EVE General Discussion

You have to be, or you cannot possibly use “no, it's a commodity” as a way to declare that it is not a privilege.

There is nothing in the definitions of commodity or privilege that make them mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite, in fact.

privilege |ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ|
noun
• a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group: education is a right, not a privilege | [ mass noun ] : he has been accustomed all his life to wealth and privilege.

commodity |kəˈmɒdɪti|
noun (pl.commodities)
• a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee. commodities such as copper and coffee. [ as modifier ] : a commodities broker. commodity markets.
• a useful or valuable thing: water is a precious commodity.

Just because something is a commodity does not preclude it from being a privilege. All that's required is that the commodity is limited or exclusive in its availability, for instance as a result of its value.

That's exactly what it does.
The use of PLEX is a privilege, afforded by means and opportunity to acquire one. End of.

…and that makes it a privilege.

…which is exactly the case. That's why it's a privilege. In fact, it's limited in that way twice over, so it's actually two privileges at once. If it weren't, people like Aaron here wouldn't be kicking up such a storm trying to make it less of one.

PLEX is a privilege since it is exclusively available to the select group of those who have the opportunity and means to acquire one.

I'm not sure if you are just being obtuse or if you are simply not familiar with the very common “privilege–right”-opposites idiom. Either way, you're wrong about this one. Just accept it and let it go.

It is kinda related to the "just pay a sub as you earn more in an hour than a months sub costs" comments you get all the time from Americans and Central Europeans because in many many parts of the world that is simply not true at all.

No. There is no select group who have opportunity or means to acquire one.
There is no "selection" aside from the universal cost of purchasing one, which is equal in opportunity and means for all.

If only white males with blond hair past the age of 30 could buy PLEX, that would be a privilege.

An inverse example is that trial accounts cannot train into Mining Barges.
This is a privilege reserved for active full accounts, and imparted when they upgrade their accounts.


I'm afraid it is you who is wrong this time.

You are applying moral imperatives and connotations to the term "privilege" which it does not actually carry.

It is not a privilege to own a gold watch, or to buy one. It is not a privilege to own a Ferrari, or to buy one.
Expensive, yes. A luxury commodity, yes. A privilege, no.

Yes there is. See: this entire thread. There are those who can afford PLEX (in-game or out of game) and those who can't. If there was no select group; if PLEX was not a privilege, this thread and the many others like it would not exist.

Irrelevant. It's still a select group.

select |sɪˈlɛkt|
adjective
• (of a place or group of people) only used by or consisting of a wealthy or sophisticated elite; exclusive: the opera was seen by a small and highly select audience.

Nope, nope, and nope. In that order. I'm using the term as it is probably most commonly used, without any morals, imperatives, or unusual connotations.

The simple fact remains: PLEX is a privilege, afforded only to the select few who have the means and opportunity to acquire one. Being a commodity does not in any way sit in opposition to this.

Your argument is nonsensical. Your line of reasoning is of the form:
- This is orange juice, not lemon juice.
- No, it's a liquid.

Whether this is because you don't understand the meaning of the word or because you irrationally refuse to accept that it does indeed have this very specific meaning, used in this very specific way, in exactly this kind of context remains to be seen.

PLEX is available to everyone, and anyone in EVE and outside of it, by exactly the same means.

No privilege is necessary or required.
All you need is money, or isk.

If you are unable to afford PLEX, that does not mean you are "under privileged", or lacking a privilege which those who can afford it have.

It merely means you do not have as much money to spend (or will to do so), ingame or without it, to purchase this commodity.

Its nonsense and quite a perversion of the severe concept of "privilege" for which there are serious historical examples, to walk around in life thinking you are "under privileged" because you can't afford a gold watch or a Ferrari.

Nope. If it were, this thread wouldn't exist.

…which makes it a privilege.

That's pretty much exactly what it means: you are not part of the exclusive group that can afford them.

Money is certainly not a right. I agree.

How is money a privilege?

If you think that way, why do you not instead then pay the subs of the people whining here, as you are so "privileged"?

Oh, absolutely, but you asked for the relevance, and that's how this tangent connects to that overarching question.

It might not score highly on the relevance scale, but it is not completely off topic either.

It is only available to a select group that has the means and opportunities to acquire it. Or, more trivially: it is a privilege by virtue of not being a right.

Of course. It satisfies all the necessary criteria. In fact, it even satisfies a slightly different meaning of the word — that of representing a special honour — so it's a privilege in two different ways at once.