samdoidge - design, development and stats
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I'm still on this

Yesterday I read a twitter post that said 90% of blogs created in 2000 are now dead. I'm surprised it is not more.

When I stumble across a blog that hasn't had a post for at least a month, I get a sad feeling, like 'this is over', im reading something that is dead now. So i'll update my blog so at least someone similar to me doesn't get that feeling.

Currently, my PintBet (coming soon dunDunDunnn) is now my major project for my final year, replacing WikidTutorials. I'll skimp on the details for now. I'm also writing a dissertation, about what yet i'm not 100% (hand-in is in < 8 weeks) but I'm doing a lot of research into achievements within games currently. Some interesting quotes from gamers on achievements and games:

It's encouraging because in an MMORPG (Mass Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) you can see a consistent progression of development in your skills...you are getting better at a steady rate...In RL you don't level up when you get ahead, it isn't as obvious.

As children, we are taught to 'achieve' by being given milestones with specific goals. 'If you eat your green beans, you can have ice cream.' 'If you get an A in biology, you can get your driver's license. There are direct relationships between 'doing' and 'accomplishing' that I think disappear to an extent after we enter the 'real world. 

So from this i'm thinking - turn life into a game. Create goals for yourself (or others), get rewards.

Map life out, quantify it as much as you need.

Ref: The Daedalus Project: In Their Own Words: The Achievement Component

Comments (2)

Feb 02, 2010
Jonathan Hearn said...
Alright mate! What happened to the WikidTutoirals idea? Tell me it's on the back-burner... I thought it was a winner! :) good luck with the dissertation.
Feb 03, 2010
Sam Doidge said...
Yes John, yeah it's definitely just a back-burner state, I still like it it's just I told my lecturers I planned to use an existing package to build it from, i.e. what Wikipedia uses (MediaWiki) and they weren't so keen due to having a lot of the work done and not much left for me to do.. supposedly. So i'm going with another idea I really like, built a lot of it already, i'll post info soon! Cheers mate

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