[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Rewards

[Sean Howard]

"John Buehler" <johnbue at msn.com> wrote:

> As with all participants in Word Wars here, we have distinct contexts in
> which we operate, and the way that various words are wired into our
> brains differ.  As a result, Word Wars invariably just go round and
> round in circles.  There's just no way to distill concepts to anything
> more than references to other concepts - which are themselves
> dissimilar.  Because of that, I pass on trying to debate what the
> word "reward" should mean.

But this SHOULDN'T be a Word War(tm)! Reward has a very specific meaning.
Here, I'll quote dictionary.com.

1.	a sum of money offered for the detection or capture of a criminal, the
recovery of lost or stolen property, etc.
2.	something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit,
hardship, etc.
?verb (used with object)
3.	to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit,
achievement, etc.
4.	to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.

In other words, a reward is something that is GIVEN in EXCHANGE for a
particular BEHAVIOR. A reward is something used to influence somebody to
do something - usually something they wouldn't do otherwise (service,
hardship). It is a type of positive reinforcement. It is used to control,
influence, and manipulate.

When we talk about how our faith is reward enough, we are using "reward"
metaphorically (even ironically). A lot of people confuse rewarding for
reward, but I think that is more indicative of how ingrained the reward
philosophy is to Americans. We Americans apparently won't do squat without
an incentive plan, pay bonus, or tax cut.

-- 
Sean Howard