- [<] Status Log - created:: 2023-10-09 - status-updated:: - status:: seedling - type:: thoughts - [S] Marketing - purpose:: publish to substack - desc:: - connections:: I was talking to a friend recently about trying to get back into 4thewords, which gamifies writing, RPG style. My friend mentioned being reluctant to show it to their teenager daughter, who enjoys writing at every spare moment, less it ruin her intrinsic motivation to write by adding in external rewards. The idea that if you really want to do something, you'll prioritize it, is a seductive one. But honestly, I really want to learn Spanish, and I've tried a few times, but it's only been recently that I've been able to maintain my Duolingo streak. I wouldn't have been able to keep at it for as long as I have if it weren't for how perfectly Duolingo has optimized the competition and gamification aspects of the app. It's perfectly calibrated to encourage me to push just a little harder, with minigames and competition ladders and short turnaround cycles that ensure I never feel too deep in the hole. I love knowing that my 3rd place finish in the Sapphire league marks me as having achieved something only .5% of users have ever done. It's highly motivating — even if, in a perfect world, I wouldn't need the crutch of competition because I would be learning Spanish for its own sake or at least for the longer term reward of being able to talk to Spanish speakers I come across in my daily life. And I know that Duolingo isn't the most efficient way to learn a language. If I wanted that, I should be immersing myself in Spanish-language environments or at least TV shows. But I really don't enjoy visual media, certainly not enough to listen to enough of it to genuinely learn a language, and I'm not exactly in a position to move to Peru, no matter how nice it sounds. You can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And gamification is often but not always a great way to get over the hump. Like with all games, some are better than others, of course. I tend to find streaks