Forum:Hourly writing contest: Aftermath

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For an idea I had less than twelve hours ago, the writing contest was a huge success.

There were a few surprises. For instance, locking the articles. Didn't expect that, TKF, but it certainly made it more interesting. Overall, however, it went down without too many delays, only a few dozen edit conflicts, and from what I've heard on Skype and IRC, something called fun has been had.

It's amazing the talent we have on this site, and how quickly it came to light a couple hours ago. Recent Changes was first flooded with edits, then with voting. Out of my three or fourish years at Uncyc, I have never seen quite so much writing, nor so much voting, as I have seen tonight. It was as if all we needed was an excuse to get things going.

The writing was hilarious. The feedback, immediate. It was a clusterfuck in some respects but hey, what isn't on a wiki? Everyone stuck it through to the end and we got a lot of decent writing out of it. All in all, indeed, I declare tonight a success.

But I want to know: Did you guys have fun? Writers of kept articles: Are you going to continue working on them? Writers of deleted articles: Do you want them restored to your userspace? And most importantly, do you want to see this happen again? – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 06:53 Jun 28, 2010

I'm going to break some shit in celebration. -

Kingkitty ~Fuck you Brett~ ~Die in a fire Favre~

Yes I would like it to happen again, on Wednesday for those of us who don't live in Yanksville, California. --ChiefjusticeXBox 06:56, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

I liked it. AND I ACTUALLY FUCKING WROTE SOMETHING. SO yes, it should happen again. Would you like a cookie, sir? 06:57,28June,2010

I LOVE THIS GAME--If you're 555 then I'm Talk What's it like to be a heretic? 07:05, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Woo. I edited a few mistakes in the article I did. 1 hour endurance is cool, but couldn't there be a five minute period afterwards to allow proof-reading only, or is that meant to be part of the package? --nldr 07:18, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

I'd say part of the package. Everyone writes differently, so it's best to have everyone responsible for their own time management. I would not have locked the articles if it were up to me, though, for the simple reason that articles currently on VFD aren't locked. So that opens it up for fixes and whatnot even while voting's going on (since you're not getting judged on minor mistakes anyway). – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 07:20 Jun 28, 2010

Okay. Well, I'm prolly not going to hold my mobile whilst sleeping just get me up early again, I kept forgetting why I was doing up halfway through my article. --nldr 07:28, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

There's talk of somebody doing a European edition soon, never fear. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 07:30 Jun 28, 2010

I loved it. Especially with that last minute keep I got. It was great fun on the IRC, too. We definitely need to do this more. - Not particularly sincere, Sir ColinAYBCUNVFHWhoringMore Whoring at03:52, Tuesday 29 June 2010 -

This coming Wed

• Do you eat baked beans on toast?
• Do you typically hold a cigarette in the corner of your mouth?
• Have the Germans conquered your homeland a few times, just for spite?
• Do you drink way too much tea for your own good?
• Does your language sounds like an ungodly combination of consonants?
• DO YOU THINK ALL AMERICANS ARE YOKELS?!
• ARE YOU THRILLED THAT THE FRENCH GOT ELIMINATED FROM THE WORLD CUP?!

Then you might just qualify for the UNCYCLOPEDIA HOURLY WRITING CONTEST - EUROPEAN EDITION

Coming this Wednesday, 22:00 GMT to selected asylums all across the continent. ~ 07:32, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

No, no, no, yes, only when my father-in-law speaks it, actually no, not any more. Does that make me a borderline case? --UU - natter 08:13, Jun 28

Just your usual Uncyclopedia nutjob. Also, good morning UU, I'll proceed with the ceremonial banning shortly. ~ 08:34, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

• No. I'm allergic to tomatoes, so I don't eat baked beans.
• By typically, do you mean when I smoke I have the cigarette in the corner of my mouth, or at any given moment I am likely to be found smoking a cigarette out of the side of my mouth? And what is that in percentage of time? I need more detail to be able to answer this one.
• As a colonial, my homeland is actually relating back to where my ancestors came from. That includes Germany, so yeah.
• No such thing as too much tea.
• No wukkin furries mate!
• No, only 93.7% of them.
• What's a world cup?

Beyond all that, 2200 GMT Wednesday means 8:00 am Thursday, so that means I have to write this one while showering and on my way to work. When is the Asia Pacific article in an hour?                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Monday, 09:48, Jun 28 2010 UTC

Will it help if we start it an hour earlier? ~ 10:06, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Leave it as is - I've been in one of these already. If I manage to get something up it'll be fantastic.                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Monday, 10:24, Jun 28 2010 UTC

I'm more thrilled by Italy's elimination, but yes to all the rest. Slightly less tired now - will probably partake again next wed. --nldr 11:17, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Yes, will definitely try to participate. I was totally disppointed when I only heard about the contest 12 hours after it finished. Serves me right for being in bed at 5am on a Monday morning I guess. --Black Flamingo 16:07, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

When is 22:00 GMT in EST? The internet is being no help here. ^{Pirate Lord}__Sonic80 (Yell  •  Latest literary excretion) __ 17:56, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

5pm, I think. --Black Flamingo 18:03, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Also

Standing ovation for Dr. S! A truly novel idea and the first great fun I've had writing on this site (discounting the atrocity of Filial Piety getting featured) in about a year, more or less. Way to go Dr. S, it takes a lot to even temporarily de-jade a cranky old crank like me.

Now, out of concern for the magic of the event disappearing with overuse (much like what happened to the PLS), I say we try to limit the times we do this to at the very most twice (once for America and once for Europe) every forty-five days to two months. Just my suggestion. -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 17:24, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Great work by everyone, very impressed at the talent pool here that suddenly came on shore for an hour. Even every two months makes it more chore than fun, I'd say every four to six months--but suggest that the rules should change so somehow people have no idea of their subject until three minutes or so before the start of the contest. Nice work everyone, and hip hip horrays for Skull. Aleister 18:04 28 6 MMX

Excellent point! How about we assign a "Show Runner" every time, unless Dr. S wants to do it every time, that the previous show runner picks. It is at the discretion of this runner to do it or not do it whenever he wants within a 2 month period at least 3 months past the last Hourly Writing Contest Day. The day he announces it, it takes place at the next coming midnight. This adds an element of surprise, which was really one of the best parts about this thing. Again, just an idea, but better than my last one I think.

Also, I suggest another option for the hardcorest writers: much in the style of Hourly Comic Day, writers would attempt to write 1 article every hour for all 24 hours of the day (without going over, 1 article per hour max, no working on more than one article simultaneously). At the start of the next day, each article they write would be voted on in their own personal VFD subpage, and the person with the most articles surviving at the end of the next day wins. Fuckin' intense, no? -- T​K​F​​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​U​CK 18:32, June 28, 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, good luck with that. I like to avoid 24 hours of straight writing. Would you like a cookie, sir? 19:14,28June,2010

My input: Keep it totally spontaneous. If there are a crapload of users on a particular day, organize an hourly writing session that night. Just do it. Part of the energy, I think, came from it being so totally unexpected and a new experience for everyone. So on some random day, when a bunch of good writers are on, someone should just pop into IRC, declare it an hourly writing night, get an admin to sitenotice it & a facebook admin to announce it, and get the ball rolling. If people miss it, well, there'll be another one. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 02:23 Jun 29, 2010

Yeah, but next time make it an hour or two earlier. Fucked my whole timing up. In fact, gotta go now. See, timing fucked up. Slerister 4:34 29 6

Actually the 24 hours sounds both grueling and challenging, but I'd suggest an amendment or two. The challenge will be not to get out one every hour, but the most over a 24 hour period. Rewrites are allowed assuming they are at least 95% rewritten. No prep work is allowed - trust system applies. Start at midday Saturday UTC - this covers NZ and Australian from about midnight Satyrday local time, and midnight Friday US time (roughly), so most competitors will be writing on weekend. Different from article in an hour, as that's a speed test, whereas 24 hours is endurance.                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Tuesday, 06:52, Jun 29 2010 UTC

I'm going to have to say this is a really dumb idea, on the grounds that very few people (I should hope) are capable of sitting around Uncyclopedia for 24 hours. Also, that's an insane amount of writing endurance. I'd think you'd get bored. It's not like hourly comics. Hourly comics require very little writing and a whole lot of drawing. This would be pure writing - takes a lot more out of you, requires you to be original 100% of the time. Not happening. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 07:44 Jun 29, 2010

That's kind of the idea - I wouldn't be writing the entire 24 hours, but the same as CW - I write as much as I can over a set period of time. I would be amazed if anyone managed to get more than 3 articles out that weren't VFD on sight. Of course, if you're too chicken to even try, that says I win by default. :)                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Tuesday, 07:49, Jun 29 2010 UTC

Darn it, I meant to reply to TKF with that one. As for your idea, I think it spreads the energy and excitement too thin. It's easy to stay pumped over the course of an hour. A twenty-four hour writing period, not so much. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 07:52 Jun 29, 2010

True, but think of it more as Formula 1 vs drag racing. Different types of excitement, and still a good chance of seeing someone crash and burn.                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Tuesday, 08:03, Jun 29 2010 UTC

Meh, maybe. I'm doubtful. But perhaps someday you'll run what you're describing and everyone will have fun and it all works out in the end, who knows. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 08:12 Jun 29, 2010

Quick note

The whole point of the contest was sudden death, guys. If an article didn't make the cut, it got deleted. That continues even into the next day. This whole concept of "mercy moves" totally ruins that aspect. So please, if you're going to move something, delete it instead (or VFD it if you have no spine). – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 02:18 Jun 29, 2010

Feck.

My article got deleted. Yet another contest I have failed to win. /sigh ~ Readmesoon 03:56, June 29, 2010 (UTC)

Mine too! Except in a more complicated way. Oh well. – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 07:45 Jun 29, 2010

Template and userbox?

If there's anything more popular than voting on uncyc, it's collecting templates and userboxes. Now I personally think that both are usually fairly trite, but at the same time I am not intending at this stage to put any more effort into my article I did for this than I already have. So I propose a template similar to the featured or IC or one of those templates which says "This was one of the articles written in an hour. That explains why it's so bad." or something. Any objections?                                • Puppy's talk page • 00:40, June 5, 2009 Tuesday, 07:55, Jun 29 2010 UTC

If you're going to template it, do it on the talkpage. Historical stuff (such as Pee Reviews, old VFD noms, or Cajek's personal writing contests of old - which is where I got the idea) goes on talkpages; stuff that's relevant no matter what (featured article) goes on the page itself. The article could (and likely should) be heavily modified since the contest, so it's not really an always-relevant thing. I'm tired and going to bed now – Sir Skullthumper, MD (criticize • writings • SU&W) 08:14 Jun 29, 2010