Nelly and Lotus do Triviathon

Cully has announced the 24 hour Triviathon, so I can feel free to blog about it. It's a 24-hour SL trivia event on Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th, and the proceeds will go to Relay for Life.

So she's been inviting as many trivia hosts as she can think of, and naturally Nelly and I don't want to be left out, so I'm pleased to tell you that Nelly and I are hosting together with a 2 hour slot from 4pm to 6pm SLT Saturday. I do know Cully still has six slots left to flii, so if any of you want to take part, IM Cully Andel in game and we'll see you there!

I hope you know by now that we like to put on a good show, and we do not want you to go away disappointed, so we're going to make a special Nelly and Lotus effort.

Fiz Laval at Clancy Huckleberry's Shiraz event

First thing is we're putting up 13K Lindens in prize money. We're hoping a most of that comes back in donations, but how much you give is entirely for yourself to decide. We'll be hitting you with 40 questions instead of our usual 30, and Nelly will have a Nelliminator for you, and I'll work up a Countdown and some dingbats . And if we think of anything else before then we'll put it in.

Oh yes, one last thing. Whatever you give during our event, I'll match the amount and donate it to UNICEF. And can I just say that UNICEF is a really worthwhile charity. Your money goes to providing third world children with mosquito nets against malaria, with AIDS treatments, with clean water, and other basics that those of us fortunate to be born in rich countries take for granted. There! I can get off my soapbox now.

Josh behaving himself right now, Rach and I look the other way

Mako has finally made me get onto Plurk, and I've missed out all this time! If you're not on Plurk do not delay, click the link at the top of the sidebar and get Plurking!

And now for your dingbats. 10L for the first person to get the word or phrase, paid in world. Answer in comments please.

Do get it right, Lotus!

I know I'm not the most assiduous of researchers, and Chadd and Shale put me to shame, but even though I get through 50 questions every week, I do like to get it right. Sometimes you come up with alternative correct answers (and I do love those!) and for sure I sometimes miss the right winner, but you all keep me right, and I hope I always put things right with you where I get it wrong.

Nelly always says I should not do spam questions, because I so often come up with the wrong winners, and I do admit to finding it hard to keep up with fast-moving text and pick out a correct answer, but maybe that's just me getting older.

But it's really embarrassing when I get it completely wrong, as I did at EyeQ last week. The question I asked was "What was Abba's last No.1 single in the UK Chart", and the answer I gave was "The Winner Takes it All" in 1978. Which is, I'm sorry to say, wrong, as Carrion pointed out at the time, and the right answer was "Super Trouper" in 1980. I must have misread the Wiki entry, but I really hate to get something as wrong as that, and I should have researched the question better.

Nelly, Lotus and Kiri at Sharon's Diner. The beaver on the vote box has thankfully been greyed out

I am speaking only for myself here, but I do like it when you come up with alternative correct answers, and if you do think I've got it wrong, please say so in local chat or IM me! I'm only too pleased to look into it and pay you if I think you're right. Please don't think I'm worrying myself into an early grave over getting one question wrong, and I do not want a post-mortem after every question, but I don't mind at all if you keep me right. Nelly does it, why should you not?

Cully Andel and Krikra McMillan at AnaMaria's Monday event at Moysie's

I put a poll about alts on my blog a couple of posts ago, and I've got the results for you here. It doesn't suggest to me that most of you have any problem with alts. I was Option 4: I don't use them but I don't have a problem.

OK everyone, it's Linden time. Ten dingbats for you, answer in comments please, 10L for each first correct answer, paid in game.

About alts in SL:

I use them and like them	10 (41%)
I use them but I wish alts didn't exist	2 (8%)
I don't use them and I wish they didn't exist	2 (8%)
I don't use them but I have no problem with them	4 (16%)
I just don't care at all	6 (25%)

I've put a new poll on for you this week, I'd like to know how you are finding my dingbat questions at events. Some of you seem to be having loading issues, and I want to know if I should keep on doing them. This time you can choose multiple answers.

The Quest for the Perfect Event

I've been hosting quiz events since January, and I'll let you into a secret! Not all my events have gone as smoothly as I would have wanted, and I'm going to look at why this might be sometimes.

Readers of this blog will know that I think that there should be more to trivia events than asking questions, but today I do want to look at questions themselves, and in particular question register.

I mean by question register setting questions right for my audience. I'd really like everyone to come away from one of my events saying to themselves that they enjoyed it. And that means my questions have to be right for you! If only it were so easy.

First we have the Scylla of easy questions. If I asked for the capital of France, the speed typists would get the answer every time, and knowledgeable people who aren't fast typists will not be in with a chance. Veer too much towards difficult questions, and the Charybdis of Google swallows me, or worse still, the lingering death of hint after hint until the penny drops, and somebody finally comes up with the answer.

I'll never make an SL photographer! I managed to take this photo of Rhea Neiro and Cinna Yaris at Monochrome with my HUDS included. So we also have (clockwise from top right) Rain's What? HUD, Rudi's Green Tool Radar and SEMations AO HUD.

With peak time events like EyeQ and Lilly's 12 noon events, I tend to know the players, and I can at least match my questions with my estimate of players' likely strengths, are likely to know, and I do try to avoid questions where I know certain particular strong players will know the answer. We should not have the same player winning every time, should we?

Early Birds and Night Owls at 11pm on Fridays is much harder. The unusual time means, I think, that people are less likely to come every week, and will tend to come if they're online at that time. I sometimes find myself changing questions in mid-event once I have a feel for the players, and I might take out questions that I think too hard, or too culturally biased, and replace them with easier ones, or questions directed to particular cultures. Since I've been doing Early Birds I've realised that there are some really good players in SL who don't come to mainstream events, but who clearly are smart trivia players. One day I must ask them what they find in SL that's better than trivia. Perhaps I'm missing out on something?

My question register for Cully and my Great British Pub Quiz is,, if course, entirely different. Here my questions should have a cultural bias, with a strong British and Irish flavour. I enjoy writing for this event, because I can use questions I'd never dream of asking at international events. We were really pleased when we ran this event first time to find that so many people came along, and that there was so much interest in a British and Irish event. We're doing another event on Monday 5 October at 1.30pm SLT.

JoshStephen Schism, Lucinda Dollinger, Lotus Ceriano and a zombified Lette Ponnier at Monochrome, sorry [Monochrome]


I'm sitting here thinking that it's just impossible to get it right! When all is said and done, SL trivia is competitive, and it's right that the best players should do well. I just hope that enough of you have fun to make it worthwhile coming along!

I've got some lindeny dingbats for you, but first here's a link to some really annoying Flash games, Semantic Wars and Cargo Bridge. Needless to say I'm hopeless with both, but I don't see why you should not have your time wasted too.

For your dingbats, 10L to the first correct answer in comments, paid in world. Good luck!

More Cultural Bias

I'm going to talk again about cultural issues in SL trivia. I know, I blogged about it before, and when I did you gave me lots of interesting comments and perspectives on the issue. This time I'm not looking to grumble or stir up controversy, just to acquaint you with our Culturally Biased plans.

Cully and I were chatting about cultural bias a few weeks ago and we decided finally we should do something about it. And we decided that if you can't beat 'em, we'll join 'em!

So I'm going to tell you about the 100% culturally biased event we've set up at Flanagan's Pub. Our idea was to try and recreate an RL British or Irish Pub Quiz, and quizzes like would have the sort of questions I would never dare to make an event out of in SL.

It's unashamedly culturally biased, and we worried we might not attract enough British and Irish players. But you all did us proud, and a hardy few from over the pond even ventured into our wallowing in Father Ted and Coronation Street.

Olmstead Fanshaw, our latest winner of a Karmel and Lotus Challenge T-shirt. The question was "Who was the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian?" The answer was Theodora.

Oh yes, before I forget, the sim has the wonderful father Ted Parochial House, complete with Pat Mustard, Chris the sheep and the miraculous holy image of Bishop Brennan on the skirting board.

Here are my questions from 14 September. I've left out dingbats, and I've put the answers at the foot of my post.

1: Which Coronation Street character first appeared in 1974 and died on 18 January 2008?

2: What did Harold Wilson view as his greatest achievement?

3: Who extinguishes fires in Pontypandy?

4: Which guidebook writer wrote a seven-volume “Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells”?

5: Where would you find the National Media Museum?

6: Which university is descended from the Catholic University of Ireland, founded in 1854?

7: Which parliamentary constituency did Tony Blair sit for?

8: What is the deepest lake in England?

9: Who is the captain of the England Test cricket team?

Anyway, I want to tell you that we will be doing another Great British Pub Quiz next Monday 5 October at 1.30 slt. Watch events for details. I've written my questions, I do hope Cully finds the time to do hers, from her last blog post she sounded just a little bit overstretched...

Lette and I have another idea for a UK/US event, but I'll keep that one under wraps until we fix it up. It should be a real laugh if we can make it work, so I'll let yo know about that one another time.

And your answers were:

1. Vera Duckworth
2. The Open University
3. Fireman Sam
4. Alfred Wainwright
5. Bradford
6. University College, Dublin
7. Sedgefield
8. Wastwater
9. Andrew Strauss

Do I hear you say Dingbats? 10L pain in world for our first each correct answer posted in comments!

Try this one!

Let's try a different puzzle this time, post your best time in comments and the winner by, shall we say 11pm Saturday wins 100L. Leave your times and your SL avi name in comments, please. Be honest!

Click on the puzzle to start it, the timer should be in the new window.

Chaos and confusion

I'm normally an early riser, but not many things get me out of bed at 5am, but Chaos Truth or Dare does.

Chaos is a special kind of trivia event, but when I say trivia the questions aren't the main thing, just a vehicle to keep the game moving along. It's the Truth or Dare element that makes it so special. Now before I go any further I need to say that we at Chaos must agree that what happens at Chaos stays at Chaos, and that any pictures taken at Chaos may only be reproduced with the permission of those involved. And, I'm pleased to say, the people in question have said yes!



Mako's dare was to sent this naked pic of himself to another player. Sadly I only saw the censored version. Thanks Mako for permission to use your Flickr pic


It works like this. Lette asks a question, and the person who gets a question right picks someone else to do a Truth or a Dare. The Truths are a mixed bag, and the Mistress of Amok Lette asks supplementary questions with forensic skill. Being asked to tell everyone how I masturbate isn't something I do every day, and I can feel myself blushing when I write this sentence, but in the interests of accuracy a good blogger must tell it how it is!

The Dares are fun. Rach Borkotron is the Daremistress, and it's so nice to see someone enjoying her job, even if her enthusiasm has to be reined in by Lette from time to time. There is strip hangman, where the dared player must guess a word, and lose an item of clothing for every wrong letter. I'm sure we Mac users are at a disadvantage with naked mudwrestling, because I had my face pushed in the mud several times. Lately I sense a pattern for myself, which is me getting dares that lead to Nelly doing mean things to me. She, of course, enjoys that.

And that's another thing about Chaos. Once I've got to know people it's even better, and it's got better yet for me when Nelly and Kiri come along. There is nothing like seeing your friends given silly dares to do!




Nelly enjoying her dare, which was to spank me ten times















By the way, I know I'm digressing, but have you noticed this at events? People tend to stand in the same place. At Lilly's Anamaria and Becki are always near the fire, Rain always on the mantelpiece, Lette, Kiri and Rickson towards the bar, and Sharon always seems to be by the door for some reason, maybe in case her creditors appear. This does make it easier to pay winners if you know where they will be, and a problem I have at EyeQ is the lack of landmarks makes it hard for me to locate winners.




I told you I'd post a picture of me in a Chaos wet T shirt and thong if I ever won one. Here I am drying out afterwards in front of my fire!














Anyway, getting back to our subject, our Chaos hosts treat new players gently, and don't be afraid to come along and join in, you won't be made to get naked on your first outing. I keep saying so, but Chaos really is fun! Chaos is on 8.30 pm SLT Saturdays.

Anyway I promised you lindeny Dingbats, and here they come! Ten of them, 10L to each person with a first correct answer in comments. Please leave your avi name and I'll pay you in-world. Good luck everyone!

Buckybowl 9

By now I'm an experienced Buccaneer Bowler, and I've only ever missed two events. But it's still the biggest event for me in my trivia diary, and the event is just different.

It is, for me, easily the most competitive trivia event in SL. Almost all the best players are there, and the team element means I don't want to let down my team mates. I always get to Buckybowl with my low-ARC (36 this time) avi, and I feel the tension rising right away...

Because the sim with the pirate ship has been sold without Lette's knowledge, Buckybowl 9 was at Monochrome, which is always a great trivia venue, and which performed admirably, with very little lag for me.

I don't know if I was imagining it, but the competition this time seemed fierce, and after a good start in the first round where we got the first bonus, we had a 'mare in the second round where we failed to get a single point. This has never happened to us before, but we bounced back to win the third and fourth rounds, and a solid final round saw us home first.

Trumpton, the winners of Buckybowl 1, ran us close, and a new team Zen and the Koans (read all about Koans here) were a very strong third.



The Triviators with their low-ARC avis at Monochrome, picture courtesy of Mako


But we did it, and we're champs for the sixth time, so wtg Mako, Starla, Alanna and absent-this-time Nelly, you are such awesome team-mates.

I'm now starting to feel tense about Buckybowl 10 as I write this...calm down girl!