Online RPGs as an economy?

I was never really interested in MMORPGs until a friend let me try Guild Wars. It's so much fun! (Check out the screenshots of "Maid Mirawyn". Mirawyn loves yaks, and especially enjoys visiting Yak's Bend.) My husband also got me to try Diablo II (which neither of us ever thought would happen), and it's fun, too. But I still can't understand the EverCrack and WarCrack addictions! (That's "EverQuest" and "World of Warcraft" to the normals. If you ever have an addicted friend, you'll understand the nicknames.)

EverQuest players, in particular, are infamous for the incredible amounts of money they will pay for in-game stuff. High level characters or rare items can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That's real money, mind you, not in-game money! And players have to pay a monthly fee (neither of my games has a fee), as well as buying the game and expansions. (The games require a pretty fast computer with lots of memory, and high speed access, too. I have the computer and broadband anyway, but you get the idea...)

Anyway, one economist-gamer by the name of Edward Castronova wrote a scholarly paper on virtual economies, primarily EverQuest and Ultima Online. He calculated how much a platinum piece is worth in real-world dollars, as well as how much wealth is created every day. By his reckoning, the world of EverQuest is the seventy-seventh richest country in the world, based on the real-world value of its "virtual property." Wow!

If you're looking for a career and are good with video games, there are people who make a living aquiring and selling that virtual property! How do you list that job on a resume?

Why I had to defend Middle Eastern Dance

Someone out there is bound to have read my "Defense of Middle Eastern Dance" (posted back in August). Here's the story behind that post, my reason for writing. Sorry it's so long.

Before I post Tezra's letter, understand this: this isn't a "friend-of-a-friend" story; I have known this dancer for a few years. She studies with the same instructor I do, and we have danced together in the past.

If you were to ask around in the Atlanta ME dance community, you would find plenty of people who know Tezra and are familiar with her story. I bet you would find that many of them will not do business with Jenny Pruitt and Associates now. We're a supportive group, as many restaurant and venue owners have discovered. Mistreat a dancer and most other dancers won't have a thing to do with you!

So here's Tezra's story, in her words.


Hi everyone.

It has been a while and I hope you remember me. I am the dancer that faced losing her job over dance. First, I want to say thank you again to everyone who responded. I received literally hundreds of e-mails from dancers around the world. Technology is amazing, but even more amazing is the incredible community of Middle Eastern dancers and musicians we are a part of.

It has taken a long time for the final result, but here is the situation and how it played out:

For those who didn't know, I am a Realtor. My problem came up when I attempted to change offices, leaving my current office and moving to the new office opening near my home. I was very excited to find out my friend (ha ha) Rhonda would be the new broker. It wasn't until I sat down for my interview that she stated she could not interview me because I dance. You see, because I thought she was friend, and before I knew she would be the new broker, I sent her a donation letter for a Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser being planned by a local dancer in Atlanta. I always kept dance and work separate; this was not a company-wide mailing. It only went to a handful of people who I thought were appropriate.

Well, quite simply I was speechless. All I could say was "what?" and "huh?". I just simply couldn't comprehend what she had said! Although I pled my case, Rhonda would hear none of it. She said at that point she could not hire me and would take the matter to our CEO.

Some weeks later our CEO, Jenny, (a compassionate open minded person by all accounts) phoned me and basically took me apart. I have been deemed unacceptable. This is what she said...

"I don't care if you call it Israeli Folk dance, Ethnic dance, Middle Eastern dance or Belly Dance. It is all the same. And although it may be acceptable at other companies, it is completely unacceptable in my company! I will not make Rhonda hire you, but since you have been here almost two years I will not make John (my current broker) fire you. I will leave that up to him. However, in the future, if my company name is ever associated with you and this dance, I will fire at that time!"

Well, I was dumbstruck again! It took me another three weeks to get up the courage to face my broker, John. John knew from the day he hired me that I danced and he had no problem with it. He asked me repeatedly to stay with him. He said the whole thing was ridiculous and that he supported me completely. He also couldn't understand what the issue was.

Unfortunately, after the shock wore off, I came to the realization that, since the money rolls uphill, I could not stay with the company. I would not knowingly or willingly put another dime in Miss Jenny's pocket. Because I am of Sephardic Jewish heritage, some of the dance I participate in is part of my culture, and I am totally insulted that someone would call me unacceptable in this day and age in the U.S. Can you imagine? I was floored.

Meanwhile, I am now ready to give out my ex-company info so you know who not to do business with in the future. I can't tell anyone what to do with this information, but I can tell you there is very minimal diversity within the company.

Some of the e-mails I received in response to my original mailing suggested I may have violated policies at my company which may have prompted this. I was not "moonlighting", dance has been just exercise and love for the past several years. I did not violate any company policies, nor was this stated as reason for this action.

Anyway, thank you all again for your overwhelming support. I will let you know where I land when the dust settles.

Sincerely yours,

Tezra


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Johns Creek Office (the broker that caused all this):
Rhonda Haran
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Suwanee, GA 30024
johnscreek@jennypruitt.com
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Lessons from an art & craft fair

Well, I have been very busy the last three weeks. I decided to do my very first arts & crafts fair–with only three weeks to prepare for it! The first week, I made twenty-five little pamphlet stitch booklets, some plain, some embellished. The second, I made twelve Japanese stab bound books. The third week, I made five hardcover, open spine, french braid-bound books and five hardcover accordian fold books, which I dubbed "brag books."

Obviously I didn't sleep much… But it was a really great experience, even though I didn't sell very many books. I did sell enough to cover my costs–but just barely! Mainly, I learned how it all works, and what types of venues not to choose. (I think handmade books were a bit too "gourmet" for my soccer mom audience. Not that I have anything against soccer moms: I am so glad my own mother was an at-home mom! They're just a very "kid-focused" audience. I might have had better luck closer to Christmas.)

Here are my most important lessons:

First, work in an "assembly line," if possible. If I had tried to switch back and forth between book forms, or complete one whole book before starting another, I would have made maybe half that many books.

Second, give potential customers lots of ideas on how they can use your wares! If you can think of some really unusual uses for your "stuff," display some of them or make a sign suggesting them. For instance, I used an accordian book to create a memory book of my days at the Baptist Student Union at my college. I had all my friends sign it and then added rub-ons saying "have fun," "celebrate," and "friends," accompanied by photos.

Third, clearly mark all your prices. You don't have to have an enormous tag or sign, but just make sure that potiental customers can easily find it and read it. (Print out stickers if your handwriting is really bad!) Many people will just keep on going if they can't find a price!

Finally, remember what you are selling: your incredible work…not the display! If you have really beautiful items, keep it simple. You want to showcase the beauty of your work, not eclipse it. Your props, table coverings, even your signs, should never compete with your work! A simple rule of thumb: if you can't justify its presence, dump it!