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| Parents Face Real Bills for Virtual Real Estate |
| 摘自: linuxinsider.com 被阅读次数: 782 |
由 yangyi 于 2007-10-25 19:08:19 提供 |
"As ridiculous as I think it might be to spend $20 on a virtual couch for a room, that's my opinion. For the parents, they think there's nothing to show for it, but for the young person it's about making progress in their social network," said NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker. What's Linux with a Lineage? Verio Linux VPS delivers root access, advanced FairShare technology for better performance, and support that's actually supportive. It’s all from Verio, the Virtual Private Server technology pioneer, with over 500,000 customers. Test-drive Linux VPS here. Teenagers are using their parents' credit cards to buy thousands of dollars' worth of virtual property, including real estate, on Web sites such as Second Life. NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker says parents are shocked because they don't realize it's possible to buy something that doesn't exist in the real world -- and they don't know how fast it's possible to spend. Members of sites such as Second Life create an animated persona called an "avatar," which can run, jump, fly, dance and express emotions. They can also build fantasy locations for socializing. VIP Membership Many such venues have shops, including real estate businesses. At Second Life -- which has become "inhabited" by millions of residents since launching four years ago -- "land" can be bought with real dollars. A 6.5-hectare (16-acre) "island" costs NZ$2,220 (US$1,668) with additional monthly land maintenance fees of NZ$390 ($293). The teen-oriented site Habbo.com offers VIP membership for US$8 a month, which provides fashionable outfits and new dance moves for avatars. More dollars buys pets, participation in games and decorations in the rooms at the Habbo Hotel. Spending Limits Cocker says that about two years ago NetSafe discouraged young people from spending on virtual sites, but the organization has changed its policy. "As ridiculous as I think it might be to spend $20 on a virtual couch for a room, that's my opinion. For the parents, they think there's nothing to show for it, but for the young person it's about making progress in their social network." Cocker says parents should set spending limits. NetSafe is researching how many young people experience bullying, fraud and objectionable content on virtual world websites and how they respond. Internationally, the virtual world industry turns over hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Most sites are based in the US. 原文链接: http://linuxinsider.com/story/Tq5yjvEjXj6Dx6/Parents-Face-Real-Bills-for-Virtual-Real-Estate.xhtml |
