Yes its old but in no way funny!
A bunch of people lost an online friend and wanted to honour that person. No different that people we have lost on this very site. I remember that we lost a member on here due to cancer and he was admired by lots of people who had never met him, there was a collection and a massive thread of condolences.
You also have the distressing story of one of our members daughter who is suffering a serious illness.
Just because WoW is a game it doesn't make the friendships any less than those that develop on this forum or in real life.
If people went into threads here about sick little girls etc there would be uproar and bannings.
It just shows the type of nobbers that inhabit the online world because they are too pathetic in real life!