It’s that thing where an app developer thinks it would be really neat to make parts of their non-game app into a game. I hate it, and I think it’s bullshit.
Actually, I have hated it for a while, but this is the catalyst for my rant today:
>So what’s your favourite “secret” theme in Clear? Let us know in this Facebook Poll! facebook.com/questions/2169… — Clear for iPhone (@UseClear) April 27, 2012
Now Clear had this all along, [even when I reviewed it](https://brooksreview.net/2012/02/clear/), but at the time I figured this aspect was more of and easter egg than it was a long-term *thing* for the app.
As it turns out, I figured wrong.
And gamification bugs me quite a bit, because I think it is disrespectful to users of the app. If I pay for your app, why do I still need to jump through hoops to get all of the features of your app? I can only assume it is because making me jump through hoops amuses the developer in some way.
Don’t just take my word for it, [here’s Brent Simmons on the issue](http://inessential.com/2011/12/23/gamification_sucks):
>“Gamification” treats people like children — children who need to be manipulated, who need to be tricked into doing what’s good for them.
>And it makes bad software.
And it makes the software developer look like a dick.
It’s time to put an end to this.