Goldfarmer Goldfarmer: Goldfarmer Goldfarmer: Time and the Deadbeat Time and the Deadbeat Escapements of WritingEscapements of WritingMike EdwardsMike Edwards

@preterite@preterite

mike.edwards@wsu.edumike.edwards@wsu.edu

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

goldfarming:goldfarming:the exchanges of virtual goods and the exchanges of virtual goods and services in multiplayer online role-playing services in multiplayer online role-playing gamesgames

2003: $1.5 billion2003: $1.5 billion

2007: $8.5 billion2007: $8.5 billion

2009: $12.6 billion2009: $12.6 billion

2012: $21.2 billion2012: $21.2 billion

(Lehdonvirta & Ernkvist, World Bank)(Lehdonvirta & Ernkvist, World Bank)

$100$100 end-user gamer paysend-user gamer pays

-$2-$2 PayPalPayPal

-$30-$30 large gold retailerlarge gold retailer

-$45-$45 small gaming studiosmall gaming studio

$23$23 paid to game laborerpaid to game laborer

60+ hours per week60+ hours per week$2.70 per hour$2.70 per hour

60+ hours per week60+ hours per week$2.70 per hour$2.70 per hour

technological technological infrastructureinfrastructure

51%51% physical infrastructurephysical infrastructure

administrative & administrative & overheadoverhead

32%32% worker payworker pay

17%17% profitprofit

1865–18671865–1867

Irish railroad laborers:Irish railroad laborers:$30/month, board included$30/month, board included

Chinese railroad laborers:Chinese railroad laborers:$31/month, board not included$31/month, board not included

Leland Stanford on Chinese railroad workers:Leland Stanford on Chinese railroad workers:

““More prudent and economical,More prudent and economical,they are contented with less wages.”they are contented with less wages.”

August 1853:August 1853:

13 passengers are killed13 passengers are killedin the first major train collision in the United States.in the first major train collision in the United States.

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

Time as discrete commodity and measureTime as discrete commodity and measure

Time as continuous analog experienceTime as continuous analog experience

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Lewis Mumford:Lewis Mumford:

““The clock, not the steam engine, is the key-machineThe clock, not the steam engine, is the key-machineof the modern industrial age.”of the modern industrial age.”

The digital exists in discontinuous quanta of information.The digital exists in discontinuous quanta of information.

1873:1873:

The Seth Thomas Company built the railroad clockThe Seth Thomas Company built the railroad clockthat still sits at the heart of Grand Central Terminal.that still sits at the heart of Grand Central Terminal.

12 noon, November 18, 1883:12 noon, November 18, 1883:

Standard Railway TimeStandard Railway Timewas adopted across the United States.was adopted across the United States.

Today:Today:

The processes in every computer chipThe processes in every computer chipare driven by an oscillator clock putting out 1s and 0s.are driven by an oscillator clock putting out 1s and 0s.

Dowling, Carolyn. “Word Processing and theDowling, Carolyn. “Word Processing and theOngoing Difficulty of Writing.” Ongoing Difficulty of Writing.” Computers and Computers and

CompositionComposition 11.3 (1994), 227–235. 11.3 (1994), 227–235.

Section 20 of United States Code Part 600.2Section 20 of United States Code Part 600.2concerning Institutional Eligibilityconcerning Institutional Eligibilityof the Higher Education Act of 1965:of the Higher Education Act of 1965:

““a credit hour is an amount of work...a credit hour is an amount of work...that reasonably represents not less than...that reasonably represents not less than...one hour of classroom or direct faculty instructionone hour of classroom or direct faculty instructionand a minimum of two hours of out-of-classand a minimum of two hours of out-of-classstudent work each week for approximatelystudent work each week for approximatelyfifteen weeks for one semester... of credit.”fifteen weeks for one semester... of credit.”

Marx:Marx: “Moments are the elements of profit.” “Moments are the elements of profit.”

Machinery both Machinery both (1)(1) raises productivity of labor and raises productivity of labor and

(2)(2) as a repository of capital operates as a as a repository of capital operates as ameans of lengthening the working day.means of lengthening the working day.

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

Labor power as contracted, time-metered commodityLabor power as contracted, time-metered commodity

Labor input as experiential activity of workLabor input as experiential activity of work

Marx: Marx: “In the labour process..., man’s activity, “In the labour process..., man’s activity, via thevia theinstruments of labourinstruments of labour, effects an alteration in , effects an alteration in the objectthe objectof labour... of labour... The process is extinguished in the The process is extinguished in the productproduct. Labour has become bound up in its . Labour has become bound up in its object.”object.”

In capitalist production,In capitalist production,labor power as the digitized commoditylabor power as the digitized commodity

is fused to machines and sois fused to machines and sobecomes an aspect of the circuits of capital.becomes an aspect of the circuits of capital.

land, labor, capitalland, labor, capital

digital devices, digital labor, immaterial capitaldigital devices, digital labor, immaterial capital

production, distribution, use, re-productionproduction, distribution, use, re-production

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

capital as technological object in which labor is frozencapital as technological object in which labor is frozen

capital as process of increasing surplus value capital as process of increasing surplus value

fusing labor to capitalfusing labor to capital

1.1. workerworker

2.2. timetime

3.3. laborlabor

4.4. capitalcapital

5.5. workerworker

Marx:Marx:

how colonialism and its effects work tohow colonialism and its effects work tospread Western capitalism’s frontiers of dominationspread Western capitalism’s frontiers of domination

We are the goldfarmers.We are the goldfarmers.

in digitizing our time,in digitizing our time,we are self-exploitingwe are self-exploiting

@preterite@preteritemike.edwards@wsu.edumike.edwards@wsu.edu

http://bit.ly/cw2014edwardshttp://bit.ly/cw2014edwards