People Of Asura - Time To Switch Servers.

So unpaid internships in North America = slave labor? Lol.

That's not how the term used.

Only one country in the world where slave labor* exists, and actually exists with the consent of the people who keep these bozos in charge.

That's China. And the people only allow this because it's not them that's the slave class.

*Side note: While China doesn't practice the historic definition of slave labor, they do have a lower class of people who are paid just enough to survive with zero ability to improve their lifestyle. It is the modern definition of slave labor, which leads to a major component of unfair trade practices.

Prove it. Now.

Because, frankly, I think you are talking out of your ***.

Oh, I'm well aware that modern slave labor exists, just not in the way people described here. And it's not just Asia either.

My understanding of such example usually happens on illegal immigrants. Unlawful employers take advantage of them because they can't report the employers. As a result they work in poor working condition or not getting paid.

The unpaid internships DirectX described, ironically happens more often in North America, not saying it never happen in Asia though.
It exists because a degree in NA needs internship credit. We should be blaming the school for requiring internship credits instead.

The iPhone assembly factories in China may have worse salary and work conditions than a NA white collar job. But that's because the work place regulations and minimum wage by law has lower standard there.....We should be blaming the government for that.

I find it kinda ridiculous to see people simplified all these issues with different root into "evil cooperation v.s Us" like Hollywood movie storyline. Then proceed to compare these social issues with SE making money off server transfers in a 17 year old MMO. Lol.

Nearly all unpaid internships happen, ironically enough, with Federal Government jobs in Washington DC.

Most, if not all, corporations have paid internships, mainly due to local labor laws, but also the fact that corporations are hurting for employment with high skilled, degree jobs that they have no choice but to hire interns for the busy time of season (think CPA firms during tax season).

That's not true with the Federal Government. All, and I do mean all staff interns for any politician who advocates for $15/hr federal minimum wage do not pay their interns at all. Ever.

But why point out hypocrisy in DC? That's like saying the water is wet.

Water is not wet tho.

To be fair, there is a whole lot of opportunity to rub shoulders in a political internship. People doing it know what they're getting into, and the ones who display capability will end up paid very well for it.

I give you that, but I also have to point out that the same applies to the corporate world too. While at the same time being paid (at minimum wage or higher).

Still doesn't excuse Congressmen/women for doing this and being hypocritical about everyone else. Do as I say, not as I do.

1. gave out the $20/hr example just to exaggerate the numbers to prove a point- a person who grew up in the Western World and lives in our cost of living/quality of life dynamic has no right applying our numbers to another culture. Factors such as currency exchange rate, buying power and cost of living are unique to every community, let alone different countries. I mean, if I visited California from Ohio and told them what I made per hour, they'd think I was slave labor and that's just an example within the same country. Numbers in a vacuum mean nothing, they need some local perspective.

2. Your example of unpaid internships is laughable. Those happen all the time in all countries, the United States included. Hell, turn your TV on during Saturdays in the Fall, and you'll see a multi-billion dollar industry built on "unpaid internships"....College Football.

3. I have no qualms whatsoever being able to buy my Samsung Galaxy S10 at about half the cost of what it would be if it were made here in the States vs Overseas. I don't lose sleep over the working conditions in other countries that I have no control over, as I'm not a citizen of those countries and have no ability to change the laws of those countries. Don't give me the BS line about my buying items made in those conditions is encouraging them- we're not the world's police force and we're not the world's conscience. I put the onus on the citizens of those particular countries to step up...the real question is do they want to?

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Now to return to the real question- is it fair to compare SE's refusal to merge servers for better Quality of Life for their customers to practices such as "slave labor", or at best "unfair labor practices"?

-Not even close. First and foremost, you're comparing the way a company treats their employees vs customers. We, as customers know what we're getting into when we buy their service. We even have the freedom to choose what server we go to! In many ways, their refusal to merge smaller servers into "just another Asura" is giving their customers MORE choices in gaming lifestyle!

People are making demands on a company that provides luxury services in our lifestyle, not a public utility for God's sake. No one is forced to play FFXI in the way you buy electrical service!

Lastly, we have the power here. With unlimited ability to transfer servers, there's literally NOTHING stopping us as a community from creating another Asura in terms of population if that's what a large fraction of the playerbase wanted. Its pretty damn clear that while those who want this are vocal, they are merely a loud MINORITY. It hasn't happened yet, with all these years of transfers allowed. So even though threads with this same theme happen over and over, the vast majority of players seem quite happy with their current situation. Even with free transfer periods offered, it hasn't happened. Hate to break it to y'all....but the rest of the community doesn't want it.

Let's be honest, college football players are paid at the very least, in terms of scholarships. Which basically means they have a free college education in exchange for playing football for that team (same applies to all student athletes).

It's how they use that opportunity that determines the worth of their playing value. If you play at Texas State and get a communications and/or liberal arts degree that gets you next to nothing in real life, then the value of your playing for Texas State is next to nothing. But if you play at Texas State and get an accounting degree, then you basically get something worth something for playing at Texas State.

Oh I was hoping someone would respond with the Scholarship argument!

I was a Music Performance major in college, preparing for a career as a professional bassoonist. I was given a full scholarship to my school of choice based on auditions. However, I was allowed to play in private gigs to earn money on the side without any issues. I was "being paid" by my school via scholarship for an ability yet I was also allowed to earn money with that ability outside of school.

Those players on Saturday...they get that scholarship for playing football to allow the school to make money off them via ticket sales, TV rights, etc. And most importantly, that university makes money off the likeness rights of those players by selling jerseys with those players names on it yet the players see nothing from the money made off their likeness.

Not to mention, check into how many players LOSE those scholarships due to injuries that end their playing careers- the universities are more than willing to take those scholarships away the minute the player isn't able to perform, even if the reason is because of an injury "on the job".

And lastly, why are we totally ok paying coaches multi million dollar contracts while the people putting their health on the line get paid in "classes"? I doubt Nick Saban would be ok if Alabama decided to pay him in free classes.

I never said that it was a fair system. I just pointed out that athletic sports are hardly considered unpaid internships, because there is an intangible benefit for the student athletes.

I agree that student athletes should be paid somewhat for their time, because it's not just the game that they participate in. Take away the scholarships and give the student athletes a wage and a reduction of the price of classes to be fair, imo.