[MUD-Dev] Criminalize Community Volunteers?

[Lovecraft]

"The End of Smurfs?"
Written by: Bruce Rolston
Published: September 1, 2000
http://www.avault.com/articles/getarticle.asp?name=3Dsmurfs

I would be disgusted by a nation that criminalizes community volunteers,
because that would injure all communities, financially self-sufficient
communities first, but all eventually.

The article provides enough supporting details.  Best put:
http://www.avault.com/articles/getarticle.asp?name=3Dsmurfs
<quote>
...Greg Costikyan. "It's far too costly to have full-time people on staff=
 to
provide the
necessary customer support in an environment where more customers have
issues like 'I can't find my corpse' rather than 'you billed my credit ca=
rd
improperly,'" ...
</quote>

The meat of the legal complaint:

http://www.observers.net/complaint.htm
<quote>
21. That in connection with maintaining, providing, servicing, and
continuing such "content" as a part of its AOL service, which was critica=
l
to the defendant AOL=92s profits and survival, the defendant AOL had vari=
ous
persons, including the individual plaintiffs, the FLSA class plaintiffs, =
and
the New York Labor Law class plaintiffs, through different programs and
relationships that the defendant AOL consented to, encouraged, regulated,
defined, and/or otherwise consciously participated in, provide labor and
services to maintain, service, create, and provide "content" for the
defendants AOL=92s service which labor and services AOL claims were provi=
ded
by such persons as volunteers.
</quote>



<Law-Dev list post>
*grumbles* Law's _only_ legitimate purpose: to protect communities.

http://www.avault.com/articles/getarticle.asp?name=3Dsmurfs
>Hallissey's lawyer, Greenberg, who has publicly called AOL a
"cyber-sweatshop,"

Obviously no one was required to volunteer.  The person is getting value =
out
of the deal and likes it enough to choose it for less money.  This value =
is
considered and accepted by the volunteer; thus, the law ought to consider
it.  There are several other examples: the US military pays below minimum
wage and works employees over time and in hazardous conditions; several
questionable religious organizations pay nothing; roadies for music bands
earn little/nothing; "content providers" (sexy people) at parties or danc=
e
clubs; architects, DJs, musicians, and artists at Burning Man.
</Law-Dev list post>

Dave Kennerly




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