The Broken Gamification Model and the Power of Learning in Public

The Broken Gamification Model and the Power of Learning in Public

Introduction:
Gamification, once hailed as a revolutionary approach to engaging users and driving behavior change, has fallen short of its promises. The overuse of points, badges, and leaderboards has become an annoyance rather than a motivator. Rewards have displaced intrinsic motivations, leaving users less motivated. Additionally, the condescending tone adopted by many gamified systems is off-putting. In contrast, learning in public has emerged as a powerful tool for personal growth and community building. By sharing our process and progress, we create accountability, establish a feedback loop, witness our own growth, and foster a supportive community.

The Failures of Gamification:
Foursquare's attempt to delegate gamification features to its app Swarm failed to maintain relevance. The abuse of points, badges, and leaderboards has become a common sight in gamified systems, attaching virtual currencies to anything under the assumption that people will collect them regardless of their value. Offering rewards for behaviors that should occur spontaneously puts users in a transactional mindset and diminishes intrinsic motivations. The condescending tone adopted by many gamified systems further alienates users.

Successful Examples of Engaging Users:

1. Duolingo: Duolingo's success lies in its ability to make learning a language enjoyable for users who already desired to learn. By creating a balance between difficulty and unpredictability, Duolingo keeps users engaged and motivated.

2. Sublime Text: This text editor empowers power users by providing advanced features and a seamless user interface. By enabling discovery and allowing users to define their standards of progress, Sublime Text makes users feel smarter and in control.

3. GitHub: GitHub's leaderboard serves as a true reflection of users' skills and contributions. The platform's valuable currency is the recognition and reputation gained through meaningful collaborations. By focusing on the intrinsic reward of recognition, GitHub fosters a thriving community.

4. Trello: Trello's success lies in its ability to visualize progress and accomplishments. Instead of relying on badges as extrinsic rewards, Trello allows users to experience the intrinsic reward of completing tasks and seeing their progress. The platform embraces simplicity and elegance in its user interface, enhancing the user experience.

The Power of Learning in Public:
Learning in public challenges the traditional notion of creating in silence and only showcasing the end product. By sharing our process and progress, we create accountability for ourselves and invite feedback from others. Witnessing our own growth boosts motivation and confidence. Moreover, learning in public establishes a community and following that can have long-term benefits. By allowing others to connect with us and our work, we open doors to opportunities and collaborations.

Future Value and Curation:
Beyond the immediate benefits of accountability and community, learning in public offers future value. By documenting our progress, we create a record of our journey that can be revisited and reviewed. This not only serves as a personal archive but also provides a resource for others who might benefit from our experiences and insights. Curation, in this sense, becomes a form of creation in itself.

Conclusion:
Gamification, in its current form, has failed to deliver on its promises. The overuse of points, badges, and leaderboards, along with the displacement of intrinsic motivations and condescending tones, have hindered its effectiveness. On the other hand, learning in public has emerged as a powerful tool for personal growth and community building. By sharing our process and progress, we create accountability, witness our own growth, and foster a supportive community. To fix gamification, we should focus on creating engaging experiences, embracing intrinsic rewards, and designing for user empowerment.

Actionable Advice:

1. Focus on creating engaging experiences that align with users' existing desires and motivations.
2. Embrace intrinsic rewards, such as the satisfaction of completing tasks or gaining recognition for meaningful contributions.
3. Design for user empowerment by enabling discovery, allowing users to define their standards of progress, and providing a visually appealing and intuitive interface.

In conclusion, the broken gamification model can be fixed by shifting the focus towards creating engaging experiences, embracing intrinsic rewards, and empowering users. Learning in public offers a powerful alternative, allowing us to create accountability, witness our growth, and establish a supportive community. By combining the strengths of both approaches, we can create meaningful and motivating experiences that drive personal growth and foster a sense of belonging.