Free Rice

[Twofold Black]

(*But at least I'm cheating for a good cause!)

I've been thinking about this. What are the ethical implications of cheating in this context? Isn't it more ethical to cheat, if that means the difference between an extra mouthful of rice for someone who needs it, and no such extra mouthful? Is it relevant that it probably takes longer to prevent a wrong answer than it takes to just go with it and then get two more right answers (as you're likely to, since the wrong answer drops you back to a level with more familiar words)?

Fascinating.

Also, I guess I should stop playing at work.

[Officer 1BDI]

Well, in my defense:

From the FAQ
We are not sitting on a pile of rice―you are earning it 10 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.

The ads are generated whether I choose the correct word or not, but it only counts towards the rice if the correct answer is chosen. So, I'd rather choose the correct answer all the time than a fraction of the time. Those ads should pay for their display time, damn it.

Also, there is nothing on the site that says a dictionary isn't allowed.... [/stretching the boundaries of morality]

[Fjorab_Teke]

I'm really enjoying this! It's fun for semi-geekly people like me, and for a good cause too. I was surprised at how many times I came across a word that I know simply because of my immense fascination with animals (especially horses). There were also a few I knew only because I've been reading some of Terry Brooks' fantasy novels. And then there were some I knew from playing various RPGs (D&D, Vampire, etc.). BTW, while the general public wouldn't care, "nicker" does not exactly equal "whinny." But close enough for this site I suppose. *snickers light-heartedly*

[daisybell]

Looking at the totals, it is pretty amazing how they've grown- a good demonstration of a viral site spreading across the internet. And it is cool. I'm surprising myself at how many words I know, although sometimes a very easy and obvious one crops up. Like how I correctly answered "paregoric" and it was followed by "gammon"- this is at level 45. I'm guessing it's all in American English, and gammon isn't so common in the US. I can't remember if I hit level 50 or not... but levels 42-44 seem to be where I'm hovering around at the moment. I don't think I could do this without the multiple choice, though, because it's the similarity of unfamiliar words to words that I know which is helping me get the correct answers.

Some of the words seem distinctly like dialect words, though- there was one for which the meaning was "cows" which was a Scottish highlands dialect word. And "lapin" is hardly in general use in English. But it's fun all the same, and it's a worthy game to be playing as well.

[Wingsrising]

(*But at least I'm cheating for a good cause!)

I've been thinking about this. What are the ethical implications of cheating in this context? Isn't it more ethical to cheat, if that means the difference between an extra mouthful of rice for someone who needs it, and no such extra mouthful? Is it relevant that it probably takes longer to prevent a wrong answer than it takes to just go with it and then get two more right answers (as you're likely to, since the wrong answer drops you back to a level with more familiar words)?

I don't see there are being any ethical implications whatsoever. You see the adds regardless of whether you're right or wrong (so the sponsors get what they paid for), the site gets the money from the ads regardless of whether you're right or wrong , and while the "10 grains of rice" thing is a cute gimmick, I suspect that's all it is: ie, that the site simply contribues a certain percentage of the ad revenue to the UN and then the UN goes and buys rice. The "10 grains" thing may have some relationship to reality (ie, they might have calculated ad money per pageview and the average ratio between pageviews and correct answers or whatnot) but I highly doubt the amount of money donated actually depends on how many answers you get right.

I mean, for one thing, the price of rice varies a lot (especially since the UN apparently tries to buy it locally). Also, they can hardly go in and say, "OK, we need 47,239,443 grains of rice today," can they?

Actually, the UN presumably uses the money for whatever hunger-related programs it thinks would be most useful in an area rather than just rice. It's sort of like the Hefer program -- if you buy a "pig" or whatever, that doesn't necessarily correspond to a whole actual pig, they spend the money however they think it will be most useful (and if that means using your "pig" money to buy chickens or sheep or what have you, then so be it.)

Oh, and "zebu" apparently means "ox." Interesting. I also find this an addictive game. I don't want to leave on words I don't know (since I want to find out what it means) but I also don't want to leave on words I get right (since I want to show off my vocabulary greatness.)

EDIT: Is anyone else amused that when you Google "Free Rice" Neopets is the 4th hit? I get "free", but "rice"?

EDIT the second: Oh, the link is too that old "feed your pets rice balls" 7-11 ad.

[Twofold Black]

You ruin all my little games, Wingsrising.

[Wingsrising]

You ruin all my little games, Wingsrising.

Sorry.

[daisybell]

The site doesn't actually tell you how much 10 grains of rice really is. The answer is, well... not an awful lot. Estimates seem to vary, but 50 grains of rice weigh about a gram, so to get 100g of rice you have to get 500 correct answers. I suppose it's okay as long as lots and lots of people are doing it, and it's better than nothing, but each person is only contributing tiny, tiny amounts.

[Wingsrising]

The site doesn't actually tell you how much 10 grains of rice really is. The answer is, well... not an awful lot. Estimates seem to vary, but 50 grains of rice weigh about a gram, so to get 100g of rice you have to get 500 correct answers. I suppose it's okay as long as lots and lots of people are doing it, and it's better than nothing, but each person is only contributing tiny, tiny amounts.

True, but the sponsors are only paying a tiny amount per pageview, too.

Even though I agree the amount of money raised is probably not really all that large, I actually think it's a really interesting model for collecting money for charity. People have fun playing the game, so they're happy. Advertisers get people staring at their logo, so they're happy. The UN gets money, so it's happy. Assuming the set-up works out in the long run it's a win-win situation for all concerned.

[anzuronamin]

...man, all of you are up in the fourties, and I'm proud when I get 35 or so. *mopes*

I suppose it's okay as long as lots and lots of people are doing it, and it's better than nothing, but each person is only contributing tiny, tiny amounts.

True, but if you look at the totals page, you can see it really adds up. And as the FAQ states, they aren't sitting on a pile of rice, ready to throw it out to the poor. If they were, then the game wouldn't exist. In the end, its all the advertisers.

[AngharadTy]

Oh, and "zebu" apparently means "ox." Interesting.

This is why I don't like the site's too-easy definitions--zebu doesn't mean "ox," it means "a particular tropical subspecies of ox." Gonna get people wandering around American farmland going, "Look, Mommy, a zebu!"

Well, okay, maybe not, but they do oversimplify.

[Twofold Black]

kobold means:
[...]
gnome
[...]

It does not! Kobolds have the reptillian subtype and are immune to effects like charm person that affect only humanoids -- such as gnomes! Get it right, United Nations!

*ducks*

[Rainbow Daydreamer]

After a certain point, why does it start asking me more and more French words? I thought this was meant to be about increasing my English vocabulary?

And I've hit L50. Fear me. Well, for about ten seconds anyway.