Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I've been playing one MMO recently where I encounter an unusual bit of bizarre behavior - people selling things on the brokerage for less money than they'd get handing it to an NPC vendor.

If we consider the NPC vendors to be similar to e.g. the Fed (lending newly created money without any real value), this actually is a wise move to counter virtual money devaluation. (But no matter how wise this is in the context of an economy, it does not make sense for a group of individual users to address those economic issues in an altruistic manner or even know/care about the NPC effect on the game's economy - it would be interesting to know the reasoning for this behaviour, do you have an idea/guess?)

[ganbaru]

Saudi Arabia blocks Facebook over moral concerns
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1798048/

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Jinto

What I always found interesting about MMOs, is the inflation/devaluation of virtual money in online games in a rather short time. Online items can be produced at a price very close to nil. The only value such an item has, is its appreciation by the users in an online community. Hence, 3 things can influence this value: 1) the level of appreciation of potential users 2) the number of online community members 3) the number of such items. The items have almost no real value only speculative value (or like those bubbles we know from stock exchange).

This game couples real money to virtual money, using exchange rates. Now, I don't think the exchange rate mechanism is very sophisticated. So, the extraction of large amounts of real world money (supposedly without re-investment) causes what is known in the real economy as a recession. Since the items in the virtual world are of especially low real value, this can influence the appreciation of the items. Many people might want to sell their stuff before its speculative value becomes closer to its real value (nil), this could cause a chain reaction.

This virtual market is especially volatile and maybe it serves as a good simulation/example for real world applications/laws (e.g. as counter argument to the deregulation mantra). The money lost/won in this game is not threatening any economy. And if a virtual economy fails it does not really affect the real economy. So, in essence I am all for such games, since they can provide interesting insight in how to prevent snowball effects.

That is how e-books sell despite most of their content being available on Wikipedia or Google - people find it easier to spend money than time to get what they want in a split second.

They are called "information products" for goodness knows what reason, when e-books are often over-generalised when it comes to dispensing information, and have more opinions that they have something credible.

Originally Posted by Vexx

In games where you can get banned for converting game gold to real money or vice versa .... the effect is slowed somewhat since the exchange of virtual money for real must be kept fairly quiet (black market). Unfortunately, you still see the effect in the auction/broker houses as items inflate because a certain faction has more virtual money to spend than brains

So you'll see idiotic price movements that don't really reflect supply/demand curves but rather the influx of the equivalent of 'printed 1930s deutschmarks' (wheelbarrows of paper money for a loaf of bread).

I've been playing one MMO recently where I encounter an unusual bit of bizarre behavior - people selling things on the brokerage for less money than they'd get handing it to an NPC vendor.

Black market game money has been around since the early 2000s, and I admit that I used to farm and sell them when I was under-aged to work legally. I never figured out how to turn the real credit into usable local money until I am legal to have a debit card - which is around 4 years AFTER I did that.

If online brokerages are more popular then, I wouldn't have to work part-time. This is stupid.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Jinto

If we consider the NPC vendors to be similar to e.g. the Fed (lending newly created money without any real value), this actually is a wise move to counter virtual money devaluation. (But no matter how wise this is in the context of an economy, it does not make sense for a group of individual users to address those economic issues in an altruistic manner or even know/care about the NPC effect on the game's economy - it would be interesting to know the reasoning for this behaviour, do you have an idea/guess?)

The reason I'm most often given is that the seller of the item was too lazy/stupid to check the price the NPC vendor would give them and they just wanted to sell at a lower price than the market average. What is remarkable (or inevitable depending on your opinion of the average hairless monkey) is the frequency of occurrence. If I have a few moments to spare, then I can buy up these undervalued items and trot them over to the NPC vendor and make a tidy profit.

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Vexx

The reason I'm most often given is that the seller of the item was too lazy/stupid to check the price the NPC vendor would give them and they just wanted to sell at a lower price than the market average. What is remarkable (or inevitable depending on your opinion of the average hairless monkey) is the frequency of occurrence. If I have a few moments to spare, then I can buy up these undervalued items and trot them over to the NPC vendor and make a tidy profit.

I do that with some moderately decent statted drops, the kind that are good, but not good enough to sell over the market price for an unstatted version. I lose a little money, and someone new to the game has an ok weapon or armor that they can sell for a profit when they're done with it. Everyone wins. It's not like I'm usually hurting for cash in mmos, and selling drops is always 100% profit even if you're selling below market value.

[Vexx]

Some are drops (so therefor 100% profit even if you sell for less than the vendor would give you for it)... but many are crafted items. They're setting the price up at less than the NPC would give and often much less than the cost of materials.

So you really do have to question their cluefulness Anyway, this is derailing a bit so last I'll comment.

[ganbaru]

This is almost funny: Karzai wants U.S. to cut back Afghan military operations
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...6AD0GP20101114

Is he really serious ?

[MrTerrorist]

"Café Rottenmeier," named after Heidi character, opens with elderly/aged-up maids

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

"Café Rottenmeier," named after Heidi character, opens with elderly/aged-up maids

Ms Prissy Housekeeper cafe? Wth! Well the name is pretty befitting since our ojou (Clara) treats Miss Rottenmeier like a fussy old hag.

In the story, she does actually care alot for Clara because of the latter's disability, acting as a mother figure since Clara's mom died and her father is always away doing business.

Interesting concept for a cafe.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

This is almost funny: Karzai wants U.S. to cut back Afghan military operations
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNew...6AD0GP20101114

Is he really serious ?

He's more concerned about the night raids rather than general US operations there. Truth be told, I kind of sympathize with him because night raids do have an effect on innocent people as well and the US should be more considerate to them, especially since Afghanistan is not their homeland. I wouldn't like it either if the US carried out night raids all the time where I live in Sicily to flush out mafia bosses.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

I wouldn't like it either if the US carried out night raids all the time where I live in Sicily to flush out mafia bosses.

I don't think than anybody would like it, but the situation is a bit different: mafia's menace isn't as dangerous as the taliban's one and until counter-proof, the italian gouvernement is more capable than the afghan one.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

I don't think than anybody would like it, but the situation is a bit different: mafia's menace isn't as dangerous as the taliban's one and until counter-proof, the italian gouvernement is more capable than the afghan one.

It is ironically enough true that the Italian military is more capable than the afghan one, but part of the reason is also because there's closer ties and co-operation between Italian and US forces, especially in Sicily than there are in Afghanistan. As you say, the threat of mafia isn't as dangerous from a military standpoint since their activity is more subtle and underground. My only point was to show that night raids aren't well appreciated and often not very effective in finding your target either no matter where you go, so if the US cut down on the night raids and focused on normal activity, it wouldn't incite Karzai to ask them to retreat, and night raids only cause more animosity against the US among the people.

[Xion Valkyrie]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Some are drops (so therefor 100% profit even if you sell for less than the vendor would give you for it)... but many are crafted items. They're setting the price up at less than the NPC would give and often much less than the cost of materials.

So you really do have to question their cluefulness Anyway, this is derailing a bit so last I'll comment.

You're not talking about Vindictus are you? Most lazy people just drop stuff into the sell square and just sell it at the market suggested price, or lowers it by a bit in the hopes of selling it faster.

[ganbaru]

Man accused of trying to run over ex-girlfriend who refuses proposal
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1797929/

What a idiot...

[Azumanga Davo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Man accused of trying to run over ex-girlfriend who refuses proposal
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1797929/

What a idiot...

That hasn't gone down well.

[ganbaru]

dealership offers free AK-47 for truck buyers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_odd_tr...RlYWxlcnNoaQ--

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Man accused of trying to run over ex-girlfriend who refuses proposal
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1797929/

What a idiot...

you have to wonder why she turn down a proposal form such a outstanding young man

[ganbaru]

Chimpanzee rescued after animal rights workers discover him smoking cigarettes
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1789722/

[SeijiSensei]

NYU Photography professor has a camera implanted in his head

Does he get to turn it off when he's at home engaging in private activities, or will his nighttime companion(s) be on-screen in Qatar?

[ganbaru]

UK apologizes for taking organs from nuclear workers' bodies
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1801239/