Gamification is a hot topic these days. It is the art of wrapping game mechanics like badges and levels and leader boards around stuff that isn't a game, harnessing people's natural affinity for fun competition into engagement. Services like Nike+ have proven that gamifying health and exercise behaviors can create strong incentives, make a healthy lifestyle more fun, and improve players' well-being. So, can gamification work for developers and their engagement with FLOSS? Can projects encourage contributor participation with achievements, comparisons, and incentives? Or does even friendly competition sour the cooperative ethos of FLOSS communities? Do developers really want to keep score and track their achievements? This interactive talk will present a few case studies of how gamifying FLOSS participation might work to get ideas going.
Speakers: Richard Sands