy that argument.

Reiden Argrock · Jul 12, 2005, 05:11 PM // 17:11

Hehe, you have no idea how much I hate any topic based off personal emotions, but in response to this whole thread, all human kind is disgusting heap of crap, and should of never begun to exist. I say everyone for themselves, if people want to try to form groups/religions/countries/etc... fine, but they except the consequences when they do.