[MUD-Dev] Retention without Addiction?

[Matt Mihaly]

On Sat, 14 Dec 2002, Amanda Walker wrote:
> On 12/14/02 1:38 PM, Sasha Hart <hart.s at attbi.com> wrote:
 
>> We are doing the boring stuff because we *do* enjoy the little
>> dribbles of fun that we get (or, even worse, we only expect to
>> enjoy something).
 
> Sure, just like gambling.  Buying lottery tickets is boring.
> Occasionally getting a return is exciting.

I dunno about that. An elderly couple here just won two lotteries in
one day ($120,000 or so, and then 10 million or so). They had been
spending $20/day on the lottery for the last 20 or 30 years, and it
was their primary form of entertainment. They apparently really get
off on watching the lottery drawings, even though this is the first
time they've won anything decent. Their response when asked what
they will do with the money? "Play the lottery more." I suppose you
might say a couple wins in 20 or 30 years is intermittent
reinforcement, but it kind of stretches the meaning of that. I think
these people simply enjoyed the process of "participating" in the
lottery, regardless of winning or losing.
 
--matt


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