CodeEth0x:

Purpose:

Boost programmers productivity through gamification.

Description:

Programmers commit funds to achieve one of 3 different commitment levels (goals). If they don't achieve the goal (hours programming), they lose the funds. If they did, they are refunded then entered in a lottery of some of the funds from the ones who didn't achieve their goals.

This works both on pain (losing staked money) and expectation of reward (what if I win the reward this time).

This project will need multiple tweaks while running live, instead of just speculating what will work or not. Hence iteration speed will matter a lot, before novelty and the community behind it fades away.

User steps

1. Sign in (get wakatime username + permissions)
2. Select option (commitment levels)

• Gold: 5 hrs > 1 Eth
• Silver: 2.5 hrs > 0.1
• Iron: 1 hrs > 0.01

3. Send funds (with metamask)

Funds distribution:

50% to some achievers (selected randomly per commitment level) | 25% wakatime | 25% to builders of the project.

The Ethereum contract needs two things: username and commitment level. At the distribution period (ie: end of the week), it will query all participants Wakatime accounts to determine amount to be distributed, refund + reward sent to coders who kept up with their goals.

Stack

• frontend: compiled ClojureScript + Re-frame > S3
• backend: Ethereum blockchain

minimum for experimentations (will need to tweak the funds distribution params until it’s closer to right).

Details to consider:

• With current design: programmers are less incentivized to fake their productivity on their ides.
• The golden milestone (5hrs/day) is reasonable. (not too much as to incentivize cheating).
• Funds remain in smart contract until distribution.
• None of the money should be given to charity as it could allow some programmers to rationalize for not achieving their goals.
• Lines of code / time on ide !== productivity or effectiveness.
• Only one commitment level can be chosen by any single developer.

The number 1 objection to this experiment will be beeminder is already doing it. But as cryptokitties showed, a bit of gamification design makes a huge difference. We are in crypto land, we can experiment.

Might experiment on a prototype if given donations (+ I find the energy :).

Ethereum Address:

0xb027928CE009328fF0b5644E9dD9a62229612897