MK_Fain on Nostr: I appreciate that perspective, but I don't think the problems with "gamification" ...
I appreciate that perspective, but I don't think the problems with "gamification" apply on Nostr because the platform and incentives are fundamentally different here.
The problem with the gamification of traditional social media is not necessarily that it makes people more "hooked" - the same can be said for all basic functionality of social media including getting followers, comments, and "likes" (or on Nostr, perhaps even most addicting... ⚡ zaps!).
And no one would argue there is anything wrong with someone creating a free and open source game for others to enjoy playing. Humans like games, and it's okay to have fun!
The reason it's considered a "dark pattern" when Facebook, Tiktok, etc gamify social media is because they aren't just making it more fun for the user. They are specifically attempting to harness your attention for their own monetary gain at the user's expense. The more you keep coming back to their platform, the more they can steal your data and shove their advertiser content down your throat.
But on Ditto, a user's streak means nothing to us and gives us nothing (besides I guess a basic statistic about their recent activity level). We don't inherently gain financially from it because we're not harvesting data or selling ads, and you don't even have to use Ditto for your streak to count. For example, a user can have a 100+ day streak here but have never logged into Ditto -- because Nostr is a protocol, not a platform. Their posts count no matter what client they use (ex. Primal, Damus, etc.)
However, those who enjoy the gamified features (like me!) may choose to use Ditto and stick around a little longer on Nostr because of it. And I think that is a good thing! 💜 😁
The problem with the gamification of traditional social media is not necessarily that it makes people more "hooked" - the same can be said for all basic functionality of social media including getting followers, comments, and "likes" (or on Nostr, perhaps even most addicting... ⚡ zaps!).
And no one would argue there is anything wrong with someone creating a free and open source game for others to enjoy playing. Humans like games, and it's okay to have fun!
The reason it's considered a "dark pattern" when Facebook, Tiktok, etc gamify social media is because they aren't just making it more fun for the user. They are specifically attempting to harness your attention for their own monetary gain at the user's expense. The more you keep coming back to their platform, the more they can steal your data and shove their advertiser content down your throat.
But on Ditto, a user's streak means nothing to us and gives us nothing (besides I guess a basic statistic about their recent activity level). We don't inherently gain financially from it because we're not harvesting data or selling ads, and you don't even have to use Ditto for your streak to count. For example, a user can have a 100+ day streak here but have never logged into Ditto -- because Nostr is a protocol, not a platform. Their posts count no matter what client they use (ex. Primal, Damus, etc.)
However, those who enjoy the gamified features (like me!) may choose to use Ditto and stick around a little longer on Nostr because of it. And I think that is a good thing! 💜 😁