Happy New Year

 I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and holiday period. With 2020 now behind us, let's look forward to what hopefully be a better year! 

Quizzing in 2021 - Low Brow MIMIR - Sign Up Now!

 

If my posts regarding the Quizzing events that have enriched 2020, then its probably worth mentioning a few ideas for Quizzing events you can get involved in in 2021!

Starting in January, the Lowbrow MIMIR is the newest competition from the Online Quiz League. Quizzers from across the country (and indeed globe) will compete in this individual contest aimed at Lowbrow knowledge (see picture above for definition of what this covers). The MIMIR format involves 4 players competing at a time, and the way the structure works means that you will eventually be paired with people of your own level so games should be close, tight and above all else fun! 

The setting team is the same one that are behind the fantastic questions on the Online Quiz League, so the quality is going to be high. Don't be daunted by the idea of individual quizzing!

You can sign up HERE and please mentioned The Quiz Addict or Daniel Fullard when you do so!

Quizzing in 2020 - Summary

I hope the series of posts on Quizzing in 2020 has inspired you to join in some of the great innovations that are taking place in the Quizzing community. The first months of 2021 may indeed be grim ones, but there has never been a better time to get involved in some serious quizzing, or not so serious if you prefer.

Looking back on 2020 purely in Quizzing terms, I like many others have probably never done have much quizzing as I have this year. In fact, there is no probably about it. Playing in 3-4 leagues, daily buzzer quizzes, pub quizzes, Wikiquiz.....the list goes on. The community has really come out in force and I have met some great new people as well as seen more regularly online that I would in reality. A quizzing friend of mine, in a discussion on the subject, used the term "new lease of life" and in many ways that is what has happened to my quizzing in 2020.

Becoming a new parent and moving home in 2019 pretty much wiped out that year for me. Having left the Sunderland Echo Quiz League and not attending GP's or events such as Quiz in North, meant I was quizzing very rarely indeed and not at all at a serious level.  A handful of pub quizzes here and there and running my own pub quiz was all I really had going on. Yes I was still looking at GP papers, viewing league sets online and setting questions but with the void of serious quiz action I was struggling to find the motivation to improve.

A year later and things are very different. It seems a bit awkward writing a a positive post about 2020, but looking at things in terms of purely quizzing, the year has seen a wide range of innovations that have provided enjoyment to thousands of people. Nobody could have predicted the year we would have, but the dedication, hard work and commitment of the people behind the scenes of the various quiz leagues to make things work online has been beyond admirable. 

Quizzing has never been more active, and in terms of serious players competing against each other and tackling serious questions, there have never been as many options. As quizzers, we have never had such a luxury of choice and the buck doesn't just stop with the organised events. The social aspect and informal quizzing has been a side effect of the move to quizzing online with late night sessions running into the small hours. A quick post on the relevant facebook pages and you could have a Zoom room full of quizzers in no-time!

Many of the innovations of 2020 will continue long after this horrendous year is over. There has been fundamental shifts in the quizzing community and it will be interesting to see how things pan out. 2021 I am sure will be a better year and one that is full of more quiz than ever!

New Years Eve -Twitter Quiz

Throughout the day on the Quiz Addict Twitter account @quizaddictblog I will be running a 300 question quiz with questions posted throughout the day.

Prizes will be included at random times so make sure you follow the account and see you on Twitter!

Quizzing in 2020 - The Pub Quiz

 In addition to the series that has looked at the quizzing world of 2020. the changes, the innovations and the vast array of options we now have as quizzers, I can't ignore one aspect of 2020 that has changed by quizzing and that is the disappearance of the Pub Quiz, specifically my Sunday Night quiz at The Albert in Sunderland. Although some quizzes did start up again briefly during the Summer, the local restrictions, nature of the quiz and usual array of teams, meant that relaunching the quiz wasn't really viable and to stay on the safe side, it hasn't taken place since March. The pub itself remained open when permitted, operating with a delicious festive takeaway menu at the moment, but the quiz is still yet to return.

Like many other hosts, I miss various parts of hosting the pub quiz. The research each week not only was enjoyable but added to my own knowledge and during the lockdown period, I have been able to answer countless questions correct due to the fact that I had set it in the pub quiz. Particularly current affairs stuff....and indeed the reverse has happened, I have missed out on getting points on current affairs questions I would have lapped up if I was setting.

I have missed more than just the research and quiz writing element. Sunday night's were more of a social thing and I had great teams competing on a regular basis. The quiz did take up a lot of my week and was hitting a good stride before Lockdown hit, so the year of hard work was really starting to pay off. 

Lets hope 2021 sees the Albert Pub Quiz return in some form!

Boxing Day Twitter Quiz

 Over at my Twitter account @quizaddictblog I will be posting up several questions throughout the day on Boxing Day. A wide mix of things and Im hoping to post in excess of 100 questions. Follow the account and play along

Merry Christmas

 

Well, at the end of what has been on of the strangest of years, all that is left to say is that I hope you have a fantastic Christmas. All the best for 2021!

Quizzing in 2020 - #9 - Quizzing.com/UK Quiz Circuit

 

Finally in this series looking back at Quizzing in 2020, a brief mention for Quizzing.com/British Quiz Association who have been very active this year in trying to adapt to the world of online quizzing. Usually events, known as Grand Prixs, are hosted every month in venues around the nation. The top players gather together to tackle 240 questions on a range of subjects and ranking points etc are at stake. The standings are usually taken with a degree of seriousness and its a measuring stick used by top level players to judge their performances and improvements. Every aspect of this changed in 2020....

The GP's moved online, and in a move that was not without criticism, premier events such as the British Quizzing Championship and World Quiz Championship all took place via Zoom. The company still went on to provide several thousands quality questions via this format, but the results will forever have an asterisk next to them. I like to think that most quizzers are honest people, but given the way in which these were conducted and the "perception" of these events as being important in the eyes of peers, the temptation for some could have been too much.

I did enjoy the British Quiz Championship when I took part, but having to sit on Zoom for 2 hours filling in an exam paper, did not have the same appeal or enjoyment as an in person event. Given the questions were available on line, I tended to purchase the sets rather than compete. I do like seeing how well I have performed but the leader boards had a little less importance online.

Quizzing also launched several initiatives that were popular such as a Friday Night Quiz fronted by Shaun Williamson, the Quizzing World Cup which was won by Scotland and Quiz Nations which is a new team contest starting next year. These have always been well attended events but the organisation, as well as the players, must be itching to get back to being face to face quizzing!

Again though, it looks as if the innovations of online quizzing will mean GP's are now more accessible for players who couldn't previously compete due to time or travel distances. Zoom GP's, whatever you make of them, will certainly be here to stay!

Quizzing in 2020 #8 - Youtube

 

Another avenue explored by quiz hosts, setters and players during the months of lockdown was and continues to be Youtube. I must admit that despite the occasional good quiz from established setters, as well as the broadcasting of events/finals from the leagues mentioned below, few quiz based channels really stood out for me, and other than "Jays Online Pub Quiz" (which sadly I cant review in this series as I didn't take part this year - but huge Kudos to Jay for the charity work this developed into and he has been rightly honoured for his efforts) very little success was had. Until All Things Quiz came along...

All Things Quiz is the brainchild of quizzer Gareth Kingston who has been an active member of the quizzing community ever since I started being aware of it 10 years ago. Whilst people logging into Zoom to compete in Online quizzes, and the market became ever more congested, Gareth began to offer an alternative product. All Things Quiz is a mixture of Quiz News, Quiz Discussion, Live Reaction Videos and Quiz Competitions. Content is uploaded on a regular basis and there always seems to be something new to watch.

The Quiz News weekly show is a great way to catch up with the latest developments in the quiz world and covers all the major leagues. You can see the latest News Week video HERE. Hopefully, for new players, this weekly video also makes people more aware of what quizzing options are out there!

There have also been several 'chat' videos discussing quizzing topics. The one on Cheating which can be found HERE was very interesting. Sadly, cheating has reared its ugly head regularly throughout lockdown with quite heated discussions taking place online. The Chat video linked above features Online Quiz League founder Jon Stitcher discussing the matter with Gareth after a particularly controversial moment.

There is too much content to go through individually, but another highlight was the Quiz Omnium. You can see episode 1 HERE. The show is a unique format, devised by Gareth, as a 4 player matchup testing a wide range of quizzing skills. You can see some top quizzers taking part in the first series on the link above, and I am pleased to read that the Omnium will be returning in 2021!

All in all, All Things Quiz is a fantastic addition to the quiz community and like many other things mentioned in this series of posts, it is something that will continue long after the current situation is over

Quizzing in 2020 # 7 - Speed Quizzing

 

I mentioned a few days ago, the excellent 50@6 daily quizzes that utilise the Speedquizzing software, and given how many quizzes I have played in using Speedquizzing software over the year, its worth a mention of its own!

I have always enjoyed Speedquizzing on the rare occasions I get to play. Sadly, that is not through choice but it just appears that the company have yet to breakthrough in the north east region and hence its rare to find a pub running a Speedquizzing event. Hopefully, Lockdown has changed that as players and hosts have seen how good it can be!

Speedquizzing were one of the first, if not the first, major Quiz Company to start moving things online as Lockdown hit and indeed have certainly been the most successful.  Initially, everything was free to hosts so there became such a huge choice of quizzes it was overwhelming at times and I spent more time picking what quizzes to play that playing I think.  The quality varied massively but I managed to find a nice regular 3-4 quizzes to play which were largely cheat free and fun questions. Don't get me wrong, there were some awful quizzes out there with rampant cheating and you have to accept that people in the room aren't probably taking it as serious as you. (typified by the fact people will buzz answers to multiple choice questions before the question!).

But in general, with Pub Quizzes a no go, Speedquizzing has provided thousands of people with enjoyment over the past year and gave people a new appreciation of quizzing. One positive affect of this could be that people who didn't used to attend Quizzes in the past, may be tempted when pubs reopen due to their experiences of quizzing online. They now charge online hosts if they have over 12 players logged in which has meant two things  - a) hosts either ask for donations or now charge a fee to play and b) the quality is higher as the weaker quizzes have vanished and what you see left are the ones people enjoy enough to pay!

There are some many quizzes ranging from themed ones to general knowledge to tournaments etc and the best way to get involved is  HERE. You can see listings of quizzes and usually of an evening you can find a quiz starting every hour

Quizzing in 2020 #6 - MK Quiz League

 

The Milton Keynes Quiz League, like many of those all over the country, decided to move online later in the Summer as it became apparent a return to normal face to face quizzing was not an option. I have always followed the League sets online and enjoyed playing them, so I was very intrigued when the League opened up its Online division to players from outside of the area. 

I was placed on a team with several locals and its been a blast so far. We are only 5-6 games into the season but the sets have been very high standard and the pairs are always tightly balanced with a "subject choice" round that is unique to this league. All in all, the league is a pleasure to play in and I for one will miss it as and when it moves back into pubs!

You can find information on the league and all sets HERE. If you are in the Milton Keynes area I would certainly suggest you get involve. Even if you are new to quizzing, this is an ideal league due to the nature of the sets!

Christmas University Challenge - Starts Tomorrow

 

Always one of the highlights of the festive season, the Christmas tournament edition of University Challenge begins to air tomorrow night on BBC 2. 10 episodes are scheduled to run and the series always provides a high level of competition with the usual top quality questions!

Quizzing in 2020 #5 - 50@6

 

To continue on the series of Quizzing highlights from 2020, then the quiz referred to as "50@6" has been another highlight. It uses the Speedquizzing Live software (more on that later) and occurs every night of the week at 6pm. As the name suggests its  50 questions quiz, handicaps are in play to balance things out and some of the top quizzers in the UK compete. The setting duties are passed around and it always makes for a fun, varied and interesting quiz. In the peak of Lockdown I was able to play most days, but had to tone it down when I went back to work. I miss playing every day but its always a great quiz to play when I can.

The best way to get involved is via the Facebook page HERE

Quizzing in 2020 #4 - Wikiquiz

 

To continue on with the series looking at Quizzing in 2020, we move onto to Wikiquiz. I am moving away from Zoom based quizzes for now to look at a format Will Jones designed well before Lockdown hit. As far as I am aware, plans were in place to launch Wikiquiz as a platform for quizzers to compete against each other in user created sets and bring the online quiz community together. When lockdown hit, the timing meant that Wikiquiz, which launched at a similar time to the first UK lockdown announcement, was where thousands of quizzers turned to get their fix.

 

 A brief look at the leaderboards from the first quizzes published on the site, to the ones on the present day, showcase just how far this has reached.  In terms of sheer numbers of players who have competed, Wikiquiz would stand tall above any other of the innovations that have launched this year. Players from across the globe compete ranging from novices you have stumbled across the site to TV professionals. Some may do every quiz they can, others may pick the more specialist topics. Either way Wikiquiz has something for everyone. Users create bespoke quizzes on all manner of subjects and some of the finest setters in the country offer up regular sets. And of course its all free!

 

At the heart of Wikiquiz is what are known as “Main Event” quizzes which are typically 50 questions long and take place every night at 7pm and 9pm. Players have 30 minutes to answer and then a leaderboard is released. There was something novel and interesting about playing a quiz at a set time knowing players around the globe were tackling the same set!

 

The software behind the site made things all the more enjoyable. As a player, it couldn’t be any simpler……read the questions, type your answer. As a setter, the marking system is just a joy to behold.  Will Jones created something that has been cherished by thousands of quizzers throughout this awful year and long may it continue!

 

I think if you added up how many people had played how many quizzes since the launch of Wikiquiz the numbers would be staggering. The full archive is available on the site and it also lists live and upcoming quizzes too. Even if you only remotely like an occasional quiz, there is something on there for everyone but for the true obsessives out there Wikiquiz has been a central factor in the hobby we enjoy!

 

You will find the site HERE

Quizzing in 2020 #3 - MIMIR'S Well

  

I had never played in the quiz format know as a MIMIR until Lockdown. In fact, as they had never been available to me I wasn’t actually sure what a MIMIR was but 9 months later and I am now a veteran with literally 100s of games behind me, mainly online friendlies and suchlike, but it all began for me with MIMIRS Well.

Organised by top ranking quizzers including Daoud Jackson and Joey Goldman, MIMIR’s Well took the 4 person format online. It is an individual quiz with quads of questions (the best way to learn if interested is to watch the video below of a recent final – although don’t be put off, the heats are easier and you play against people at your own level). Various seasons have already been held and with around 200 quizzers playing, you could see how this could become an organisational headache, but the smooth and seamless way in which the structure was devised means that even newbies to the format can easily take part!

 

Being individual, and containing some of the worlds top players, the standard is high and topics emerge from every aspect of the quiz canon. But eventually after a few games, the system works out and you end up playing against players with similar records to yours. Meaning games tend to be close and points hard fought. The questions are written to a very high standard indeed, and indeed the setting team deserve credit for being able to produce such quantities of quads of questions that continue to entertain quiz folk. I have tried writing a MIMIR before and coming up with balanced, fair and interesting quads is by no means an easy feat.

 

If you are looking for a weekly individual quiz challenge that will push your knowledge to the limits then  suggest taking a look at the MIMIRS Wells website HERE and giving it a go. The games are around 30-45 minutes long and you only play once per week. A season is currently in progress but I suspect around February time a new league will commence so make sure you Register HERE and mentioned Daniel Fullard/Quiz Addict when you do.

 

Video below from a recent final…