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April 16, 2006
Farming in WoW, PIOUTA Strategies, and Patents
I'm a bit strapped for time this morning, so here are some quick hits on articles that I might otherwise have written about at more length:- World of Warcraft banned thousands of cheaters who were farming the game for gold
"Farming" refers to the practice of playing the game with the sole purpose of accumulating virtual gold or other in-game items, such as weapons, so that they can be sold for real money. Some farming is done by players literally warehoused in countries such as China; the workers "play" the game in shifts. Other forms of farming rely on automated bot programs to harvest the virtual money and objects.
- Economist Paul David reflects (in FAQ form) on the past, present, and future of the patent system
- Microsoft is somehow #5 in BusinessWeek's ranking of the most innovative companies in the world (and stranger yet, Apple is #1)
- New edition of tell-all management consulting book (PIOUTA? "Pulled out of thin air") gets hearty Economist review
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World of Warcraft has caught people’s imagination and this has led to a variety of creative offshoots. One key sign of the game’s popularity is the existence of Warcraft(wow gold) fan fiction. Players like to write fictional stories about the characters and events of the game. Fan art is also popular. People draw and paint images inspired by the game and post them in galleries online. Blizzard run their own Fan Art Program that fans (wow gold)can submit their art to for display. There is great creativity and beauty
there.