I have just reminded myself that if I type too much crap into a comment box anywhere I should also just chuck it out here as well.
So congratulations here is another small observation on that obese beast I like to call, The Moronity.
Moron: A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and generally having communication and social skills enabling some degree of academic or vocational education.
originally commented on a brainy gamer post here.
This game is pointless or whats the point of this game is a comment I've hit a number of times from gamers.
It took me a while before I understood exactly what they where really complaining about. Initially I simply tried responding with it's a game it contains it's own point, you're pointless and a towel.
What they want is some sort of reward, a payment for playing so to speak, adjust the games to give out a small amount of virtual currency. It doesn't even have to be currency of any actual use, just a number you can show off.
Then suddenly the game has, as far as they are concerned, a point. The less skill and more time it takes to achieve this reward the better.
This all reminds an AI / semantic web guy, Push Singh, who killed himself after trying to harness the crowd and bashing against The Moronity for a while. I think he made the mistake of describing his plans as contributing to human achievement. When he should have said "Click here to win a free iPod!!!!"
Also the episode of the Simpsons which has a focus group about improving itchy and scratchy. One of the things the kids request is "and we should win prizes just for watching."
On that note you wouldn't believe how much venom and hate we consider to be contained in the phrase.
"Congratulations, here is a rainbow."
But, it's not just games. I'm sure the same people feel the same thing about reading books. "What ya reading for" being the start of a bill hicks routine. Books are just an older medium so have attracted a bit more age based respect is all. The verb play will wear out its stigma in a few decades.
