[MUD-Dev] Codename Blue & Facets - Nick Yee's new studies

John Buehler johnbue at msn.com
Tue May 21 09:59:25 CEST 2002


Richard A. Bartle writes:
> On 16th May, 2002, John Buehler wrote:

>> "Knowledge achiever" or "Knowledge socializer" is probably more
>> appropriate.

> All the quadrants of the graph can be labelled by their axes.
> Explorers are "interact with the world" types, achivers are "act
> upon the world" types etc.. In this context, "knowledge achiever"
> doesn't do explorer types full justice either - it suggests (well,
> to me anyway) that they're in competition with one another. Some
> may be, but most aren't: they all have an insatiable
> inquisitiveness and an unfailing sense of wonder, but they don't
> generally care whether someone else knows more than they do
> (unless they tend towards achiever) nor are they particularly
> eager to tell everyone their discoveries (unless they tend towards
> socialiser).

> I could probably have found a more accurate name for the group,
> but whether I could have found one snappy enough for people to
> remember is another matter!

I was trying to suggest that your explorer type is actually a
knowledge-accrual/analyzer type.  Further, that that accrual is for
the purpose of competition, socialization, etc.  Nick Yee seemed to
be searching for that same type, suggesting that he also perceived
the test questions in that way.  Regardless of the name applied to
the 'type'.

>> To me, an explorer is someone who likes to see the new.  End of
>> story.

> I'd add an active component to that: an explorer will seek out the
> new.

[snip]

>> Personally, I like experiencing new stuff simply because it's
>> new.

> But do you like it to the extent that you will go out of your way
> to experience it, or do you merely like it when it happens?

>>   Q: "Why did you climb the mountain?"  A: "Because it was
>>   there."

>> Explorer.

> I agree, but you haven't captured that in your definition.  Q:
> "Did you like it when the mountain suddenly appeared beneath you?"
> A: "Yes, it was cool."  Not necessarily explorer.

Yup.  Foolishly, I left that as implicit in my statements.  I figure
that if you enjoy something, you'll seek it out.  But it's certainly
better to have that stated explicitly.  Exploration is an active
thing.  I suppose I would have described somebody who just wants to
experience the new as a 'couch potato' :)

Note that my example clearly involves active exploration by the
respondent.

Note also that you turned it into an achievement - the mountain
appearing beneath the individual.  The entire climb is part of the
experience of exploration, not just being at the top.  Is someone
who watches the climb on television an explorer, or something else?
The actual process of going through the climb adds to the visceral
experience of exploration, versus the observer's visual- and
audial-only experience.  Interestingly, visual and audial
experiences are what we get from these games - at best.

JB

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