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As I understand purist roleplaying philosophy nothing outside of the game world itself is supposed to affect the characters in the game. The game doesn't exist to them, it is a real world. This principle is at the root of objections to people being able to alter the condition of their character through real life money.
You justify giving builders in game benefits in exchange for the time they spend working on the mud instead of playing the mud. That seems fair to me, but it does contravene the principle of having to earn in game benefits in game. Even though they are working on the mud, not flipping burgars, it is still OOC work for IC benefits.
Money is just an extra step in bartering. Instead of my trading buttons for a pot, I sell my buttons to someone who wants them, then use the money to buy a pot.
That you don't give builders money, and accept money in exchange for in game benefits, doesn't change the fact that you are exchanging in game benefits for labor.
I am sure you "pay" them far less than minimum wage and that it is more of a token thank you than anything resembling being paid for their time but the principle is still breached.
The entire basis of our economic system was to facilitate exactly what you are doing, trading one thing for another.
I do agree that commercial muds should be very upfront about what payment structure they offer. I am very agravated by all commercial companies that make it difficult for me to find out how much they charge and for what. So much so that if the competition offers a similar product, even if they charge a bit more, I go to the competition on principle.
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