Hey Hamlet,
First, thanks for starting this - looks like fun.
Second, maybe I missed it, but did you decide where you would place the entrys? If in this thread, great, if in another, can you post a link?
Third, Hi Opal! Thanks for Fathom!
Fourth, it may get cold as HELL outside, but I’ll feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that there’ll be some fun stuff to read soon!
I too don’t get the tears things. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s just a contest to see who, on this occasion, wrote the funniest Comic Piece. Nothing to feel bad about if you aren’t the one. Comedy is so subjective, that no one should feel bad. The only people who should feel bad are those who read the posts, but don’t take the time to post a reply vote. These people are going to work pretty hard to put together funny posts, I hope everyone takes a few minutes to throw in a vote.
I don’t want to be a thread-killer here, but I also want to say that I don’t want anybody posting their own humorous pieces regarding the topics here. I’d hate to have a participant’s piece made moot or less funny because someone posted a version of it here. Just an idea.
Now get back to work, participants.
While on preview
I will definately start a new thread for the posting of the pieces. I’ll definately link it up from this thread, so it’s easy to find.
“Should” being the key word. Just saying you should be prepared that someone’s feelings will get hurt, is all. (And, IIRC, although this has a different approach than previous ones, these kinds of things have generally been frowned upon by the Powers That Be[sup]TM[/sup] in the past.)
Esprix
Yes “should” is a very key word. “Should” assuming a group of reasonable adults familiar with the concept of games with winners. I don’t see anyone coming to tears in the chess or diplomacy threads. Games are great. All of my life teachers have used competiition to inspire me to practice and get better at whatever the subject may b e. It is a game and everyone involved is in it for fun. Quit being a baby, grow a spine, and pull up a seat.
FTR, you are not “The Poweres That Be”, so let them do their job and quit being negative in what has been a pretty fun thread. If you don’t like it don’t read it. Remember that one?
DaLovin’ Dj
I disagree Esprix: I see this as being much closer to an Iron Chef thread than previous attempts at “best poster” contest.
Unlike previous attempts,
[ul]
[li] There’s no pretention (despite the thread title) that this is for the “best poster” on the Board, just in the thread[/li][li] It’s only working with volunteers (they’re not combing the Board looking for posts that are deemed ‘best’, so that A) only willing people are participating and B) it’s not going to have the potentially “change your style to meet the judges tastes” effect that other attempts might have had.[/li][li] The voting’s open to everyone, rather than a small, self-selected group.[/li][/ul]
If the SDMB Iron Chef contests are OK, I don’t see a problem with this.
Fenris
I never said I was right, nor in charge - just stating an opinion like the previous 64 posters. (And thank you for yours, Fenris - always reasonable and intelligent, good points all.)
Sheesh - I’m supposed to lighten up? :rolleyes:
Esprix
On the one hand, Esprix, I can understand your apprehension over someone’s potential hurt feelings.
On the other hand, why worry about something that hasn’t happened yet?
I feel the same as dalovindj. The participants entered this voluntarily and with their eyes open. It’s to be hoped that they all are doing this just for shits and giggles, and to get some humorous essays up on the board. The idea of a contest just puts a little edge on it. A fun edge, not a cutting edge.
Good luck to everyone participating. I’m looking forward to reading all the “Fuzzy Hell” stories.
I have to say that despite my earlier reservations, I am now looking forward to reading the pieces. It’s all been handled very well. Good luck!
Hamlet,
Do you eventually reveal the winner’s membername, assuming there IS a winning story by a plurality? Do you plan, after the voting, to ID all the writers with their posts?
If you addressed this earlier, I missed it upon rereading. My preference is that only the winner be identified, to absorb all glory. The rest of us can just be names-in-a-group pioneers. However, if others feel differently, I have no objection to being linked to my story. And if you addressed this earlier and I missed it, apologies in advance, and I’ll go along with whatever was decided.
Shoot Hamlet, OG SMASH would have been two fine words to use, though it could lead to some monosyllabic stories, and I would be a bit concerned if you had children’s books about Og.
yojimboguy
I said earlier:
I am completely flexible in this. If any participant feels either they don’t want to be, or they do want to be, I’ll do whatever they want. When you email me your Best Comic Piece, just let me know if you want me to identify you or not. I have no problem either way.
OK, here’s a question about this that I don’t think has been answered.
In the OP, Hamlet referred to writing a humorous post. Well, just how wide-open is the definition of “post?”
I mean, most posts are experiential, and written in first person. Is this what you mean?
Or was “post” used as a generic, message board term? Thus making an essay, or fake news report, equally valid? Or does any of this even matter, who cares, just write the damn thing?
I thought about trying to incorporate some graphics or format things (for instance, like a fake newspaper or magazine cover/headline), then decided it might cause viewing or judging problems down the line.
I interpret the rules to be: plain text, contiains the words hell and fuzzy, 1K words or less.
1st person, or 8th person if you want.
That’s pretty much how I interpreted it, as well. If Hamlet chimes in and clarifies anything to prove the contrary, I’ll deal with it then.
For the nonce, I figure I’ll just proceed with what I got.
Yojimboguy was spot on (if you get to use words like nonce, I get to use “spot on”!!) Dave. Post was the generic, message board term to mean just 1K of plain text. What you do with it is completely up to you.
Oh.
So things like links, smilies, colors, supercript, whispers, italics, bold, and all the other Vb codes are all off limits? Fair enough.
Still, I would like to put in a vote for allowing these things. It’s a really neat part of posting to have all of those things at your disposal.
DaLovin’ Dj
Links - No.
All other vb code is allowed.
Well, I have a few pieces so far (they are damn funny), but I’m still under the halfway mark of those who said they would participate. There are a couple hours to go, but I’m starting to worry.
In related news, it was brought to my attention that I am an idiot. And for once it wasn’t my wife who brought that to my attention. I had said that maybe a time of four days would be better than two, but then set the deadline three days later. ::sound of me smacking my own head::
If anyone participating would like to have the deadline pushed back a day, I’d be up for it. Anyone who has submitted already would have the chance to clean up their piece and resubmit it later.
I’ll plan on starting posting at noon, unless I hear from some of the participants, though. Let’s get it On.
O.K.,
I admit it.
Maybe planning to have the submission deadline on Easter Sunday was a tactical error.
Since I will not be able to be online on Monday until 7:00 pm., that is our new deadline. Of course the judgment deadline will also be pushed back. I’m really sorry, but I don’t want to go ahead and start posting them, until I have all of them in. Anyone who has already submitted theirs, feel free to make any changes in them and resubmit.
The rest of you will be hurtled into the bowels of hell (I hear it’s fuzzy there), unless I get your pieces.
Consider yourselves warned.
I stayed up WAY past my bedtime last night to get my submission done. Now it seems to be all for naught. Oh well, maybe it will give me a chance to correct any mistakes I made while I was half-asleep.