Personal Profile: Chaddington Boomhauer and Shale Nightfire, Part 1/2

Lette Ponnier: Could you both tell me how you ended up doing trivia in SL? Were you doing other stuff in SL first?
Chaddington Boomhauer: I was doing random stuff before trivia, mostly being confused at how to do things, and how-to classes on SL at TUI, NCI, classes on building, land, clothes, etc. Definitely useful. After figuring it out, I was looking for stuff to do, and had played trivia online elsewhere so searched for it.
Shale Nightfire: Friends had told me about SL and in a way that made me scared of all the sex-fiends I would come across. I've played trivia in other places too so I searched for it on SL, and found that the trivia people are a really good crowd!

LP: Were you both involved in other virtual worlds before SL?
CB: I played NTN and pub quizzes, I BBS'd, played trivia in IRC.
SN: Similar for me, plus hosting in real life venues.

LP: Were there any particular spots you found early on here when you started looking?
CB: Cafe Trivia would always come up first in my searches. The Shelter one was one of the first ones I went to that wasn't Gogomodo.
SN: I think I tried all of the Gogomodo spots that were listed when I started and found a few that had good people to talk to and a nice atmosphere. The Angry Penguin Tavern was one of my early favourites, and the campfire at AMS.

LP: Another question that is sort of related has to do with your creating Shotgun. It started in the fall, right?
CB: I think October but I'm not sure.
SN: We had been planning to open up our own trivia spot for a long time, but I was away for the summer. We bought Zoo La La in August; our first Shotgun Trivia was September 5th. In October we started having it in the Zoo Bar, but we still hold it on the mountain or the waterfront.


LP: What were your goals for it? It’s a higher paying game than average. Was it your intention to create a game that stood out for that reason?
CB: I think the prize money was to make sure people came at first.
SN: We got our own land so we could be creative - to build and experiment. Plus to have our own Gogomodo spot and host fast-paced trivia contests, since we had been to some slow ones. Games where you can learn something and have some fun. We found that the higher prizes do bring out a more competitive crowd, but it isn't so much about the actual money.
CB: Ones where you go nuts waiting 3-5 minutes between and it's not that talkative are annoying.
SN: A lot of the winners are other trivia hosts, who then give out money in prizes too.
CB: I do like some where it's slower and not much money, but mainly because of the people talking between questions.
SN: We did try holding Molasses Trivia btw. It wasn't as popular.
CB: Shelter trivia is fun but feels very slow compared to other ones. I got there from NCI. It's a good place if you need some help with SL.

LP: Do you still go to NCI?
CB: Yeah I became an NCI helper.
LP: What does that involve?
CB: Just sitting around answering whatever people ask or helping them with an immediate issue like box on head, can't stop dancing, where is my penis, etc.

SN: We have had classes at Zoo La La primarily for newbies; we do like to pass on what we learn, whether it's trivia or SL information. Usually the Q&A format was most popular.
CB: Open Q&A for Newbies and Slex 101. There is a sex kit now to give to people urgently in need of slex. With free parts, landmarks.
SN: We didn't have live demonstrations, but we had volunteers! It was just a basic intro and where to go next. Tastes really vary, so we weren't going to address them all. The reason we did some of these special newbie classes was due to a huge influx of people that happened following media attention about sex on SL. So many people were signing up with the wrong impression, that we wanted to do something to help the situation.
CB: SL seems a bit small because of that, I go somewhere I see in a blog then notice half my Flickr contacts posted pics of it a few days before.


LP: There's one topic I wanted to bring up, but I didn't actually come up with a way to phrase the question. I recently joined the ranks of a special class of citizens of whom Chadd is a part as well: those who have been banned from Marine Park.
CB: heh
SN: Well, can I say something about that then? With respect to several events that have happened at trivia contests over the last couple of months...

As hosts, we've rarely had problems at our events. In fact, the only occasion we've ever had to ban a trivia player at the Zoo Bar happened two weeks ago. This was only after the player in question (not a regular) insisted on ignoring all the rules and causing a fuss that was disruptive to other players. Even after the ban, we made every attempt to be fair and to resolve the situation.

While I agree that landowners and hosts have the right to ban; moderation, tolerance, understanding and rational behaviour would be nice to see. In my opinion, responsible management includes clearly articulating a venue’s rules and/or customs. When ejecting/banning is necessary, it should be accompanied by an explanation. It would be nice if people were judged by their own individual actions, not those of their friends. Although yes, an influx of players arriving en masse to a new event who appear to be acting as a group could provoke defensive behaviour.

As for MP, I wasn’t even in attendance when Chadd got banned from MP, so I was bewildered when I was ejected from the group. When I asked the owner what happened, I got no response whatsoever. Hrm.

CB: I think they're within their rights. They act weird about everything, there's a weird vibe there, so strange, inexplicable bans don't seem too surprising. I guess I'm lucky: I know exactly why they banned me, and they warned me twice before they banned me, even told me if I behaved I could stay. But I think everyone should be free to make whatever whacky rules they want. There is a trade off between sucky events and wanting the prize money. Missfortune made me realize it is better to try to decide based on the fun or challenge involved and not the money
SN: It's "only SL," but it's all too easy to click a couple of buttons and hurt a lot of feelings. On the other hand, almost all of the regular games I attend have very tolerant hosts and focus on the fun. It's great to see, too, when hosts put a lot of effort into their questions so you leave knowing you learned something new.

Come back tomorrow -- same time, same place -- for the conclusion of "Buccy Goes To the Zoo." :)

Shale and Chadd hosting Shotgun at Zoo La La

Except where otherwise noted, all photos were taken at Midsomer Isle, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Midsomer%20Isle/149/124/27

Shotgun Trivia:
=> Times/Days: Saturdays, 3:00-5:00pm; Chadd and Shale also sometimes announce games at other times during the week in the Zoo Bar group
=> Location: Zoo La La, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ishel%20Down/58/36/317
=> Prizes: Shotgun prizes are usually L$100 per question in the first round of ten questions; players can donate money to the bonus round kitty, and the hosts calculate the prize amount for the remaining questions. Other games at Zoo La La are subject to variation.

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Typos of the Week, May 24 through May 30

10. [18:42] Rosalind Byron: los abngeles

9. [20:09] Fio Frangilli: miassiappi

8. [14:43] Cully Andel: birmand of alcateaz

7. [17:14] Lou Netizen: ecalpytus
[17:14] AnaMaria Quintessa: euvcaplysu
[17:14] Sweejen Stourmead: eucallitypus

6. [17:11] Mark007 Bloobury: grhanm\

5. [18:23] Sirius Redstar: dnadala

4. [17:15] Maelstrom Janus: cybandie

3. [13:07] Laertes Parx: traculmaan

2. [19:45] Olmstead Fanshaw: houdine'[
Note: he made the list on May 18 with: 6. [15:50] Olmstead Fanshaw: houdine][

1. [14:09] Less Juliesse: suz=eza

Kaiya Clawtooth hosting trivia at North Norway, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ingvar/45/49/54

10. Los Angeles
9. Mississippi
8. Birdman of Alcatraz
7. eucalyptus
6. Graham
5. sandals
4. cyanide
3. Tracey Ullman
2. Houdini
1. Suez

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Trivia in SL for Newbies

Two things have happened recently that have made me decide to write something for newbies in SL and in SL trivia. Earlier today, a newbie showed up at Sharon's Diner during a trivia event wearing a "click me for free lindens" box and tag, sat down, and began asking questions about how to find a job in SL. Even though he won L$3 from the random trivia orb while he was there and everyone was encouraging him to try to answer Sharon's questions, he didn't really seem to get what was going on. He IMed one of the players who was being helpful to find out how to be a host; when the player told him that there's more money available in playing trivia than hosting it, the newbie asked, "What is trivia?"

The other incident took place last night, when I attended a regular event with a less regular host. The host was doing a fine job, but one of the players was -- not to mince words -- an asshole to her and to others in the club. He complained repeatedly that she was going too slowly, though her pace felt pretty normal to me; he contested pretty much every question; he used all caps continually. I left early partly because of the comments he was making to me throughout the evening but also because of how he was treating the host. I heard later that this might have been the first time he'd come to a trivia event. At any rate, he was certainly not a regular player anywhere and seemed clueless about some of the proper etiquette and respect you show even a host you think is doing a poor job, to say nothing of one who was doing just fine.

So first I have a list of things to know about trivia if you're new to SL. Following that is a list of things to know if you're not new to SL but you're new to SL trivia. And of course if anyone wants to add other suggestions, please do so!


What every SL newbie should know:

* Second Life has a thriving trivia community with a wide variety of games.

* If you don't yet know what trivia is all about, think Jeopardy!, Trivial Pursuit, The Weakest Link, Who Wants to be a Millionaire... basically games based around questions and answers about different areas of knowledge.

* If you're good at trivia, you can win money at it. Even if you're not, you can meet some of the smartest and most interesting people in SL.

* To find trivia games at times that are good for you, use the search feature in your viewer: click "Search" (at the bottom of the window), then the "Events" tab in the window that opens, and type "trivia" into the search field. You'll see numerous listings of events at various times and places. Choose one, and when the scheduled time comes, use the listing to teleport to the event.

* If you're logged on during the day (in SL time), go to Sharon's. It's a very friendly environment, and the random trivia orb can give you some practice without the pressure of fast typing.

* If you're logged on during the evening (in SL time), go to Club Shiraz. The hosts write their trivia to be accessible to all. (Just note that if a man IMs you to tell you "ur pretty" and to welcome you to his club, it's not a flirtation so much as, um... let's call it an initiation. We all go through it.)

* Most games follow a simple format: the host asks questions, and the first person to answer in open chat wins L$. The amount varies depending on the location. This means that the skills involved include not only knowing (or being able to guess) the answer to the question but reading fast and typing fast, as well.

* Other games follow different formats, so arrive on time and pay attention to the rules the host gives at the beginning. They might accept more than one correct answer, or they might reward witty but incorrect answers, or they might disqualify you from the question if you take more than one guess. Hosts also vary in terms of their standards for spelling, typoes, abbreviations, etc. To avoid unexpected surprises, listen to the rules.

* If this whole trivia thing appeals to you but you're not fast enough to compete very well yet, try your hand at Gogomodo trivia. Gogomodo is a trivia machine that doesn't pay money but that a lot of players find to be a good practice tool. At some places, it's also the watercooler of SL trivia, the spot where people gather and socialize. Find Gogomodo locations at http://gogomodotrivia.com/?pg=where. Many trivia clubs have Gogomodo running at other times or in other parts of the area, too, so if you see the green, starry text, take note and go back when you have time.

* Once you've gotten your feet wet, make sure you try out more than one place. Different hosts have different styles; different places have different payouts. The spots with larger prizes also draw the more competitive crowds, so don't just follow the money at first.

* Join trivia groups to receive announcements. The best ones for general announcements are Trivia Fiends and Sharon's Diner. Go to "Search," select the "Groups" tab, and enter the names of these groups in the search field. Click on the name of the group, then click "View Full Profile," and finally click in the profile where it says, "Join (L$0)."

* It is courteous to tip the trivia host when you go to a paying event. Look for objects with floating text, usually near the host or the front of the space, and pay whatever amount you can afford. Some people tip a portion of their winnings; others tip more if they can afford to do so. If you don't see a tip jar or tip sign, you can tip the host directly. Right-click (or Cmd-click, on a Mac) the object or person, and select "Pay" in the pie menu. At some events, you might wish to tip other staff members, such as DJs, club hosts, dancers, or the club itself. But if you went there specifically for the trivia, then the most important person to tip is the trivia host.


Some rules of etiquette that might be useful for everyone new (and old) to SL trivia, even if you're not new to SL:

* The host sets the rules of the game, so it bears repeating: show up at an event on time the first time you go there, to make sure you hear the rules for that particular game. If you're at an event earlier in the day where the host accepted abbreviations and one later on where they don't, don't be upset with the host if your answer is discounted; he or she probably warned at the beginning that such answers wouldn't be accepted.

* Most hosts are happy to be corrected if they accidentally call the wrong winner for a question or forget to deliver a payment, but be polite if you choose to call these things to their attention. Comments about the correct winner are usually ok to state in open chat, unless the host has specified otherwise (and as long as it is done cordially), but complaints about payments are most appropriately handled in IM with the host or banker.

* Other types of complaints, such as a dispute over an answer, are typically more sensitive to handle, so be sure to lodge these in IM, and always assume that an honest mistake was made (and that it might have been yours). Most of the time, these disputes are not about stupidity but about ambiguous questions. With some hosts, these are simply part of the game. And with all hosts, remember that you're usually playing for pocket change in real life money.

* Lag is a constant problem in trivia as it is in the rest of SL. It can do crazy things to how your chat appears. This is especially important to remember when you believe the host has called the wrong winner. It's possible that either you or the host experienced chat lag. Some hosts will always go with the answers as they appear on their own screen; others will be swayed if they learn that they're the only ones who saw the results that way. Either option is the host's prerogative. The lag factor also provides a built-in way of tactfully questioning a call, by allowing you to say, "Was I lagging? So-and-so was first on my screen."

* Don't badger the host to go faster. Trivia games are usually not merely competitions but are also social events. Most games move at a pace of 10 to 20 qph (questions per hour, and yes, I just made up that term of measurement). This means that some games might have as much as six minutes between questions on average. The host is more than just a question- and linden-generating machine, so use the time to talk with others, either in IM or local chat. The best hosts are good at pacing their games very deliberately. If they seem to be pausing for a while, they're probably doing it on purpose, so don't expect complaints about pacing to be welcomed.

* Be respectful of other players. Sometimes one player will stand out in a game. Making jokes about that player is neither witty nor original, and although many don't care, others become very self-conscious about doing well. Since most seasoned trivia regulars have heard them all before -- from threats to tie the player's hands behind their back to sabotaging their keyboard with sticky syrup to telling their dance partner to distract them with smutty IMs -- you aren't really going to impress them by rolling out a new variation. Pay attention to how they respond if you do make a joke, and if they're not laughing with you, then don't continue to push.

* Always, always remember to thank the trivia hosts. They've worked hard to put this event together for you and in most cases have put up their own money for it. Not all hosts write their own questions, but for those who do, the process can take hours of preparation for one game. Let them know you appreciate it.

This is a starter list for what to expect in the wide world of SL trivia. I would love for anyone with other ideas to post them here. Thanks go out to Alanna Robianni, Cinna Xaris, Honey Potez , and Thornton Writer (part of the late night Greedy crew) for helping me brainstorm these recommendations.


All photos were taken at Club Shiraz on Animal Night.

Specs for locations mentioned in this post:
=> Location: Club Shiraz, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cicero/245/67/254
=> Trivia times: 6:00 to 8:00pm every day, plus 7:00 to 8:30am Saturdays and Sundays and 11:00am to 12:30pm Sundays; there is also one Gogomodo board in the games area
=> Hosts: Honey Potez, Jynks Clawtooth, Trin McMinnar
=> Prizes: 35 questions during night games, L$20 per question, plus costume contests Thursday through Saturday nights

=> Location: Sharon's Diner, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Doldari/117/119/67
=> Trivia times: live events on most weekday mornings, 9:00 to 11:00am; there are two Gogomodo boards that run when live events are not taking place; there is a random trivia orb that sometimes has money in it for correct answers and might be running at any time
=> Hosts: Sharon Scofield, Maggie Sewell; Mondays now include "bring your own trivia" events featuring a round robin question format
=> Prizes: L$3 for random trivia orb questions; usually L$25 for live questions, but may vary

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Event Profile: Cafe Casablanca

Dae's Cafe Casablanca

There was no one there except for the host when Lou and I arrived at Cafe Casablanca. He was dancing alone in the corner of the club and was very friendly with his greetings as we came in. The place didn't bring in many more people over the next hour, but Daedalus Lemuria never lost his positive and welcoming demeanor. He put on a translator for a single guest who spoke only Portuguese and was not doing the trivia. He tossed out teasing banter with the other customers in between the questions. He never let on that he noticed that there were never more than six people in the room at once.

The topic was Big Band Trivia, you see, and, well... it's what we might call a highly specialized area of expertise. I don't know how much of a crowd Dae gets for his non-trivia events -- normally he holds live music and DJed dances -- or for trivia nights with less specific topics, but he was happy to see those who were there and did not seem at all self-conscious about it being a smaller group.

Daedalus Lemuria at "his little gin joint"

The trivia was conducted by way of a trivia machine, but unlike most trivia orbs, it seemed completely controlled by the host, in terms of timing and questions. Dae even had some of his music stream designed to complement the questions. Nonetheless, you had to have exact spelling and the precise versions of the answers for the machine to pick it up. But when it did, it shelled out a generous L$50 per question. Dae sometimes gave clues to help people along, saying "Steal" to indicate that someone was close but didn't have the exact answer.

I was never quite sure why he was using the trivia machine. At one point one player squeezed in with an answer that he'd wanted to pay someone else for knowing first, and he asked the former to pay the latter, saying the game would continue once she did. On another question that everyone was struggling with, he offered a hint in exchange for half of the prize money back from the person who answered it. Each of these could have been much more easily handled if he were managing the prize money himself instead of filtering it through the trivia machine. Trivia machines are useful for busy events when the trivia is only a side-attraction, for instance at a DJed dance or live music event, when the host might have other things he or she needs to attend to. When the questions are as much as L$50 each, the trivia becomes the focal point of the event, and when the trivia requires as much attention as a notecard full of questions to copy into chat, it seems like it would be easier for the host to do the asking and the judging and the paying.

Yes, he is all about Casablanca. Even quotes the movie during the event. And he has hidden on the grounds "The Letter of Transit." Find it and you win L$200!

Aside from the awkwardness arising from the superfluous use of a trivia machine, though, the questions and the game were pleasant enough. I don't have enough background in the subject matter to judge the difficulty level of these questions, but they were all answered eventually. Sample questions:

[2009/05/26 17:05] Trivia Master v1.30: Question: 5. What was "Count" Basie's real first name?

[2009/05/26 17:19] Trivia Master v1.30: Question: 8. Duke Ellington's famous theme was "Take The A Train" where did "The A Train" go?

[2009/05/26 17:27] Trivia Master v1.30: Question: 13. Earl Bostic was famous for this instrument?

These are actually on the easy side, since they're the ones I either got or was close to getting, but they give you an idea.

Dae also does movie trivia sometimes. The club has been open for two years and at its current location for one. Although none of us there on this occasion had ever noticed it listed before, he intends to have trivia nights twice a month. Movie trivia will have more questions at a lower payout (there were twenty questions in this game). He also presents music trivia that is not Big Band-themed but typically sticks with various genres of jazz. The group to join to make sure you don't miss the announcements next time is Cafe Society. Dae's a nice guy, and if these topics are your cup of tea, make the effort to pay him a visit at a future event.

Genevive, me, Lou, Zarya, and a whole lotta Ingrid Bergman.

The Specs:
=> Time/Days: Once every two weeks. Probably continuing on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30, but check Events to be sure.
=> Location: Cafe Casablanca, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Valtor/30/64/22
=> Host: Daedalus Lemuria
=> Prizes: Twenty questions, L$50 each

Answers to sample questions:
=> Bill
=> Harlem
=> saxophone

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If You Build It, They Will Come (for enough prize money)

Bunneh hangs out in Lebn Bucyk's Barefoot Park

I've been thinking lately about the variations in appearance of many of the trivia venues in SL and about whether a location's appearance affects my experience of the game there. I don't tend to shy away from the places that are less attractive, but I am definitely drawn to those that are more so. I don't think my surroundings directly affect whether I play well or not, but they do affect my mood, and if I do poorly, I don't mind it so much if I'm at Lebn's nice little park than if I'm at, say, a mostly empty dirt lot with camping chairs and spammy games. At least at Lebn's I will have had a pleasant time for reasons other than the trivia.

Attractiveness is relative, of course, and most of the places that look unattractive to someone who likes to find SL's most creative builds probably look just fine to those who are more likely to visit bland shopping malls and depressingly parceled sims with ban lines. My opinions about which trivia locations are best and which are best not mentioned are thus entirely subjective. Nonetheless, if it influences me, it probably influences others on a conscious or less-than-conscious level, in terms of their enjoyment of a trivia game. Here are some of the places I like and why I like them.

Armada. It's plagued by some of the most vicious lag demons in SL, but there's no denying that it's nevertheless a great-looking place. It's too bad that it's nearly impossible to play without turning off at least some of the rendering.

Barefoot in Jeongam. Lebn and Preston's park has a bit more floating text than it needs, and it has occasionally been cursed with overly flashy neighbors, but when the place is filled with players using the many poseballs around the fire, it is sweet, charming, cozy, and chill.

The Grotto. The location of last weekend's vampire trivia might host more events in the future. This underground space with marble steps and waterfalls not only is going to be one of the prettiest spots on the trivia circuit if it does but is rather attractive in its own right.

[MonoChrome]. The place is completely uncomplicated, free of ads and unnecessary poseballs. All of the floating text thingies are in one place, by the stage, and there isn't an overabundance of them. Seating is varied, and the dual levels and balconies keep the monochromatic from being monotonous as well.

Sharon's Diner. The regulars might joke about how badly the grease traps need cleaning, but Sharon does a good job of blending the sponsors' ads in with the fake ones. The place is not what you would call pretty, but it has lots of character, and character makes up for some of the details that might spoil the appearance of a less successfully eclectic space.

Sharon Scofield's trivia diner has kitsch. I love kitsch.

Then there are some things that seriously dampen a place's atmosphere. I should note, of course, that there's no absolute dealbreaker here, that (like at Sharon's) it's always possible that some elements can be balanced out by others.

Visible dance balls. Lilly's Irish Pub might have made my list of favorites if it weren't for their tidy little Intan ball going AWOL, while the floor suddenly became littered with more couples dance balls than they had previously (at least this was true the last time I was there). The interior decor is otherwise suitable for a pub, and they still have one of the best solo dance selections on the circuit in their discreet, clickable rug. Glendalough on the whole is rather beautiful, as well. Lilly's is also by far not the worst offender where those dance balls are concerned. I hinted to David Tuck once (albeit much more tactfully and subtly than I'm about to) that the plethora of dance balls all over the club Shiraz dance floor -- couples and line dances both -- were an eyesore. A couple of loyal Shiraz patrons generously donated an Intan ball, but David suggests that the poseballs are more newbie-friendly. While this may be true, I'm unconvinced that the club gets enough newbies on a nightly basis to justify the number of balls that remain out. Compact dance products that can animate solo avatars or produce couples balls on demand cut down on clutter, and it always makes me happy when club owners prefer to use those instead of lingering poseballs.

Zyngo, etc., machines. I understand that these games are very popular and that people who enjoy trivia games might enjoy them as well. I know that there are many reasons to have them at an establishment, not the least of which is that it can draw people to the location. I will only say that being popular doesn't make them any less ugly, and a responsible club owner will take into account how many a property can reasonably use without damaging the location's appearance too much. I personally wouldn't avoid a place due to the mere presence of game machines -- I'm not making an argument against them as a rule -- but I'd recommend simply being aware of how they might detract from a trivia site's appearance and not to use more than necessary.

Excess hover text. Hover text is useful for functional purposes, of course, and it's not usually possible -- or necessary -- to do away with it altogether. The problem emerges when there is so much hover text that it becomes difficult to see past it or when it becomes distracting. The SL eye is trained to ignore hover text when we don't need to see it, to a large extent, so that when it's so plentiful that we actually begin to notice it's there, it's too much.

I'm not going to touch issues of interior and exterior design and the use of quality builds because as subjective as my view already is, those things are much more obviously a matter of taste. My pickiness is mostly about dealing with unnecessary visual clutter that interferes with a location's overall appearance.

So now, since I probably have a few owners and managers and hosts of trivia establishments feeling either worried that I'm talking about their places or defensive because they know I am, let me talk a little about how exactly I believe the appearance of a trivia space could be important (and why it isn't always).

Basically, it's a matter of many, many different factors falling into position to make one's experience of a trivia space positive or not. Appearance is only one of them, but I thought it was an important one to bring up because it doesn't arise in most conversations unless a place is particularly attractive or unattractive. The factors also include the crowd, the trivia, the host(s), the prize amounts, and whether there are other draws, such as a live DJ, dancers, dancing, contests, or yes, even Zyngo games. Low lag also goes a long way. If a location gets high marks in most of these other areas, then chances are, an event can take place in the tackiest club in SL, for all that appearance will matter.

In addition, there is much to be said for intelligent placement: Lebn's place made my list of favorites despite the fact that there are a slew of danceballs at one end of the park; however, they are set apart from where the trivia takes place and are not too conspicuous. Sharon's Diner is chock full of clutter, but she works with it in such a way that it becomes ironic clutter and not just incidental clutter. Like her random music stream, it has a kitschy feel that challenges any kind of generalization one could make about even the few identifiable trouble spots I've highlighted. A space with pink flamingos, satirical ads on graffiti-covered bus benches, and a random meat hook can get away with a lot more ephemera than a space that takes itself too seriously.

There are probably very few hardcore trivia players who will avoid a place with good questions and decent payouts strictly because of its appearance, but it is a factor for some that gets balanced out with the rest of it. Making your trivia space a pleasant place to hang out in, preferably with floaty clutter in moderation, can influence the overall feel of the location and enhance players' experience so that you don't have to worry about whether those other factors make up for the aesthetics.

CultureCannibal Zilz and CapabilityTodd Elswit's Grotto in Villa Vesuviana will be offering trivia with class on a trial basis in the coming month.

SLURLs:
Barefoot in Jeongam: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jeongam/73/25/54
Sharon's Diner: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Doldari/117/119/67
The Grotto: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Melioria/64/77/25

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Typos of the Week, May 17 through May 23

10. [14:34] Sweejen Stourmead: digitia;l
[14:34] Boris Serrao: digia\
[14:34] Lou Netizen: digti

9. [18:47] Darren Berithos: van healna

8. [17:48] Maelstrom Janus: twin pekasks
[17:48] Kay Darkwatch: tewin piaks

7. [9:49] Laertes Parx: aruiplaenh
[9:49] Clynt Easterwood: aitplanre
[9:49] Masairo Absent: airplaoine

6. [18:50] Lette Ponnier: burtdch caddcicy and ;sundCNE KID

5. [21:14] Thornton Writer: robpeboeres
[21:14] Olmstead Fanshaw: robesoiree

4. [18:55] Browman Griffith: ,uham,med ali
[18:55] Askytyleon Proudfoot: muohaa li

3. [19:01] Askytyleon Proudfoot: popchints
[19:01] Browman Griffith: oochtnatsa

2. [14:09] Boris Serrao: leage of dnanr3
[14:09] Boris Serrao: a\

1. And because I couldn't pick just one:
[12:08] Lotus Ceriano: baebadois
[13:05] Lotus Ceriano: isrwa
[9:55] Lotus Ceriano: talonh hrads
[13:39] Lotus Ceriano: racua;

Lotus hosting her Early Birds and Night Owls trivia at Lilly's Irish Pub

10. digital
9. Van Halen
8. Twin Peaks
7. Airplane!
6. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
5. Robespierre
4. Muhammad Ali
3. Pocahontas
2. League of Nations
1. Barbados, Israel, Talking Heads, Dracula

There is trivia at Lilly's on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 2:00pm and from 11:00pm Friday night to 1:00am Saturday morning. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glendalough/104/132/26

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Up For Discussion: Alt! Who Goes There?

Last weekend, I learned that someone had outed my alt to a few people, two of whom already knew about it. The harm at that end was not major because I've more or less regarded it as an open secret anyway, that people who didn't care didn't know, while people who enjoy alt hunting probably figured it out already. I also don't use my alt for any truly deceptive purposes, so it's not like I was caught with my pants down about anything.

I use my alt for two reasons: 1) because different sides of my personality come out when I'm using each avatar, and I have ended up with a different social dynamic when I go to places; sometimes I just feel more connected to the social group with one than with the other; and 2) because Lette Ponnier is really frigging busy, and it's nice to have a lesser-known av that doesn't have to do announcements and host games but can still play trivia and talk with the friends who know that both are me. I can deal with trivia business to whatever extent I want with my alt, and if the person I'm talking to wants to get too professional on me, I can just say, "Sorry, but I left that info in my other inventory."

There were other reasons that I was upset about what happened; in particular, there was disclosure of RL info in the mix, too, for which I ARed his ass. What made me really upset, though, was the moral arrogance he conveyed throughout the entire thing. He seemed to consider the use of alts inherently wrong and deceptive, regardless of their purpose. When one of his confidantes informed him that she too had more than one av, he merely expressed shock and ended the conversation. To my knowledge he hasn't chatted with her since. Plenty of people don't use alts and don't ever want to, but this attitude of moral righteousness was a first for me. It seems like it hadn't occurred to him that alts, far from being the tools of the wicked, are often part of the day-to-day of SL. The room I was in when I heard about what happened contained at least nine people whom I knew had more than one avatar... and that's only the people I knew of.

So here are some questions, and don't forget that if you want to post anonymously, you may do so. How do you feel about alts? In trivia or otherwise? Do you have any? What do you use them for? Do you have any experiences, good or bad, that have contributed to how you feel about them? Are there things that you're ok with people using alts for and others you're not? If so, what? If you don't have alts, why not? And because this is a trivia blog, I'd be especially interested to know how the use or non-use of alts figures into playing or hosting for you, including whether your awareness of alts affects how you run an event.

Now posting from:

Rev, Nelly, Maggie, Pinklady, Sharon, and Carrie avoid the diner smells by hanging in the lot

Sharon's Diner holds trivia most weekday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00am, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Doldari/113/120/67

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News: MMtrivia... new events this week

Billy @ Metal Shop

This Monday, May 18, saw a good turnout for the first trivia event held at rock club the Metal Shop. Billy2Times Krams will be hosting trivia there Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Monday nights, he'll be bringing music to the masses in question form, while the Wednesday format consists of pop culture-heavy general knowledge. Other nights of the week, the Metal Shop hosts rock music and dancing.

Owners Vegas Ember and JH Fall recently moved the year-old Metal Shop to its current location on Sundance Isle sim. The move brings along two welcome changes. One is the new trivia, of course, but according to the proprietors, the other is less lag, which is something everyone can love. Billy kicked off his event by dealing out L$30/20 prizes for first and second place on Monday, though they will typically be L$20/10 for a slate of twenty-five questions.


Lou @ [MonoChrome]

Little Lou Netizen makes big by taking on Saturdays at [MonoChrome] from 12:00 to 1:00pm. She'll be dealing out L$50 per answer for each of twenty questions at her opening gig on May 23. The questions will be general knowledge, with varying difficulty levels. She'll have some gimmes and some stumpers. Word on the street is she'll be building this event up to be something unique and original, so support her on the first day so you can see how it evolves.


Lette @ The Grotto

I've been invited to host a themed trivia event for custom build and prefab store Culture Cannibals as they add a line of caskets to their stock of household items. The trivia will focus on vampires and the occult, with 40 questions at L$25 each, plus some fabulous store giveaway bonus prizes, including a sarcophagus modeled after one from the Medici Chapel of the Princes in Florence. If I can twist some of your arms to join me, it will be a super, fun event!

The Specs:
=> Host: Billy2Times Krams
=> Times: 6:00 to 8:00pm Mondays and Wednesdays
=> Location: The Metal Shop, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sundance%20Isle/239/196/24
=> Prizes: 25 questions, L$20 and L$10 for first and second place

=> Host: Lou Netizen
=> Times: 12:00 to 1:00pm Saturdays
=> Location: [MonoChrome], http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dysis%20Isle/118/28/757
=> Prizes: 20 questions, L$50 each

=> Host: Lette Ponnier
=> Times: 1:00 to 3:00pm Saturday, May 23 only
=> Location: The Grotto, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Melioria/77/77/28
=> Prizes: 40 questions, L$25 each, plus store products

Event Profile: Triana's Music Trivia

It seemed that if I am writing a blog entirely about SL trivia, it would make sense to include a profile of the event that is billed every week as the longest running trivia game in Second Life, Triana's Music Trivia. This event takes place Sundays at 7:00pm in a sim called Velda. I was curious to find out how it is that such a long-running event could be so absent from the chatter and recommendations of the trivia crowd that I am accustomed to. When I started telling people I was planning to go to it, a few told me they'd been once or twice but weren't too keen on it, mostly because the organizers use a buzzer system instead of awarding the fastest typists. I was willing to keep an open mind, however, because I was mostly talking to fast typists.

The room the trivia takes place in is cozy and mostly adorable, with all sorts of food furniture (I sat on a doughnut) and comfortable stairs and alcoves. It's a great little hangout space. There was a voting mechanism for selecting a trivia theme. That night, the options were Random Trivia or Fleetwood Mac. I voted for the latter, but unsurprisingly, my gal Stevie wasn't too popular, and the votes were heavily in favor of Random questions.

I didn't end up being too frustrated with the buzzer device. There is an object that you click if you want to answer the question, and it selects someone randomly among those who've done so. If that person is right, they win the money; if they're wrong, the buzzer is reset and you can start volunteering to answer again. It's a pretty good system for slow typists, certainly. And it makes sense that those who normally do well in fast games would not entirely enjoy it. I don't have any serious qualms about it in theory. In practice, however, there is one aspect of it that can potentially ruin someone's game regardless of how fast they are: the random machine makes it possible to spend an hour at Triana's Music Trivia and never even have the chance to answer a question.

Sample questions, by the way:

[2009/05/17 19:24] Triana Caldera: QUESTION 5. What singer is featured in the song Rock 'N' Roll Shoes by Ray Charles?

[2009/05/17 19:29] Triana Caldera: QUESTION 7. This new age singer and composer is one of Ireland's most popular and best selling artists. She won her fourth Grammy Award in 2007 for her album Amarantine. What is the popular name that she is known by?

[2009/05/17 19:55] Triana Caldera: QUESTION 18. Finish this line from a famous TV theme song: "Movin on up, to big time to..."

It's possible to have a good time at a place with such a system, if you go for more than just the trivia. And the event at Triana's is packed with other things going on. In fact, in some ways it's the cousin of Chaos Trivia/Truth or Dare: some of the people there wore onigokkos, the attachments that we use in Chaos to cause everyone to run amok during the trivia questions (hence the name "Chaos"), and set the onigokkos running every once in a while. There was also a truth or dare machine that someone periodically hit, and anyone who wanted to could respond to the truths (I don't remember anyone performing a dare). There was also a lot of raunchy conversation, a guy dancing in tie-dye undies and fishnets, and the distracting and somewhat cliquey bantering of the regulars in voice chat.

...which, I must note, annoyed me a lot more than the buzzer system. The atmosphere at Triana's was hectic, noisy, and seemingly geared toward the general amusement of a group of friends, with a smattering of outsiders sitting around awkwardly and silently like significant others invited to a wedding in their loved one's distant family. After an initial and very brief greeting, no one really addressed the new people directly except during questions. Those who were on voice, which included host Triana Caldera, inevitably became the focal participants in the conversation, and though they sometimes responded in voice to text people wrote in local chat, the interaction was still unbalanced and not very newcomer friendly.

At one point, a first-timer who had come in late and didn't hear the rules caused a bit of confusion when he answered a question out of turn. The locals (I was never sure who was staff and who was just a regular there) started referring to the mistake-maker entirely in the third person. "Hold on, that's not right." "It's one of the new people." And then the canned announcement pasted in local, "FOR THOSE JUST JOINING US, WELCOME! TO GET RULES ON GAMEPLAY, CLICK THE OLD LADY SIGN FOR A NOTECARD." The poor guy didn't even play for the rest of the game. At another point, a player's answer was met with comments in voice such as, "That was googlicious," while the host mused out loud over whether she would directly accuse the player of googling or not, saying in text, "and that was supposed to be my stumpy of the evening." This conversation, too, took place in voice and in the third person. The player hadn't been answering a stream of tough questions; this was the only one. If this were a place that didn't mind, I would have assumed they were teasing, but the rules warn, "IF I THINK YOU ARE GOOGLING ANSWERS, YOU WILL BE ELIMINATED FROM GAME PLAY." With the player's participation in the game at stake, such conversations should be kept in IM until a decision is made.


Not only was the use of voice by some alienating to others but it added to the sensory overstimulation. If you had all of your sound tracks on, you would hear the music stream, the onigokko, the buzzer blaring out, "Wrong!" and the chatter of the voice chatters all at the same time, while trying to answer trivia questions. Or at least to pay attention to the machine and the chat so see whether you even can.

The dynamic with the voice chat was such that if I or another new visitor were to put on our headset and join in, it probably would have felt just as awkward as sitting around the room, listening to the Triana and Friends Show. Theirs was a conversation that added nothing to the atmosphere for some of us and could have taken place in a private conference call.

Still, if Triana's is the longest-running trivia event in SL (and I haven't heard of anyone trying to contest that claim), then they must be doing something right, even if it's for only a few core people who return consistently. In a room of approximately sixteen people, I counted five whose names were in the parcel's name and only five (including myself) whom I've ever seen at other trivia events. They have a system that works, at least for themselves and some enthusiasts, and it's likely that a few new people come through who click with their vibe immediately or who at least prefer the buzzer system over speed-typing. I would thus hesitate to draw any generalized conclusions about whether this is a good or a bad place to visit.

Any game is worth checking out once. Possibly twice. I'd like to return to see if I like it any more if I turn my sound completely off (I turn music off during trivia, especially music trivia, anyway). I've mentioned the use of voice chat to others who've tried Triana's, and it seems that I might have arrived on a fluke night, since no one else remembers them having used it before. We tried voice chat for anyone who wished to use it in Chaos briefly last fall, but we jettisoned it in response to complaints that it was exclusionary. After experiencing Triana's, I understand where that complaint was coming from.

To sum up, I found the buzzer system interesting but potentially frustrating, which shifts more emphasis to the other aspects of the event. It's possible to go to a trivia event, never get a question right, and still have a good time, if you enjoy the crowd and/or the music and/or the other things going on (like in this case the truth or dare game). If you go to Triana's and you find that you're on the same wavelength as the regulars, then it's possible you'll quite enjoy it. My sense is that voice chat makes it more difficult for newcomers to surf that wavelength, but it isn't impossible. Go to Triana's at least once, if it's in your schedule to do so (it's a bit late for Europeans), even if it's just to say that you went to the longest-running trivia game in SL.

Specs:
=> Time: 7:00pm Sundays (one hour)
=> Location: Triana's Music Trivia
=> Host: Triana Caldera
=> Prizes: twenty questions, L$25 each

Answers to the sample questions:
=> B.J. Thomas (this one was the stumper)
=> Enya
=> that deluxe apartment in the sky

Typos of the Week, May 10 through 16

By popular demand, here are some non-Bucc typos for the week of May 10-16. I didn't go through my chat log as closely for these, so they represent a smaller range of games. Also, there are more than ten people but fewer than ten words. Nevertheless, they'll probably give you a chuckle. :)

8. [13:41] Lette Ponnier: three abmiogs

7. [10:42] Chaddington Boomhauer: fladhs
[10:42] Lotus Ceriano: falSH FG

6. [15:50] Olmstead Fanshaw: houdine][

5. [15:56] Karmel Kips: narvartolaoca
[15:56] Sharon Scofield: navraltivliova
[15:56] Rach Borkotron: natvitona

4. [10:19] Laertes Parx: spreingaertn

3. [20:10] Rain Ninetails: balakck kajak

2. [13:50] AnaMaria Quintessa: lojks

1. [11:02] Cully Andel: ezcszlibue

Honey, Mark007, Vandy, Lillian, and Clynt at Double Standards

The real words:
8. Three Amigos
7. Flash (Gordon)
6. Houdini
5. Navratilova
4. Springsteen
3. blackjack
2. Kojak
1. Excalibur

Buccaneer Bowl Results 'n' Stuff

Hope you all got a chuckle from the typos I posted yesterday, and if you haven't yet, please go take a look. The May Bucc Bowl went very smoothly; the only complaint I think we received this time around was that our modus operandi question was too similar to one asked at Marine Park earlier in the week. But really, suggesting that we cribbed a question like that is like claiming we plagiarized "What's the capital of Nigeria?" There are only so many ways you can write a short question. And believe it or not, ours was written first, and when we heard it at MP, Lillian wrote me, "We can't use that now." I tut-tutted her because of course we can use it... trivia parallelism happens all the time. But I guess those who don't go to a wide range of games might not notice that phenomenon as much as those of us who go to far, far too many.

But I ramble.

Here are the standings from yesterday, followed by some plans that Thornton, Lillian, and I already have for the June game. We had ten teams and 39 players this month, which I believe is our biggest game since the first one in January.

First Place: The Triviators (Lotus Ceriano, Starla Gurbux, Mako Kungfu, Nelly Swindlehurst)

Second Place: Frivolous Corsairs (Rain Ninetails, Lebn Bucyk, Lou Netizen, Sinnamon Sands)

Third Place: Jeopardy Rejects (Amaranth Magic, Darren Berithos, Trin McMinnar, Trebor Shelman)

Fourth Place: Boomfirecirceschism (Chaddington Boomhauer, Circe Falta, Shale Nightfire, JoshuaStephen Schism)

Fifth Place: Voracious Viridians (Leyna Brandenburg, Cygnoir Blanc, Rach Borkotron, Browman Griffith)

Sixth Place: Trumpton Trivials (Cully Andel, Maelstrom Janus, Stiggs McMinnar, AnaMaria Quintessa)

Seventh Place: Shi-Razor's Edge (Rekeorb Wezzog, Olmstead Fanshaw, Honey Potez, Cinna Xaris)

Eighth Place: St. Michael's Gallery (EppieBlack Wheatcliffe, Coyle Easterwood, Martin Galoso, Socrates Sautereau)

Honorable Mention: Blind Date (Clynt Easterwood, Kay Darkwatch, Cinnamon Honi)

Honorable Mention: SLexxecutioners (Billy2Times Krams, Bloot Burnstein, Vandy Spargel, Devin Velinov)

And as for next month, the crew has been brainstorming new ways to make your Bucc Bowl experience even more enjoyable, and we came up with two that we're planning to put into action:

1) In case anyone didn't notice (lol), we got started pretty late this time. I haven't heard any grumbling about it, but it's frustrating enough for the crew, and it would be pretty nifty to be able to end at an earlier time than we have been. Now that the Quartermasters have gotten their scoring system down to the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, there's no reason we can't as long as teams are already recorded and registered correctly by the time the event kicks off. That clearly wasn't the case this time around, and I don't believe that experienced (and new but responsible) teams should have to wait while new ones get set up.

So here's our plan. We're going to open the ship up an hour early for people who need to find teams. At 10:00am sharp (or when we have 40 participants, whichever comes first), access to the ship will be closed off much like it was at the February Bowl, and those who have not yet registered a team will not be able to come aboard. If you're registered and have to join your team late, you can, but if you don't have a team yet, you're SOL. We're also talking about creating a "designated spectator" status for a very small number of people each game. If anyone has an opinion about this plan of action, please post a comment.

2) Part of the problem of rangling teams at the beginning comes when brand new players turn up, not just people who've never done a Bucc Bowl before, but people who've never played SL trivia before. The Bowl is a really, really bad initiation zone. The bulk of the people know each other way too intimidatingly well, the game moves far too quickly, and the first-timers usually end up on teams with each other, which means they aren't likely to do well, and the whole thing ends up being a big, frightening disappointment. In addition, the crew doesn't have time to explain ARC to newbies who don't yet have their Advanced menu active when there are so many other things going on, which means they might miss out on their one opportunity not to leave empty-handed.

The plan here is to mention in the events listing that the Bucc Bowl is recommended for intermediate and experienced SL trivia players and that the organizers will be happy to direct beginning players to games that are better suited to them (i.e., pretty much any other game... or at least any other game that doesn't have an entrance fee).

Please feel free to respond if you have strong (or weak) opinions about either of these plans. We're still discussing the date for the next game. Once we figure out which date is best for all three of us, we'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your support and enthusiasm for the Buccaneer Bowl!

Now posting (well, writing anyway) from:

MaryAnn, Sweejen, and Mydree grooving at [MonoChrome]

Trivia at [MonoChrome] takes place Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00pm, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dysis%20Isle/118/28/757

Typos: May Buccaneer Bowl Edition

Thanks to everyone who turned out for the fifth Buccaneer Bowl, and congrats to the Triviators for their third all-time win. I've just combed through the log from the event to find the best typos. I wanted to find the best one from each question, but there were some questions with almost none. "Elections," "Andes," and "Jefferson" seem to be pretty typeable. "Australia," "modus operandi," and "baba ghannouj"... not so much. And for that last one, it's not even just because there are about seventeen different ways to spell it correctly... it really did generate some serious mistakes.

There was too much typoage to rank these, so I've just left them in the order in which they occurred. I invite you to pick out your favorites and comment on them or to volunteer any from other times in the week. Remind yourselves of what these were supposed to look like from the list after the photo.

1. [2009/05/16 10:24] Darren Berithos: nrdua

2. [2009/05/16 10:30] Browman Griffith: trinad and tobagio
[2009/05/16 10:30] Bloot Burnstein: tinidad and tobagbo

3. [2009/05/16 10:44] Lotus Ceriano: cop;alnd
[2009/05/16 10:44] Amaranth Magic: c oplean
[2009/05/16 10:44] Cully Andel: eopceland
[2009/05/16 10:44] Rain Ninetails: coplenad

4. [2009/05/16 10:46] Trebor Shelman: ansdesds]

5. [2009/05/16 11:07] Cully Andel: fonada

6. [2009/05/16 11:14] Darren Berithos: modeiu opemadi
[2009/05/16 11:14] Devin Velinov: modiusoperiena
[2009/05/16 11:14] Cygnoir Blanc: modus oerand
[2009/05/16 11:14] Rain Ninetails: moldus ooperantdi
[2009/05/16 11:14] Maelstrom Janus: moduis operendi;
[2009/05/16 11:14] Tom127 Rayna: motis operaddi

7. [2009/05/16 11:32] Trebor Shelman: auastrai,lai
[2009/05/16 11:32] Lotus Ceriano: austarail
[2009/05/16 11:32] Maelstrom Janus: austrralkia
[2009/05/16 11:32] Olmstead Fanshaw: austrailai
[2009/05/16 11:32] Bloot Burnstein: austrflaia
[2009/05/16 11:32] Rain Ninetails: auatrialaia

8. [2009/05/16 11:41] Nelly Swindlehurst: slanon

9. [2009/05/16 11:44] Lotus Ceriano: avoidupos
[2009/05/16 11:44] Lou Netizen: avoiraoupi

10. [2009/05/16 11:57] Lou Netizen: babgamous
[2009/05/16 11:57] Mako Kungfu: babaganogh
[2009/05/16 11:57] Sinnamon Sands: baba gahnousr
[2009/05/16 11:57] Olmstead Fanshaw: babgnau;oug
[2009/05/16 11:57] Trebor Shelman: babgnanpoysh
[2009/05/16 11:57] Socrates Sautereau: baganoughts

This was the only shot I got at the Buccaneer Bowl myself. I was kinda too busy to focus on that. Please check some of the Flickr links provided in the sidebar, particularly, well, the Bucc Bowl one, for more.

1. Neruda
2. Trinidad and Tobago
3. Copland
4. Andes
5. Fonda
6. modus operandi
7. Australia
8. Salonen
9. avoirdupois
10. baba ghannouj

The Bucc Bowl is held monthly in Tranquility sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tranquility/169/146/26

Expect the next one around the second weekend of June.

Personal Profile: Rickson Barbosa

After starting the series of personal profiles off last week with Honey Potez, who is a woman, an American, and already a close friend of mine, I wanted my second profile to be on someone who is none of those things. Rickson Barbosa seemed like a good choice. Although he always seemed like a cool person, he was nonetheless only a passing acquaintance until I IMed him recently to ask if he’d like to hang out and chat a bit for the blog. I think he was a splendid choice with some very interesting points about the trivia writing process. It’s also been fascinating to me to see by what different kinds of routes people find their way into the trivia community. Rickson recommended the SL Botanical Garden.

Lette Ponnier: So... why don't we start by talking about what you do now, as a host and as a player. I know host Café Trivia, and you've filled in at Lilly's. Would you like to talk about those?
Rickson Barbosa: I host once every two weeks at CT, it's a fairly straightforward game with simple rules - it's the ruleset I inherited, and I'm happy to leave it as it is without it getting complicated. The opportunity at Lilly's came about largely by chance. A good while before I did my stand-in duty, I had hosted an impromptu game there. That must have been about December 2008 or January 2009, SL was having some downtime that day and other games got cancelled. By then I had it in mind I wanted to put on a game and had stored away a set of questions for a rainy day, and this just so happened to be that rainy day.

LP: Way to prepare! What's your writing process? Has it changed since you started hosting?
RB: I Google a lot, and Wikipedia is invaluable. The archive of their "Did you know..." section is a terrific starting point. Also, I am naturally drawn to strange but true stories in the news. If it's something that's just happened recently you can be sure it's stuck in a few people's minds. Sometimes stories I'll come across just seem too bizarre to be true and then I'll look to Snopes to get verification if I possibly can. Recently I've also started hitting the charity shops for good cheap fact books. A few weeks ago I got a movie history book that has so far proven invaluable - I'm not going to divulge exactly which one in case someone runs out and gets it to get one up on me next time I'm hosting. :D

Rickson in his native habitat: Cafe Trivia

LP: You have certain topics you tend toward, then. Do you have any trouble coming up with questions that are outside your expertise?
RB: Actually, I'm more comfortable with them because I know roughly what the right level to pitch them at is, because it's the level I myself would deal with. With my own specialist interests, I might be a little complacent in setting the right level and assume it's the same for everyone. I think every host can potentially be vulnerable to that problem. It's difficult to step outside oneself sometimes. But that's the good thing about the trivia community, all the hosts tend to be players themselves and it helps them see both sides of the floor. After my first few months in SL I was pretty jaded on the [SL] experience, and was more or less ready to quit when I found Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong, and even without any hosted games I was immediately won over. It was basically Gogomodo. That's how I found out about the existence of hosted trivia. MLGHK closed suddenly on New year's day 2008 and the Mr. Lee's Refugees group sprung up hastily to keep the regulars in touch, and as events were being advertised in there, I found my way into new places.

LP: What hosted games did you end up at during that period? And are there other hosts who have served as role models for you?
RB: AllieKatt's was the first, then she took up a regular game at the Demented Souls club. So by this point I'm getting into more and more groups, and getting more and more notices. So before long it was on to Lilly's as well, Double Standards, the Zoo Bar etc. Allie, being the first live host whose games I regularly attended, sort of set the benchmark. But I think in their own way all the hosts have been an influence on me. Particularly Lotus Ceriano and Nelly Swindlehurst from having an opportunity to work with one in turn when standing in for the other. I just love the atmosphere [of hosting]. There's a certain excitement that's difficult to put into words. What I particularly enjoy about the games at CT is there's a spontaneity. Ruby, who is in charge of paying the winners, gets to decide which questions are bonuses. She doesn't see my questions in advance and I never know when she's going to step it up, so there is a very genuine sense that anything can happen. After the first game I wondered if I should have a word with her and maybe come up with a system, but then on further consideration, I thought, "no, just leave it, it's fun the way it is.”

I don't think he knew I took this one ;)

LP: What games are your favorites to go to these days, as a player?
RB: Sharon's Diner, daily, then Lilly's twice a week and Shotgun at the Zoo Bar. I'm at Double Standards on occasion but living in the UK scheduling can be an issue.

LP: Do you think scheduling continues to be too heavily North America-weighted?
RB: I think there are probably adequate opportunities for members for the UK and Central Europe. Ultimately it's not possible to cater for everyone in a global community - if you have an event that is convenient for both the North American and European markets, it's going to be completely useless for Australia and New Zealand

LP: Thanks so much, Rickson! I think we've exhausted everything I particularly wanted to cover. Is there anything you wanted to ask me? Or that you wanted to talk about that I'm missing?
RB: I think we've covered everything :)

Specs:
=> Host: Rickson Barbosa
=> Times: 1:00 every other Tuesday. Last one was May 12, so the next will be May 26.
=> Location: Cafe Trivia, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pimushe/129/123/56

Except where otherwise noted, all photos were shot at the Second Life Botanical Gardens, http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Botanical%20Gardens/194/60/38

Rickson and I are sharing a big boots bonding moment

Up For Discussion: Contested Terrain

Most of the time we're able to get along just fine and dandy in trivia games: the host asks the questions, the players give the answers, and even if a question is a little weak, we realize that at all but a few games, the prizes essentially add up to around ten cents in American money per question, so we might comment (kindly or snarkily) and move on. But inevitably, eventually, someone has a much bigger bone to pick over a question. I've also seen and experienced a minor grumble about the phrasing of a question get interpreted as a challenge to the host and escalate beyond where the complainer intended it to go (because after all, Puerto Rico is not a country, I promise).

So here are some questions. As a player, have you ever challenged a host on a question? Under what circumstances? What kinds of challenges do you believe are legitimate and what kinds aren't? Have you seen any challenges take place that especially rankled you or that you thought were appropriate? If you're a host, have you had any particularly uncomfortable run-ins? And most importantly, how do you handle it when one of your questions is challenged?

I want to thank Lotus Ceriano for providing this idea for a discussion topic.

Lacey Lukas and Cybershot Dover cut a hardwood floor at Shorty's Ice House

Lacey hosts trivia there Thursdays at noon: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Magnolia%20Falls/205/40/22

News and Editorial: Trouble in the Village

The Hotel at The Village

For all intents and purposes, it began on April 4. During Thornton Writer's popular Saturday morning game at Double Standards, a couple of people mentioned that trivia at the Village -- a region styled after the town of Portmeirion, Wales -- would be taking place shortly. They did not make this announcement in order to promote a little-known but high-quality game that they thought should receive more exposure but to call attention to a host described by one as "the wors most eveil trivia host in SL," a host whose strict rules required exact spelling and full names for people and places, as well as prohibiting "UNNECESSARY COMMENTS AND PERSON SPOILING THE ENVIRONMENT" (from the host's introduction). The host's tendency to typo and to draw his quizzes from the internet in full were also raised as evidence of his incompetence. The atmosphere of the conversation was such that curiosity -- including my own -- was raised very quickly, and a large number of players chose to attend the event to see how a person could come to be regarded as the worst trivia host in Second Life.

While most of the dozen or so people who shuttled over from DS to experience Trinka Breen's trivia for the first time -- and the several who had been there previously -- were perfectly considerate and respectful while everything that was rumored to be true of Trinka's trivia style came to pass, there was nonetheless an undercurrent of sarcasm and mockery in the proverbial peanut gallery. After all, when the first mention of Trinka's name earlier had been in one person's statement to another, "we could go to harrass trinka in 20 minutes," the tone was more or less set for at least a portion of the interaction that would ensue between some of SL's more active trivia players and the people who run and work at the Village, not only for that day but for the next several weeks.

Not all of the chiding took place during the trivia; typos like "uestio" and "naswer" became part of the SL trivia lexicon for some, and I myself hosted an Impromptu event all about the great "country" of South America. Before long, Trinka had become the Ed Wood of SL trivia, liked for his positive and friendly personality but something of a spectacle insofar as his style of trivia hosting strays from some of the practices that many of the more popular hosts take for granted. Such dubious beginnings were likely to spiral downward rather than remaining jocular for long.

Host Trinka Breen

In the meantime, a second series of events began taking place that seemed to be foreshadowed when, on April 22, Trinka asked Lotus Ceriano to remove her tag from Lilly's Irish Pub, at which she is a trivia host, or in his words, "LOTUS DNT PROPOTE NAY OTHER LCUB PLZ." Lotus complied, and the game commenced without further incident, but it provides context for understanding events that have taken place in the meantime because it suggests that staff at the Village have a broader view of what constitutes promotion than what many of us are accustomed to. Specifically, Lotus's cohost at Lilly's, Nelly Swindlehurst, found herself banned from the Village on or about Tuesday, May 5. And this is where the story becomes less straightforward. This began the trainwreck that makes the series of events news today.

Some trivia spots in Second Life are known to have owners who are especially prone to deliver bannings, including some that take place under circumstances widely deemed to be unfair, for offenses as seemingly innocuous as speaking between questions. Some will ban for advertising other events -- as Nelly was accused of doing -- and will do so without a cease-and-desist warning beforehand. When it happens, there is always grumbling, usually sympathy, and sometimes a decision on others' part not to return to the establishment in question. However, this is the first time of which I am aware that friends of the hastily banned individual responded as swiftly and vocally to protest the action. Since Nelly's banning, several other people who have complained about the incident have themselves had encounters with Village owner Catty Erde ending in their own banning.

Why so many people would be as ready to come to Nelly's defense might be due in part to her likability among those who know her, but likable people have been banned from other places before without the types of repercussions that have followed, including additional bannings, accusations of racism, snippets of conversation spammed across unrelated trivia group IMs, and a generally elevated level of tension among all of the parties involved. It is worth considering to what extent the aftermath of Nelly's banning is due as well to the fact that it happened at a place that people went to not for the quality of the questions or the amount of possible winnings (the Village only pays L$10 for each of 25 questions) but to get some amusement out of the host's inadequacies.

Since a large number of people had trouble taking Village trivia altogether seriously, that is, a severe reaction to an incident that may not have taken place was bound to draw more ire than it might have done at a more respected club. Whether that hypothetical club were respected for having good events, a longstanding history with the trivia community, or simply a lot of money to give away is less important; the fact remains that the Village has none of these, so being banned from it for an offense that the accused party (one who does not have a reputation for troublemaking) denies she committed seemed like a joke at best and an insult at worst and was unlikely to be ignored or quietly accepted. Thereafter followed protests that sometimes took on the same type of mocking undertone that laced previous ventures to Trinka's trivia.

With regard to Trinka, he began to fade into the background as a participant in the events while Catty Erde became the focal point. Less and less did people comment on Trinka's failings, while various people's conversations with Catty began to surface in public fora, including open chat and several group IM channels such as Trivia Fiends, Sharon's Diner, and (though Hummingbird Forster appropriately asked the person responsible not to use her group to spam drama) Double Standards.

The text on this sign by the Hotel entrance reads, "This is an international sim... If you do not understand have some patience and respect for those who are multi lingual." There is another sign, identical but much larger, just inside the doorway.

I reached out to both Catty and Nelly to get their respective statements regarding the precipitating events and to get a better idea of why Catty has responded as she has. The incident regarding Lotus's tag illustrated that the Village is unusually sensitive to people promoting outside events within its doors. It is thus unsurprising that they would ban someone if that person blatantly advertised for another location on multiple occasions, and it is within a sim owner's right to do so if she wishes. The question, however, is whether Nelly actually did what Catty claims that she and her staff witnessed her doing. Thus, my principal question for both of them was what exactly the charge had been. I was able to gather from both that Nelly arrived at the Village, came into the Hotel, and typed this:

[2009/05/01 12:10] Nelly Swindlehurst: Nelly Swindlehurst: Trivia at lilly's!!! starts very very soon! and I escaped in time to be here! yay :) come get trivial with us!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glendalough/208/126/36

Where the stories diverge, however, is that Nelly reports that this message appeared in the Trivia Fiends group IM, whereas Catty insists that it was posted in local chat. Since these perspectives are clearly in conflict (and since I tend to try to err on the side of misunderstanding rather than deception), I suggest that one of two things happened: either Nelly posted the message into local chat by accident while posting it to the several usual channels or else the message appeared in the Trivia Fiends group IM but someone -- Catty or another staff member -- believed that the timing of the announcement was fishy and copied the message into a notecard or another IM without taking note of which communication window it first appeared in. Unless someone who was present at the time is able to produce local chat logs that confirm one side or the other, we might never know for sure.

Another theme that emerged in my conversation with Catty, however, as well as in the statements she has released to me and to those who repost her words in public contexts, speaks to the question of how the tension developed between her and the staff members, on the one hand, and members of the larger trivia community, on the other. She has consistently emphasized that the Village is an international sim and that visitors can expect to interact with people who may not be speaking English as a first language.

The fact that this is true of Trinka was never in doubt; on the very first day that Thorn's regulars journeyed to the Village, JoshuaStephen Schism informed the group that Trinka is from India. Although English is an official language in India, it is not the only one, and regional variations can influence one's frequency of English usage. Even for those who don't know his national origin, it is clear from reading even a little of his syntax that it's not his most fluent language. In addition, many aspects of his trivia hosting style can be traced to language and cultural barriers, such as cribbing full quizzes from the internet, requiring exact spelling and full names because he might be unfamiliar with acceptable variations, and of course his neverending stream of typographical errors. In this context, the fad of attending Trinka's games in order to get a chuckle -- whether out loud or in private, at the time or after the fact -- was also a practice in finding amusement in someone's linguistic and cultural disadvantage and could thus be construed legitimately as racism. [Note, 5/14: Thorn suggested that "xenophobia" would be a better word here than "racism," but it doesn't look like he's going to comment on that himself, so I'm throwing it in there on his behalf. :) - LP]

I make this suggestion not to point fingers or to assign the R-word to anyone in particular but to call attention to how easily we can get caught up in the fun of the moment without thinking of the consequences or the social influences attached to what we do. I was as easily seduced by how goshdarn easy a target we had before us as anyone. And now in the aftermath, I believe that the best thing we can do is to stop acting defensively to such accusations simply because they come from Catty Erde, whose other accusations of late have been more questionable, and instead learn from the situation and move on.

When Catty points out that the Village's home of Dolphin Island is an international sim, it isn't to imply that the rest of SL -- or, indeed, the trivia circuit -- is not. It is to point out that it's a sim accepting enough of all nationalities that someone can host a trivia event in a language he is only semi-fluent in, with all the accompanying limitations, and have his quirks and foibles embraced rather than mocked. The multiple bannings and the irate communications from Catty that have been broadcast across external channels have, as I noted earlier, shifted the negative attention to her, and not without some reason; she is still the only person so far who has resorted to name-calling in the conflict, for instance, and seems to do so without apology. Nevertheless, her emphasis on the Village's international composition serves as a reminder that those who visit ought to be respectful of the location's intent, which may not actually be to draw the smartest and fastest trivia stars in SL but to attract those most interested in being part of a diverse and mutually appreciative international community.

The fact that some players conducted themselves counter to this goal could easily have raised the tension level in this environment, increasing the likelihood that someone like Nelly would take the fall and collapse the house of cards. Although her banning was very likely unjust, it occurred in an atmosphere that a large number of people were complicit in creating, or at least failing to prevent. The bulk of it seems to be over now and most of the damage done. It's time to try and have fun, be respectful, and get down to some good old fashioned trivia.


Photos taken at the Village: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dolphin%20Island/191/155/28