Comments on: Anshe Pays US$60,000 to Open Virtual Pawn Shop in Entropia

By: Nate Randall

Nate Randall — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:39:43 +0000

I apologize for coming into the discussiona bit late. The interesting thing to me with this story is the potential melding of Virtual Worlds. What if a currency transfer could be set up? How about those items that Anshe ends up with from Entropia being sold in a Second Life Boutique?

The possibilities are there. The question is whether MindArk, the makers of Entropia Universe will be keen on the ideas.

Nate Randall
RCE Universe

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Sat, 05 May 2007 16:58:32 +0000

>Yes, but that doesn’t make as good a headline. Accusing the SL Herald of “yellow journalism” would be missing the point of SL Herald. It’s an entertaining collective blog, it shouldn’t be regarded or expected to live up to any real journalistic standards, any more than the “newspapers” you can buy at the supermarket checkout aisle.

I’m glad you have such a high and keen sense of what constitutes good or bad journalism, Gaius, and what’s appropriate to be used on this closed, synthetic, mysterious, authoritarian society we cover called “Second Life”.

Given your very fine sense of what is appropriate journalism, I think you’ll have no trouble searching the vasty Internet and vastier Google and finding the publication about SL that is *right for you*.

By: Gaius Goodliffe

Gaius Goodliffe — Sat, 05 May 2007 15:59:14 +0000

“These Entropia businesses look more like limited service banks than pawn shops to me…”

Yes, but that doesn’t make as good a headline. Accusing the SL Herald of “yellow journalism” would be missing the point of SL Herald. It’s an entertaining collective blog, it shouldn’t be regarded or expected to live up to any real journalistic standards, any more than the “newspapers” you can buy at the supermarket checkout aisle.

By: Walker Spaight

Walker Spaight — Sat, 05 May 2007 10:02:03 +0000

The goods are apparently put into a trust, Prok, where neither the bank nor the customer can use the item until the term of the loan has passed or the loans is paid back. Then it goes to one or the other depending on the situation. So yeah, looks like it’s built in. All handled thru NPCs too.

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Fri, 04 May 2007 23:37:46 +0000

Walker, what means does one resident of Entropia, even with a banking license, have to confiscate a good from another resident such as to repo a car or house for an unpaid mortage? Do they have different permission systems there?

By: urizenus

urizenus — Fri, 04 May 2007 23:19:33 +0000

Yes I undstand that a bank performs many more functions than a pawn shop. I just went to one in Toronto that hooked me up with a real estate agent (well, probably Anshe could cover that service) and they gave me checks and a credit card and free coffee. Nowadays they will also do things that aren’t really bank-like, creating investment accounts and all. But apart from checks and credit cards, its not clear what the big difference is. I mean time was all a bank did was keep your money in a safe. These Entropia businesses look more like limited service banks than pawn shops to me, unless people are hocking their virtual Rolexes and virtual Fender guitars.

By: Walker Spaight

Walker Spaight — Fri, 04 May 2007 15:40:23 +0000

There’s a huge difference between a pawn shop and a bank. A bank fulfills *many* more functions than a pawn shop. The “banking” licenses just sold in Entropia do not create banks — although, as I note above, they create institutions that might one day become banks, or become more bank-like.

By: urizenus

urizenus — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:19:58 +0000

Walker, I don’t understand the point about collateralized loans. Car loans and house loans are collateralized in that the collateral includes the car and the house respectively at a minimum. Who gives loans that aren’t collateralized? The other question is, from a theoretical point of view is there any difference between a pawn shop and a “respectable” bank other than one uses guitars and Rolexes as collateral and the other uses houses and real estate as collateral? In RL it doesn’t seem to be much more than a class distinction. Pawn shops loan to the poor and “respectable” banks lend to the middle class.

By: Anshe Chung Hater

Anshe Chung Hater — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:12:45 +0000

Three words to Anshe Chung, Pink, Penis, Owned!