All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner Box?

[Klaim]

You mean "StackExchange" websites?



That's juste turning problem solving to game. That might be the most efficient way to exploit the natural problem solving addiction to do something useful (I mean, other than farming or playing a non-intelligent game).

To me thoses websites are the Diablo 2 of webapps : almost perfect reward timing, continuous progression, deep customization, epicness.

[jacmoe]

And level ups!

[jacmoe]

It's like Torchlight:
You can hop in hop out for a casual bout of fun.
Forum business takes too long in comparison..

[Klaim]

You know, games are all about problem solving with a voluntary happiness in mind. When you study the subject you learn a lot about making any problem a game and that in depth it make the whole world better.

I wonder when they will start charging people to see the answers?

They will never.

You see, the website is like a mill and the flow of question/answer is what makes it work. People are wind or river and advertisement is wheat.
I think's that's why they make area51.stackexchange.com that you should have talked about first

[xavier]

I wonder when they will start charging people to see the answers?

They will never.

You mean, like Expert's Exchange?

http://www.experts-exchange.com

[Klaim]

I'm not sure to see the relation here, are they related to http://stackexchange.com/ ? Or maybe are you giving an example of a company that started like them?

That said, if I remember correctly, StackExchange people charge companies who want to use their system for internal use (not accessible for non-employee). I was talking about the public, broad-knowledge, open-community powered stackexchange, obviously. Those available on area51 and the basic ones (stackoverflow, superuser, serverfault).

[jacmoe]

Experts Exchange has always been commercial, no?
I usually put that site on my ignore list when Google-ing.

[DanielSefton]

You mean, like Expert's Exchange?

http://www.experts-exchange.com

...Who get all their income from dumb subscribers who are unaware that all the solutions are actually at the bottom of the page.

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Program ... 05349.html

[jacmoe]

Er, exactly where is the solution viewable?
Maybe I am dumb, but I refuse to subscribe!
Especially since the answer is only a small Google away..

[DanielSefton]

Er, exactly where is the solution viewable?

Hmm, so it seems the solution is only viewable if the referrer is a search engine. Sneaky. Here you go:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source ... Og&cad=rja

[Zonder]

Yeah thats how you use experts exchange it's been like that for ages. They stop letting you view after awhile never bothered to see if it's cookie tracked or not

[nikki]

Stack overflow does have some interesting info though. I've found some really good C++ advice there...

[jacmoe]

Er, exactly where is the solution viewable?

Hmm, so it seems the solution is only viewable if the referrer is a search engine. Sneaky.

It has to be like that.
That's how it works:
How else would answers from Experts-Exchange land on top ten on Google?
Leading you to think that they've got all the answers to pretty much anything.