Personal Profile: Cinna Xaris and Karmel Kips, Part 1 of 2

Cinna hosting at Double Standards

I thought I’d switch up the personal profile focus this time and talk to people who are new at hosting, rather than long-timers. Cinna Xaris at Double Standards and Karmel Kips at Lilly’s Pub began hosting on the same day a few weeks ago, so I thought I’d take advantage of the timing to talk with them both at the “front end” of the hosting gig. We headed to Artropolis, where we sat on deck chairs on the top of a hill, surrounded by open-air art galleries. The sim’s owner and renowned RL/SL artist Filthy Fluno flew in long enough to exchange hellos. The conversation had the tendency to veer off into lighter territory every so often, which meant I learned about Karmel’s kooking and the fact that Cinna and I have the same freezer contents.

Lette Ponnier: So let's start as we usually do, shall we? How did you both end up getting involved in trivia in SL? And that means as a player, since I know you were both playing and hanging out before hosting.
Cinna Xaris: Well during my first day or two in SL I stumbled upon Double Standards. I ran into two awesome ladies (Hummingbird and Lucinda) who were sitting there watching a movie. I was amazed by being able to watch a movie in SL, and sat down to join them. Right afterwards Luci was hosting a trivia and I stuck around....I got hooked.
Karmel Kips: I was exploring and found a place that paid 1L per correct answer auto trivia.

LP: Oh cool, so right at the beginning. And Karmel, that made you seek out other trivia places?
CX: Yeah, addicted young.
KK: So I was there and liked the auto trivia. I searched and found Double Standards. Lucky I found it since I love the smartass!
CX: Agreed!
LP: And then it was just snowball effect from there.
KK: Yes.

LP: And what eventually made you both decide to host?
KK: Lotus asked me!
LP: You hadn't thought of hosting prior to that?
KK: I was flattered to be asked to host at Lilly's. I hardly felt good enough to PLAY at Lilly's.
CX: I'd been thinking about giving it a try when I was off for the summer, then we found out Devin would be moving. Seeing as they needed someone to fill in I thought it would be a good time to try it out.

LP: Did you have any transition period or did you just jump in having an idea of what you were doing?
KK: Well, actually I really jumped because I was just experimenting with Sharon’s BYOT to see how I liked it. I had not thought about a real gig, just playing to see how to do it.
CX: Well I'd started thinking about applying to host at DS about 2 months beforehand, so I was watching the hostesses and how they handled trivias, and talking to Devin and Luci about it. However my first night I still was thinking, "Oh crap...how am I gonna pull this off!"
LP: Sharon's is kind of like an audition stage now.
KK: It is nice that she does that.

LP: Cinna, through observing others, what kind of things did you make mental note of in preparation?
CX: Well I picked up the idea that countdowns are good, and Devin gave me her gesture to use. Also since DS is a two hour event the host usually chats a bit in between questions.


LP: True, true... how about the content of the game? Question writing? Was it a struggle at all to start writing good ones?
KK: I thought a lot about the mechanics and practiced gestures and timing... but most important to me was the content of the questions. I have definite ideas about what makes good questions. 1) a range of categories. 2) include international questions. 3) make sure your questions are written so not the same person or couple of people get them all the time. 4) research so disputed answers don't happen. and 5) alternate easy and hard, so timing is fun.
CX: I saw different styles of content – sometimes there would be themes and other times random questions. I talked to people both at DS and other places about how they write questions – some use some trivia books and others use Wikipedia surfing or random knowledge they happen to know. I try to blend all that together when I'm hosting.

LP: That's an interesting last one, Karmel, because not everyone has a good sense of easy and hard, especially when it comes to stuff that is in your area of expertise or something you don't know anything about at all
CX: Yeah that is something I try to balance well in my games too.
LP: Are there topics that you feel more comfortable writing about?
KK: 5 was alternating fast and slow. :)
LP: Oh ok, not easy and hard?
KK: Kooking! Lotus suggested I pick a specialty Kategory, and I have a VERY large library of Kookbooks.

LP: Seems like people are increasingly developing signature... um... for lack of a better word, gimmicks, which I think is cute and fun. Do you cook (or kook) a lot?
KK: Every day :) Keep getting hungry every day.
CX: Yeah I'd be so done for at your trivias :P
Cinna Xaris is NOT domesticated.
LP: Is it what you do for a living? Or you just like preparing good stuff for yourself?
KK: I have my own business selling (not making) jewelry in RL.

LP: I used to cook all the time, but now I'm trying to balance a dissertation and an SL addiction, and I mostly eat frozen burritos.
CX: Omg Lette I live on those.
KK: When I decided what business to start in RL 15 yrs ago, I read some good advice: do not turn your hobby into a business or you will not have a hobby.
LP: Amy's, Cinna?
CX: Yes! The non-dairy ones.

LP: Same with me. That does sound like good advice, Karmel.
CX: Very true.
LP: Though I violate it all the time.
CX: Your hobby is your school project. As it’s becoming for me as well.
LP: Um, yeah... my dissertation is on SL. :/
KK: I thought your hobby was eroticism.
CX: I would love to read it someday when you have it done, Lette.
LP: Maybe I have many. Though that's interesting... didn't know I was "known" for that.
KK: I don't know what anyone else thinks
CX: You are.
KK: Only my own thought, Lette.
LP: Oh definitely, Cinna... with any luck, it'll be publishable, and I'll be trying to get everyone to buy it lol.
KK: lol