[polshaw]

IMO 9gag shows how a reliable stream of quantity can beat out quality of content on the web. Every time you go to 9gag (AFAIK, can't say i've visited much) there is new content.

It preys on the 'seeker' human behaviour (like reddit, minecraft, even HN). Maybe next visit there will be something hilarious?

A lower volume of higher quality wouldn't invoke the same response.. visits would often have no new content, and users wouldn't regularly visit.

[cookingrobot]

I think even more important than volume is that 9gag, reddit etc have lots of bad content, with an occasional gem. That's the most effective reward schedule for creating compulsive behavior. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement#Schedules_of_rein...

[polshaw]

That is precisely what I was alluding to, yes.