Ouch, picked "a good thing" instead of "awkward" wich I meant to pick. But yes, selling in-game stuff for IRL money is just dumb. I'm 100% sure it's forbidden on EMC.
Every game I've been on with these guys they have names like "alskdhaldh" and are just standing in the middle of towns using Shout to advertise "THE BEST GOLD PRICES AT WWW.EP1CL()()TZ.net! dakldalsdjdajd34444" and they add in numbers and letters to bypass filters that games put in to alert/block these things :/. I'd wish PVP was enabled if it happened to EMC, I'd have to stab them every time.
I wasn't suggesting, but suspecting, that it might become a feature. Key word being 'suspect'. I believe it's a good opportunity for EMC to add to their bank balance. If it could be implemented relatively easily, I'd be surprised if it never made an appearance as a feature. Not player selling for real cash, but EMC selling via the website, for those people that solo or will never be able to get a team together to fight the Dragon, etc. It makes sound sense and if it's run by EMC via the site, has little in the way of downsides if priced accurately.
I started to say "someone" instead of naming you, but then decided if I was going to reference it, I should put a name on it to properly give credit. I verified it was you but didn't re-read your post so I didn't catch the mis-quote. I won't bother arguing whether the way you phrased it made it a suggestion, a statement, or question. I still got your point. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't see it done either, especially since there's a roundabout way of doing it already.
In regards to the 'everyone pays $3' thing, I think having everyone pay would only have to be in a situation where the server is in desperate need of funds, and correct me if I'm wrong, Empire Minecraft is not. The current donation system is just fine, people that want to help pay can pay, those that do not wish to put money into a game like this, do not have to pay. In regards to the 'selling in game items for real life "items" ' part, you are very correct in saying that it seems off, maybe not to the extent of 'perverted' but certainly not something you would find in a server like this, so it is a good thing this is only spoken of by few, not implemented.
Tons of people have done it. If you sit in town chat on most servers and see "PLOX gIV ME MUNEEZ" spammed about 30 times and "WHO SELLZ WUD?" and then check their profiles on the forum you'll see their ages are things like 22, 41, 98 and they're really somewhere around 12.