Computer geeks

A friend of mine sent me this article about virtual real estate gone wrong.

Second Life Land Deal Goes Sour
By Kathleen Craig| Also by this reporter
02:00 AM May, 18, 2006

In what might be a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a Pennsylvania lawyer is suing the publisher of the rapidly growing online world Second Life, alleging the company unfairly confiscated tens of thousands of dollars worth of his virtual land and other property.

The attorney, Marc Bragg of West Chester, Pennsylvania, says game developer Linden Lab unilaterally shut down his Second Life account, cutting off his access to a substantial portfolio of real estate and currency in the virtual world. He's demanding $8,000 in restitution.

Bragg claims Linden Lab froze his account after a land deal went bad. The attorney said he found a legitimate way to purchase land at prices far below market rates, using an online auction on the Second Life website.

In all honesty when I first read this article, I was thinking this guy. But then again there are people who out there who are blowing money on everquest characters.

I know. None of this s**t is real. It is all bits of memory on a server somewhere. However the money is very, very real since real people are placing real value on these virtual properties. Really.