Gamification

Goddamn, I hate gamification. I'll admit, part of it is because every time somebody tries to shove Jane McGonigal down my throat (which has happened a lot over the past 15 months), I feel pandered to and underestimated as both a person who plays games and as a rational human being who expects people to actually back up their arguments (Malcolm Gladwell: not a credible source, even when you're not misrepresenting him). Mostly, though, the whole thing just takes an ugly view of humanity.

Gamification presupposes that the only thing we care about is our own sense of achievement. It suggests that the best way to get people to do things is to promise them immediate reward and recognition. It basically works to eliminate language of servitude from our lexicon in favor of personal growth.

Personal growth is bullshit -- at least when it occurs in a vacuum. If we abstract away the actual purpose of our efforts, replacing it with an augmented reality veneer that puts ourselves at the center of every action, then we won't actually learn the lessons that make us more Godly. Instead of coming to grips with our own fundamental insignificance, with the incredible value of the people around us and of creation as a whole, we will only grow and grow in our own sense of self-importance.

So, yeah, fuck gamification.