Quackwatch Ratbags
July $100* $70
August 38 20
September 28 10
*donation capped -- actual "LIAR" count was 132
For the newcomers who don't know what $KaChing is, at the beginning of July, I proposed donating $1 to Quackwatch every time Jan called someone here a LIAR. Her nasty habit of shouting LIAR at everyone who disagrees with her was becoming annoying to me, and, since this is an unmoderated newsgroup where freedom of speech applies, the only way to change this behavior was to use behavior modification. There are no channels of positive reinforcement available, so punishment seemed the most effective approach. Jan has expressed her hatred of Dr. Barrett and his Quackwatch website repeatedly, thus my plan to apply a mild punishment for her behavior. The problem is that, unlike positive reinforcement that can be effective with a variable schedule, punishment must be consistently meted with every infraction. Thus, the one dollar sting. A few days later, I added a $5 sting donation to Ratbags for every time Jan brought up the tragic death of a child to accuse Peter B. of something or other, though I've never understood just how Jan's warped brain connected him with that case and assigned the guilt.
Anyway, as the figures above show, the program seems to be effective. Jan even got through the September Ritalin wars without maxing out the Quackwatch donation. If $KaChing continues to be effective, I may add a $1 "insomnia fine" for every time Jan does her childish ZZZZzzzz response.
See you next month, and thank you Mark Thorson and any others who are participating.
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