"Fun time" doesn't need to be some luxury that we get to have every once in awhile or be reserved for "just on the weekends." Yet many of us inadvertently relegate fun as some time separate from the rest of real life. +Project:IDWIL of course is the seed of a movement to create a change that will put that kind of thinking to rest, but that will need to develop over time.
twice in a row? what is with me and fascinating bald dudes?!
In the meantime, I found one thing that maybe isn't such an intense subject - yet has unlimited potential. This afternoon I listened in on a webinar given by +Gabe Zichermann regarding Gamification. Really cool stuff. I stumbled across it via one of my social networking platforms, and I am grateful that I did. We all know gamification to some degree - whether it is a basic rewards point system from a credit card or a promotional system in an iPhone app that keeps us engaged. Gabe did a great job of covering gamification as a whole, introduced himself, then focused in more on the potential that gamification systems can contribute within a workplace and within an enterprise. He introduced me to cool gamification examples from NextJump, work.com, DueProps, Codecademy, and some others I still need to check out. He also showed the great potential that these type of systems have - just as the benefits within a game can be scalable, so are the ways in which we can apply these systems.
So, getting back to my original thought about inserting a little fun into the times that we traditionally keep devoid of it. What if, like at work and doing household chores, a system was developed in which gamification was rolled in? As you did those things, there was now additional Feedback, inclusion of Friends, and layer of Fun that gamification provides. You might put those tasks into a different perspective. You may trigger a competitive quality in you that had never been noticed. You might look forward to the workday or chores! Have you done anything like this? If so, leave it in the comments here or in facebook (posted by jakers19 on FB)
Now, I understand that this is possibly just a short-term fix - I'm not trying to change the world with this one. But, I love including the things that influence me as they come along, and Gabe's webinar is a great example. You can find out more about Gabe and his books, blog, work, etc at http://www.gamification.co Judging by his demeanor and personality, I'd love to see him as a Project:IDWIL interviewee in the future!
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