Jeff Atwood forwards a thoughtful piece considering online extrinsic versus intrinsic reward systems, read it on his site. He contrasts Amazon's Mechanical Turk with its book review system. With one you are paid to contribute, with the other you volunteer. By Jeff's reckoning one is more successful than the other.
There seems to be more discussion lately on the real world costs associated with extrinsic motivators (e.g. paying people) over intrinsic ones (*wanting* to). Joel Spolsky's "The Econ 101 Management Method" cited the "overjustification effect" as but one unpleasant side-effect. Mary Poppendieck suggests other (related) dysfunctions in agile software development teams. Alfie Kohn likens it to "bribery." Etc.
What I find fascinating with the apparent real world push-back is how it juxtaposes with much of contemporary game (and especially MMOG) design. From Statistical Heroism: "...what places like Azeroth do is to extrinsically reward folks to participate ... (pay) to kill trolls (in experience points, loot). " Then by way of Joel's overjustification argument, this implication: "the reward diminishes the desire of players to kill trolls for any other purpose but for the reward."
None of this is novel - most design discussions seem to involve some degree of hand-wringing or cynicism or both on this point (IMO) . I guess noone has figured out how to build engaging game world experiences that are large enough and enduring enough to pay their bills without slipping us the food pellet every now and then. I do not mean any disrespect to the developers: these are the games that the rats, err we, seem to like to p(l)ay money for.
At this point I'll insert the gratuitous Skinner box reference.
To be optimistic, however. I think we just have to wait a little longer, look for a break or two in design coupled with a technology advance (or not). Something like that. In the mean time. Until we can outgrow our rodent tendencies, perhaps Jeff's examples from afield are but one more small hint in favor of limiting the role of real money in the virtual world experience.
Letting the rats spike their pellets just seems like it's looking for trouble.
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See also, TN "Money and everything" March 2007, ("Money ruins everything")
Less related, but worth a mention:
- TN "The Amazing Mechanical Turk." May 2006. ("social algorithms")
- TN "Games with a purpose." December 2006. (Luis von Ahn + ESP game)
