Wikipedia Addiction, Addictive mechanism exploited by the Wikipedia Options

[Cock-up-over-conspiracy]

Obviously it's inherent to the Wikipedia/MediaWiki platform to take advantage of emotionally/psychologically messed-up people, who are no doubt attracted to it because they're unable to gain the respect of other people (not to mention some form of authority over them) in real life... It's the only site that combines anonymity, high visibility, a non-automated rewards system, and the high valuation of phony expertise, at least to the degree it does.

To someone like this, Wikipedia is quite literally like crack or some other euphoria-inducing semi-addictive substance.

A question ... no answers. You have often discussed here "wiki-addiction" ... so, what are the addictive mechanism of the Wikipedia or what mechanism within the brain does the Wikipedia tap into?

They say the majority people who fall into an addictive traps never escape. Continued exposure to experiences involving compulsive attraction are said to produce over time neuroadaptations. Persistent neuroadaptations, literally changes in the hardwiring of the brain as I understand it, underlie aspects of addiction including repeated relapses.

I have often look at the potential social aspects of the Wikipedia, its cult-likeness (Stockholm Syndrome etc), but are there more fundamental biological hooks which it exploits?

I can see the addictive nature of the chemical rushes it provides whilst warring over turf and defending edits (adrenalin or whatever). I can imagine how it taps into all sorts of personal psychological projections. I understand that there are all sort of additional pleasure giving stimuli involved with eye and hand coordination of computers.

It a strange thing but part of the "great success" of the Wikipedia is surely that it taps in and exploits these things, including personality and psychological disorders.

Is that understood and questioned by the leadership? Should it come with a health warning?

[Eva Destruction]

[some stuff]

So what you're saying is, people are more likely to spend their free time doing things they enjoy than things they don't, and people who spend a lot of time doing something voluntarily are likely to do so because they find it fun?

Shocked, I tell you. Shocked.

[Herschelkrustofsky]

[some stuff]

So what you're saying is, people are more likely to spend their free time doing things they enjoy than things they don't, and people who spend a lot of time doing something voluntarily are likely to do so because they find it fun?

Shocked, I tell you. Shocked.

CUOC is actually raising a serious issue, so the snideness is misplaced. I think there may be some parallels here to gambling addiction, because like the casinos, WP is open round the clock, and if you stay at it long enough there is a chance you might temporarily "win" (even SlimVirgin has to sleep occasionally, so your revert might stick for a few hours,) although in the long run, you will definitely lose.