Search found 629 matches

by Dominator
Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:28 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz has a blog now
Replies: 1
Views: 1392

Qblitz has a blog now

Qblitz just released a new blog covering results, theory, and statistical analysis. If you like quizbowl and reading, please check it out! I'm particularly interested with what people think of these two posts: Quizbowl as a Gunfight , which draws from mathematical game theory The Role of Luck in th...
by Dominator
Fri Sep 04, 2020 6:53 pm
Forum: Middle school area archives
Topic: Qblitz is back for 2020-2021!
Replies: 1
Views: 1779

Qblitz is back for 2020-2021!

(cross-post with high school section) Are you ready to play quizbowl again? Is COVID keeping your tournaments virtual or non-existent? We’ve got some great news for you! Qblitz is better than ever this year, with new events and opportunities for you and your team to get the competition you want and ...
by Dominator
Fri Sep 04, 2020 6:52 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz is back for 2020-2021!
Replies: 0
Views: 756

Qblitz is back for 2020-2021!

Are you ready to play quizbowl again? Is COVID keeping your tournaments virtual or non-existent? We’ve got some great news for you! Qblitz is better than ever this year, with new events and opportunities for you and your team to get the competition you want and the practice you need, all in one plac...
by Dominator
Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:07 am
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Another Degen Packet
Replies: 2
Views: 2099

Re: Another Degen Packet

Actually, it makes more sense to have a signup sheet, right?

I'm offering a reading each day of the week to allow for smaller matches. Feel free to reserve one of those timeslots if you and your buddy want to play heads up for rolls.
by Dominator
Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Another Degen Packet
Replies: 2
Views: 2099

Another Degen Packet

Remember that Degen Packet that Ike wrote a few months ago? Well, it inspired me to write my own poker-themed packet of 20 superpower tossups. If you'd be down for some poker-themed quizbowl, please reply and let me know if there's a day next week you'd like to hear it. Personally, I'd rather do mul...
by Dominator
Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:27 pm
Forum: Databases and Quizbowl Software
Topic: Announcing Qblitz
Replies: 23
Views: 18989

Re: Announcing Qblitz

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll follow up a bit with each one: 1. Prompts. The writers should be able to specify certain possible answers that trigger a prompt instruction. This is how in-person quizbowl works, and I think an online system should seek to be close to the in-person experience if poss...
by Dominator
Wed Jul 29, 2020 4:54 pm
Forum: Quizbowl History Forum
Topic: Greatest Upsets in Quizbowl History
Replies: 75
Views: 79056

Re: Greatest Upsets in Quizbowl History

Zerowaltz wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 1:20 am some 🅱️ama 🅱️ois
(1) Congratulations on your victory.
(2) 20 tossups heard?! And 2 of those didn't even need a bonus?!?! I'd have been so tilted!
by Dominator
Sun Jul 26, 2020 4:33 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: MARCATo (Summer 2020)
Replies: 48
Views: 19891

Re: MARCATo (Summer 2020)

For those of you competing in MARCATo, please take some time this week to try the interface out by playing 5 sample questions here. Questions/concerns can be sent to me at [email protected].
by Dominator
Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:52 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
Topic: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21
Replies: 37
Views: 24905

Re: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21

Episode #5 is out now. It features a continuation of our interview with Alex Damisch talking about misconduct in the community and staffing national tournaments, followed by quizbowl speed runs. You can find links to it here , or search for it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. (There migh...
by Dominator
Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:05 pm
Forum: Community Discussion
Topic: On HS Teams Without Coaches
Replies: 68
Views: 48735

Re: On HS Teams Without Coaches

I think there's a lot of truth in what you're saying, Vikshar, but I think there's a difference in perspective between, say, Illinois and California. It sounds to me like you're saying that because Illinois has a state organization, it's easier to build a network of coaches and other adults who can ...
by Dominator
Fri Jul 17, 2020 1:29 pm
Forum: Community Discussion
Topic: On HS Teams Without Coaches
Replies: 68
Views: 48735

Re: On HS Teams Without Coaches

Rohan, I'm not attacking you, but I am attacking poor decisions you've made. The fact that you don't think student safety is a big deal is, in fact, a big deal. You're not alone in feeling the way you do, and you're not the only one who has made bad judgments, and that's what makes the SoCal quizbow...
by Dominator
Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:01 am
Forum: Community Discussion
Topic: On HS Teams Without Coaches
Replies: 68
Views: 48735

Re: On HS Teams Without Coaches

When my son started playing quizbowl this year, I was horrified to find that there were teams attending an MS tournament, run by HSers no less, with no adult supervision. As a parent, I cannot let my son continue to play on this circuit, at least in its current form. Every high school in SoCal runn...
by Dominator
Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:55 pm
Forum: Community Discussion
Topic: On HS Teams Without Coaches
Replies: 68
Views: 48735

Re: On HS Teams Without Coaches

Hi Frederic! I live in Scripps Ranch now. In my former life, I was a quizbowl coach in Illinois, where every team had a coach. When my son started playing quizbowl this year, I was horrified to find that there were teams attending an MS tournament, run by HSers no less, with no adult supervision. As...
by Dominator
Wed Jun 03, 2020 9:30 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: North County Academic League on Qblitz (May 28, 2020)
Replies: 0
Views: 1037

North County Academic League on Qblitz (May 28, 2020)

The North County Academic League (San Diego, CA) held a spring showdown tournament on Qblitz on May 28, 2020. Over 100 players from the 28 member schools registered. The champion was Canyon Crest Academy , followed by Del Norte and Torrey Pines . The top 10 teams were: https://www.noahbprince.com/qb...
by Dominator
Tue May 05, 2020 2:50 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
Topic: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21
Replies: 37
Views: 24905

Re: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21

Episode #4 is up. It's got an interview with Alex Damisch about Midwestern quizbowl and her Jeopardy run, and a rematch against Mike Sorice in Lodden Thinks.
by Dominator
Sun Apr 19, 2020 11:20 am
Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
Topic: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21
Replies: 37
Views: 24905

Re: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21

Episode #3 is out. It's got an interview with Chris Chiego about quizbowl outreach and his road to a national title, and a face-off against Mike Sorice in Lodden Thinks.
by Dominator
Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:27 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Nationals Alternatives?
Replies: 10
Views: 6560

Re: Nationals Alternatives?

As for the team aspect: would the players on each team have to log on and play the questions simultaneously, or would players play tossups individually (like the current Qblitz system) and have the earliest buzz points count for the team? I'm assuming no bonuses, unless the Qblitz software has been...
by Dominator
Sun Mar 22, 2020 11:21 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Nationals Alternatives?
Replies: 10
Views: 6560

Re: Nationals Alternatives?

I don't think postponed tournaments have any real chance of being successful. There is no guarantee that a suitable venue will be available, especially considering all the other postponed events that will be competing for space. Also, once the year is over, the title doesn't quite mean the same thin...
by Dominator
Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:19 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: IMSADNESS 2 exists
Replies: 0
Views: 1260

IMSADNESS 2 exists

The team that brought the world IMSADNESS has put together another installment. I was hoping to read it to staffers at some nationals this year, but ... Anyway, I suppose someone should hear it. Maybe Thursday? Maybe in some Discord? If you want to play, let me know. I'm happy to schedule multiple r...
by Dominator
Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Degen Packet
Replies: 6
Views: 2769

Re: Degen Packet

I am looking forward to this. Thanks, Ike.
by Dominator
Thu Mar 12, 2020 11:07 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 5
Views: 3270

Re: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20

In light of the recent spate of tournament cancellations, Qblitz wants to remind everyone that its tournaments are still happening. Qblitz events are played from your home computer, so we are not affected by travel restrictions or social distancing. Two tournaments we're planning for later this spri...
by Dominator
Thu Mar 12, 2020 10:55 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: A Harebrained Scheme for an Online Tournament
Replies: 7
Views: 2633

Re: A Harebrained Scheme for an Online Tournament

If you're looking for someone who can help with the logistical and technical aspects of running a goldfish tournament, I know a guy.
by Dominator
Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:31 am
Forum: Databases and Quizbowl Software
Topic: Qblitz Player Ratings
Replies: 0
Views: 2148

Qblitz Player Ratings

Qblitz is thrilled to announce its newest feature, player ratings . Our rating system gives players a rating in each category based on their performance in Qblitz events. It also gives an overall rating taking all categories into account. https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-images/samples/PlayerRating....
by Dominator
Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:03 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 5
Views: 3270

Re: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20

It's almost February, which means it's almost time for the Qblitz History 1 tournament! This event helps students prepare for competitions like National History Bee and Bowl, and they don't even have to leave home to do it! Qblitz History 1 will take place on Sunday, February 16 . To register, sign ...
by Dominator
Wed Jan 22, 2020 11:37 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: An incident of intentional content-leaking from an unclear set
Replies: 18
Views: 6096

Re: An incident of intentional content-leaking from an unclear set

Packetizor currently does not allow users to do the kind of bulk downloading that happened in this case. But I wouldn’t exactly call that a feature, and it’s not really clear if it’s desirable. As Cody correctly points out, it is very difficult for writers if they don’t know what clues and answer li...
by Dominator
Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:10 pm
Forum: Middle school area archives
Topic: Qblitz MS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 1
Views: 5006

Re: Qblitz MS Tournaments 2019-20

Middle schoolers have been playing Qblitz events all year and crushing it! Just last week, these three MSers competed in the Varsity-level Qblitz Winter 2 and took home top MS honors: https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-images/medal-blue.png C Y (Barrington, IL) https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-images/...
by Dominator
Sat Jan 11, 2020 4:00 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 5
Views: 3270

Re: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20

Qblitz Winter 2 happened this last week. After 5 rounds of competition, our winner was Y T of Barrington, IL. https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-images/medal-gold.png Y T (Barrington, IL) https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-images/medal-silver.png N S (somewhere in MA) https://www.qblitz.online/qblitz-im...
by Dominator
Sat Nov 30, 2019 1:59 am
Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
Topic: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21
Replies: 37
Views: 24905

Re: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21

Episode #2 is out. It's got an interview with Matt Weiner about quizbowl forums and feats, and a rematch against Brad Fischer in Lodden Thinks.
by Dominator
Wed Nov 20, 2019 12:28 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)
Replies: 2
Views: 5007

Re: David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)

Qblitz is excited to announce that the recipient of the 2019-2020 David Reinstein Improver Scholarship is Eric Yin of Ladue Horton Watkins High School! Congratulations, Eric!
by Dominator
Tue Nov 19, 2019 7:57 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz Novice 1 (Sunday, November 17)
Replies: 1
Views: 2378

Re: Qblitz Novice 1 (Sunday, November 17)

This tournament happened, and the champion was C Y of Barrington, IL . The full podium is: (1) C Y (Barrington, IL) (2) S Gollamudi (Hoffman Estates, IL) (3) Michael K (Barrington, IL) You can also watch the final match by visiting this page . Thanks to everyone who made it out! We hope to see you a...
by Dominator
Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:27 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)
Replies: 2
Views: 5007

Re: David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)

I should have mentioned the due date for applications. Since this scholarship is for events this year, the application deadline is November 10.

The application is short - just 2000 characters or less in response to this question:
the David Reinstein Improver Scholarship wrote:What do you plan to do to improve quizbowl over the next year?
by Dominator
Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:53 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz Novice 1 (Sunday, November 17)
Replies: 1
Views: 2378

Qblitz Novice 1 (Sunday, November 17)

Qblitz is kicking off its second season of competition with a FREE novice event, to be held on Sunday, November 17! How Does It Work?: All players will log in to their computers on November 17 and play a double-round (40 tossups) of novice-level questions. Gameplay will be in the Qblitz system, whi...
by Dominator
Mon Oct 28, 2019 4:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Should Baby Seals Smile While Being Clubbed? Or: Why Should Newer Teams Stick Around College Quizbowl?
Replies: 14
Views: 7844

Re: Should Baby Seals Smile While Being Clubbed? Or: Why Should Newer Teams Stick Around College Quizbowl?

Maybe I'm reading Bruce's post wrong, but it seems like the advice that was most valuable to him (warnings about particular players and team strengths) are both: not the sort of thing the TD's email was proposed to contain (or should contain, given that the TD should maintain some neutrality and bia...
by Dominator
Wed Oct 23, 2019 10:52 am
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 5
Views: 3270

Re: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20

Thanks for pointing that out, Dylan. That page is up and working again.
by Dominator
Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:42 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)
Replies: 2
Views: 5007

David Reinstein Improver Scholarship (Qblitz)

Qblitz is launching its second season offering online quizbowl competition against players across the country. This year, we are proud to offer the David Reinstein Improver Scholarship , named in honor of one of quizbowl's most indefatigable advocates. David Reinstein is a quizbowl pioneer and inno...
by Dominator
Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:31 pm
Forum: Middle school area archives
Topic: Qblitz MS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 1
Views: 5006

Qblitz MS Tournaments 2019-20

Qblitz is excited to announce its second season of online quizbowl competition! Qblitzers can compete against players across the country from their home computers. This year, we are thrilled to offer a FREE one-day middle school event on February 2, 2020. Additionally, middle schoolers can play any...
by Dominator
Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:27 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20
Replies: 5
Views: 3270

Qblitz HS Tournaments 2019-20

Qblitz is excited to announce its second season of online quizbowl competition! Qblitzers can compete against players across the country from their home computers. This year, we are offering more events and more variety. Novice , a FREE one-day tournament for anyone new to high school quizbowl. (No...
by Dominator
Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:56 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous Quizbowl
Topic: New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21
Replies: 37
Views: 24905

New Quizbowl Podcast: Tossup 21

I've launched a new quizbowl podcast called Tossup 21 . It's about quizbowl stories and the people who lived them. https://www.qblitz.org/images/tossup21_logo_small.png The first episode features an interview with David Reinstein. Please give it a listen and let me know what you think. Tossup 21 is ...
by Dominator
Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:48 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Call for writers: Before-and-Afters
Replies: 1
Views: 3230

Call for writers: Before-and-Afters

Four years ago, I called for writers for a set of before-and-afters, like those end-of-year ones written by John Lawrence or those found here , to be read at moderator scrimmages or nationals or whatever. That effort produced the attached set. I think it's time for some fresh material. I am looking ...
by Dominator
Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:40 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Do you have a set to host on Qblitz?
Replies: 0
Views: 3710

Do you have a set to host on Qblitz?

Last year, Qblitz opened its virtual doors as a quizbowl hosting platform. In its first year, Qblitz ran two house-written tournaments and two events written by the QANTA project. Looking ahead to this upcoming year, we're looking to expand our offerings by hosting mirrors of sets written by the lar...
by Dominator
Mon May 13, 2019 11:45 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz Season Finale (Online, May 20)
Replies: 2
Views: 2163

Re: Qblitz Season Finale (Online, May 20)

We've extended the registration window until this Saturday, May 18. If you haven't signed up yet, please take the chance now. If you have signed up, invite a friend to join you!
by Dominator
Tue May 07, 2019 8:00 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Qblitz Season Finale (Online, May 20)
Replies: 2
Views: 2163

Re: Qblitz Season Finale (Online, May 20)

It seems that this event butting up against HSNCT travel was a bigger problem than anticipated, so we've decided to make the following changes: This event is now only one round on Monday, May 20 . Everyone will play in one big bracket. The registration fee for this event has been waived. Anyone in h...
by Dominator
Mon May 06, 2019 9:04 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: Terrapin mirror on Qblitz (Online, May 13-17, 2019)
Replies: 1
Views: 1886

Re: Terrapin mirror on Qblitz (Online, May 13-17, 2019)

Due to a small field, this event has been canceled.
by Dominator
Mon May 06, 2019 9:03 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: Terrapin mirror on Qblitz (Online, May 13-17, 2019)
Replies: 2
Views: 2524

Re: Terrapin mirror on Qblitz (CANCELED)

Due to small field size, we've decided to cancel this event.

Qblitz is looking forward to running collegiate events in the upcoming year. If you're working on a set that you'd like to offer on our platform, please email me at [email protected].
by Dominator
Thu May 02, 2019 9:04 pm
Forum: New High School Teams
Topic: Getting Other Schools to Join Quiz Bowl
Replies: 3
Views: 9016

Re: Getting Other Schools to Join Quiz Bowl

Hey Justin - Thanks for taking on this initiative. Starting a new team takes a lot of effort, especially when there aren't many tournaments around to play. Perhaps you'd have an easier time if you could hook some players from other teams with some actual gameplay. I've got a company called Qblitz th...
by Dominator
Thu May 02, 2019 8:28 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: California Summer Weekend o' Quizbowl (8/10-11)
Replies: 25
Views: 9424

Re: California Summer Weekend o' Quizbowl at Cal State, Long Beach (Date TBD)

I'd be interested in attending, assuming the date and time works out. NASAT and Acronym sound cool.
by Dominator
Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:17 pm
Forum: High school area archives
Topic: QANTA League 1 (Online, April 22-26)
Replies: 2
Views: 1956

Re: QANTA League 1 (Online, April 22-26)

Congratulations to the champion of QANTA League 1, Aayush Rajakesaran! Congratulations also to the top high school finishers of William Yaeger and Nathan Hazlett, who tied for 5th place. Keep your eyes out for announcements about the next installment of the QANTA League series. We hope to see you th...
by Dominator
Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:13 pm
Forum: College area archives
Topic: QANTA League 1 (Online, April 22-26)
Replies: 2
Views: 1916

Re: QANTA League 1 (Online, April 22-26)

Congratulations to the QANTA League 1 champion, Aayush Rajakesaran! You can watch the match between Aayush and the runner-up, Eric Wolfsberg, here.

The top finishers will be contacted by the QANTA Project about representing mankind against the machines at PACE NSC. Good luck!
by Dominator
Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:50 pm
Forum: Databases and Quizbowl Software
Topic: Announcing Qblitz
Replies: 23
Views: 18989

Re: Announcing Qblitz

As I'm using this for the QANTA League, I find it as a useful resource and a fun game. A couple observations/questions, though: * Is it intentional that the answer is not provided after each question? * Is there a possibility to insert a "pause" feature between questions? If something cam...