Virtual economies

Boellstorff, writing about the political economy of Second Life, talks about the idea of "creationist capitalism" as central to the virtual economy, as well as the how the ideology of neoliberalism (governance based on the principles of market mechanisms and personal responsibility prevails). In this chapter he points out that in a world where digital goods can be copy-pasted infinitely, labor is understood in terms of creativity, and so production becomes equivalent to creation. In this way, expansion of production is limited only by creativity, and at the same time the limits to your creativity will make you interested in buying others' creations as commodities.
As Boellstorff observes, this is not unique to second life: the modern Internet as a whole has a widespread emphasis on the user's creativity and customization, from MySpace profiles to World of Warcraft characters. It's not even all that new; historical economist Locke wrote how property must result from the effects of human labor on raw materials, and in Second Life the property is essentially made of 100% human labor. Weber, writing on the Protestant ethic of capitalism, linked the ideas of creation and self-discovery, as a sign of God's favor. Of course online creationist capitalism doesn't usually have God as the source of success and creativity; instead the person, and so the people become creators and minor deities in their own worlds. It establishes oneself as a creator and thus unites production and consumption. Money doesn't even have to be a concern; pleasure can be found simply in the act of making new objects.
However, when money is involved, there is a "blurring of work and play", similar to the other article we read about gold farmers. Monetization and recreation become linked in a new way. But as with all economies, there is inequality: the employees of Linden Labs wield the greatest power, and it's a subject of controversy as to whether they should be proactive in governance or more laissez-faire. Below them are privileged elites, power users who have invested the most into the virtual economy, who are much more influential in regards to what Linden Labs decides to do. As one user put it, there's not nearly as much consideration given to more casual users. It's a fascinating phenomenon; I think it corresponds perfectly with the real world practice of lobbying by the rich and powerful.
Likewise, seasoned users command more respect than newer or casual users, and can be identified by how elaborate or heavily customized their avatars are. This reminds me of the caste system in India, where higher castes tend to dress nicer to affirm their superior status.