Search found 1128 matches

by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Aug 12, 2021 6:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Thoughts on Question Writing Theory for Harder Tournaments
Replies: 4
Views: 3146

Thoughts on Question Writing Theory for Harder Tournaments

I thought I'd split off a separate topic for thoughts related to question-writing theory (for both my thoughts and as a nesting ground for others thoughts on writing theory in harder quizbowl events, which do not have to be related to any of the points that I raise, but may perhaps be stimulated as ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:48 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2021 ACF Nationals: Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 35
Views: 8705

Re: 2021 ACF Nationals: Specific Question Discussion

I agree that both LBJ and Peterloo had way too much of a cliff in clue difficulty - LBJ on the Treatment, and Peterloo on the Six Acts. Those were two that really should've had a few more hard middle clues stuffed in the third to fifth lines. Also, that sans-culottes tossup was not very good, and wa...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Aug 11, 2021 4:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2021 ACF Nationals: Specific Question Discussion
Replies: 35
Views: 8705

Re: 2021 ACF Nationals: Specific Question Discussion

Thanks for that Daughters of Bilitis question, by the way. I really enjoyed that idea, and was determined to keep it in the set.
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Aug 11, 2021 3:11 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion
Replies: 26
Views: 9683

Re: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion

Yeah, the good news may be that - whether you like, hate, or are indifferent to my writing philosophy - it's perfectly possible that you can hear a set like this and not even notice all that much of a difference. There's a practical dimension to writing questions, and oftentimes it doesn't really ma...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:37 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion
Replies: 26
Views: 9683

Re: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion

I must admit I'm a bit confused by this. Why do you think quiz bowl should be a dispassionate, tertiary source? The most intriguing quiz bowl questions I have heard are ones that made connections and did not simply feel like you needed to have read paragraph six on page 325 of a textbook. (And, rea...
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:27 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion
Replies: 26
Views: 9683

Re: 2021 ACF Nationals: Thank Yous and Discussion

Thanks to everyone involved in producing and playing this tournament. I will likely be making a few more posts in the coming days on post-mortem thoughts, but I wanted to get one out near the top of this thread. I'm not sure if this will be my final significant writing or editing exploit in quizbowl...
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Punishment for cheating in online quizbowl
Replies: 7
Views: 3627

Re: Punishment for cheating in online quizbowl

I suppose my opinion is that online tournaments are currently just not valid quizbowl. Until we develop some sort of framework where people can compete long-distance with reasonable controls in place to prevent cheating (at least controls that make it very difficult to cheat - in the same way that i...
by No Rules Westbrook
Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:39 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Penn Bowl at Michigan (19 Oct 2019; Ann Arbor, MI)
Replies: 8
Views: 5341

Re: Penn Bowl at Michigan (19 Oct 2019; Ann Arbor, MI)

If you guys need any help staffing for the tournament, I can swing over.
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:40 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO Matchmaking
Replies: 16
Views: 8034

Re: CO Matchmaking

Matt Lafer and I will be playing. We can sometimes get humanities questions if they drone on long enough to get to the one thing we still remember about the answer, provided that I don't neg it first by buzzing on a thing that I thought I remembered about the answer. Science, classical music, or any...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:01 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals discussion
Replies: 121
Views: 62517

Re: ACF Nationals discussion

In fairness to Andrew on that Elkhorn Tavern mixup, it was late in the game and he was trying to make my middle answer choice of Sterling Price easier. (probably not a bad idea)
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:10 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals discussion
Replies: 121
Views: 62517

Re: ACF Nationals discussion

Yeah, pre-colonial African history is a quagmire. Different scholars disagree on what was or wasn't an empire, and there's so much intermingling and fluidity. I'm sympathetic to people who said Fulani, or even Sokoto.
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:58 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open 2019 - Weekend of August 3rd
Replies: 98
Views: 76854

Re: Chicago Open 2018 - July 21st weekend

If any teams out there still need teammates, feel free to hit me up.
by No Rules Westbrook
Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:26 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: TRICON 5: COMING SUMMER 2017
Replies: 35
Views: 18527

Re: TRICON 5: COMING SUMMER 2017

I just sent my packet in to Fred.
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Aug 02, 2017 6:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: TRICON 5: COMING SUMMER 2017
Replies: 35
Views: 18527

Re: TRICON 5: COMING SUMMER 2017

I'll have a packet to you on 8/4 before that time, Fred.
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:34 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open Discussion
Replies: 32
Views: 22603

Re: Chicago Open Discussion

Jordan's post on cross-purposes is interesting, followed up by Bollinger's post looking at the same sort of dichotomy. As I read Bollinger's post, he's advocating more in favor of the "gradual canon expansion" model that I've always used as my baseline for writing (at least, as opposed to ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Jul 25, 2017 6:33 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open Discussion
Replies: 32
Views: 22603

Re: Chicago Open Discussion

I don't have the time or desire to write a long post right now, but I may compose one later. Ike brought me onto this tournament explaining from the start that he wanted it to be his "final flourish," his goodbye manifesto to mainstream quizbowl writing, and that (because of Ike's interest...
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: State of tournament criticism
Replies: 5
Views: 4078

Re: State of tournament criticism

I think this has been a problem for years now. Basically, the only evaluation you see after a set nowadays is either: (1) arguments about clues in a handful of specific questions that a certain poster was nonplussed with (usually in predictable categories like classical music or science where there'...
by No Rules Westbrook
Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2017 (T)TIaC: Discussion of language and vulgarity
Replies: 24
Views: 5158

Re: 2017 (This) Tournament is a Crime General Discussion

Look, I'm not going to come close to agreeing with you namby-pamby PC millenials. (for those too young to know what I'm about, I have absolutely no patience for restricting or modifying speech based on people's feelings...which is, of course, what we're contemplating). And, at least once in a blue m...
by No Rules Westbrook
Sun Feb 26, 2017 11:19 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: 2017 (T)TIaC: Discussion of language and vulgarity
Replies: 24
Views: 5158

Re: 2017 (This) Tournament is a Crime General Discussion

We don't need censorship. Moderators were given a choice about what to say, which is the standard gesture. I'll go a step further on the Earl Butz quote and say that the clue is interesting precisely because of the quote itself and the context in which it occurred - changing the quote or paraphrasin...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:43 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Michigan
Replies: 70
Views: 42305

Re: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Mich

Dylan and Mike Sorice have joined Lafer and myself on a team.
by No Rules Westbrook
Fri Dec 30, 2016 6:07 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Michigan
Replies: 70
Views: 42305

Re: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Mich

Matt Lafer and I have registered as a team. Please shoot one of us an email if anyone is looking for teammates.
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Nov 08, 2016 7:02 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Brief Wondrous Tournament of WAO (January 21st-after)
Replies: 35
Views: 23686

Re: The Brief Wondrous Tournament of WAO (January 21st-after

I didn't get around to seeing and replying to the Facebook post, but I can probably offer you a packet for this.
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Oct 27, 2016 7:05 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Packet submission
Replies: 15
Views: 7441

Re: Packet submission

It may just be my particular approach to writing and editing, but I believe ACF Nats would be immensely more work for a team of editors if it were not packet submission...and would probably be lower quality overall as a result. I don't think that packet sub increases or warps difficulty at all - if ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:42 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Michigan
Replies: 70
Views: 42305

Re: (This) Tournament is a Crime weekend - 2/25-26/17 - Mich

I'm in to play this. I fucking suck even more than all the other old people in this thread pointing out how much they suck.

I may have a hard side tournament for people to play at this event, if there's time in the schedule, and if I finish writing it.
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:41 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Scattergories (February 2017)
Replies: 20
Views: 12341

Re: Scattergories (February 2017)

I'll happily play this tournament.
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:47 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: CO 2017 Team Formation
Replies: 23
Views: 15092

Re: CO 2017 Team Formation

Good lookin' out, Rob.
by No Rules Westbrook
Fri Sep 02, 2016 6:02 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion
Replies: 57
Views: 29187

Re: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion

I have no interest whatsoever in restricting the field size, especially not on the criterion of who is the best team. I'd like to see as many teams as possible play. I love the trend of seeing very young freshman/sophomore based teams willing to come out to CO (with no expectation of the tournament ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:10 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion
Replies: 57
Views: 29187

Re: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion

When I've done incentives like this in the past, I've tried to factor in the "experience of the team writing" into my holistic evaluation of the packet. Grade on a curve in some cases, essentially. But yeah, I'm pretty sympathetic to Eliza's viewpoint here. The number of people willing to ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Sep 01, 2016 6:44 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion
Replies: 57
Views: 29187

Re: Packet Discount Policy for Chicago Open Discussion

Speaking as one of the two other co-editors of this CO (hope that's not a spoiler), my major concern is with the regressive nature of this scheme. I like the motivation behind the scheme (even if I share Jerry's skepticism about its efficacy). CO attendance is at an all-time high, and even when the ...
by No Rules Westbrook
Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:21 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: warning: limitless indalecio discussion
Replies: 31
Views: 15098

Re: warning: limitless indalecio discussion

Someday, I'm gonna get around to reading this thread.

Not today, but someday. I hope it's the same day I finish my JRPG tournament.
by No Rules Westbrook
Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:19 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Second Summer Open
Replies: 61
Views: 37984

Re: The Second Summer Open

Sounds like Stephen Liu is asking for more contract law in quizbowl. Peppercorns for everyone!
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:41 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players
Replies: 29
Views: 28224

Re: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players

They existed, but I'd say they were much more rare. The thrust of my longer post above was that, back in the day, you could often sit around and wait until the last couple clues of a question - especially if it was a fairly hard question - because there weren't as many specialists around ("hype...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:06 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Make your questions interesting!
Replies: 9
Views: 5004

Re: Make your questions interesting!

Yeah, I support this post a lot. I'd also say that it's fine to joke around a little bit, which is something that seems like it's going out of style. I enjoy that Ike puts references to being "cuckoo for Okonkwo puffs," and throws out asides like mentioning the appearance of a quote in the...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:36 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players
Replies: 29
Views: 28224

Re: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players

I agree with Andrew Hart, but let's not forget that we have much deeper fields at Nats now than we had from 2005-2010. It's not nearly as "top-heavy" as it used to be - there are lots of okay players who can make solid buzzes (again, no doubt due to the democratization effect of having all...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:10 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players
Replies: 29
Views: 28224

Re: 25 for 25: A Definitive List of the Greatest ACF Players

A couple of things about this post strike me as amusing for discussion purposes. First, I love the line about old Michigan being a team full of players who would "be buzzing by the end of almost any question," because it reminds me that there used to be a certain type of player that really...
by No Rules Westbrook
Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:09 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

You don't need to wait for the set to be posted to start writing your Chi Open tossups on PBS Pinchback.
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:24 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

presented it in a way that wasn't so brutal on the players.
I called my tournament FIST for a reason.
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:22 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

The Anti-Canonist Movement wants to turn all question into audio/visual mosaics that speak in code to people who have taken the right class or read the right textbook, while excluding people who have learned clues on their filthy flashcards (at least until post-FTP - where those filthy dogs can have...
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Apr 20, 2016 6:07 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

I just wanna say that Punt tossup sucked balls. The whole thing was basically screaming "this sure sounds like a magical place where Egyptians went and got cool stuff!" - but that's because there really are not many other clues for Punt. The examples that people give are always funny to me...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:19 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

I'm sorry, I rather purposely derailed this thread by making a pointed ideological comment. I've always felt that quizbowl at its best is something sui generis - and that it doesn't need to rely upon, or have continual reference to, a concept of an academic curriculum in order to maintain a reasonab...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:32 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

Yeah, I'm a pretty big fan of asking about crusty old dudes like Lester Ward and Patrick Geddes who have very limited relevance to actual study in the modern sense (or easier examples like Henry George or William Graham Sumner). I realize that's not everybody's cup of tea. I think the "quizbowl...
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:11 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion
Replies: 74
Views: 31509

Re: ACF Nationals 2016 Discussion

Ike's not kidding when he says this Nats was his baby. He put in such a massive amount of work all across the set, and was a fantastic editor to work with throughout. On social science, I'd say the amount of both anthro and econ was probably a bit on the low side - with a slightly heavier focus on p...
by No Rules Westbrook
Fri Apr 15, 2016 5:09 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals - University of Michigan, 04.16-17.2016
Replies: 104
Views: 60726

Re: ACF Nationals - University of Michigan, 04.16-17.2016

It does, but you're still 9 karma points short, and thus will remain in the Bracket of Death
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Apr 14, 2016 8:08 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Chicago Open Team Formation
Replies: 22
Views: 15833

Re: Chicago Open Team Formation

Matt Lafer and I are seeking teammates for CO. Science and music players welcome.
by No Rules Westbrook
Thu Apr 07, 2016 5:25 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (CO Sunday?)
Replies: 29
Views: 15671

Re: The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (CO Sunday?)

I'd like to sign up for WANG, the visual porn event at this year's CO.
by No Rules Westbrook
Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:36 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACF Nationals - University of Michigan, 04.16-17.2016
Replies: 104
Views: 60726

Re: ACF Nationals - University of Michigan, 04.16-17.2016

Rob Carson's acceptably 21st-century email address, [email protected].
This post is reserved for Ryan Westbrook to defend his AOL Mail account, and other forms of absurd Luddite behaviors.
by No Rules Westbrook
Sun Jul 05, 2015 8:59 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Samuel L. Bronkowitz presents Chicago Open (07/18-19/15)
Replies: 117
Views: 62063

Re: Samuel L. Bronkowitz presents Chicago Open (07/18-19/15)

Eric's spreadsheet doesn't show that my packet has been received - but Jerry's post does and a couple editors have told me it has - so I assume it's typo
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:02 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: VCU Open at Michigan - August 8
Replies: 122
Views: 60410

Re: VCU Open at Michigan - August 8

I'll probably be around for this - anybody out there looking to form another team?
by No Rules Westbrook
Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACFNATIONALS - A JRPG tournament
Replies: 99
Views: 55757

Re: ACFNATIONALS - A JRPG tournament

Jake, I fully intend to write a fan sequel to this tournament (maybe I'll call it Crimson Echoes). For now, I think I'd like to take a try at just writing it myself - after spending a lot of time to play through the games I don't know very well. Perhaps we'll combine forces at some point, or perhaps...
by No Rules Westbrook
Sun May 31, 2015 8:23 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: ACFNATIONALS - A JRPG tournament
Replies: 99
Views: 55757

Re: ACFNATIONALS - A JRPG tournament

Just like Miranda and Alonso above, this tournament was fantastic. Thanks for putting it together, guys.