Sometimes life just isn’t fair

· life ·

So, it has been confirmed: women are valued less than men, even when they are virtual men and women. Edward Castronova has done a rather clever study on the prices which EverQuest avatars (a computer generated body with skills and assets) fetch in online auctions. Female avatars fetch 12 to 16.5% less than male avatars with comparable skills. Given the fact that female avatars only make up 20% of the population, you would think that rarity might give them more value, if nothing else. It's also odd that scantily clad female avatars feature quite heavily on the official EverQuest site. This is pretty depressing. Has Buffy taught men nothing?

[via BoingBoing]