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!

Altercations

The alt wars have broken out again (here and here), and although it isn't a subject I have strong feelings about, I thought I'd give you my two penn'orth.

I have two alts, and neither of them has been out in months. I just don't find any use for them, and I want to be myself and not a multitude of identities.

On the whole, I'd rather know who I'm dealing with in SL, but alts are a fact of life, and I can't do anything at all to change things.

And if everyone else thought like me, what sort of a boring place would SL be? So my view is, why should I waste my time worrying over something I can do nothing about? If people want to have alts, I'm happy to go with it. I know some of my friends' alts, and in IMs we sometimes maintain the fiction of talking about the main avi in the third person, which can be quite fun if you don't do it too often.

But..do be careful who you're talking to about somebody else, it might just be her alt.

Oh yes, there's a new poll in the sidebar, all about alts. Please vote!

Nelly reminded me I haven't posted for a while, and I'm going to post a longer entry in the next day or so, complete with dingbats, so watch this space!

A few more dingbats

You seemed to like them, so here's ten more.

Same as before, but 10L for each this time. Have fun!

Typing faster than the speed of light

Speed typing. Becki posted on this recently, bemoaning her 3MB connection, and how it handicaps competing at Buccaneer Bowl. I just checked my speed now which came in at 3.5MB, and I'm just a two fingered typist, but my Buccaneer Bowl record is respectable soooo I think I'll keep quiet on that subject...

First of all let me say right away that I think there's no avoiding it. If you give people enough time in SL trivia they will Google. You can ask people not to as much as you like, and most will play to the spirit of the game, but once someone starts Googling everyone else is at a big disadvantage. And in my opinion all efforts to kill speed typing founder on the rock of Google.

Tori, Sharon, Kiri, Polaris and Lotus are the naughty girls in the penalty box at Sharon's Diner

My own opinion is, if we can't eliminate Google, we may as well embrace it, and there are countless times when I'm hosting that I've been glad of someone Googling a question that has turned out to be too hard. Karmel says in an ideal event everyone would win once, and while I think this is right, I find it harder to do in practice. Some people are just very good, but here's my thoughts on how we hosts should think about it:

• Avoid themes unless they are very broad
• Do not run events about one country's popular culture
  
• Be generous with Pity Lindens (I love that phrase, was it Nelly who came up with it?)
• Try and find something that can involve everyone
• Try and make it fun! Don't be too serious!
  

I try to do this myself, and that's why I've run the Easter Eggs and money for typos. But no matter how hard I try, it tends to be the regular players who get the Easter Eggs, and my typos seem to be a major income stream for Sharon Scofield and Nelly Swindlehurst. Please, everyone, check my Lilly's and EyeQ notices for the Easter Egg links. It's money for jam, it really is. I want to give you the Lindens!

Glimmer Mattercaster wearing a Karmel and

Lotus shirt after she won the Challenge question at Lilly's.

The question was "In the Harry Potter books, who does Harry marry?"

I've rather strayed from the speed typing subject, but the reason why it's so prevalent is that all efforts to deal with it turn out unsatisfactory to my way of thinking, in one way or another.

Samantha Poindexter uses an innovative HUD system for her strip trivia event, where you have to choose one of four answers. The winner is chosen randomly from the correct answers, the losers remove an item of clothing and it's rather neat and fun. But for me it lacks something, because multiple choice questions are so hard to write. Either they are far too easy, or so hard it just seems like guessing, and I rather think this is intrinsic to the system, and not the fault of the question setter.

Tori Lok and Sweejen Stourmead at Lilly's

I wonder if this could be solved by removing the multiple choice element and the host marking free text answers right or wrong? I wouldn't like to have to mark 20answers for every question myself, though.

I've played games where players send answers in IM, but I don't much like this. Anyone who wants can Google answers, and it removes much of the social aspect of the game. I would far rather play a fun game for fewer Lindens than a boring one for lots of Lindens.

Personally I think we are stuck with speed typing, and it's the job of us trivia hosts to make it interesting for people without lightning fingers, but who know their trivia. And that brings me onto your lindeny questions, and those of you who come to my events might just be familiar with Dingbats. I've got five for you today, 20L for each first correct answer in comments, paid in world.

Trivia hosts unplugged

I can tell you why I host trivia in SL. I enjoy the whole process of trivia hosting. Doing the research and framing the questions can be onerous sometimes, but delving through reference books and Wiki is never dull for me. So many byways and new fields to explore. And although I'm quite a shy person in RL, there is an actress in me, and standing up in front of a virtual crowd does something for my ego.

And I have made friends with so many wonderful people (that's you!), and I can try out new ideas which, if they go wrong, can't hurt anyone except myself.

Cully Andel hosting at Double Standards.

It's Cully's rezday today, many happy returns Cully!







And I got to wondering why everyone else hosts, so I sent out a survey to every host on my friends list. If I did not ask you I'm so sorry, but please please tell us why you host in comments. If you replied but your answer isn't here, I missed your IM, please tell me quick and I'll edit you in! And if I'm not on your friends list but should be, just open up that blue box and tell me.

Thank you everyone for your responses, and I have found them fascinating. Some were IM, which explains the chatty style of some, and some were notecards. I'm going to post them verbatim and without comment from me. Comment from you would be wonderful.

I asked people to describe, preferably in one sentence, why they host (Sinnamon wins the prize for the longest sentence). And this is what they said:

Cully Andel: Why do I host -well it ain't for the money! Well - I guess I've always been one for organising things. And I like to have fun doing it. Most trivia events are great fun because of the people there - and it's a nice being able to offer fun events which people enjoy. (Which I hope I do)

I think that's probably why - and of course I'm nuts - which you have to be :)

Maggie Sewell: Because it's a way of giving back to people who give up much for others. I have no other skills.

My very good friend Kiriaster Mirakjar at Double Standards

Honey Potez: In one sentence/thought: I have continued to host trivia for almost two years because of the people: 1) the people that tend to follow trivia are genuine, thoughtful, intelligent and smart, and 2) many people depend on all of the hosts as constant companions and friends as they have RL illnesses or issues preventing them from fully living in the real world and depend on our events as something to look forward to each day.

I know it’s a long response but hosting is something I am passionate about :)

Lacey Lukas: I enjoy hosting trivia because I've always been a "game" type of person... watching game shows on tv, play games in RL ... and trivia has been one my favourite games. And I've discovered in SL that apparently I can't read the questions fast enough to beat the "fast fingers" in SL so being a host is the next best thing to playing. The trivia environment in SL is a lot of fun thanks to the colourful group of people who participate. Every event is always full of fun and laughter and what more could a person ask for :)

AnaMaria Quintessa: I said it was because I was a megalomaniac.I want to stand upon a pedestal dispensing favour and LindenDollars amongst the intelligentsia like a fickle despotic monarch bestowing patronage to their favourites; who just so happen to know the same irrelevent factoids that I currently value.On the more altruistic side, i don't want to just be what Lou has called a "parasite" ie just turning up enjoying the Qs and taking money off peopleOn the insecure side, i felt would only ever be a second class member of the trivia community and would not have "arrived" until i hosted my own game.

JoshuaStephen Schism: I like to give back to the trivia community and I like to be on stage

Chaddington Boomhauer: My main motivation for hosting trivia is that it's fun to do. It's also to ensure there is a trivia event I can't be ejected from ;)

Rickson Barbosa: hi Lotus, got your notecard...best way I can sum up the motivation thing is just that I enjoy it...I enjoy the researching and the asking. I wish I could give you something more philosophical but I can't really. :D

The Daremistress herself Lette Ponnier plans something for her next victim nominee

Circe Falta: Hey Lotus- Why do I host? Because it's fun. Actually, I was just filling in a spot while Lyss was gone, and it kind of stuck. But I kept doing it, because I enjoy coming up with the questions (usually), and tying everything together, trying to fit in a bunny somewhere. I like testing people's knowledge, and more, learning on my own while I research too- I get distracted a lot so it takes me all day sometimes. lol. I hope something there helps :)

Lette Ponnier: so... each time I’ve started a new trivia game, it's been because I had an idea about a new way to play trivia that seemed like it would be fun and I get excited about the idea, and I have to carry it out. This is how chaos, bucc bowl, and birthday suit trivia all started. So hosting, for me, is about innovating and creating and seeing good ideas come to fruition, and seeing people really enjoy the work that I put into it.

Impromptu is the only one that follows a standard format, and i started doing that when there was a gap in the schedule and i felt like having trivia and figured if no one else was having it, I might as well do it myself.

Mako Kungfu: My main motivation for hosting, when I was a host, was as a sort of PR move to bring people to Armada and have them experience the place. I did it for the fun of introducing people to a new location and to source material (the works of China Mieville) that they were probably unfamiliar with... and to get those mental gears cranking -- a lot of trivia is pretty inane, but I think it was hard to attend an Armada trivia without learning something. It was a smart crowd of engaged players in an interesting location, which I really enjoyed. It was also a bit of a unique situation -- I don't think I'd be as interested in hosting at a club or something. In those cases, I prefer to play.

Nelly Swindlehurst: OK here's my quote for ya.... My motivation for hosting trivia? Well its fun! You get to control the questions being asked and therefore subject matter, you usually walk away with more money than you started with... and everyone actually has to pay attention to you :)

Karmel Kips: I co-host at Lilly's so I can stay off the Lotus Blacklist! But seriously... I host trivia because I enjoy sharing interesting information with others while keeping them entertained.

Sinnamon Sands: Hey Lotus, sorry I hadn't got back to you on the survey... wasn't really sure what to say... I guess I originally got into hosting to try to attract people to the club, but I found that I liked it because of the creative and social aspects of it. Creative in that you get to try to come up with questions and deliberate about having a good mix of subjects, difficulty levels, things that will interest and entertain people. And you get to have the opportunity to shape an event in the image of what you think will be fun and entertaining for people, to experiment with some different styles and things. The main reason is just that I enjoy the social experience of hosting, having a lot of new people and regulars both come to chat, hang out, have fun in an environment

Thanks so much everyone, just what I was looking for! And onto your Lindeny questions. I pay 10L, paid in world, for each first correct answer. Answer in comments please, replace the missing letters.

1. 5280 FIAM

2. LPN 9

3. 5 BBWBTT

4. 90 NIABG

5. 78 CIATP

6. 646 CITUKP

7. T 10 C

8. NG 33 1/3 TFI

9. 206 BITHB

10. 9 SBLvB

Arrivals and departures

I've got a more substantial post to follow soon, but I just want to tell you something new.

The departure is that I'm dropping my Wednesday Lilly's event. I've loved doing it, and working with Nelly, Rev, Rick and Karmel has been such a pleasure, but I'm writing 65 new questions every week and I can't do everything. I'll still be hosting with Karmel on Fridays, and I'll still be doing Early Birds and Night Owls with Chantal on Saturdays. Lilly's is in my trivia hosting genes and I'm not giving that up.

The arrival is Jamie Parfort's new venue EyeQ. The Grand Opening is this week, and Jamie has signed me up for a new event. And for me the big attractin is that I'll be reunited with Nelly Swindlehurst. Nelly is such fun to host with that I'd walk over hot coals to do it, but Jamie's new low-lag venue doesn't have hot coals, so I'm spared that. We're going to be running 30 questions paying 1st/2nd/3rd, and we'll bring money for typos and Easter Eggs, and we'll see what else we can think up.

The not-at-all-elusive any more Nelly Swindlehurst

Jamie's also got Cully doing an event, and I hope she'll tell you about it in comments. Our event is on Wednesdays at 2pm SLT.

Anything but hip-hop and rap

Lou doesn't like DJs at trivia events, but I do. I've been on SL a year, and one thing I have really liked is listening to music I have never heard before, or coming across old tunes again. And today I want to talk about those ubiquitous SL people, the DJs.

Because of SL I have bought loads of CDs in the past year, and my iPod has all sorts of different music compared with a year ago. Sometimes it has confirmed my negative prejudices too. I never have liked rap or hip-hop, and, no matter how much I listen too, I can't make it sound any better. Even Nickelback is better than that, sorry hip-hoppers

Samantha Poindexter hosting Strip Trivia, she uses an innovative HUD system that removes the speed typing element, as well as people's clothes.

4pm Fridays

For me, a good DJ can add such a lot to a trivia event. When playing I really enjoy the interaction a good DJ can have with the players. The best DJs get to know their customers, and there is something so touching about having a DJ play you a song because they know I like it. I often wondered, Sinnamon and Angelo, do you remember music I like, or do you make notes in avi profiles? You both do it so well.

Some DJs become an integral part of the event. Cully does Alphabet Trivia twice a week at Melodi, and the DJ plays tunes starting with, or bands starting with, the letter in question. I shall be very interested to see how they get on when X and Q come up, there is definitely such as thing as too much Queen and XTC. DJ Kewan also has a "middle bit" in the interval, where players are invited to identify music clips,, so that Rach Borkotron can win a prize. I usually get 1 out of 10, though I excelled myself with zero last week.

I'm not here to say bad things about DJs, but sometimes DJs seem determined to play their own sets, and to take no notice of the crowd and just do as they please. Unless you happen to be playing British indie music, that's just dull, and you're not working for your crowd. It's just the same with trivia hosts, we have remember we're here to entertain.

Readers of my blog will know I host at Lilly's. The Wednesday and Friday 12 noon events were established before I hosted, and I view myself as merely one of the current hosts. Mars Lake and Sandi Losangeles DJ these events, and both are such a pleasure to work with, and their sets add so much to the event.

But if I'm asked which is my favourite, I'd have to say Early Birds and Night Owls at 11pm Fridays. That's my own event, and it's quieter in tone than the other two events, and without Challenges and Easter Eggs and shouting, and it's a different crowd. And lately Chantal Glenwalker has been getting out of her RL bed to DJ the event, and she is so good, picking up from questions, answers and chat, and she tunes her set so well to our event. I find myself looking forward to Chantal's next tune, wondering if she'll pick up on what someone just said, or an asnwer someone just gave. I'm not saying all DJs should do it that way, but I find it matches my early morning hosting style so well.

Cerys Curtois at Coco's Shiraz event

T-Shirt winner

Becki Verne won Friday's T-Shirt Challenge and a rolled-over 300L on Friday, so wtg her! The questions was: "In "The Grapes of Wrath", what was the name of the family who travelled to California?"

Becki beat two others who got the answer before the 5 second cutoff. I'm not sure if anyone has signed Becki up for next weekend's Buccaneer Bowl, but she's been doing really well at events I've been at, and if you're looking for a player...

Becki Verne, winner of a Karmel and Lotus Lilly's T-shirt

I know you want Lindeny questions to finish, but please may I ask for comments about my new picture format? Does it work for you? If not, can I improve it?

Replace the letters, answer in comments please. Leave me your avi name and I'll pay 10L for each first correct answer, paid in world.

1. 42 TATLTUAE

2. 77SS

3. 8 FIAM

4. 12 POCN

5. T39S

6. ATO2C

7. 2468M

8. 4 BBWBTT

9. 2001 ASO

10. 4LG2LB