Computer Tech News

Who needs a part-time job when you can get paid for seeking out smut, selling your hair, or sending text messages?

You could call it the new American dream: making a living without ever leaving the living room.

Sure, it may sound silly, but there's something inexplicably appealing about earning an honest dollar without putting on pants. (Why do you think I became a writer?) It's no surprise, then, that more and more people are happily moving toward the telecommuting -- aka the "honest, honey, I was going to shower this morning" -- approach.

Who says you can't make money online? Prison guards at a Chinese prison camp are reportedly forcing inmates to smash rocks by day and play World of Warcraft at night. The purpose of the all-night WoW sessions is to obtain virtual gold by completing in-game tasks. The prison bosses then turn around and sell the virtual gold in the real world making as much as $930 a day, according to the Guardian. Called "gold farming," the practice is not uncommon and it's believed as many as 100,000 full-time virtual gold farmers operate in China alone.

But you don't need to supervise a prison to make money online. The Internet is filled with interesting ways to earn a few dollars on the side. If you're not careful, you could also end up losing your shirt. Here are a few of the more unique ways to put some extra dough in your pocket.