Finally getting bored of all those Facebook applications? Looking for a new way to “waste” time? FreeRice.com, a Web site launched last month that enables users to improve vocabulary while helping end world hunger, has become extremely popular around campus. Students, however, expressed mixed opinions about the value of the site.

The site selects a random word from the 10,000 words that founder John Breen entered by hand. If the user chooses the right definition out of four possible choices, 20 grains of rice — just increased from 10 grains this past Wednesday — are donated to the World Food Programme (WFP), a U.N. agency. The site monitors the user’s vocabulary level, with each correct guess increasing the difficulty level (and each incorrect one lowering it).

You might think 20 grains is a tiny amount. On Oct. 7, the day the site was launched, 830 grains of rice were donated — barely enough for a bowl. As of press time, more than 4.5 trillion grains of rice have been donated.

FreeRice was started by hunger and poverty activist John Breen, who hopes that while users play the game, at least some will click on the link to his Web site, Poverty.com, to see what needs to be done to end poverty.

Marcus Williams’09, who is spearheading the Society for International Affairs at Stanford’s Kiva, an initiative to reduce poverty, was excited to see how quickly the site spread across campus.

“I think it is one of many innovations that merges the Internet directly with poverty alleviation,” he said. “It seemed like I heard about it one minute and then, within a day, everyone was toying around with it.”

David Kuo ‘08, co-Director of Stanford Project on Hunger, said there is much to be appreciated in FreeRice.com.

“It is not the only way to combat hunger online, but the novel concept and wide appeal are encouraging,” Kuo said. “Not everyone stops to think about the global impact of hunger but these sites can impact the millions who play and be the new way of informing people of the world hunger problem.”

Nevertheless, many students had not heard of FreeRice.com. Once asked about it, however, they quickly became addicts.

“The fact that I’m helping feed people in third world countries while sitting at my computer matching up big words is more than terrific,” said Miriam Marks ‘11.

Revti Gupta ‘09, on the other hand, did not see what the big deal was about, adding that there are better ways to make use of the Internet to raise awareness.

“The Web site will be quickly forgotten after the initial hoopla. The vocab exercise gets really boring and it will take a lot of time to work up a donation large enough to make a difference to enough people,” said Gupta.

While David Delgado ‘11 said he loves FreeRice because it is challenging and interesting, he had just one question.

“Why rice?” he asked. “Rice is not very nutritious, especially if processed rice is being used!”

Vinney Le ‘11 said he thought FreeRice trivializes the problem of world hunger and disconnects people from the issue.

“Equating a vocabulary game with feeding hungry people is sad,” he said. “It does not get them engaged in the actual problem; it does not raise awareness or make people care. Nevertheless, it is better than nothing.”