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No kidding -- the MMORPG grind scheme is successful, just like it is in gambling. In behavioral psychology, there are various schedules of reinforcement. The schedule most frequently used by casinos and MMORPGs is the "variable ratio schedule," where the subject is rewarded on a random basis for their efforts. In that sense, we're not much more sophisticated than the rats with electrodes inserted into the brain's pleasure centers, pushing levers for a kibble of food.

There's a nifty chart about the efficacy of these schedules (unfortunately on PDF) here.

Incidentally, the B.F. Skinner in the article was also the scientist who tried to market a weapons technology to the military involving a homing pigeon housed in the nose of a warhead, pecking at various controls to guide the missile to its target. It was also resistant to jamming, I guess as long as the Nazis didn't strew a nearby target with birdseed. Unfortunately, he didn't get funding.

See quote below:

"Conceive a sphere constructed with the earth at it center, and imagine it surface to pass through Sirius, which is 8.8 light years distant from the earth... Then imagine this enormous sphere to be so packed with microbes that in every cubic millimeter millions and millions of these diminutive animalcula are present. Now conceive these microbes to be unpacked and so distributed singly along a straight line that every two microbes are as far distant from each other as Sirius is from us... Conceive the long line thus fixed by all the microbes at the diameter of a circle, and imagine its circumference to be calculated by multiplying it diameter by Pi to 100 decimal places. Then, in the case of a circle of this enormous magnatude even, the circumference so calculated would not vary from the real circumference by a millionth part of a millimeter.

This example will suffice to show that the calculation of Pi to 100 or 500 decimal places is wholly useless."

- Hermann Schubart, A mathematics professor from Hamburg, Germany in 1889

Source:
http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/humor/uselesspi.html

http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/poolsid e_06-crop.jpg

You like? No?

Of course, this nice picture makes your stomach turn inside out:

http://asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/poolside_07 -crop.jpg

Other nice pics:

http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_p al mas_03-crop.jpg
http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_pal mas_02-crop.jpg
http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_pal mas_12.jpg

Hmm, methinks I need a girlfriend now. I feel a strange sensation in my pants.

http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/poolsid e_06-crop.jpg

You like? No?

Of course, this nice picture makes your stomach turn inside out:

http://asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/poolside_07 -crop.jpg

Other nice pics:

http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_p al mas_03-crop.jpg
http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_pal mas_02-crop.jpg
http://www.asofyet.org/muppet/other/roatan/las_pal mas_12.jpg

Hmm, methinks I need a girlfriend now. I feel a strange sensation in my pants.

LooK!!!!! It is CmdrTaco as a young child!!!!!

CLICK HERE!!!!!

What are you talking about dude? I'd stick it in her pooper.

WTF from the same place as the pole woman.

-rob

-- The_Messenger

To reduce vomiting, and for your own safety's sake, do NOT view this picture of the chick from the 'Slashdot Couple' (linked from the article above) ... Hint: you do not look good in a bathing suit, and rubbing up against a pole doesn't help either, tootsie. Excuse me while I go take half-naked pictures of myself and submit them in a story labled "Hottest new things of 2002"......

You mean queef?

--