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Caravel Forum : Caravel Boards : Contests : Bluff Me Again (Official Contest for April 2008)
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noma
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Welcome to the first annual Bluff Me Again contest. (This is not an April Fool’s joke… or is it?)

Be outrageous or be dull : if you’re clever enough while you’re doing it, you could win. We’re looking for personal statements this year : one true, one false. Fool enough people and get their interest while you're at it and you could win. Simple, no? (Or maybe I just want you to think it’s simple…) Either way, we'll find out a little bit more about each other while we have some fun... (or will we?)

The rules are a little different from last year so read on.

Rules
* Each entry must contain two brief statements about yourself : one true and one false. Each statement must be no longer than 100 characters, including spaces and punctuation. The number of characters must be included in brackets at the end of each statement. Each statement must be followed by a supporting sentence or sentences that give more information or “evidence”. Supporting sentences can be false, even if the statement is true, and vice versa.

* Since one statement must be true, paradoxical statements -- e.g., the following phrase is false; the previous phrase is true -- will not be included in the vote. Philosophical discussion on the truth of paradox can be argued elsewhere.

* To qualify, you must use correct formatting. If an entry isn't in the correct formatting, it will not be listed as an eligible entry in the first post of the submission thread or included in the polls. The correct formatting is as follows : statements in bold ; number of characters in the statement (including spaces and punctuation) italicized, in brackets, after the statement (57) ; and supporting information in blue. At the end of your post, between these two tags (just copy paste into your post) [unhidetime=18 April 2008 4:00 AM] TEXT HIDDEN HERE[/unhidetime], state which statement is true and which false, along with any further information or proof you care to provide. Once you have done this, post it in submission thread. There is an example at the bottom of this post of a correctly formatted entry.

* You can submit up to 3 entries.

* An entry may contain images or supporting media (say a photo of that foot with six toes) but you must be the owner of the content. Please use secret tags if you want to include the media within your post and try to keep the files reasonably sized (no .BMPs allowed).

* Once entries are submitted, participants may be grilled about their statements. Questions about statements should be posted in the submission thread, not here. Whether or not – and how – participants choose to respond is up to them, but if they make it into the final round, their responses should be taken into consideration when voting. Submissions close on Local Time:04-14-2008 at 09:00 AM, which is in negative 832 weeks, 3 days.

* Any submission that is edited after submissions close (verifiable by the time stamp) will automatically be disqualified.

Voting
*Round 1:
Round 1 voting will open after submissions close on 4/14/2008. In this round, voters will select which statement from each entry that they believe is true. Only true/false statements will be shown. Round 1 voting will close on Local Time:04-18-2008 at 09:00 AM, which is in negative 831 weeks, 6 days. When voting on your own entry you should select your false statement as the "true" one. The top 5 entries that fool the most people will be entered into Round 2.

*Round 2
In this poll, entries will be rated out of 10 on the following criteria : the quality of the original statements – were they interesting, engaging and well-though out ; how well the supporting information improved the bluff ; how surprised you were by the revealed data ; and how well the participants responded to challenges. Keep this second round in mind when you make and defend your statements. Round 2 voting will start on 4/18/2008 and close on Local Time:04-22-2008 at 09:00 AM, which is in negative 831 weeks, 2 days. Participants should give their own entries a 10 and vote fairly on the others. The entry with the highest score wins. If there is a tie, we will have a vote-off round.

Prizes
* First place receives 100 rank points, and 1 item from the prize pile.
* Second place receives 50 rank points.
* Third place receives 25 rank points.
* Anyone who has not entered a contest before gets 10 rank points.
* All contestants receive the exhibitionist thrill of baring their personal lives to the rest of us.

Important Deadlines
* Submissions close Local Time:04-14-2008 at 09:00 AM
* Round 1 Voting 4/14/2008 until Local Time:04-18-2008 at 09:00 AM
* Round 2 Voting 4/18/2008 until Local Time:04-22-2008 at 09:00 AM
* Challenges and questions may continue throughout the contest

Good luck!

Tips:

* It's not enough to fool people; you've got to get their interest. Statements like, "I drink coffee" and "I don't drink tea" may fit the contest criteria, but... meh. By being more specific, like, "I have had at least one cup of coffee every morning for the last 10 years" and "In my entire life, I have never ever tasted tea" you will offer something (a little) more interesting for people to think about and provide some "meat" for discussion.

* You want your statements just plausible/implausible enough to get people to think, "That must/can't be true... or is that just what he wants me to believe?" If I state "I flew into orbit last week", I'm not going to fool too many people (unless of course I actually am an astronaut, in which case, it's probably a good bluff.)

* Use your supporting sentences to increase the plausibility/implausibility of your statements and pique voters' interest by rounding out the "story." Give specific details, but don't go on too long or people will tune out.

* Don't put all your "evidence" in your supporting information. Have some facts or "truthiness" ready for challenges. And remember, you don't have to tell the truth about your true statements. That doesn't necessarily mean you should lie : you'll have to decide what's going to work best for each situation. It's about bluffing and it takes a skilled hand to keep a good fish story on the line.

* Since someone is bound to raise it : yes, there may be entries that are "lies." Although I hope most people will stick to the spirit of the contest (which in my opinion is to reveal embarrassing -- er, I mean, interesting -- personal information for our amusement) it doesn't matter if they don't. Your job is the same : determine which statement the participant says is true : a psychological puzzle in itself.

_______________________________________________________________

Example

I appeared in a Hollywood movie. (32)
Although I was only an extra, it was an interesting experience in a dull sort of way. Mostly it involved a lot of standing around, followed by some “hurry up and wait.” But the food was good and the “stars” were pleasant enough; all in all, an easy way to make a (very) little money.

I discovered a dead body. (25)
It happened when I was I teenager. I was swimming in a river and was halfway across when I spotted what I thought was a duck with its head under its wing. It wasn’t a duck.

The second statement is true. It was a while before I went back in the river..


[Last edited by noma at 04-18-2008 07:14 AM]
04-01-2008 at 05:05 AM
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bflatjeff
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increase the plausibility/implausibility of your statements and peak voters' interest by rounding out the "story."
<nitpick>pique</nitpick>

Have some facts or "truthiness" ready for challenges
Hoorah for truthiness! :lol

Sounds like fun!
BbJ

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04-02-2008 at 07:33 AM
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noma
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bflatjeff wrote:<nitpick>pique</nitpick>
Thanks. When I typed it I wondered for a moment, and then thought, no that spelling means "resentment." Multiple definitions... should have checked.
04-02-2008 at 12:27 PM
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coppro
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Technically, peak would be valid, as peak is also a verb which means "to reach the maximum". So to peak voter's interests would be to maximize them.
04-02-2008 at 05:50 PM
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mrimer
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I see your point. I, on the other hand, want to optimize voters' interests.

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.
04-02-2008 at 07:25 PM
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noma
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Just one week left to get your entry in! See rules above.
04-07-2008 at 04:45 AM
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noma
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Less than three days left to get your entry in! Don't miss out on this incredible once a month opportunity!

Win amazing prizes!
Baffle your friends!
Ask probing questions!

Every bluff gets its own secret hideaway!

Don't believe what you read? Ask questions! Our operators are standing by!

Read the rules to find out more!

Enter now!

Satistfaction not guaranteed. Shipping & handling extra. Exclamation points free with every entry. License P31415926535.

[Last edited by noma at 04-11-2008 05:07 PM]
04-11-2008 at 04:11 PM
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noma
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Submissions are closed. Round One Voting starts now.
04-14-2008 at 12:52 PM
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noma
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We have our winners:

in 1st place, Syntax, with Multilingual Traveller/Killer Bluff;

in 2nd place, VIPCOOL, with Monkey Mayhem/Splintered Hand;

and in 3rd place, coppro, with Out of Air/Lunch in Italy.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated.

[awarded prizes -- mrimer]

[Last edited by mrimer at 05-06-2008 08:40 PM]
04-22-2008 at 02:19 PM
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Syntax
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I think this is the right thread to post in.

I enjoyed this contest but it was rather biased in my favour so I guess I should particularly thank noma :) My life hasn't followed the normal course so I had plenty of material from which to pick.

That's why I decided the ones I chose. I wanted to double-bluff by using specific numbers versus a rather loosely-termed extreme situation. I think I was lucky to get through the first round, but once that was done, I think the disparate angle of each story would surprise the voters.

Thanks everyone for their votes.
04-23-2008 at 08:50 PM
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bflatjeff
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I'm curious how good people were with their guesses in the first round. I asked over in the submission thread, but maybe we'll move it here.

How many of the 26 submissions did you guess correctly? And I know entrants had to intentionally get their own entries wrong.

I guessed 13 correctly, just 50%. Was anyone very lucky, or believe themself to be unbluffable?

BbJ

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- Beethro Bonekin
04-25-2008 at 05:35 AM
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Blondbeard
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I managed to guess correctly in 43% of the cases. I would have been better of rolling a dice.
04-25-2008 at 08:31 AM
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bachus
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50% for me, too. So, why did I bother to read the entries :) instead of rolling a dice with Blondbeard?



04-25-2008 at 09:12 AM
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