Helping – Or Not - With The Rainbow Charity Quiz

[naomi24]

I’ve noticed for years and have sometimes commented on the reluctance/refusal of some here to help others with the superb twice-yearly Rainbow Charity Quiz, questions on which are regularly met with replies like, “There’s plenty of time left”, or “Please don’t ask for help yet” – responses that are off-putting to those seeking help and hence, detrimental to the AnswerBank. Curiously these negative replies appear, in the main, to surface only with questions on this particular quiz which carries a first prize of £50 and a few runner-up prizes of £10, so hardly life changing amounts – and the answer sheet always comes with a very long list of people who have achieved 100% but won nothing – so what is it all about? I understand that some quizzers prefer the finished product to be ‘all their own work’, as I do, but in that case threads that are potential spoilers can easily be avoided – no one is forced to open them - so this perceived ‘ownership’ of the quiz, usually by the same people over and over again, seems to me to be less than charitable.

Since this is a question and answer site, in my opinion anyone should be free to ask whatever questions they want to ask without criticism or censure. Can anyone explain it?

I’ve posted this here rather than in ‘Puzzles’ in order that non-quizzers may also express their thoughts – and if anyone wants to have a go at the quiz which raises a lot of money for charity, it’s here:

http://www.rainbowcharitypuzzles.co.uk/

Enjoy!

[naomi24]

Mamyalynne, well, hopefully this will go some way to putting an end to it. It's ridiculous. Why do you object to people asking questions about this quiz?

[Mamyalynne]

I can see no fun in asking as early as some do on 'any' quiz - yesterday one was asked that has five months to run.

It has become ever clear to me that people obviously do quizzes for different reasons.

It is not all about this quiz, that's only one of hundreds, they're dwindling though.

I'll just keep plodding through the quiz pile while it lasts.

[vulcan42]

The point of most quizzes is to raise money for a particular charity. The more people who enter the more money raised, how they arrive at the answers is irrelevant.

[naomi24]

Mamyalynne, You have fun doing in quizzes in your own way - they have fun doing quizzes in their own way. Your way isn't their way, but why should it be?

[naomi24]

Exactly Vulcan.

[Calicogirl]

I tend to agree but I probably wouldn't enter a quiz with a prize because I'd do it myself, and I know other people would 'cheat' and ask the world so it would be pointless, in that sense it could actually minimise funds raised for charity not increase them x

[pixie374]

Sorry... was on the phone. The Ed's comment on Spath's thread seems reasonable, but the comments are still allowed to remain.

[naomi24]

Doubt that with this quiz, Calicogirl. The hundreds of Quizzers who enjoy this one don't do it for the piffling £50 prize - at least they've got to be pretty desperate if they do. They do it because it's a superb quiz. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot to reject it because other people find their answers in their own way.

[diddlydo]

Another aspect that annoys me about this site is the way that people post for a national quiz with the header "local quiz" or "crossword clue" thereby hoping to creep in under the radar and get straightforward answers from unsuspecting people who aren't doing the quiz. There is another site where people only give hints (not answers) near the closing date and I have no problem with that approach.

[naomi24]

diddlydo. I really don't get your attitude. People can get answers from books, from google, from friends, or anywhere else. What difference can it possibly make to you personally where their answers come from? You're doing the quiz in the way you choose to do it and they're doing the quiz in the way they choose. I doubt you know all the answers without consulting outside sources. It simply makes no sense to object to people asking questions.

[AB Editor]

Naomi, I completely agree with everything you're saying. Our stance at AB has always been to allow people to ask any quiz questions they want to - the only rules we enforce are the AB rules, not the rules of quiz setters.

[pixie374]

That does make sense... Thanks for the clarification x

[naomi24]

Thanks Ed. To ensure the AnswerBank’s philosophy is clear, I’ll pop your response to the top of the thread by awarding you Best Answer.

[Spicerack]

^Creep...

Before I had a computer, once in a blue moon, I'd finish the ST crossword, send it off and wait for my gold pen, never even got a silver one.
Not bothered, more laughing at myself for being like a kid on his birthday when the post came. Idiot.

[retrocop]

Naomi
I can, for myself only, apologise. I must confess that I have never noticed the Rainbow quiz. I do enjoy the crossword section very much and am always willing to help fellow Cruciverbalists and quiz and Puzzle questions if I can. I do not worry who asks for help and when the puzzle/quiz/crossword has to be completed and submitted.
My only serious gripe was when certain ABers asked how many I's or A's in the completed crossword when they obviously hadn't bothered to solve any answers for themselves and thus then armed with the answers would submit in hope of the prize awarded to them.
Now ABers state for the most part how many they have got and ask for confirmation whether correct or wrong. No problem with that.
I shallkeep an eye open for the Rainbow quiz in future and endeavour to assist.

[THECORBYLOON]

I have no problems with folk asking for answers regardless of what the setter says.

Anyone using Google to find answers would find hits including folk asking for answers to those same questions.

Do the setters really expect folk not to click on those hits?

[retrocop]

Spicey
If you think you are stupid how is this. The prize for the Lancelot Crossword and his Page was a Parker Sonnet Black League pen. I was determined to win one and always submitted my completed crossword by 1st class post. One day they announced (Mail on Sunday)that the pen was no longer the prize and for a very short time they made the prize £500. I was miffed and felt cheated. In that short time I won the £500 prize cash and was annoyed because I had not got the pen. duh. Could of bought about six of the pens at least with £500. Shortly after I received my cheque they reduced the prize to £250 so it made me feel better. Double Duh.

[-Talbot-]

I hate being faced with a quiz...especially at 2 am sunday morning.

[retrocop]

They do tend to wait up for you don't they. Just as you want to crash into bed. :-)

[naomi24]

Spicerack, I don’t know if your comment at 19:55 Fri was said in jest or not, but just to clarify, regardless of author, the best place for a definitive answer to a question of this nature is at the top of the page where everyone can see it. Sycophantic I am not – and never will be.