Shamoozal.com - Smorgas Board

This place has been kind of dead these days so I figure I'd try to stimulate some discussion. Hopefully it won't just backfire on me completely. At least it's worth giving a shot.

The professor in my gamification course was discussing the definition of fun in his last lecture and I was wondering what people on here thought about it. What kind of things do you find fun? It can be anything. It doesn't have to be specific. I'd actually prefer more abstract answers. Something like, "I find super mario brothers fun" or "I find video games fun" is a bit too specific. Focus more on what about those things that you find fun? Of course, it doesn't have to be game related. It could be as simple as socializing. It's fun. What are you guys thoughts? The professor also goes into different categories of "fun" that people have labeled. Perhaps we can try to put what we find fun into those buckets and what types of "fun" appeals to us most. Of course, the buckets aren't mutually exclusive so may very well find all aspects of "fun", fun.

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"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. "

Competition, If i have a shitty day I just go and play some basketball and that always picks up my spirits. Same reason as far as gaming goes I enjoy games like starcraft, or if I buy a shooter it's generally for the online aspect, competing against the computers is boring.

The most fun is playing live shows though, got a chance to do that this summer (probably not gonna happen again) and it was crazy, nothing beats the energy of a good concert, it's even better being on stage though.

So fun to you is feeling superior! Hahaha.

You brought up Super Mario in the topic and since I'm playing Super Mario I can say why I think it's fun. I love the thrill of the jumps in those games. Landing successive jumps at full speed in those games and navigating through the obstacles is fun to me.

I wouldn't consider it fun, but I'm starting to take pleasure in things I accomplish. Small things. My yard is a disaster right now. I don't think I mowed it in over 3 weeks. It is driving me nuts. I'm at a point now where I can't wait to do it. I'm going to hate doing it, but I'm going to feel so much better when it's done.

I did some rough animation last night. That had some moments of fun. Animation is weird, it has many different levels to it. I am mostly frustrated because it never really comes out the way I see it in my head. However I like the happy mistakes, the things that start to happen that aren't planned. That's usually when I have the most fun, and then working around the mistake that turned into a new idea. I like the way that can sometimes have a trickle down effect.

There you go, some examples.

edit: I also have fun when the girls are having fun. It makes me feel good knowing that they're happy. Well I guess not all of the time. I hate when Helena knocks over my awesome block castles before I'm finished them.

Identifying inefficient processes and building new processes. I fukin love it. I don't know why, but cutting through bullshit and getting stuff done makes me feel soo fukin good. I miss it.

Also building things.

Competition is definitely fun for many people. That's why so many people are into sports. Competition. Which also leads to winning which I'm sure everyone can agree that winning is fun.

Also, you guys have pointed out, learning and over coming obstacle is fun.

So one author categorised fun into 4 types

easy fun - the type of fun where you're not thinking too hard to exerting yourself. You're just relaxing and having fun

hard fun - the type of fun where you're challenging yourself and you get a sense of accomplishment and reward for your work

people fun - the type of fun you get from social interactions. Working with teams. Group atmosphere

serious fun - the type of fun where you're doing something that's meaningful to you that might not be necessarily considered a fun activity. For instance, Phil's yard work.

So for the most part, I think we've gave examples of hard and serious fun that we enjoy. We find fun in our accomplishments. Phil brought up animation. Which I think can be considered easy fun and hard fun and serious fun. Depending on what you're trying to animate. When Phil does his doodle sketches, that's probably more easy fun. When he does animation for his shorts. That's more like hard and serious fun.

William Smith also brought up the act of playing music. That can be tied into the people fun factor. He's performing for an audience. He gets enjoyment out of it. Playing music can also be easy fun if you're just goofing around and just jamming to whatever. It can also be hard fun because it takes time and work to become good enough at an instrument to where you don't feel like you're doing work when playing it, it just feels easy so hard fun turns into easy fun.

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"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. "

hah fun is tough to come by these days. in all honesty, lately just being able to sit on a couch in peace and quiet is fun for me. i'm surrounded by chaos at almost all times, its nice to just sit there and zone out.

i do find my job "fun" at times. i do enjoy doing what i do and there are times when it very very rewarding. i mean the actual production process can be fun for me at times.

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Swear to me.

video games mostly...

I also enjoy hunting and fishing.

Yeah but what about those things do you find fun? What makes something fun and something else not?

_________________
"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. "

bewbs

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- Oh, great. You killed the invisible swordsman!
-- He's dead, all right.
--- How was I supposed to know where he was?
- You were supposed to fire up. _We_ both fired _up_.

SPIKER!

I also have fun formulating Spiker's mom jokes. even though I rarely use them now. I still think them in my head. Every time. Ah.. memories.