Real life dollars for virtual pixels

Lots of coverage this week about the Second Life land baron Anshe Chung. Mainstream press article in Business Week (and cover image), with blog posts at Terra Nova, and We-Make-Money-Not-Art. Nothing too terribly exciting about this, although greater mainstream coverage is always a good thing. If I were a grad student in economics I would seriously consider studying SL as it grows.

I'm waiting for the day when we have an Enron or MCI type scandal in a virtual economy that wipes out people's pension plans, 401Ks, and results in a trial (in the real world or the virtual?), and somebody makes a movie about it. Then the government steps in and regulates the entire thing so that it grinds to a halt.

Get on board now before that happens!