I don't know if people still post non-announcement messages here, but I was thinking that it would be a good idea if people were to collect documents and histories about the development of quiz bowl and academic competition. Among other things, it would help clarify factual points about debates and controversies in the game, many of which often appear to be difficult to evaluate, given the attendant myth, legend, denial, and self-promoting or scapegoating tales that have developed around them over the years. I mean, we all love a good urban legend or two, but we all know that players have no real idea of what happened ten second before they first picked up a buzzer at the college level, and it might a good idea to actually know what happened previously and be appreciative of the people who actually made substantive and selfless contributions. So, excessive discursus out of the way, I realized that one very good source for this information already exists, namely the collected issues of <a href = "http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~quizbowl/newsarchive.html#Buzzer">Buzzer</a> available from the Berkeley program website. I particularly enjoy <a href = "http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~quizbowl/newsletters/Buzzer3.html">the third issue</a>, what with its discussion of question recycling. It's also apparent that a lot of people such as Don Windham, Carol Guthrie, the beloved Al Whited, and David Levinson were really thinking about the game, game play, and the theory of academic competition. Perhaps I'll post some of the more relevant and insightful passages, if I don't get stoned for posting this.
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