Page 1 of 1
Re: All the "Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner Box?
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:52 pm
by 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.
Re: All the "Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner Box?
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:53 pm
by jacmoe
And level ups!

Re: All the "Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner Box?
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:07 pm
by jacmoe
It's like Torchlight:
You can hop in hop out for a casual bout of fun.

Forum business takes too long in comparison..
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 7:34 pm
by 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

Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:44 pm
by xavier
Klaim wrote:
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
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:32 pm
by 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).
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:38 pm
by jacmoe
Experts Exchange has always been commercial, no?
I usually put that site on my ignore list when Google-ing.
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:51 pm
by DanielSefton
...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
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:08 pm
by 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..
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:52 pm
by DanielSefton
jacmoe wrote: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
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 4:21 pm
by 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

Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:19 pm
by nikki
Stack overflow does have some interesting info though. I've found some really good C++ advice there...
Re: All the "StackExchange-Overflow" Sites Really a Skinner
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:32 pm
by jacmoe
DanielSefton wrote:jacmoe wrote: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.
