Search found 1552 matches
- Mon Oct 02, 2017 8:36 pm
- Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
- Topic: HSAPQ and NAQT Joint Announcement
- Replies: 18
- Views: 9428
Re: HSAPQ and NAQT Joint Announcement
It's easy to forget just how much smaller the universe of good high school quizbowl was nine years ago, and just how inadequate the available offerings would be to teams today -- and were even to teams back then. Outside the PACE NSC and a handful of scattered, inconsistent housewrites, there just w...
- Wed Aug 31, 2016 4:57 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Saying Farewell
- Replies: 13
- Views: 6564
Saying Farewell
"If today were the day you had to stop dancing. ...How would you feel?" I was gonna go full Joseph Knecht and write a huge detailed letter laying out this game's place in human history and its effect on me. Then I wasn't sure whether to write anything at all. I'll split the difference by ...
- Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:58 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Preseason Poll 2016-2017
- Replies: 27
- Views: 14122
Re: Preseason Poll 2016-2017
It'd be useful to hear from various teams about who they're losing and returning (and perhaps have it in the top post?), so that voters don't base their ballots on mistaken information.
- Fri Aug 26, 2016 6:54 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: How To Avoid Running Out Of Question Ideas
- Replies: 9
- Views: 14486
Re: How To Avoid Running Out Of Question Ideas
All of this is good stuff. I want to put in a plug for another resource: other people. They might not always be available: maybe this is a tournament you have to write solo, or literally everyone else is playing, or it's just for your packet, etc. But odds are there will be people who are not playi...
- Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:33 am
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: How To Avoid Running Out Of Question Ideas
- Replies: 9
- Views: 14486
How To Avoid Running Out Of Question Ideas
I've written a lot of questions in my day, and one of the most frustrating things about the question-writing process is stalling out while I try to think of question ideas. Even though this is a game where lots of topics come up in questions over and over, it paradoxically can become very difficult ...
- Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:02 am
- Forum: Theory
- Topic: Stimulants and Rituals for Quizbowl
- Replies: 28
- Views: 17565
Re: Stimulants and Rituals for Quizbowl
At my first-ever college tournament, I asked one of my teammates to punch me, in the hopes that this would give me an adrenaline rush and cause me to perform better in our final game. Said teammate declined and also quit quizbowl after the tournament. Part of me wonders if that would have worked. I...
- Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:56 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: What are clues for?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3059
Re: What are clues for?
Thank you for an incredible post, Tamara. It says something succinctly and clearly that I've seen a lot of players struggle to convey about why they find this game so special. I think it's pretty fair to say that every clue a player includes should be at least in theory gettable by someone who knows...
- Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:04 pm
- Forum: Trash
- Topic: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
- Replies: 577
- Views: 328515
Re: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
Wouldn't it be better to wait until after those events are run?Cheynem wrote:I will read my Tricon packet and Film Packet for people not playing those events (or I guess if you're planning on reading for those events or reading those packets specifically) tonight in the IRC at 9 PM EST.
- Tue Aug 02, 2016 3:32 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: BURI - Myth Side Event
- Replies: 17
- Views: 9321
Re: BURI - Myth Side Event
Cheynem wrote:How many packets will there be?
Urech hydantoin synthesis wrote:7
- Mon Aug 01, 2016 9:06 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: An Apology and an Announcement
- Replies: 19
- Views: 12489
Re: An Apology and an Announcement
Uh, what?Irreligion in Bangladesh wrote:I could ask Dave if he wanted make an apology post
(emphasis added)
- Mon Aug 01, 2016 4:18 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: An Apology and an Announcement
- Replies: 19
- Views: 12489
Re: An Apology and an Announcement
I, on behalf of NHBB and with David's blessing, apologize for the threats of legal action related to discussing NHBB matters. I'd like to apologize to Bunnie specifically, as the target of David's e-mail, and to the members of the board broadly for violating board rules. David's actions were far mo...
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:50 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
Regarding that "Simi Valley" TU, I was reading it (as a 15-year resident of Los Angeles) and wondering how anyone could answer it, especially since it doesn't describe where Simi Valley is in terms of the geography of LA (say, just west of the Valley). And wow, it was negged in 90% of the...
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:16 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
- Replies: 75
- Views: 46195
Re: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
This thread is a mess, and almost everything everyone is saying is totally irrelevant. There is ONLY ONE issue here, which is that David Madden has bullied members of the quizbowl community by threatening legal action against them for daring to criticize him or his product. This is an ethical lapse ...
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:10 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: 2017 USABB Nationals: Memorial Day Weekend (5/26-29) Chicago
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4784
Re: 2017 USABB Nationals: Memorial Day Weekend (5/26-29) Chi
It shouldn't matter to anyone when or where this event is, because volunteering to aid David Madden is off the table indefinitely for anyone with ethical standards.
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:29 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
- Replies: 75
- Views: 46195
Re: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
For what it’s worth, after consulting with my lawyer, both he and I came to the conclusion that it’s not worth my time or energy to pursue any lawsuit against Bunnie (or anyone else) regarding non-disclosure agreements, unless it’s a matter of disclosing confidential business plans and financial in...
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:59 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
- Replies: 75
- Views: 46195
Re: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
I can easily imagine NHBB descending into chip-like levels of question recycling and low quality. I can also imagine that, as long as Dave keeps spending to make his events look fancy, that might not affect attendance—and therefore, rather than seeing NHBB burn to the ground, we'd have a growing, e...
- Sat Jul 30, 2016 1:08 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
- Replies: 75
- Views: 46195
Re: Would You Recommend Working for NHBB?
It is absolutely prohibited to threaten, or in any way imply that you are threatening, legal action or the exacting of a monetary fine from any other person for something they posted on the board. If you do this, you will be banned, with no warning or second chance. If you genuinely believe that so...
- Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:46 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: Abolish The Mythology Category (Or Reduce & Revamp It)
- Replies: 22
- Views: 11014
Re: Abolish The Mythology Category (Or Reduce & Revamp It)
Bruce's three suggested clue types are all sound, and fit well as sub-examples of how to do the first and second bullet points on my own list. Second, if staleness and size of answer space create issues, those issues exist around Regionals level. As others have correctly noted, this isn't a problem ...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:54 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: Do We Want/Need More Computer Stuff Per Round?
- Replies: 13
- Views: 4889
Re: Do We Want/Need More Computer Stuff Per Round?
disclaimer: I am still not a scientist How would people feel about a distribution which split things along different lines than we do now? Treating biology, chemistry, and physics as the core triad of scientific inquiry is a pretty dated mindset, and I suspect it does something of a disservice to th...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:44 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: Do We Want/Need More Computer Stuff Per Round?
- Replies: 13
- Views: 4889
Do We Want/Need More Computer Stuff Per Round?
In keeping with my points about "distributional pluralism" at the end of the other thread: I would be interested to see a larger discussion about how and whether to get more computer science and computational methods content into quizbowl. My suspicion is that the number of computer scienc...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:41 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: Abolish The Mythology Category (Or Reduce & Revamp It)
- Replies: 22
- Views: 11014
Abolish The Mythology Category (Or Reduce & Revamp It)
Prefatory note: This post applies only to college tournaments of Regionals difficulty and above . High school tournaments can afford to have a lot more mythology, as can easy college tournaments, because at that level the basics of myths from the various world pantheons are the subject of more genu...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:50 pm
- Forum: Collegiate Discussion
- Topic: The Barbarism of Specialization
- Replies: 13
- Views: 5474
Re: The Barbarism of Specialization
Chicago Open is difficult enough, and CO players' pockets of deep knowledge often surprising enough, that figuring out what might or might not be an appropriate hard part is often something of an educated guess. (Precisely because we are all generalists to some degree, there is basically no alternat...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:28 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
I can't speak about any of your math points, but your last point I'm not sure i understand. That's kind of a weird complaint, that an editors' question seemed similar to a question you submitted. I wrote a bonus on the history of Kansas and then a tossup was submitted on the history of Kansas, whic...
- Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:29 am
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
...maybe we should have a discussion on what mythology as a category should be. I plan to start such a discussion soon -- be on the lookout for a separate thread this evening. Your thoughts will certainly be welcomed and appreciated. Re: the Canary islanders myth question: I'm willing to admit that...
- Wed Jul 27, 2016 4:41 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
The set is now posted to collegiate.quizbowlpackets.com, which should obviate future requests to post the text of specific questions.
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:38 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
Could I see the "authoritarianism" tossup? According to Juan Linz, this political phenomenon is characterized by "mentalities," which are more flexible than ideologies. A data set of all examples of it since 1945 was gathered for a game-theoretic paper on its "Breakdown&quo...
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:09 pm
- Forum: Trash
- Topic: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
- Replies: 577
- Views: 328515
Re: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
I have received permission to read my CO team's edited packet, which I will do on IRC (#quizbowl) tomorrow at 9 PM EST, along with outtakes. After talking it through with Auroni and John, the schedule for CO readings is being changed somewhat. Starting tonight at 8 PM EST, we'll be reading the rema...
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 4:35 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: 2016 International History Olympiad: Oahu - July 17-24
- Replies: 11
- Views: 6419
Re: 2016 International History Olympiad: Oahu - July 17-24
Are the questions from these events archived or made available somewhere?
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:57 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
Unless you're a terrible editor.The Superfluous Man wrote:( none of us are going to veto it).

- Tue Jul 26, 2016 2:48 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
At the risk of even more editors tooting their own horn, here are some more of my long-form thoughts. The original plan, as hatched in July 2015, was for John and I to co-edit most/all of the non-science, and bring in two or three more people to help with science and gaps in our knowledge bases. Bet...
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:26 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Re: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
breaking: eric mukherjee transfers to Kansas to win his home town a titleCheynem wrote:Is that foreshadowing anything?
- Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:34 am
- Forum: Trash
- Topic: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
- Replies: 577
- Views: 328515
Re: Clearinghouse for Random Packet Announcements
I have received permission to read my CO team's edited packet, which I will do on IRC (#quizbowl) tomorrow at 9 PM EST, along with outtakes. After talking it through with Auroni and John, the schedule for CO readings is being changed somewhat. Starting tonight at 8 PM EST, we'll be reading the rema...
- Mon Jul 25, 2016 8:37 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
- Replies: 73
- Views: 45139
Re: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
There will be an IRC reading of the three remaining editors' packets for CO 2016 tomorrow night starting at 8 PM EST, in channel #COFinals (on slashNET as usual). After that, other people are invited to read cut submissions or highlights of their packets or whatever.
- Sun Jul 24, 2016 1:07 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
- Replies: 73
- Views: 45139
Re: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
The Individuals page for the combined stats file is for some reason only displaying the values for the prelims.The Superfluous Man wrote:Looks like removing Dan from the SQBS file bumped all your stats down one row, Chinmay. I'll fix that. Anyone else with stats corrections can post here or email me.
- Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:21 am
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
- Replies: 110
- Views: 41059
Chicago Open 2016 Set Discussion
There being no mirrors, the question set for Chicago Open 2016 is now cleared for discussion.* Here is the list of who edited what: John Lawrence: All Literature, Auditory Fine Arts, Philosophy Mike Cheyne: All History Matt Jackson: Religion, Mythology, all Social Science except econ, most Your Choi...
- Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:36 am
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: CO "History Bee" (2018)
- Replies: 15
- Views: 6834
Re: CO "History Bee" (2018)
It would be kind of cool to straight-up do whatever schedule format the high school National History Bee does, with minimal modification. I think that involves quasi-randomly seeded prelim rooms of equal size for several rounds, then elimination rounds which slowly whittle the field down.
- Fri Jul 22, 2016 1:34 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6/12)
- Replies: 86
- Views: 38610
Re: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6
The format in question we used was identical to the format used at USABB Academic Bowl Nationals which teams both there and in Asia seemed to enjoy as a cross between NHBB 4 quarter format and 20/20. The main features of it are 7 tossup/three-part bonus cycles to start, with the broad topic of the ...
- Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:23 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6/12)
- Replies: 86
- Views: 38610
Re: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6
The format in question we used was identical to the format used at USABB Academic Bowl Nationals which teams both there and in Asia seemed to enjoy as a cross between NHBB 4 quarter format and 20/20. The main features of it are 7 tossup/three-part bonus cycles to start, with the broad topic of the ...
- Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:17 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
- Replies: 73
- Views: 45139
Re: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
Set is fully written and undergoing a last round of cosmetic/nit-pick edits now. Have fun, suckas 

- Mon Jul 18, 2016 8:58 pm
- Forum: Theory
- Topic: Writing Good History Questions
- Replies: 35
- Views: 17776
Re: Writing Good History Questions
I've elaborated upon this before , so I'll be brief: I agree with pretty much everything this thread says. In particular, themed questions are great, and everybody should write them. However, I am still suspicious of "creative" answer lines (creative questions are fine and good, of course...
- Mon Jul 18, 2016 8:58 pm
- Forum: Best of the Best
- Topic: Writing Good History Questions
- Replies: 35
- Views: 21392
Re: Writing Good History Questions
I've elaborated upon this before , so I'll be brief: I agree with pretty much everything this thread says. In particular, themed questions are great, and everybody should write them. However, I am still suspicious of "creative" answer lines (creative questions are fine and good, of course...
- Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:49 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Question-specific discussion: 2016 Division I SCT
- Replies: 58
- Views: 21002
Re: Question-specific discussion: 2016 Division I SCT
How many rooms does NAQT believe a question has to be played in for conversion data to be meaningful?
- Tue Jul 05, 2016 1:22 am
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open Team Formation
- Replies: 22
- Views: 14155
Re: Chicago Open Team Formation
We are still hoping that some more free agents might be available to play Chicago Open on a 20th team, which will make our schedule work more efficiently. This team would be packet-exempt. Contact [email protected], CCing Dan Passner at [email protected], if interested.
- Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:59 am
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: NHBB, the Community, and the Forums
- Replies: 27
- Views: 13255
Re: 2016 National Quiz Bowl Awards: Nominees Up, Vote Thru 6
Given the growing organizational and conceptual separation between quizbowl* and History Bowl, and the continued disappointment on the part of many in quizbowl with various facets of History Bowl as currently put in practice, it doesn't strike me as odd that people are more frustrated now than they ...
- Sun Jun 19, 2016 10:49 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
- Replies: 73
- Views: 45139
Re: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
Yes, we received this.The Top Percentage of Rattatas wrote:It's marked as submitted in the team formation sheet, so I think we're fine, though I never got a confirmation.Wynaut wrote:Have you received a packet from Chris Borglum et. al. yet? Dylan says he submitted it days ago.
Other teams: Be like Chris Borglum et. al. Submit packets!
- Sat Jun 18, 2016 5:12 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: 2016 NASAT: June 18-19 @ University of Kentucky
- Replies: 56
- Views: 47152
Re: 2016 NASAT: June 18-19 @ University of Kentucky
Given the relatively small number of matches which occur on Sunday, the team attendance record over the past few years, and the large registration and travel costs which teams often have to raise themselves to attend NASAT, has thought been given to making it a one-day event, akin to ICT? Given that...
- Thu Jun 16, 2016 1:05 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open Trash 2016 (July 24, 2016)
- Replies: 131
- Views: 61641
Re: Chicago Open Trash 2016 (July 24, 2016)
All, Chicago Open, to be held on the day preceding this tournament, is currently in need of at least two more experienced staffers to run successfully. If you're currently planning only to attend CO Trash, and are around and able to help with the event that makes CO Trash possible, please get in tou...
- Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:58 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open Team Formation
- Replies: 22
- Views: 14155
Re: Chicago Open Team Formation
The Oklahoma team has dropped from the CO field. This means we have the very inconvenient number of 19 teams, which would force us to use a pretty contorted schedule with multiple byes for some teams. (A full round robin is currently not an option given scheduling constraints.) We're reasonably sure...
- Sat Jun 11, 2016 11:51 pm
- Forum: High school area archives
- Topic: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6/12)
- Replies: 86
- Views: 38610
Re: NHBB for Middle and Elementary Levels (Chicago, IL 6/9-6
Is there a reason tossups are worth only 1 point in the Bowl? Just to keep things consistent with the Bee?
- Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:02 pm
- Forum: College area archives
- Topic: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
- Replies: 73
- Views: 45139
Re: Chicago Open 2016 - July 23-24
Tonight is the no-penalty deadline for basically everybody -- make it count!