Guitar Goddess and I just spent a lot of time writing our most recent quizzes because we added extensive "interesting info" to the quiz. We're wondering if people will read it. What do you prefer when you take a quiz -- a couple of short sentences or more detailed information?

I prefer more detailed info - I learn something which explains or is in addition to the answer, and it shows that the quizmaker has thought about more than just a straight right/wrong scenario. Quizzes with no, or almost no, interesting info will never get a good or excellent score from me - a quiz with interesting info might, even if I score zero.

The same applies in the New Questions Game - if people put some thought into the questions and info they provide, I'll put some thought into a high score, if they don't...

I think it very much depends upon the tastes of the person taking the quiz. If somebody takes a quiz for no other reason other than it is a subject in which they have an interest, then yes, I would say that a lot of well researched info makes the quiz that much more enjoyable

If however, a person takes a quiz purely for the points, then they are unlikely to read two sentences of interesting info, let alone a mini essay!

I enjoy additional info with the answer page, and yes, I read every word! Quizzes that have very looong questions, kind of sidetrack me...:)

I write my quizzes with a fair few lines of interesting information, to me it reflects the amount of research done and facts related to the question, which are of interest. I usually do 3 to 5 lines. If i take a quiz and the interesting information is good, this reflects in the score. I guess it's each to their own, but more is better methinks and it's the player's choice as to whether they read it or not.

I personally don't like too much II. A few sentances is all I want to read.

I like it giving an explanation as to why the answer was right (or the others wrong) and maybe a few facts.

As soon as I see paragraphs appearing I just scroll down and don't read any of it.

But thats just me.

Just a bare recital of a lot of facts and figures doesn't do too much for me. I'd rather have one sentence that is truly interesting than a paragraph that is essentially statistics. Of course, the very best is a good long paragraph that is also interesting!

Breaking up your info into a couple of short paragraphs rather than one long dense one is good, too. People like lots of white space when they are reading for fun.

I usually don't read huge chunks myself, but then I have a pretty short attention span.

2-4 carefully selected sentences that make me say "wow, I didn't know that... how interesting!" is what usually catches my interest.

I agree entirely agony - there is nothing worse for me, than to start reading the interesting info, only to find 3 and a half pages of an encyclopaedia slammed in 'en masse'!

It depends on the quiz. Something like a lyrics quiz, or a quiz on one particular book, I kind of assume the players will have read the book, or be familiar with the music, so a couple of sentences suffice. People don't need reams of info that they more than likely already know. If I find an interesting factoid whilst researching, that I think people may not know, I put that in there.
With other quizzes, where I think people won't be as familiar with the subject matter, I will write a paragraph or two, and try to make it interesting and have the "ooo nice!" factor if I possibly can.
Then on something like the "Hippo" quiz or my "Blyton Survival" one, the II can be as much a part of the quiz as the questions are, and it's integral to the "whole quiz experience" lol if that makes sense. The questions need the info to finish them off and make it "all of a piece".

If the interesting info is like 'War and Peace', I give it a miss. I agree with Rowena, in some quizzes, it 'completes' the question. I tend to talk a lot, so I usually write a lot too lol

I used to be very long-winded with my II, but now have become less verbal! I do enjoy reading short II, but maybe not essay-length ones ...

I put a lot of interesting information in my quizzes, in my sciences quizzes particularly so. I usually write science quizzes because I love the subject so much (puts on nerdish glasses) and I just find myself writing sentence after sentence. If people don't wish to read it then that is fine...skip over it. If you do wish to read it then great...I hope you enjoy the topic as much as I do!

For me the priority lies in creating quizzes for those who like a substantial amount of Interesting Info in their quizzes. Those who don't want to read it don't have to, but if there isn't much information and somebody really does want to know more...then we can't magically add more.

Though, some quizzes don't lend themselves that well to a lot of II. Geography quizzes for instance don't really require huge amounts of II.

I would quite happily sit and read a 12 page essay written on one of your quizzes Jonno

Most subjects though, with long-winded 'interesting' info - 1 sentence and I'm bored.

"As soon as I see paragraphs appearing I just scroll down and don't read any of it."

Sadly, I think this speaks for a majority of quiz takers now, never mind the quality-just give us the points!

I agree with most that has been said and one other thing - the harder a quiz, the more II I like to see. If a quiz is designed to be exceptionally easy, it will quite often end up in a quick point spree where II is somewhat likely to be ignored. If it's really hard, I take it to learn something about the subject and want detailed, valuable info. For in-the-middle, I appreciate a few sentences with one or two new facts beyond the answer - not too long to read, but not nothing either.

I think I am among the guilty when it comes to writing long information sections. I like to give as much as I find interesting and then the player can choose to read as much or as little of it as s/he chooses. My Breath of Snow and Ashes quizzes that I'm working on each II has two paragraphs; the first explaining the answer to the question and the second paragraph picks a random topic from the question or answer and expands on it. It's completely unnecessary, but it makes my quizzes unique. I don't mind if nobody reads it; I had fun researching it, and I learned something myself.

I wasn't aware of the 'II' phrase, until I got a correction typo notice for one of my quizzes, referring me to 'II'. I thought it was question 2 lol I have just worked out on this thread what it means ...

LadyCaitriona

That dear lady is one of the joys of quiz writing

A quiz that the author thoroughly enjoys researching, and writing, is far more likely to be a good 'un

Jan, chicks - take a break hon - yer tiring yerself! hehehehe

I'm similar to LadyC, I'd rather write just that little bit more because I feel it makes my quizzes stand out a bit more. I'd rather exceed the expectations than meet them, and I know it means more to the people who actually do read it.

Oi oi Del, we don't all know, 'Quiz Speak' lol

Eeee bah gum lass - yer reeet tha' ! lol

Del, 'noswyth dda i chi', smiles sweetly lol

hehehehe - we could keep this up all night chicks - but I don't think either of us wants to be 'post banned'

So, back on topic ......

Interesting info - loads of it - is fine as long as it IS interesting to the mass membership. Yes there will always be the niche subjects that are considered to be the best thing since sliced bread to a tiny minority, but surely the essence of writing a GOOD quiz is to remember the maxim 'Vox populi suprema est lex'.

The type of supposedly interesting info that I personally hate, is where the author would appear to be attempting to teach granny to suck eggs - or to put it another way, giving info that would be common knowledge even to an Outer Mongolian yak-herder.

I too tend to write lengthy I.I. sections, as I figure that some players appreciate them, and those who don't can simply ignore them and scroll down.

As a player, I do prefer quizzes with more extensive I.I. as they sometimes contain the most fascinating stuff. An interesting / comprehensive I.I. can make the difference between a "good" and an "excellent" rating from me, if for no other reason than the amount of effort involved in writing the quiz. However, I have never rated down a quiz just because of a lengthy I.I. section - the worst I've ever done is just not read it if it doesn't interest me.

Edited to fix typo.