Introducing: The Wednesday Quiz!!

The Wednesday Quiz

Rules and Such

Tomorrow is the first day of the first season of the the newest, bestest test of dorky knowledge to be found on the internet: The Wednesday Quiz! This here post lays down the laws.

Timing and Format

Q: When does the Wednesday Quiz happen?

A: Almost every Wednesday, with occasional weeks off between Seasons (see below).

The Quiz will generally be posted sometime between 9 p.m. Tuesday night and 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, Pacific Time. The answers will be posted in the comments sometime after 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Quiz is “live” from when it is posted until the answers come out, regardless of whether it is technically “Wednesday” when you answer.

Q: What is a Quiz Season?

A: Twelve Quizzes given over a three-month period. Winter ‘09-‘10, the first season, runs November through January.

Q: What’s the Format?

A: Unlike other dorky online Quizzes you may have taken, WQ questions may be fill-in-the-blank, is-it-or-isn’t it, short answer, or other formats. There will typically be ten questions, but occasionally there may be eight or even five questions.

Rules

Q: Can I look answers up?
A: Hell no.

It is strictly forbidden to check any online or offline reference, to consult a spouse, child, coworker, or any other human being, or in any other way to educate yourself on the subject at hand. To avoid accidentally seeing other people’s answers, I suggest writing your answers on scratch paper before opening the comments window.

Q: How does the scoring work?

Individual Quizzes: The person with the largest number of correct answers wins the Quiz for that week. If there is tie, then there are co-winners. And naturally, everyone who participates wins, because they stretched their intellect and reveled in their knowledge, intuition, curiosity, and moxie, yadda yadda yadda.

Seasons: Each Quiz is worth 100 points toward seasonal scoring. In ten-question Quizzes, each question is worth 10 points; in eight-question Quizzes, each question is worth 12.5 points, etc. Each contestant’s best eight (out of the possible twelve) scores will count toward their score for the season.

If there is a tie, the best nine scores will count; if there is a further tie, the best ten scores will count, etc. If there’s still a tie considering all twelve scores, then it’s just a tie.

Q: Why only the best eight scores?
You go on vacation, you are busy that Wednesday, you forgot until after the answers were posted, your kid got sick, etc. Most people will miss a few days. The best-of-eight rule keeps the contest from just being a roll call.

Q: Why does even scoring matter?
The top three winners for each season will win fabulous prizes.

Fabulous Prizes?!?

Q: Prizes? Really?
A: Oh aye. The first place winner will get the first pick of a small selection of fabulous items, the second place winner will get second pick, and the third place winner third pick. Plus, there will be little graphics that you can display on your sidebar if you are so inclined.

Q: Will the prizes really be fabulous?
A: Oh, I wouldn’t count on a cash value of over, let’s say, $15. But I’ll try to make it worth your while.

Stuff That Will Come Up Eventually

Q: But my second guess was right!
A: If a contestant provides more than one answer, or more than one answer-like statement, and does not clearly indicate which one is their REAL answer, the first one is the one that counts.

Examples: “That could be either Mozart or Haydn” = Mozart. “Cincinnati? Cleveland?” = Cincinnati. But: “Photosynthesis. NO! Parthenogenesis!” = Parthenogenesis; the punctuation makes the intended answer clear.

Q: There is a problem with a quiz question!
A: Oops. If it’s caught right away, I’ll fix it. If other people have already stumbled over it, I’ll throw out the question and possibly a few others as needed to make the scoring system work.

Q: You made an error in scoring, such that I did not receive the award I deserved!
A: You have until the next Wednesday Quiz is posted to state your grievance. This should be done in a flamboyant and witty fashion. The review committee must see decisive evidence in order to overturn the original judgment.

Personal Baggage

Q: Why are you doing this?
A: It’s required by the mission statement.

Q: I don’t like quizzes.
A: O.K.

Q: I like quizzes, but I don’t like to submit my answers.
A: O.K.

Q: I think this week’s quiz was too hard/easy!
A: Yeah, that can be tough to get right. If you think it’s too easy, rejoice in your win and be cool about it. Not everyone shares your body of knowledge, and if they’re struggling they don’t want to hear that every ten-year-old knows this stuff.

Q: This quiz makes me feel stupid.
A: It shouldn’t. You didn’t know in advance what the Quiz would be on. I’ve deliberately tried to make it tough enough so that even someone fairly knowledgeable about the subject will be challenged. The topics are fairly old-school. Nobody else thinks you’re stupid. Speaking just for myself, I think you’re pretty brilliant.