Forum:Hourly writing contest

Forums: Index > Village Dump > Hourly writing contest (talk)

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Participants: Be sure to be on IRC or Skype during the contest!

The Great Uncyclopedian Hourly Writing Contest: SUDDEN DEATH MODE
(sign up here)

In response to this forum, I propose a contest. Tonight.

Beginning at midnight EST (if you don't know when that is, look it up), you will all have one hour to write an article. Any namespace. Any subject. Rewrites are not allowed and stupid in this context anyway.

However, there is a catch.

You cannot write the article in your userspace. You cannot even copy it to your userspace. You cannot rely on the construction template or anything else to save your article once it's done. At the end of the hour, judgement will be handed over to VFD, which everyone will be expected to participate in. Other VFD entires will be locked and taken off at this time.

In the next hour (1 am EST - 2 am EST), votes will be cast. Some articles will die. Others shall live. After this period of judgement is over, all VFD noms that were taken off will be replaced and operations will resume as normal.

Who's in? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 21:06 Jun 27, 2010

Sounds good, but your not taking time zones into account. Let's start at 10 p.m. EST (2:00 UTC) and judge at 11. Sound about right? Aleister 22:24 UTC

Time zones are up for discussion. I chose midnight EST because it's about-nighttime for everyone (9pm on the west coast of USA, 5am or about for Brits). If it's at 10pm, it would be 6 for the west coast. I dunno. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:30 Jun 27, 2010

I'm in for midnight if I'm home. (I should be) 166.137.8.48 22:32, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Ok, fuck it. Midnight. Al

You in? You only have to wake up for an hour. Then go back to bed. If it were 5am-ish in my time zone, I would totally do that. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:34 Jun 27, 2010

5am? I'm more or less out. --nldr 22:40, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

(out axe killing btw) --nldr 22:40, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Well where do you live? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:48 Jun 27, 2010

East Anglia, where it's TWO minutes to midnight. --nldr 22:52, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Is this just some crazy ploy to make me come back?

Because it isn't going to work. —Sir SysRq (talk) 22:44, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

How about

At two minutes to midnight we give each other the topic. You pair off the names, and then those two would send each other the topic, sort of like a Christmas Santa or something. Just to make it more interesting. Al

I do actually like this idea. We'd just have to figure out the logistics of how it would work. Plus it would prevent "cheating" or whatever.

Thought: I could announce the pairings at quarter-to. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:49 Jun 27, 2010

But it would have to be agreed on within reasonable limits. For instance, there are bands and sports teams I've never heard of. So general topics? Al

On second thought, this might make a simple contest needlessly complicated. But I'm still open to suggestions, if there's a simple way to execute them. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:52 Jun 27, 2010

Just as well, I already have an idea in my head. Or is that cheating? --nldr 23:03, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

I don't think so. I guess people could cheat by pre-writing, but I think that would be fairly obvious, so it's not a worry. Ideas and such, though, I have no problem with. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 23:04 Jun 27, 2010

So at the moment it's 10 minutes to 6 EST, right? I could do this, but I don't exactly get up that easily, especially after a night of drinking, consoling the England exit from the WC. --nldr 22:51, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

8 minutes to 7. You could always set an alarm, wake up, vomit on Uncyc, and go back to sleep. Except by vomit I mean write. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:52 Jun 27, 2010

Okay, well I'll try. I don't wear hearing aids when asleep, but vibrations usually wake me up, and drinking a lot of water. More vodka it is then. --nldr 22:54, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Quick question - if we do this again in a couple of nights starting midnight GMT, would anyone participate? I'd fancy writing something but I'm not getting up at 5am for that. As much as I love you all. Which I don't. At all. ~ 23:15, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

American and British version! Just like Who's Line Is It Anyway. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 23:16 Jun 27, 2010

If people have a chance to think about their page between now and the start that doesn't seem in the spirit of the game, as they can make mental notes and things, look up pics, dictate to a secretary, etc. Esp. if another game is held in two days (can we all join that one too?) I would suggest that those of us who want to go into it cold have a chance to exchange topics. Anyone want to exchange with me, maybe from a list of three fairly general topics with your choice of everything else. Aleister 23:36 27 6 MMX

You have to write it, i.e. construct the article, in an hour. Having ideas, looking up references, et cetera, is still within the spirit of the game, especially if your chosen topic is a complex one. Anything short of writing the whole thing in another wiki and copying it over still qualifies, I think. But if you want to have a topic dictated to you, you could always ask another user to do so. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 23:44 Jun 27, 2010

I got the hint from your mention of VFD that I should write something apparently randomly and spontaneously entitled, with all of the content justifying the name of the article. Which is my idea atm anyway. --nldr 23:47, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Wait

What's stopping people from not writing it all up in Word during the next 5 hours, and then just copy/pasting? Che } 23:37,27June,2010

Nothing but their integrity, the damning of their soul, and over their dead bodies, so, nothing actually. That's why I want to trade ideas with someone at two minutes to the witching hour. Al

(edit conflict) That would be super fucking obvious? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 23:40 Jun 27, 2010

I agree with Skullhumper, it'd be obvious - my attention span means I'm lucky to produce four paragraphs in under an hour. An article of mine that's currently on VFH wouldn't be posssible if I had only an hour. --nldr 23:48, June 27, 2010 (UTC)

Of course this won't come out like one of your features. Anyway, who wants to trade with me? We can list three very general ideas at two minutes to the starting gate, and then pick one of those or at least write something somewhere in the vicinity of one of the topics suggested. I'll make my suggestions general enough it won't fuck you over. Al getting in game mode 00:00 28 6 MMX

Who knows? It may end up a feature. Ya know, if it even survives VFD. But if it does survive, nothing says you can't improve it at a later date. Che } 01:32,28June,2010

I am in (your mother)

Sign here.

• No one
• I don't know if I feel like reminding people that I exist. However, since I have really nothing else going on tonight, it may be fun. Entering for shiggles. —Sir SysRq (talk) 22:35, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• Oh, by fuck it, I meant yes. Aleister
• Obviously quite in. I will be on IRC and Skype so I can watch everyone shouting at each other. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 22:37 Jun 27, 2010
• I'm game. —Unführer Guildy Ritter von Guildensternenstein 22:46, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• Why not? (oh, sleep?) --Matfen 22:50, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• Sure, but it's 50/50. --nldr 22:55, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• Regrets. Playing to win--that is, using the best available tools--that is, pulling up to the parking lot of the Public Library at midnight--is asking for it, around here. And the only night I stayed up until 26:00 doing Pee Reviews, chaos ensued. Spıke ¬ 23:23 27-Jun-10
  • Confusion Is this a yay or a nay? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 23:24 Jun 27, 2010
•  For. --EMC ^[TALK] 00:04 Jun 28 2010
• Pacman. Wow, Uncyc is doing something that might not completely suck. Probably will though... Che } 23:34,27June,2010
• In. Now let me go ask my mommy if I can stay up past midnight (no seriously, I'll go check) ^{Pirate Lord}__Sonic80 (Yell  •  Latest literary excretion) __ 23:40, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• PossiblyUser:Mrthejazz/sig 23:57, June 27, 2010 (UTC)
• Yes, provided I can figure out when this competition is taking place (this is at my 7 p.m. if we're counting from EST, or 8 p.m. if we count from EDST -- so which one is it?) IronLung 00:12, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
  • Where are you, Hawaii or someplace? Al
    • Right now it's 8:18 EST, game starts at midnight there. Al
      • Oh, right. So not that late. More like 4 p.m. Thanks from New Zealand, where nobody we know lives in a nearby timezone so we rarely think about them. IronLung 00:22, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
        • NEW ZEALAND? Awesomeeee – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 00:23 Jun 28, 2010
• I'm going to make an offensive article on <insert name here>'s mom. -

  kingkitty ~Fuck you~

  • i wish i could sort of stab my eye so it can detect underlying coding... off to sleep for 3 1/2 hours --nldr
• Sure Why not?--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 00:53, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• OK, I'm in. Gotta finish an article sometime. Chyel 00:59, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Yeah sure whatever -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​UU​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 01:17, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Whatever. Just let me get my power supply. -- controversial Ape (pasteurise) (Riot Porn) 02:01, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Horace Donald Westenchester 02:19, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• derp Lieutenant THEDUDEMAN Dude ... Totally UOTM KUN GotA F@H 02:30, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Drama
• - Not particularly sincere, Sir ColinAYBCUNVFHWhoringMore Whoring at 04:34, Monday 28 June 2010 -
• Yeah - made it just in time. Nominally Humane! some time Monday, 05:01, Jun 28 2010 UTC

Hm,,,

Should the articles be in the userspace so it isn't a big pain to find them? (No, I'm not entering. Shush.)--Sir HELPME Talk (more? --> CUN ROTM NOTM Pleb USS Pees SK ) On Monday, 12:48, June 28 2010 UTC

No. See the first thing I posted. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 00:50 Jun 28, 2010

Oh, oops. Fail.--Sir HELPME Talk (more? --> CUN ROTM NOTM Pleb USS Pees SK ) On Monday, 01:11, June 28 2010 UTC

So they have to be mainspaced?--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 01:14, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Yep. The whole point is making something that won't get horribly deleted once the contest is over. (Although you can always ask, politely, for it to be restored to your userspace, should you fail.) – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 01:16 Jun 28, 2010

Ok, I see--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 01:16, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Whats in it for me?

What does one who is victorious in this receive? I don't write just for "the joy of writing" I must be rewarded. I wouldn't even be writing this right now, but I'm being paid 30 cents a word for it. And I am now done with this post. Right now. Done.

PS: Done. ^{Pirate Lord}__Sonic80 (Yell  •  Latest literary excretion) __ 01:13, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Your article doesn't get mercilessly slaughtered. That good enough for you? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 01:14 Jun 28, 2010

Questions that would have been answered had you read the directions, but you ask anyway

How do we know when it begins, and when it ends? Would we have a 5 minute warning?--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 01:19, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Midnight EST, ends 1:00 AM EST. I have a better question: can we do rewrites? -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​UU​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 01:24, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

I think thats already been answered--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 01:25, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Oh balls. I guess we're both dumb, then. -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​UU​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 01:26, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

It appears so--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 01:27, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Template Suggestion

I think we should make a template like in Uotm, RotM, and AotM for all the winners.--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 03:28, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Winners? ^{Pirate Lord}__Sonic80 (Yell  •  Latest literary excretion) __ 03:47, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

There are only losers! – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • critchat) 03:51 Jun 28, 2010

Then lets make loser templates--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 03:56, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

OFFICIAL SUBMISSION

Tony Abbott tells you: I'm in love with the voicemail lady.

Nothing I say that isn't scripted to me beforehand cannot be trusted. So this quote really doesn't count for jack at all.

Julia Gillard's latest policy: Hire Kerry O'Brien as secret agent to humiliate Abbott.

KRudd: 'Which isn't really necessary, given that Tony does such a wonderful job of that by himself, without assistance from his party.'

List of articles created

• Limitations of Science —Sir SysRq (talk) 04:24, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• UnNews:Vice President Biden suffers Tourette's outburst Horace Donald Westenchester 04:26, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Gee, the mannequins at Old Navy sure are hot! User:Mrthejazz/sig 04:34, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Why? Masturbate to that one chick from Mythbusters - Not particularly sincere, Sir ColinAYBCUNVFHWhoringMore Whoring at 04:36, Monday 28 June 2010 -
• HowTo:Write a decent article in an hour ~ Readmesoon 04:37, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• UnNews:ICC calls emergency meeting because I kick too much ass at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 —Unführer Guildy Ritter von Guildensternenstein 04:41, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• The Fourth Stooge -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​UU​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 04:43, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
  • Bonus: Vintage Advertisement Article -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​UU​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 05:00, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Grandma's Pies--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 04:57, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• The toaster in Pulp Fiction Horace Donald Westenchester 04:59, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Testical expansion Nominally Humane! some time Monday, 05:00, Jun 28 2010 UTC
• UnNews:Obama doodles random shit -

  kingkitty ~Fuck you~

• Charity shop --nldr 05:01, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Jabulani ^{Pirate Lord}__Sonic80 (Yell  •  Latest literary excretion) __ 05:02, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• A new lease on life Aleister 5:01 28 6 MMX
• HowTo:Screw with the workers of your local fast food place Lieutenant THEDUDEMAN Dude ... Totally UOTM KUN GotA F@H 05:04, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• Shark Week --EMC ^[TALK] 05:06 Jun 28 2010
• UnNews:Superheroine_Saves_Dessert,_Intends_To_"Finish_it_Later" Chyel 05:08, June 28, 2010 (UTC)
• UnBooks: That time I didn't get anally probed by aliens when I visited the south Che } 05:09,28June,2010