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Jun. 11th, 2004 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickSometimes I wonder if the situation I'm in with respect to a given fanfic is some sort of vast social experiment on fangirls.
You see, there is a fic. I'm quite fond of the fic. It's a well-written fic, as such things go, with an engaging, clearly limned cast and one heck of a plotline. It's a damn fine piece of work, but it's not done yet. It hasn't been updated for eight months. The author assures her constant readers (of whom there are quite a few) that there will be more fic Real Soon Now, though when that might be is anyone's guess.
The 'vast social experiment' angle is this: Could the fic author be studying how long fangirls will continue to check in for new chapters after the "reward" ceases? Behaviorist research building on the work of B. F. Skinner has shown that the desired behavior persists longest after the cessation of reward for systems where the reward (new chapters in this particular case) is on a variable or probabilistic schedule, and that'd match this damn fic's update schedule.
Also, you can color me impressed if anyone else knows what fic/author I'm talking about.
You see, there is a fic. I'm quite fond of the fic. It's a well-written fic, as such things go, with an engaging, clearly limned cast and one heck of a plotline. It's a damn fine piece of work, but it's not done yet. It hasn't been updated for eight months. The author assures her constant readers (of whom there are quite a few) that there will be more fic Real Soon Now, though when that might be is anyone's guess.
The 'vast social experiment' angle is this: Could the fic author be studying how long fangirls will continue to check in for new chapters after the "reward" ceases? Behaviorist research building on the work of B. F. Skinner has shown that the desired behavior persists longest after the cessation of reward for systems where the reward (new chapters in this particular case) is on a variable or probabilistic schedule, and that'd match this damn fic's update schedule.
Also, you can color me impressed if anyone else knows what fic/author I'm talking about.
