FamilySearch Indexing as a Game

Two things to look at to start with:

1. Challenge - What you have to do to get to the end goal.
   
2. Core Performance - Set of skills you have to master to win the game.

For FamilySearch, there's no save-the-world challenge here. (ironic, because family history is so important) This is a lot like the Atonement. We're trying to apply it in our lives when it is really constantly present.

1. Challenge? How could we make this a challenge?
   
2. Core Performance = Filling out the field values. This is probably not going to change unless we think of some really creative interface.

How could we make this a challenge?

• Measure accuracy - raise a level when you match up with others. Maybe use character-recognizing software?
• Speech to text? Speech recognition- Read it out loud, computer takes speech to text (creates abilities for new audiences)
• Human challenge is deciphering the words.
  
• Speed in indexing? (accuracy might suffer)
• Maybe one of the goals is to become an Arbitrator.
• Have the Arbitrator give a score to someone who indexes correctly--giving feedback to indexers
• Synchronized
• Doing it as a family- projecting it on the screen and doing it together
• Quick helps - zoom in, zoom out, find similar letters on the page, putting in handwriting course alphabets into projects
• Usually people don't read a manual before DOING the computer game. That's part of the fun--you're DOING something.
• How do we get them right in to indexing names RIGHT NOW without having to first read instructions/do tutorials?
• Break it up into one field at a time, make it immediately arbitrated so you get immediate feedback. Don't wait for the whole document to be finished.
• Sometimes indexers can't finish a batch and they have to leave it and don't get back to it--> negative feedback when it is taken away from them and it's like they've wasted time.
• Difficult for programmers is usually better for users. :)
  
• Put in user profiles where each user is from, languages they're also interested in indexing
  
• Like Amazon: "people who have read this book have also read this book..." :: "people who have indexed these records have also indexed..."
• Mobile phone game?
• Rank difficulty of batches, give permission to users as they do more and more indexing.
• Once an arbitrator, recruiting other people to
  
• Arbitrator as a trainer (master/apprentice) to be rated on apprentices' performances
• Creating a "Guild" aspect to FamilySearch indexing??
• Allowing people to sign up as a team that can download the SAME batches at the same time and bring people together--> instant arbitration.
• Making indexing about social cohesion -- screen-sharing, IM, voice capabilities, allow people to talk while they're doing it, online at the same time.