Now before you watch this video, (and I know it's longer than most would prefer) take special note of the message at the very end. Although very subtle, it will make you really think about how "any point system" ties into business and our personal lives. The message received here may vary from viewer to viewer, but the "Points" should still be the same.
"Learn More. Get More. Do More. Be More."
If it does end up the way he suggests it may severely imact the porn industry :-) (You see what kind of mind I have!)
Are you trying to get me hooked on points again? LOL, that was worth watching. I'm chuckling but there is truth to his last comment. It it motivates us to be better, why not use points as the gauge?
kk
P.S. congrats on the kid graduating! you must be busting your buttons right now.
silly video, comcast will not let it be shown in Canada. I guess I will just have to imagine how exciting it is.
Stacey - Ann, a "Mind" is a terrible thing to wasted!
Robert - I gave you 100 "Bonus Points" just for trying!! :-))
KK - Excellent "POINT!" and yes, my button icon graphics are disappearing~ lol
So, the points are the point, and all of life's a game. Do I get points for hiking in the mountains if nobody knows? Only if I blog about it.
Fun video. Thanks, Brad
Brad, I'm probably going to get shot for saying this but I LOVED THIS!!! It's not a nightmare it's our future... Big brother is the Internet - (remember I believe Google is going to take over the world THEY or someone like them IS our big brother)
What I liked: been a member of AR for over two years now so I really like the experience points!Tax incentives for taking public transportation - brilliant. Tattoo ad sense - mmm not so much but my inked son would disagree I'm sure. Points for exercises from our insurance company - why wouldn't that be a good idea? And the history of where/what/when we've been while here on this earth - sure beats trying to keep a diary doesn't it?
The game ~ it's one awesome way of looking at things...
Thanks for finding this - and thanks for sharing!
Nuts! Apparently Canadians aren't Comcast privy!!!
Brad, on another note - really glad to hear you made it to your son's 8th grade graduation!! And without speeding ticket or bodily harm!
Kendra was fantastic!! Thanks for setting arranging that. Hope you can get her back for another session in the near future!
If you think about it. . the ultimate points system.. .is MONEY!
I made a comment earlier to someone who was reviewing all of the ways to get points on AR. Sure I've accumulated my share but the biggest points I get come from the Cha Ching when another deal closes from my blog. This week while on vacation I've sent out 3 listing agreements for electronic signatures and made two listing appointments. Those didn't come from points but from making a connection with a prospective clients who decided even though we've never met that I am the agent they need to get their homes sold.
Points sure count when folks say they have found me on AR or through my Localism blogs. Localism is the best of the best for reaching the consumer. My stubby fingers just keep right on blogging.
Brad - attempting to play the video resulted in the following message .....
This video contains content from Comcast Entertainment
Group, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.
Brad - I also tried it on YouTube and received the same message ..... I've seen this message before And I think it was also Comcast material
Brad - wow....wow...wow. Really disturbing to watch, yet the message he sends at the end makes you rethink the advantages. Thanks so much for sharing!
Brad - I'm adding another vote to the "we can't see the video because we are Canadian" crowd. Are we all going to get the 100 bonus points like Robert since we are Canucks who live in the Great White North, eh? :)
Canada here.. it won't let us see the video.. go figure..
That just goes to show like I have said all along, "German's love David Hasselhoff, but Canadians Love Brad Andersohn"
Thanks BA
Interesting video, but more interesting that the folks in Canada can not see it. I guess comcast does not have enough points with the Canadian gov.
I am "sensing" that this video is way out there. Hard to imagine a world like he described. However, I do like the point system here on AR and am addicted!
Spectacular vision of the future. Well worth the 10 minutes!
Of course the message is loud and clear, but REM-tertainment is as scary as it gets!
So he starts out as a Luddite but in the end reminds me of the decision tree. Is it broken?________ Did you break it?________ did anybody see you break it? etc etc. I am not sure I "got" it
I started getting my points and sensors right after viewing the movie Minority Report a number of years back.
Great message at the end and well worth the 10 minutes.
Hi Brian - Maybe if society worked on a points system, a lot more would get done. Think about the possibilities in getting children to do their homework, husbands to mow to the lawn, wives to cook dinner, bosses to be nice to employees. It's endless!
Very interesting Brad. You know we have been living with different points systems for quite some time. My kids get AR points when they read books at school, they are required to get so many each quarter. I love the points on here. Of course, I am a big fantasy football fan, a big sports fan actually. So, yeah, points matter!!! If you have the most points at the end of a game, you win!!! So, really it does make sense.
Here's something kinda funny about the whole points thing. When I first started 9 years ago, my manager had an accountability class and we had a prospecting chart and we had to get 100 points a week. You got points for handwriting notes, door hangers, mailers, calls, wearing your name tag, going to sales meetings, and on and on. I really liked it, it kept me focused and I wasn't about to go to class and not have my points. I was thinking of making a new, up to date form just yesterday and trying to get some of the agents in my office to join in and participate. I was reading a blog from a gal who is a RE Coach and was looking at her Real Estate game and thought we ought to have one in our office.
You know, I think I'm gonna run with it and do it. The cool thing is that everyone can do it and the lower producing agents can compete with the big hitters. Sometimes I think it's intimidating to have listing contests, sales contests because of the different levels of folks in the office. Many don't feel they can compete and don't get in the spirit. But everyone can, and should, and needs to prospect!!!
Thanks for the inspiration!!! LOL, wow, did I go off subject on this comment, sorry. Brain just thinking and I'm writing, it helps me figure it out!!!
I hope I am not the only person who found this video to be frightening. If all of it comes to pass, then I'd just as soon find a cave in the wilderness. O Brave New World! Be afraid. Be very afraid of the powers that observe your every move.
You know... some of those really are great ideas. I liked the Health Care company paying you to walk. I dont walk now, but I would walk more if I knew it would save me money. The 'digital tattoo' was a bit much, but clearly this guy was thinking outside the box. Cool video.
Brad - I watched the video. How much points did I just get? :)
Interesting that folks in Canada can't view this, that's a first on my Blog.
As I said in this post, "The message received from this video may vary from viewer to viewer, but the "Point" should still be the same" whatever that point is to YOU. I came away with this: sometimes we are motivated and offered rewards (like points) for the things that are really just best for us, or that can potentially make us better people.
Points on AR are fun, motivating, and great to get, but the reality is that by getting those points, you're really helping yourself, your business, and you're building a library of content that will continue to grow and bring consistant and rewarding harvests in the future.
BTW - I'll never get an adsense tattoo!! :-)
Brad - Thankfully the implementing of the technology this fellow is talking about is far enough into the future that I don't expect to be around to have my privacy invaded in so many ways.
Absolutely Great Video! Very Thought Provoking! I can't believe that it is censored in Canada, but apparently so, based off the responses seen here.
If I look into my chrystal ball, I can imagine most of what is foreseen.
One of the TED-X talk in Columbus last fall was about games... I love games but the presentation was boring.
The women beat the guys at Buzz Word last night at a friends house.. I can not remember the final points but we beat them soundly. The TED-x talk about game design was NOT one of my favorites... This was much more interesting for me, although the invasion of privacy is alarming... the idea of the Adsense tattoo could really scare a lot of people who are already scared of the future. I second Craig's "REM-tertainment is as scary as it gets!" ... brainwashing!
If points can make me better...that could be somewhat socially redeeming. I don't know why but I just am not motivated by Four Square the way I should be...
Very interesting Brad! It does make you think but I don't really want to think that much!
My guess is that, like life without points, it would take most folks many years to learn the lesson he describes at the end. If I had a dime for every earned point reward I have blown off because I just didn't need or care about it...
On the other hand, if we are talking airline frequent flyer points which save me hundreds of dollars on travel, bring it on. If doing my "normal" shopping brings me generic coupons for savings on my next overall "normal" shop ($10 off your next purchase of $50), bring it on too! Weight Watchers points...easy way to figure out my daily limits. AR points...good way to know I will never be in the top 100 but am proud to be in the top 25%!
The ones that do not inspire me...points for filling out online surveys to get discounted junk. Points for filling out questionaires for my healthcare co so I can order junk with their logo on it. Points for watching ads? That would be exactly why I would NOT watch the ad!
Great find, this video, and I'm sorry our Canadian friends cannot see it. What IS up with that anyway?
Funny. I've always thought life was a game. Everyone has their own priorities, always evaluating alternatives by a personal and highly complex set of values....points they've ascribed to everything in life.
The advent of all this technology merely allows us to point it out more numerically. The computer can help you reach your own goals....or it can allow the goals of others to submerge your inate interest.
Testing the comments from my outside blog to see if they're working? Doing this for you Wendy Cutrufelli :-)
In a certain sense it's like benchmarking everything everyone does. I'm not sure I like the idea of everything I do forever being tracked, but I do like the idea of somethings being tracked and remembered. For instance game theory is good for business type tasks, like if I was a real estate agent I'd like a site that rewards points for positive actions... I wonder if one of those exist?
I got the point! I like the point! I am going to continue accruing the points too! Good point!
Jonathan, I wonder that too! Can you POINT me in that direction?
Bob (comment #31) obviously doesn't realize just how much his privacy is already compromised in today's world. The Patriot Act in the name of national security and safety took so much of our privacy away and no one said a word until it came up for renewal many years later.
Since I'm also a manager at one of the largest Borders Books and Music stores in the nation, I can tell you that Big Brother has been here for many years, and it's going to get worse before it gets better. Give them another ten years, if not less, and we'll all get points for having a microchip implanted in our shoulders so that our government can keep track of its citizens, "for the public good and safety."
My household has many points systems right now, from our local grocery store where we get points for buying certain brands to the California Department of Motor Vehicle which puts points on our driving record if we're bad drivers.
I worry about this kind of teaching, do we have to be given something for everything we do? What about doing things just because; because it is right, or because it helps another? I think the system will have a very interesting effect if it is ever implemented like he shows in the video. There are people who will not/do not give up their free will for a marketing guru's points system.
I understand the motivation factor from AR with the points system but the real benefit comes from making contact with other agents, building relationships, getting your business name out there on the Internet to be found by a person looking to buy or sell a home = Google Juice, which now that I think about it has an algorithm that is probably working off of some sort of point system.
Jim- Comment # 40 You are so right. Benjamin Franklin said: "Those who would trade freedom for security, deserve neither." I know all about Big Brother, much more than I care to know- my father was counter intelligence. There are satellites that can zoom right into your living room and onto a pen on your table.
But I do LOVE the Active Rain point system!
That is really fascinating...and it's probably closer to happening than many think!
I was at this pizza place and cashed the points in for a toy, how many points before I can get the gold fish?
Doesn't Chuckee Cheese give points - we call them tickets for playing along.
Tickets or Points I just want to know HOW MUCH FOR THE GOLD FISH
WOW, it will come and sooner than we would like. I agree that places like this have made me a better blogger and I do think about these posts being out there forever and do think that it is like an online journal at times that my grandkids will be able to read. WE CAN BE BETTER PEOPLE!
Wait until Sellers and Buyers decide to pay commission based on points rather than sales price. Oh, and the appraisal came back low because you didn't sign into ActiveRain last Thursday. "Get the point" takes on a whole new meaning, and probably the same people who don't "get the point" now will not "get the point" then.
As usual, Brad has a point...
Brad - I watched the entire video - it was riveting. I appreciate you sharing this one, my friend. Great food for thought here.
Brad - You may have already seen this, but here's the presentation in its entirety (28 minutes): http://g4tv.com/videos/44277/dice-2010-design-outside-the-box-presentation/
Wow Brad,
Great video. I wish he made his final point earlier. It seemed like he was anti progress. I think that we humans like competition and why not play games? What's the alternative just doing stuff with no points? That would be boring!
I always thought the ultimate score card was how much money you had in the bank right? lol
do you think it will matter whether we understand the point system or not.
why do i get 245 points for one blog but only 225 for another? who decides? do you think i'm influenced by how many points i'll receive when i have absolutely no idea up front what that will be?
i get points for comments, right? do you think that's why i commented?
I cannot watch the video, Brad can you try to E-mail it to me?
Blog-N-Roll Brad...
I had something I was going to say and then starting laughing at Jonathan...
-->"like if I was a real estate agent I'd like a site that rewards points for positive actions... I wonder if one of those exist?"
I'm sorry, but that cracked me up. I'm gonna have to come back with my witticisms :)
TLW...ROAR!
Brad...
The message at the end does gives us cause to pause and think before we type, doesn't it?
Brad, there are already points systems in place all over. 4Square anyone? Mayorships? It creates competition -- whether healthy or not -- not sure I like the extent of it all....but I do understand that it works to motivate people. It sure does on here too! :)
Carrot and stick. It's been around forever, but it sure is glitzier now!
as good an explanation for AR points as I have heard - lol
btw- I going to try to improve myself since everyone is watching!
My husband teaches high school, and that is how they grade, by points.
They get so many for participation each day. I asked him if it was 100.00 for logging on, showiing up and 250 for commenting, participating in class.
He laughed
Everyone in the Caulk home knows about points.
When they are bad, they stand in the hall for a time out.
hummmmm.......................
WOW !! Interesting video. I am going to watch the entire 28 mins. thanks for sharing.
POints,,,I knew the world revolved around them - from the first time I heard the term "brownie point!"
Very interesting. I understand the concept, but I don't think I want to live in that kind of a world. I'll take my privacy and freedom any day. Keeping advertisers guessing about my preferences is my preference!
Oh.
My.
God.
Brad - A very interesting and thought provoking video for sure and we thank you for sharing it. I wish I could get points for say walking, brushing my teeth etc... Life is a game in a funny kind of way but it's not about winning points it's about making yourself a good person and contributing to society in a positive way. Tracking what we do on a daily basis is what George Orwell wrote about and it's a bit scary but we are there now. I only wish when we get points on A/R you get the cool little ding that was on the video... lol Thanks for sharing this vid Brad. It hits home. BH
Good post and comments as well. I do think points are important in getting your localism exposure. It puts me up on the top 4 and that can't hurt!! I don't really think people aren't going to check out blogs that are way further down the list...... so therefore I like the points system.
Patricia/Seacoast NH
Accountability through watching and measuring.. for sure! interesting thought.. (last 20 seconds of video)
It does make one think for sure. I was in showbiz for a number of years and social media is similar in that 'you're on' when you're on... We're kind of there already and I can see that we'll be more so soon. A big move in that direction to me is Foursquare. I decided to give it a try, but I admit it makes me rethink everywhere I go the last couple of days... I do agree with the possibility that it could make us better people in that our behavior would always be in check.
Life has always been one big game. The difference between then and now is now points will change the game. Very interesting and thanks for sharing!
Brad--That was great but scary. Now I have to go look in the mirror to see if THEY have implanted that microchip in the base of my neck! Points, shmoints!
Brad: this is disturbing, but I can see it happening.
You know, I think he's GOT something there. I believe it WILL make SOME people try to be better, just knowing that everything we eat, breathe, speak, read, etc., etc. is somehow being watched. Oh yeah...BIG BROTHER.
Is it bad that the whole time I was watching that all I could think about was parting his hair to side?
Hi Brad - I got through about 4 minutes. The dude scared me. Either he was off his meds or had waaaaaaay too much coffee.
Sorry dude. I tried.
Coleen,
I think he made his point-s in the first 4 minutes, then I jumped to the end, because the whole thing finally loaded :)
But it's entertaining none the less. thanks Brad!
Brad - funny video - I watched the beginning and jumped to the end also. It is about points!
Behaviour...
Modification using the reward system. Dr Spoke taught me that 30 years ago. It's about time the world caught up to the Man :)
Love the vid. Love the premise. Love the idea that something as silly as points systems can, and will, alter behaviour based on what the next gen will think of us. And, think they will.
See. I'm not always screwing around Blog-N-Roll. It just looks that way most of the time :)
TLW...ROAR!
It is funny how we sometimes need extra motivation to do what is best for us.
Brad,
Awesome, funny, ridiculous, crazy, and absolutely, 100% TRUE! I am definitely re-blogging this! Not for any points, though... ;-)
So... this is a game designer complaining about the manifest destiny of gaming culture... with a 12-second plug for potential motivation for good behavior?
How did we get from fantasy football to wi-fi soda cans?
And why does a more pervasive gaming culture necessitate a complete denial of rights to privacy?
This seemed like ten minutes of half-truths and deductive leaps.
Oh man...That was disturbing but I am still laughing at Stacy Ann's comment ;-)
Although you guys may have been the people who reinvented and launched the point systen as a "carrot for us donkeys" I think the original points system may have been instituted by S&H green Stamps that were given out with grocery purchases and redeemed for merchandise later?!?!
Points, green stamps, etc. We're all puppets, controlled, manipulated and watched by Big Brother, in more ways than you can imagine.
Brad that presentation was definitely taking the 'points' system to the extreme! However, being a person who is still amazed by technology it shows that the possibilities are endless!
I love the AR points system and am in my own little competition with another agent in my office. Looking forward to another contest so I can 'earn' some BONUS POINTS!!
Thanks for all you do with AR - I appreciate it daily! - Paige Walker
Brad ~ First I read the 93 comments to get a feel for what people were saying after watching the video.. I thought the video was great.. Digital Citizenry is already here... it's a serious message and it is coming. Did you read that on foursquare now for checking in the points you get might go for donations to certain causes.. so the more points you get on foursquare the more money is going to be donated. Yesterday I had 3 people @me on Twitter for foursquare check ins.... one business wanting to know if I was a tourist or lived in Flagstaff and invited me to the gift shop.. now that's marketing! I looked at his tweet stream and he was @person to everyone checking in on foursquare in the Flagstaff area... add the points for a cause benefit.. it's here! Yes, we will get better.. the competition gene kicks in on most people and many times it is for fun... and fun is a good thing. Wrapping your head around the new technology.. not so fun for some.
What food for thought. I would trade some of those points for personal privacy!
Games, points . . . badges, Brownie Points, Military medals = REWARDS for the behaviour they want out of us.
Hmmmm . . . you guys at AR are brilliant!! We're all Pavlov's dogs, salivating at bonus points. Brushing our teeth, eating our cornflakes . . . blogging . . .
Brad, thanks for posting this. My brain is running a million miles / hour! This is incredible! So true, about the inspiration. I know it works with AR! wow!
I watched this a few days ago and couldn't comment cause I wasn't logged in.
The title on the video is appropriate!!! Holy cow!
I've always like the points because it was a guage of the actions we were taking to improve our education, build relationships and strengthen our SEO! Just adds another layer of fun to it all!
Brad,
Someone said, "Character is who we are when no one is watching". If that is true then who are we when others are watching?
Great thought provoking video.
Steve
Wow!
Brad,
My first though is what about those books we've read over and over?
What about books you read and get nothing out of?
What about PC junk science? "A Silent Spring" comes to mind, millions have died for lack of DDT. "Unsafe At Any Speed" is another, Corvars were safe if you knew how to drive them. Most recently "An Inconvenient Truth" seeks to divided us into haves and have nots. Then there is the ultimate example "Mind Comp!"
I'm a firm believer in incentives, but we can never forget some one is patting us on the back for behaving as they want us to!
I find it incredibly appropriate that Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh, a psychologist stats: "it may severely impact the porn industry"
There was a time when many believed people only needed one book! There still are, it's just different people and a similar but different book!
This video is terrifying!
Will we be inspired to be better people? Or more likely just better subjects? We're not being concurred by the PC, we're being distracted and seduced!
Bill
Hi Brad, A very interesting interpretation of what already exists and how it may likely will be expanded. It is behavior modification through life points given for living a certain way, with bonus points for taking advantage of optimization opportunities as deemed desirable by the sponsor of points.
The question raised by the person in the video asked was, " could we be inspired to be better people if the games for points were designed right"? No doubt the answer is in the affirmative. But there is little room for moral judgment at the receiving end . Whatever moral judgment might have been made initially, it was made by someone or something not directly related to the end result.
AR through its point system is almost an exact example of this concept. While there is no outward pre-stated penalty for failure ( not posting and building Internet exposure and status), there was also no need for moral judgment made about how the basic participation points are earned and awarded. There is only automated (audit) verification that points were earned. The qualitative evaluation is not yet automated for highlighting quality ( featured posts) but a system could be designed or already exists to determine relevance, links, subject choice, word selection, topic and content, proper tags and even interest or value in the subject title.
For example, basic rules for awarding points are built into the AR system. The real gamers knew generally know how to optomize them or even bypass them . Case in point (no pun intended). Writing ten or more posts per day in AR confuses the system. The rule stated was that points were awarded for up to 10 posts per week. Check out the member's archives for those that write many more posts than that, sometimes as many as 100 or more posts in a month and then seemingly earned points that advanced their status. Moral judgments aside, systems can and do have flaws.
If points become became the goal for our lives, behavior doesn't necessarily improve but becomes more predicable and controllable ( not about values or moral judgment, though I suppose an element of that could also built in). But at the same time, the mastery of collecting these points can also reward those that would learn the systems weaknesses or flaws. If the goal is points and status, they may win by default. If the goal is something greater or significant ( like building business referrals and being recognized and sought after as expert in your field), perhaps they don't win in the end.
Points have been proven clearly to shape peoples actions. What those actions will be though can often be quite revealing as to one's true character.
William and William - you both make some very interesting points (no pun intended) and each of your comments are "Blog Posts" in and of themselves. It's clear that you are both not after the AR points, and demonstrate excellent use of your Blogging Skills evidenced by your lengthy and worthy comments. Thanks for taking the time to share and expand on your thoughts making this an even more thought provoking post to those who stumble upon it and get to indulge in all these awesome responses. Thanks. :-))
Brad,
Eye-opening in one way and scary in another. If everything is going to be points-related, give me a chance to opt out from most of them.
I have used point on myself for years to make myself do things I don't want or like to do. It works. I make myself do enough hard or nasty things each day to earn 50 points.
And, not that I don't like being here on the Rain, sometimes I just don't have the time, but the points sometimes motivate me to sign in and read something extraordinary like this. Thanks. This was a real eye-opener. Points of any kind motivate people. Weird.
Very interesting video. AR points are nice but I joined for the information & the great discussions from other members. I'm not a prolific writer and sometimes by the time I get my ideaa down the way I want (validation of concepts, references & links) I find that some else presents the same idea better so I use my research to stress my responses.
The video shows a good concept of how polls we see in the news works or doesn't work depending on your point of view or the point you are trying to make.
Good morning Brad Andersohn ,
I'm so glad that Praful Thakkar reblogged this post. I watched the video all the way through and read the many of the comments. I especially like William Johnson 's thoughtful assessment. I agreed with him if points drive our lives behavior doesn't necessary improve but can be predictable and controlled. I don't like the control aspect of learning so much about us and hate to think we become so predictable that we can't change and grow . The only constant in our world is change..but do we give up our core values to really follow the masses?
Thanks Dorie and Praful for re-birthing (and re-blogging) this. It's like finding an old treasure hidden away for many years in a drawer or in the garage, but since it's been hidden in the AR and cyber abyss since 2010, I'll have to go back now and watch it again. I actually don't even remember posting this which is NOT normally the case when one of these older posts resurfaces. :)