#deterding

Je vois bien ce que la colonisation a détruit : les admirables civilisations indiennes et que ni Deterding, ni Royal Dutch, ni Standard Oil ne me consoleront jamais des Aztèques ni des Incas.

Je vois bien celles - condamnées à terme - dans lesquelles elle a introduit un principe de ruine : Océanie, Nigéria, Nyassaland. Je vois moins bien ce qu'elle a apporté sécurité ? Culture ? Juridisme ? En attendant, je regarde et je vois, partout où il y a, face à face, colonisateurs et colonisés, la force, la brutalité, la cruauté, le sadisme, le heurt et, en parodie de la formation culturelle, la fabrication hâtive de quelques milliers de fonctionnaires subalternes, de boys, d'artisans, d'employés de commerce et d'interprètes nécessaires à la bonne marche des affaires.

This has been a tremendously exciting two weeks for those interested in gamification and engagement. O'Reilly launched Zichermann and Cunningham's new book Gamification by Design. Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps. Almost immediately, Deterding posted a impassioned critique in which he accused Zichermann of misunderstanding and willfully misrepresenting current scientific research, providing contradictory and, at times, incoherent advice to readers, withholding due credit for material in the book to the extent that borders on plagiarism, promoting a flawed, unsustainable and exploitative approach to gamification, and engaging in shameless self promotion. This critique prompted discussion of mixed opinion, a mediating reply by Tim O'Reilly, in which he expresses puzzlement by the "vitriol aimed at Gabe's book," a reply to O'Reily by Deterding, a reply to Deterding by Gabe himself and a reply by Deterding to Gabe's reply. I encourage those interested in gamification to read Gabe's book and the conversation around it so as to draw your own conclusions.  

Having spent the last week studying arguments, simple and complex, I would suggest this is not merely (or even primarily) about: 1) different views on motivation and the role of status, 2) the relationship between rewards, game experience and behaviorism, 3) the ethics and sustainability of a traditional, sales-centric ("loyalty-for-cheap") marketing philosophy, or 4) the limits and appropriate use of Bartle's player models. Sure, we could focus discussion on these things, and we will in later posts. But inevitably we must recognize that our protagonists have emerged as archetypal heros, representatives of two distinct races, each with their own epistemological and philosophical dispositions. First, we encounter the race of tireless academics, committed to building human excellence through the acquisition, dissemination and application of established knowledge, Second, we meet the intrepid entrepreneurs who put their reputations on the line in an intensely fast-paced and practical quest (and yes, this implies taking logical shortcuts) to build, or assist others in building, something of market value. Admittedly, these are stereotypes, but they serve as a means to highlight a few of the epistemological and philosophical differences.

With respect to epistemology, our academic hero, Deterding, appeals to: 1) a preponderance of agreement among formal, academic, empirical research findings, 2) the authority of other theorists who have established themselves in a relevant field, and 3) the necessity of consistent reasoning, free of logical fallacy. Our entrepreneurial hero, Zichermann, appeals to: 1) his industry achievements as the chair of the sold-out Gamification Summit, published author, public speaker and entrepreneur, 2) the idea that, ultimately, who's right and who's wrong is expressed by citizens through their wallets, not academic argumentation, and 3) the cogent recognition that there is often a gap between a particular rendering of current scientific research, and what actually works.

Beyond epistemology, there is also a philosophical (dare I say "ethical"?) divide between our heros. On the one hand, Deterding champions user/consumer centrism and defends the world against "exploitative" forms of gamification. As a marketer and consultant, on the other hand, Zichermann, focuses on delivering simple and immediately actionable tactics to his demanding customers. With this focus, Zichermann does offer a few deceptive tactics. Yet, he also tacitly defends the public's right to judge for themselves. The reality is that obfuscation and confusion are pretty standard marketing (check out the offerings from mobile providers in Canada!) and game tactics. 

In the end, my efforts to navigate diplomatically between the arguments of Deterding and Zichermann stems from my mixed experience. On the one hand, I spent seven years in a Ph.D. program in the humanities (McGill University) before taking a leave of absence to pursue a career in digital publishing. There hasn't been a day in the past 15 years where I have not struggled to forge a link between my deep, academic sensibilities and the business world's endless pursuit to grow the bottom line. This week, I was comforted by Michael Polonyi's philosophy of knowledge and his recognition that both scientists and entrepreneurs require the freedom to pursue discoveries and respond to their peers.