(empo-plaaybizz) Going beyond the Scoble effect

For some time I've been writing a series, empo-plaaybizz, that explores games and business. And, as I've noted several times, I've been inspired by some of the things that the Oracle AppsLab has written on the topic.

Therefore, I was pleased to see that Robert Scoble has partially delved into the topic. His post is entitled "The social behavior incentive (how your app can be as addictive as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare)."

However, as I noted in a comment to Scoble's post,

[W]hile the idea of an attractive app is interesting in and of itself, things really get interesting when you look at applying games incentives in non-game areas.

It's times like this when I wish that Scoble's former project WorkFast TV, was still a going concern. This project, from the FastCompany days, was very enterprise-oriented. If you don't remember the series, here's the description:

WorkFast is a live, half-hour interview show about the future of work, usually aired at 10 am (Pacific) each Friday. Sponsored by SAP, the world's third largest software company, host Robert Scoble interviews guests on how internet-based technologies are making people and companies more productive. Our host will talk to tool makers and tool-users as well as authors and assorted experts. WorkFast will examine the history of office productivity and the future of it. We'll bring in authors and experts.

Now Building 43 has covered Foursquare, but from the aspect of location, not necessarily from the aspect of incentives. While people are yammering about the potential of location-based software, frankly incentive-based software may be more interesting in the long run. Remember that you can have location-based software without incentives...and you can have incentive-based software without location. Those who focus on Foursquare's location-based features while ignoring the other side of the equation are missing out on half the story...or maybe all of it.

I searched Building 43 for a mention of "games" and only found this:

If you’re doing a lot of stuff that isn’t in the typical “web application envelope” (creating games or doing system-level programming) then CodeIgniter isn’t going to magically make things better.

Of course, if Building 43 isn't covering something adequately, it isn't a situation where I can just sit back and say "they" should do more. After all, Building 43 does take contributions. Of course, I have to remember this:

Think clarity and brevity.

They define "brevity" as 800 words.

And it gets better:

And think links. And graphics. And pictures. And audio. And videos.

Time for me to enter rumination mode.