The problem with awarding 10 points a play is that some will get 2,000 plays, and that is 20,000 points for a single play. In just two weeks, three or four of mine had over 2,000 plays. Granted, most are from guests. But even the divided by three thingamajig in play, a single quiz can be played 10,000 times, and get 100,000 points for a single quiz? I don't think that is such a good idea.

As for the thing about having it max out with 5 or 6 quizzes a month...

Some players get more than that a month, and I have already mentioned several, and sorry, darksplash, forgot to add him there, but anyway...

One player, although it is only the 9th, already has 12 quizzes out this month alone. :-)

Wow, I'd be lucky to get 12 online in half a year!

As for Brain Teasers, there is always something that can be said. Even if the answer was 'are' in a drop-a-letter quiz, you could write interesting info. Perhaps talk a bit about conjugation and its French counterpart:

je suis
tu es
il est
elle est and so on

If there is no interesting info, I usually give an average - if there is interesting info I tend to be quite generous with my ratings for brain teasers.

It would be a shame to have the 'brakes' put on ANY good author. I am nowhere near as prolific as most, but I did once have 4 online in a single WEEK - and GOOD crosswords I could turn out by the bucket-full!

Why would it "put the brakes on"? People have been writing quizzes for ages, points would be a bonus, not an end in themsleves surely? And if an author did want to write quizzes just to get points, then the cap would be a good thing and do as Terry suggested, by stopping dozens of poor, below par submissions, dashed off in half an hour in the hope of a few points gained.
I hardly think a good author is going to stop and say "ooo I will get some points if I leave this quiz, on which I have lavished care and time and attention, here for three weeks until the beginning of next month". They're more likely to submit the quiz and toddle off and play a couple of hourlies and a couple of quizzes and score some points that way...

<< How about a token amount of points to authors based on weekly or monthly play of their quizzes? Say 5 or 10 points per valid play. Points could be added weekly or monthly to the author's total. This would be like royalties on books. True it would reward authors for writing quizzes in 'popular' topics, but that is the way life works. A limit could be put on total royalties from any given quiz if you wanted to control the popularity effect. Comments? >>

No, we do not want to push people to write "popular" quizzes, otherwise we'll have nothing but Harry Potter and Movie Quotes. Dangerous suggestion!

I think what I've proposed above is fairly balanced. It offers "some points" for creating quizzes that the author wants to create.

<< Why would it "put the brakes on"? >>

Actually, I am considering increasing the "eligible quizzes per month" a bit for our very top authors, just as we currently allow them to have more quizzes submitted at a time than most players. I have nothing wrong with a little favoritism when it comes to those few authors who submit quality stuff consistently.

I agree Row - but there ARE some excellent and VERY prolific authors who are capable of writing 10 or more GOOD quizzes in a month. I agree, the gaining of points should NEVER be a consideration in 'banging out a quiz' - but if an author is capable of 7 or more quality quizzes in a month, why shouldn't they get the points - which they no doubt would consider a 'bonus' for their amazing dedication to the site

Edit - posted before seeing Terrys post

Announcement posted:

http://www.funtrivia.com/bb.cfm?action=details&qnid=23060&boardid=1000000

No Agnes I am most certainly NOT saying that............Please READ my post! I am simply saying that they require different skills!

I give up ............

<<
With due respect GG, as you have some excellent quizzes online - you are not a prolific author of Braintwists - other than the odd 'fractured words' quiz.
Your forté, like Kyle, lies elsewhere. >>

Why would you take time out of your day to post this? What possible gain could it have?

When ever, in your life, EVER, has it been to your advantage to say a sentence including words like "You are not a prolific author of..." and "Your forte lies elsewhere" ? Who are YOU to tell someone else where THEIR forte lies?

Do you get tactile pleasure out of pressing the keys on your keyboard? Because frankly, all I'm reading here is one train wreck of a post after another coming from you.

Never before have I seen someone attempt to insert so many feet in one's mouth.

Picking up points for quiz writing would be nice indeed! It would be good to get that recognition, but I agree with Terry--it's definitely to no one's benefit if people start submitting sub-par quizzes in the quest for points.

Terry:
The points for quizzes are a great idea and very much appreciated no matter how you want to distribute them. Although that's not my reasson for posting them, it's a nice perk. I usualy post between 5 and 10 quizzes per month. I have 118 on line and about 70% of them are in the sunglasses category. If people just take the time and follow the guidelines that have been set up, there shouldn't be a problem. Also, its important to accept the editor's assistance with changes and corrections. That can only help to create a better quiz, and now, also help earn points. Thanks again.

I've just been trying to figure out a way to compress my daily 5-6 hours of FT into 1 hour since I've graduated from being a student to a full time employee. All these new changes are making it almost impossible and I've even had a couple of meals in front of the computer while playing the quizzes. Thanks for making the site such a fun place, Terry. And the Editor's Choice badge was a great surprise.

A well-crafted quiz is a testament to the author's skill, regardless of category.

*sticks head above parapet to see if coast is clear*

I'm firmly in the 'would write quizzes anyway, don't need points camp', but it's always nice to get something for nothing - ta!

I have only 8 quizzes on line , 3 with sunnies and a couple not that far out but have been the recipient of a dreaded green screen which was well deserved but innocently achieved. I am much encouraged that authors like swami salami have also been green screen receivers! I really felt terribly bad when I received one (plagiarism!) as I had researched the question many weeks before submitting the quiz and just hadn't realised how close to the mark it was. I haven't submitted a quiz since, as felt I had a really bad mark against my name. I will try again now though as I've realised I am not an isolated case and that the editors do get past previous mistakesand even authors who I respect quality wise have received a green screen to. Hail to this forum!

The points will be a great bonus but I don't think it will match the thrill of getting the notice that one of my quizzes has gone online!

I think all the recent focus on the authoring of quizzes is great! Thankyou.

Contrary to what is thought the editing staff does not hold grudges, we do not take "things" out on quiz authors. That is just not what we are about.

We are here for the same reason everyone else is...we love this site!

The editing staff is here to offer assistance. However, the quality of the quizzes matters tremendously. We never intentionally want a quiz author to stop creating and submiting quizzes, that is not what we are about.

However, with that being said, the editing staff are not mind readers and if a quiz author has a dilemma or a particular question, we are happy to help, but if we do not know that the quiz author is having problems, then we cannot possibly help.

As far as the "green screen" is concerned, I have seen quiz authors that have had a green screen for a long time, and still continue to create and submit.

In fact, in some instances I do believe the green screen has been helpful, as most strive so hard to rid themselves of it.

Therefore, their quizzes become better, and they eventually lose the "green screen".

To me, as an editor, I consider the "green screen" a learning tool for quiz authors. I completely understand that seeing that screen is not fun at all, but it does, in my opinion, get the point across to quiz authors.

Agnes I agree with you..I just lost confidence in myself there for a while as I really try with my quizzes and was absolutely gutted that I could have made such a dreadful error before submitting.The Editor was Stuthehistoryguy and there is no way anyone could fault him in quiz making or editing so I have just taken a break in submitting to make absolutely sure before I next submit. Editors are what make this site really fabulous and I am just really happy to know that I am not the only one (so early in my quizmaking mode) to have been " caught out" so to speak. It says volumes for this site that quizzes are looked at so thoroughly and that is what sets this site apart from all the others on offer.
Look forward to submitting some newies ssoon.