China recently moved to ban certain transactions involving online currency sold for real world goods. Gold farming is somewhat more well known in the U.S. This traditional Chinese activity, whereby young Chinese slave away in dank, smoky internet cafes nourished only by occasional injections of Ramen Noodles is done in order to obtain digital specie to sell to lazy gamers for real world cash. Here’s going exchange rates for major digital currencies.

Though widely criticized, the issues are somewhat complex. Gold farming does provide employment, to people that would (likely) not be going to school. This is also interesting – sort of corporate social responsibility, a la goldfarming: Sea Turtles 911, a non-profit in Hainan rescues sea turtles, funded primarily by: a gold farm that caters to foreign customers.

Now you can ebay all the WoW gold you want, guilt free.