Linked above is probably one of the funniest websites on the internet. The man behind the whole scheme replies to Craigslist ads in the most awful, rude, and inconsiderate ways possible. (I highly recommend the read.) Most of the time he doesn't even accurately address the desire of the Craigslist post-ee. All jokes aside, Emails from an Asshole perfectly illustrates the impossibility of altruism and/or the Golden Rule in market systems. Trade becomes a zero-sum situation whenever altruism is present in an exchange. Selflessness is a necessary component of altruism. Self-sacrifice cannot be present in trade because then it's no longer a fair exchange, but rather borderline thievery by the gaining party. If one person "wins" and one "loses" then it's no longer a trade.
Rizzo suggested that a comparable moral code does indeed exist in markets, creatively coined the Silver Rule. Under this principle, one must deal with others how they would want to be dealt with in market transactions. The creator of Emails from an Asshole clearly doesn't abide by this policy, and neither do a myriad of Craigslist, Ebay, and other users of similar websites. People are constantly getting ripped off on online trading websites because interaction are impersonal. It's much easier to deceive someone you can't or will never see than it is to purposefully trick someone you're looking in the eye. Ebay removes the humanity from trade even more so than Craigslist. Online bartering sites are a breeding ground for dishonesty. What does this say about morality within the market? Even further, what does this suggest about the moral compasses of the participants of said market?
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