(08-31-2016, 11:50 AM)Gegenji Wrote: I suppose you could argue that such a comparison is skewed because - as mentioned - it's involving a much more dire issue (AIDs vs. personal housing) that affects real currency (Cash-dollars vs. gil) that could be used for more, real life tangible things needed (Food, rent, utilities). Meanwhile, housing in-game was designed as a gil sink, and that gil likely isn't going to be going much elsewhere other than other non-critical items (i.e., the true endgame of glamour fashion).
So, while there may be a similarity, the differences are equally outstanding. And comparing virtual housing to AIDs medication does nothing more than add unneeded shock value to the situation. And polarizes conversation.
The conversation has been polarized since the issue first came up, nothing new there. The fact that the situation spiraled to a point where an official statement had to be made in a live letter directly by the game's lead developer is... kinda sad. I mean, people are STILL trying to justify the action after being told "no. this is not okay, we don't want this and will take action against it." That is even sadder.Â
What you do when you have no fear of consequence, when you are dealing with a small, less dire matter, is where making a right or wrong decision truly counts. Yes, the matter is less dire than something critically needed, but if you are the same logic a douchebag used to commit a terrible, and much more dire act to commit justify committing a smaller, less important act, you are still a douchebag. You are just being one for next to no real good reason other than "because I can, and I believe I can get away with it." Picking apart the semantics of an argument does not change the argument. The action is wrong, the action is against the ToS, and no real justification for it exists beyond "I want to be a douchebag and make exploitative profit at the expense of others, regardless of ethical, moral, or ToS related factors." There is no grey area here anymore, and that is sorta the point.