Shortly before the holidays I decided to stop checking in through Yelp’s iPhone app. I really gave it a go. For around 6 months I regularly checked in when I was at restaurants, grocery stores, music lessons, basically anywhere I went. What do you suppose I earned for over 300 manual check-ins?

I’m proud to tell you I’m the “duke” of 20 different places. I have acquired the prestige of 6 special “badges” while also being recognized by yelp as a “regular” at 11 establishments. Impressive, right?

No discounts. No special treatment. Nothing tangible. Just feel-good ego-stroking nothingness. This form of gamification simply plays to our competitive nature. It is hollow and empty.  I feel like I am wearing the Emperor’s New Clothes.

Games are fun and don’t need to translate into tangible stuff but somehow I feel like somebody gets something tangible out of this.  Somebody also has gone through great pains to make me think I’m getting something out of it. 

I’m not faulting Yelp here, they are working with what they have and riding a trend.  However, I am concerned as we see more and more gamification in software offerings (particularly in the mobile space), we will begin to see more and more distrust by users.  Nobody wants to feel used… nobody wants to realize they are parading through the streets with no clothes on.