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 Post subject: Incorrect question from Showdown 11-29-16
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 6:09 pm 
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Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:48 pm
Posts: 55
Hello all,

In last night's Showdown game, Category round, the second Philosophers question was something to the effect of:

"Which David was a skeptical philosopher of the 19TH CENTURY".

I yelled out the pre-call "David Hume!" because skeptical philosopher named David, right? Who else could it be? But then I zeroed in on 19th century and I countermanded my pre-call, telling everyone to "Wait! Hume died in the 18th century." Then the choices came up and I was flummoxed. There was Hume who was the skeptical philosopher PAR EXCELLANCE, but but but ... 19th century, what? I should have simply realized that the buzzies had made a mistake, not that they were trying to trick me with some obscure 19th century skeptical philosopher named David. Luckily, a few on the team got on Hume pretty quick because of my pre-call, while I continued scanning the other names trying to come up with a 19th century David. Sigh. When Hume was revealed as the right answer I disgustedly pointed out that his dates were 1711-1776. Even the buzzies' factoid pointed out that his work on human nature was published in 1739. Sigh. Usually my nerd-tastic knowledge of dates is a boon to the team. Last night it was a case of too much knowledge getting in the way of common sense. Alas. It didn't affect our tournament game or anything. We were handily beat by Danny K's. That question would not have made a difference. Just wanted to point it out so the buzzies could fix it.

Fred S.
(DUFF)


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 Post subject: Re: Incorrect question from Showdown 11-29-16
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:31 am 
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Lotsa Posta

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:33 am
Posts: 710
I recall from the late 90's that a Showdown writer was under the impression that the 18th Century (exempla gratia) referred to the 1800's. But this error, the 19th over the 18th, adding centuries, is truly inexplicable. I suspect that the writer mis-keyed a data entry, and that whoever proof-read the question saw no reason to exhume the actual Hume.

My group preferred dogs or leprechauns, so I'm not sure how I would have handled that, DUFF. I saw a Countdown question recently where the tag line identified Gregory III, rather than Gregory XIII, as the creator of the Gregorian calendar. 1582? Gregory III did fine work, no doubt. Or so I chant.

Was it in 2013 that Buzztime perpetrated the April Fool's Day Massacre, where every correct answer earned a single point? And then, almost to the day, six months later, on Final Showdown, the foolish writer introduced a factoid to the effect that Gregory XIII brought Valentine's Day into the liturgical calendar?

I bear no grudge.


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 Post subject: Re: Incorrect question from Showdown 11-29-16
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:36 am 
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Lotsa Posta

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:33 am
Posts: 710
Or is 13 a truly unlucky number?


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 Post subject: Re: Incorrect question from Showdown 11-29-16
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 8:31 am 
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GONE D wrote:
I saw a Countdown question recently where the tag line identified Gregory III, rather than Gregory XIII, as the creator of the Gregorian calendar. 1582? Gregory III did fine work, no doubt. Or so I chant.

:)
I think this was originally in a Showdown game years ago. I guess they didn't fix it. I remember another pope question several years ago for which the "correct" answer was (I think) Pius IX when it was supposed to be Pius XI. I have seen similar things with kings, too. Roman numerals are easy for proofreaders to skip over, I guess.

GONE D wrote:
Was it in 2013 that Buzztime perpetrated the April Fool's Day Massacre, where every correct answer earned a single point?


No, that was 2014--But only in the East Network. They fixed it for the west re-broadcast.

GONE D wrote:
And then, almost to the day, six months later, on Final Showdown, the foolish writer introduced a factoid to the effect that Gregory XIII brought Valentine's Day into the liturgical calendar?


I could be wrong, but I think you may be referring to the 31 March 2015 game, for which the final question asked which holiday Gregory XIII made an official holiday in 1582, and the "correct" answer was "Mardi Gras." The high score on the network for that game was under 40k. The post-mortem of that question can be found here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2902

GONE D wrote:
I bear no grudge.


This is good--grudges are heavy, and they don't have a handle. ;)

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"He may seem like Mr. Rogers but a dark spirit lies beneath."


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