Public Forums Trivia and Quizzes
Quiz Returns and Rejections
Recently, the quizmasters have noticed that when a quiz is returned for corrections, not all of the corrections are being made. As frustrating as it is to receive a quiz back that has been submitted, it is even more frustrating to have to point out the same problem with the quiz again and again.
One area we are seeing a lot of problems with involve the comments under the General Comments area. Often, specific changes for the title and summary of the quiz are addressed here. All quiz creators should note that these comments are just as important to read and take action with as the comments addressed to specific questions.
If on the third submit problems that have been repeatedly pointed out by quizmasters and have been ignored by the creator, the quiz will be rejected.
If a quizmaster has been unclear in the instructions, or if you object to a correction, you may use the comment area to address your concerns - or you may post your concerns here in this forum and get advice before resubmitting your quiz.
Essentially, we are asking all quiz creators to slow down, read all the comments on their returned quiz, and take the time to make sure everything has been addressed before resubmitting a quiz.
One area we are seeing a lot of problems with involve the comments under the General Comments area. Often, specific changes for the title and summary of the quiz are addressed here. All quiz creators should note that these comments are just as important to read and take action with as the comments addressed to specific questions.
If on the third submit problems that have been repeatedly pointed out by quizmasters and have been ignored by the creator, the quiz will be rejected.
If a quizmaster has been unclear in the instructions, or if you object to a correction, you may use the comment area to address your concerns - or you may post your concerns here in this forum and get advice before resubmitting your quiz.
Essentially, we are asking all quiz creators to slow down, read all the comments on their returned quiz, and take the time to make sure everything has been addressed before resubmitting a quiz.
My quizzes about me haven't gotten in, and i can guess why, but my quizzes about colours, twilight, acting and drama have also been denied, WHY????
Love from Alice
It is really hard to find a good friend, but when you find one, they change your life forever. A good friend sometimes can be your lifesaver.
Love from Alice
It is really hard to find a good friend, but when you find one, they change your life forever. A good friend sometimes can be your lifesaver.
acornalice wrote:
Quizzes about you would be rejected due to the rule of no personal statements or opinions. Your other questions have already been answered in another forum. However, the above post by dswilborn also addresses many of your questions.
Please make yourself very familiar with the QMG and I think most of your questions will be answered.
Hope that helps!
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
My quizzes about me haven't gotten in, and i can guess why, but my quizzes about colours, twilight, acting and drama have also been denied, WHY????
Love from Alice
Love from Alice
Quizzes about you would be rejected due to the rule of no personal statements or opinions. Your other questions have already been answered in another forum. However, the above post by dswilborn also addresses many of your questions.
Please make yourself very familiar with the QMG and I think most of your questions will be answered.
Hope that helps!
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
A good reminder, dswilborn, and one many of us need to heed, I'm sure.
I have had a couple of 'corrections' required, based on my intuitive use of the singular quotation marks, which I was taught to use by a very traditional and correct grammar teacher. I accept that as "The Boss", the QM is entitled to insist on one particular style - either 'single' or "double", and that a quiz should most certainly be consistent within itself. One of mine used both, and for that I was justly corrected.
However, to ask me to remove my 'apostrophes' is not right! Even the slightly Americanised Wikipedia allows the full validity of both. You do not insist on American spelling, fortunately, so why impose a narrow standard on quotation marks? The internal consistency within a quiz should be enough.
If you do wish to have a standard style, that's OK, but please include this in the QMG! Also, for my own interest, could you please suggest an authoritative grammar source that requires the use of "double" marks only?
Overall, I think it is great that Braingle errs on the strict side - some of the other sites are embarrassingly slack; I am able to recommend this to friends with confidence!
I have had a couple of 'corrections' required, based on my intuitive use of the singular quotation marks, which I was taught to use by a very traditional and correct grammar teacher. I accept that as "The Boss", the QM is entitled to insist on one particular style - either 'single' or "double", and that a quiz should most certainly be consistent within itself. One of mine used both, and for that I was justly corrected.
However, to ask me to remove my 'apostrophes' is not right! Even the slightly Americanised Wikipedia allows the full validity of both. You do not insist on American spelling, fortunately, so why impose a narrow standard on quotation marks? The internal consistency within a quiz should be enough.
If you do wish to have a standard style, that's OK, but please include this in the QMG! Also, for my own interest, could you please suggest an authoritative grammar source that requires the use of "double" marks only?
Overall, I think it is great that Braingle errs on the strict side - some of the other sites are embarrassingly slack; I am able to recommend this to friends with confidence!
Post from M2101 deleted on 05:04PM Jul 4, 2010.
I wholeheartedly agree with dalfamnest! I love that braingle strives to keep the submissions grammatically clean, but what I hate is that the rules are so inconsistent. If you could say "ok, we adhere to MLA" or "ok, we adhere to chicago style" or "we use American English rules" or "European English rules", etc. It's not frustrating to have my quizzes returned for corrections, but it's frustrating to have them returned for things that aren't incorrect.
it is very annoying i have just made my first quiz and it has just got sent back i dont know for what yet 
Check out my wiki.
Check out my wiki.
Spud, have you read the QM comments? They would be the best indicator of why your quiz was returned. What was your quiz about? Perhaps I saw it.
Quizzes are not returned just because the QMs feel like it. They are returned if there are errors that need to be corrected. Even if there is one minor error, if we have the ability to return the quiz, we do. We strive to publish quizzes that are as error-free as possible. Occasionally, we miss some items, but that is what the correction process is in place for.
I don't know who or what you are annoyed AT, Spud, but if there were errors in your quiz, there was never any other outcome than for your quiz to be returned.
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
Quizzes are not returned just because the QMs feel like it. They are returned if there are errors that need to be corrected. Even if there is one minor error, if we have the ability to return the quiz, we do. We strive to publish quizzes that are as error-free as possible. Occasionally, we miss some items, but that is what the correction process is in place for.
I don't know who or what you are annoyed AT, Spud, but if there were errors in your quiz, there was never any other outcome than for your quiz to be returned.
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
sorry i didnt mean to offend anyone at all
i have just checked why it got sent back for
capital letters in the wrong place and some other
things OK!!!!
Check out my wiki.
i have just checked why it got sent back for
capital letters in the wrong place and some other
things OK!!!!
Check out my wiki.
Now it has been returned the max amount of times and have started it up.
Guys if you can proofread it please do as I would really like this one to bemy first one accepted and would be really happy!
It is about SpongeBob and it has 10 questions and keeps getting returned.
No offence but the criteria the quizmasters follow is very strict and sometimes unfair.
But they alll do an excellent job making sure only the best quizes get put out there for us to do and try to better our scores and push ourselves and others.
Anyway could anyone give some tips/proofread my quiz!!!!
Cheers guys!!
Check out my wiki.
Guys if you can proofread it please do as I would really like this one to bemy first one accepted and would be really happy!
It is about SpongeBob and it has 10 questions and keeps getting returned.
No offence but the criteria the quizmasters follow is very strict and sometimes unfair.
But they alll do an excellent job making sure only the best quizes get put out there for us to do and try to better our scores and push ourselves and others.
Anyway could anyone give some tips/proofread my quiz!!!!
Cheers guys!!
Check out my wiki.
Would the Quizmaster reviewing my proposed quiz about Prince Philip please return it to me again. While I don't think #1 & #6 taken together are a particular problem, #10 definitely interferes with #4.
Sorry for missing that, but I would like to fix it before anything goes forward.
Sorry for missing that, but I would like to fix it before anything goes forward.
The Quizmasters need to make up their minds. I find it frustrating when I do everything the Quizmasters recommend, but the next time they reject it for different reasons. One example is the fourth time I submitted a quiz, the Quizmasters decided the title must be changed. If that title was okay the first three times, why not the fourth? Or if the title should be changed, why didn't they say so in one of the first three times?
I'm getting the impression that Braingle has no respect or appreciation for users' time and effort.
I'm getting the impression that Braingle has no respect or appreciation for users' time and effort.
I cannot answer with much certainty without knowing which quiz is being referred to. However, I can say this, whether or not a QM notices an error in a quiz and points it out OR might miss it does not change the fact that the issue in question is in conflict with the QMG. The authors are equally, or perhaps MORE responsible for noticing and fixing errors. Before writing and submitting quizzes, an author is expected to be VERY familiar with standard rules of English grammar, Braingle's Quiz Making Guidelines (especially where they may slightly differ from standard rules), and with all info related to their chosen topic. The QMs, in a way, are a backup to the author's own scrutiny, which is why Braingle provides a spellchecker and proofreading tool to assist.
If the QMs do manage to miss an error in previous reviews (it does happen, we are only human and have literallly DOZENS of quizzes to process), that does not change the fact that an error is present and it is the author's responsibility to fix. Upon your quiz being returned, it's always a good idea to make the suggested revisions, then to proofread your entire quiz several times over rather than rushing to have it published as quickly as possible.
Rest assured, the QMs are unified in their decisions. If ever a disagreement arises, all QMs discuss the matter before a decision is made. We never knowingly "change our minds" on a quiz.
I find it disheartening that you feel this one issue is indicative of the QMs not respecting or appreciating the work of the authors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Why else would we offer suggestions of how to fix errors instead of just pointing the errors out, which is all we are required to do?
The only advice I can offer is the same as I was given when I first joined Braingle and started writing quizzes:
1) Learn the QMG backwards and forwards
2) Use the spellcheck and proofreading tools
3) Never rush a quiz, quality is always preferred over quantity
4) Post any questions in the "Ask a Quizmaster" forum
5) Check the "Ask a Quizmaster" and "Trivia and Quizzes" forums often for updates and issues raised by other authors
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
If the QMs do manage to miss an error in previous reviews (it does happen, we are only human and have literallly DOZENS of quizzes to process), that does not change the fact that an error is present and it is the author's responsibility to fix. Upon your quiz being returned, it's always a good idea to make the suggested revisions, then to proofread your entire quiz several times over rather than rushing to have it published as quickly as possible.
Rest assured, the QMs are unified in their decisions. If ever a disagreement arises, all QMs discuss the matter before a decision is made. We never knowingly "change our minds" on a quiz.
I find it disheartening that you feel this one issue is indicative of the QMs not respecting or appreciating the work of the authors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Why else would we offer suggestions of how to fix errors instead of just pointing the errors out, which is all we are required to do?
The only advice I can offer is the same as I was given when I first joined Braingle and started writing quizzes:
1) Learn the QMG backwards and forwards
2) Use the spellcheck and proofreading tools
3) Never rush a quiz, quality is always preferred over quantity
4) Post any questions in the "Ask a Quizmaster" forum
5) Check the "Ask a Quizmaster" and "Trivia and Quizzes" forums often for updates and issues raised by other authors
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
Actually, quizmasters said the title of the quiz should be changed for a reason I disagree with. I named it General Knowledge 3, but was told I "shouldn't continue someone else's series". There is no series. There's just one quiz called General Knowledge, no General Knowledge 2. And no person should 'own' a common term like General Knowledge.
One time the quiz was also returned because I started a sentence with "And" like the last sentence in the previous paragraph. That is accepted in English. You can find many sentences like that in college textbooks. Or do a Google search for "And at the beginning of a sentence", and there are college course sites saying it's okay. Even Abraham Lincoln used "And" at the beginning of a sentence in his "Gettysburg's Address." It's somewhat frustrating when the quizmaster returns a quiz saying something is wrong when the quizmaster is wrong.
There's also a question in the quiz about vitamin D, also known as the 'sunshine vitamin', which is generated as our skin is exposed to UVB rays. In the explanation I refer to "a country that lacks sun, like Canada". A quizmaster wrote "Canada doesn't lack sun; at the North Pole, the sun is continuously above the horizon during the summer months. You should say that SOME parts of Canada get less direct sun because they are further north. Some parts of Canada are SOUTH of the USA (Windsor is south of Detroit)."
That person probably should not be a quizmaster. A descriptive term does not have to be 100% accurate to be used. For example, the U.S. is described as having an "aging population". There may very well be communities with the average age declining, but "aging population" can be used to describe the U.S. because it reflects most of the country. Canada's exposure to sun is low enough that the Canadian Cancer Society publicly recommends adults consider using vitamin D supplements during the fall and winter.
---This message was edited on 02:56AM Aug 22, 2011---
One time the quiz was also returned because I started a sentence with "And" like the last sentence in the previous paragraph. That is accepted in English. You can find many sentences like that in college textbooks. Or do a Google search for "And at the beginning of a sentence", and there are college course sites saying it's okay. Even Abraham Lincoln used "And" at the beginning of a sentence in his "Gettysburg's Address." It's somewhat frustrating when the quizmaster returns a quiz saying something is wrong when the quizmaster is wrong.
There's also a question in the quiz about vitamin D, also known as the 'sunshine vitamin', which is generated as our skin is exposed to UVB rays. In the explanation I refer to "a country that lacks sun, like Canada". A quizmaster wrote "Canada doesn't lack sun; at the North Pole, the sun is continuously above the horizon during the summer months. You should say that SOME parts of Canada get less direct sun because they are further north. Some parts of Canada are SOUTH of the USA (Windsor is south of Detroit)."
That person probably should not be a quizmaster. A descriptive term does not have to be 100% accurate to be used. For example, the U.S. is described as having an "aging population". There may very well be communities with the average age declining, but "aging population" can be used to describe the U.S. because it reflects most of the country. Canada's exposure to sun is low enough that the Canadian Cancer Society publicly recommends adults consider using vitamin D supplements during the fall and winter.
---This message was edited on 02:56AM Aug 22, 2011---
Is there any way to recommend a quizmaster be terminated? As I said in the last message, a description doesn't have to be 100% accurate to be used. Otherwise, the U.S. could never be referred to as having an "aging population". However, the quizmaster returned the quiz again because I referred to Canada as a country that "lacks sun". If Canada gets enough sun, why would the Canadian Cancer Society have to publicly recommend adults consider using vitamin D supplements during the fall and winter? That quizmaster is repeatedly making mistakes.
The Cancer Society recommends supplements not because we lack sun - trust me, the winters are sunny alright - but because people are too busy sitting on their lazy butts watching TV in winter to venture into the cold and get their vitamin D. The parts of Canada that truly lack sun are the parts where very few people live. Besides, I don't see why you can't just change the country, or say "northern areas" instead.
Currently, there are four QMs. If you "terminate" one of them just because their opinion on a very minor point differs from yours, what then? Need I remind you that these people are reviewing quizzes because they want to, not because they gain anything but knowledge from it, and especially not because they enjoy torturing quiz makers? I welcome you to run for QM sometime. This is not a taunt or a sarcastic comment; you seem very well-spoken (well-typed?) and Braingle really needs QMs.
Anyway, as I have previously sort of mentioned, I don't think this QM is making any mistakes, let alone repeatedly. They just have a different opinion on a matter. I suggest you find a compromise instead of trying to get rid of this QM. It would certainly help your quiz get approved more quickly!
One more thing... Technically speaking, all populations are aging. That is, unless you can find a time machine. But now I'm just being annoying. Good night, and I look forward to seeing your quiz!
Currently, there are four QMs. If you "terminate" one of them just because their opinion on a very minor point differs from yours, what then? Need I remind you that these people are reviewing quizzes because they want to, not because they gain anything but knowledge from it, and especially not because they enjoy torturing quiz makers? I welcome you to run for QM sometime. This is not a taunt or a sarcastic comment; you seem very well-spoken (well-typed?) and Braingle really needs QMs.
Anyway, as I have previously sort of mentioned, I don't think this QM is making any mistakes, let alone repeatedly. They just have a different opinion on a matter. I suggest you find a compromise instead of trying to get rid of this QM. It would certainly help your quiz get approved more quickly!
One more thing... Technically speaking, all populations are aging. That is, unless you can find a time machine. But now I'm just being annoying. Good night, and I look forward to seeing your quiz!
So you "don't think this QM is making any mistakes"? It is correct to reject a quiz because it has "And" at the beginning of one sentence, even though English instructors and professional authors agree that writing that way is accepted in English? No offense, but I respect what they say more than a Braingle QM's opinion.
You believe that one quiz is a "series"?
Another time the QM rejected it because I did not capitalize "god". It was a question about which religions believe in reincarnation, referring to god in four religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I specifically thought about whether I should capitalize it while writing the quiz, and decided that not capitalizing it is the most neutral position. Religious people do not capitalize gods from other religions. Microsoft Word does not mark it as an error when you write the word without capitalizing it either. It is accepted either way, unless you're a Braingle QM.
I understand that nobody is perfect, but don't reject a quiz for reasons you are not proficient in.
---This message was edited on 12:35AM Aug 26, 2011---
You believe that one quiz is a "series"?
Another time the QM rejected it because I did not capitalize "god". It was a question about which religions believe in reincarnation, referring to god in four religions - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I specifically thought about whether I should capitalize it while writing the quiz, and decided that not capitalizing it is the most neutral position. Religious people do not capitalize gods from other religions. Microsoft Word does not mark it as an error when you write the word without capitalizing it either. It is accepted either way, unless you're a Braingle QM.
I understand that nobody is perfect, but don't reject a quiz for reasons you are not proficient in.
---This message was edited on 12:35AM Aug 26, 2011---
I was referring mainly to the "less sun" issue, not the others. Those are things you'll have to sort out with a QM, and seeing as I'm no longer one, I can't do anything about them. Try contacting one of the QMs via PM if you don't receive any replies in the forums.
I mostly agree with you on those points; however, I do believe that you shouldn't continue other people's series, even if the "series" in question is only one quiz. Some of my quizzes were intended to be the first in a series - I just never got around to making the rest of the series. Hopefully I will do so someday. In the meantime, I would be rather upset if someone continued my series without my consent, especially if their quality or style is drastically different from my own.
I understand that "General Knowledge" is a very generic name for a quiz, not something that should belong to a certain user only. However, wouldn't you rather give your quiz an interesting, not generic, name? You would not only avoid this whole continuing-a-series issue, but improve your quiz's popularity as well.
I mostly agree with you on those points; however, I do believe that you shouldn't continue other people's series, even if the "series" in question is only one quiz. Some of my quizzes were intended to be the first in a series - I just never got around to making the rest of the series. Hopefully I will do so someday. In the meantime, I would be rather upset if someone continued my series without my consent, especially if their quality or style is drastically different from my own.
I understand that "General Knowledge" is a very generic name for a quiz, not something that should belong to a certain user only. However, wouldn't you rather give your quiz an interesting, not generic, name? You would not only avoid this whole continuing-a-series issue, but improve your quiz's popularity as well.
Some points need to be clarified:
1) Your quizzes were returned, not rejected. You have four times to correct all errors in the quiz and get it published, one original submission and 3 resubmissions. Once you are very familiar with the QMG, it's not unusual to have a quiz approved after the first REsubmission, provided you are proofing your quiz well. Even after we are forced to reject a quiz (which rarely happens), you can copy/paste the material into a new quiz and try again, provided the material wasn't deemed to be inappropriate.
2) On the Canada/sun issue, you were given a suggested replacement that would satisfy the QMG as well as maintaining the exact context of that sentence. You could have easily cut/pasted the suggestion into your explanation and all would be well.
3) The God/god issue was well researched and in the context you were using, it was as if God was being referred to by a proper name. Had you said "the soul returns to a god", then lowercase would have been fine, but "the soul returns to God" needs capitalization. That was also not the only reason the quiz was returned that time, else it probably would have passed. As it was, the QM did not say "This is wrong, you have to capitalize it." The QM made the suggestion and provided evidence of research to back it up. It is not considered correct to capitalize "gods and goddesses", and it's kind of up in the air regarding something like "Poseidon is the God/god of the ocean," but when referring to God as an individual, the capitalization is the most correct.
4) At any point you disagreed with our suggestions, you could have brought the matter up in the "Ask a QM" forum. No QM is above being politely questioned, but your very first post on this issue accused the QMs of not respecting you. The harsh tone and sarcasm contained in your subsequent posts are not going to get much accomplished either. While I fully understand your frustration, I don't think you would respond well to such a tone were it directed at you because of a supposed error you made.
Please understand these things:
We WANT to publish your quiz.
We DON'T want a lot of corrections submitted on your quiz, it hurts YOUR grade as well as ours.
We DO make mistakes and NEVER have a problem when a correction is politely questioned.
We DO appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing a quiz (all of the QMs have 30+ quizzes published, most of us have 70+).
If an error remains, even a minor one, and there is even one chance to re-submit left, we will return the quiz. It is our goal to publish quizzes that are as error-free as possible. If the only "error" left is questionable, or there is a disagreement amongst the QMs, we will discuss the quiz before taking action.
Please show the QMs as much respect as you are asking of them. Once you satisfy all the requirements, please consider becoming a QM. There would be no better way for you to understand how/why we do what we do.
Thanks again for letting us resolve the issue.
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
1) Your quizzes were returned, not rejected. You have four times to correct all errors in the quiz and get it published, one original submission and 3 resubmissions. Once you are very familiar with the QMG, it's not unusual to have a quiz approved after the first REsubmission, provided you are proofing your quiz well. Even after we are forced to reject a quiz (which rarely happens), you can copy/paste the material into a new quiz and try again, provided the material wasn't deemed to be inappropriate.
2) On the Canada/sun issue, you were given a suggested replacement that would satisfy the QMG as well as maintaining the exact context of that sentence. You could have easily cut/pasted the suggestion into your explanation and all would be well.
3) The God/god issue was well researched and in the context you were using, it was as if God was being referred to by a proper name. Had you said "the soul returns to a god", then lowercase would have been fine, but "the soul returns to God" needs capitalization. That was also not the only reason the quiz was returned that time, else it probably would have passed. As it was, the QM did not say "This is wrong, you have to capitalize it." The QM made the suggestion and provided evidence of research to back it up. It is not considered correct to capitalize "gods and goddesses", and it's kind of up in the air regarding something like "Poseidon is the God/god of the ocean," but when referring to God as an individual, the capitalization is the most correct.
4) At any point you disagreed with our suggestions, you could have brought the matter up in the "Ask a QM" forum. No QM is above being politely questioned, but your very first post on this issue accused the QMs of not respecting you. The harsh tone and sarcasm contained in your subsequent posts are not going to get much accomplished either. While I fully understand your frustration, I don't think you would respond well to such a tone were it directed at you because of a supposed error you made.
Please understand these things:
We WANT to publish your quiz.
We DON'T want a lot of corrections submitted on your quiz, it hurts YOUR grade as well as ours.
We DO make mistakes and NEVER have a problem when a correction is politely questioned.
We DO appreciate the time and effort that goes into writing a quiz (all of the QMs have 30+ quizzes published, most of us have 70+).
If an error remains, even a minor one, and there is even one chance to re-submit left, we will return the quiz. It is our goal to publish quizzes that are as error-free as possible. If the only "error" left is questionable, or there is a disagreement amongst the QMs, we will discuss the quiz before taking action.
Please show the QMs as much respect as you are asking of them. Once you satisfy all the requirements, please consider becoming a QM. There would be no better way for you to understand how/why we do what we do.
Thanks again for letting us resolve the issue.
The difference between poison and medicine is usually a matter of dosage.
Hi Rob,
In general, anywhere on the planet gets the same amount of sun, it just varies with the season. Rather than sun, what is important for vitamin D, is (as you said) exposure to UVB; it is possible to get lots of sun, but not enough UVB for vitamin D. Northern Canada does get enough UVB in the summer, but not in the winter.
Just curious; why did you call a quiz General Knowledge 3 if there was no 2? Generally, numbers are used after titles to indicate that it is part of a series.
There are two kinds of people. Do you spread happiness WHEREver you go or WHENever you go?
In general, anywhere on the planet gets the same amount of sun, it just varies with the season. Rather than sun, what is important for vitamin D, is (as you said) exposure to UVB; it is possible to get lots of sun, but not enough UVB for vitamin D. Northern Canada does get enough UVB in the summer, but not in the winter.
Just curious; why did you call a quiz General Knowledge 3 if there was no 2? Generally, numbers are used after titles to indicate that it is part of a series.
There are two kinds of people. Do you spread happiness WHEREver you go or WHENever you go?
!
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