h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey there, Monk, there's no reason to be outright rude. I may not think highly of the picks other scouts make, but I don't go trashing them for it in public fora.

Personally, I found the entry amusing -- that was why I recommended it the first time around. And I can vouch for it's usefulness in one regard -- this game was quite popular with the young men at my high school, and it wasn't until reading this entry that a friend of mine finally found out what her boyfriend had been up to all those years ago. Every now and then, us women-folk need a peek into the secret world of men and teenage boys...

Mikey

Of course, the other similar game that was supposedly popular with the boys at my school was titled "Biscuit", and there's no way in hell I'd be writing an entry on that one. Not that I think such an entry would deserve to be censored or shuffled out of PR simply because it covered such gross subject matter -- I just don't think I could stifle the gag reflex long enough to write the entry.


Mikey

> "this game was quite popular with the young men at my high school"

Really?? Details!!

Like, where did they get it from, and what did they call it, and where there any variations, and where is your high school located, and what time-frame are we looking at?

-Martin (Blennophile?)

Jimster - what others have said. I can't change the name without making the entry a lie. Would that I could, but I didn't name the game, so it's out of my control. I *could* star more of the title out (IE "Seven Card ****stain"), does anyone think that would help? Or would that just make the starring more obvious? How about "A card game named somewhat similarly to 'Seven Card Winkstain'"?
In case you're being serious about the 'no spitting' rules - they've previously been advertised as just being a joke. I can point you to the exact Italic posts on that if you like?

Various - thanks for the support

Ommigosh - "hearing the name of the game I would instantly know not to play it" - Ever heard of 'Sxxthead'? A perfectly playable game that's free of anything icky. Or 'Strip Jack Naked'? Or 'Egyptian Rat Fxxk'?

Felonious - Sam's post looks somewhat different with the smileys taken out - or perhaps you're reading something between the lines. In any case, my point was that the original Peer Review thread was not a universal slating exercise, nor was it hostile. F53661?thread=77584&show=60

-Martin

Hiya,

just thought i'd mention that the suggestion that this game was played at another researcher's high school is big news, as far as i'm concerned.

Was it exactly the same? And the same name?

that really changes things, imo.

btw, sitting here in front of my w**kstation, i always pronounce the name of this game to rhyme with berkstain.

I, too, agree that it is an important fact that the game is not only played by a very very small group.

Regardless of my opinions on the nature of the game (I find it repulsive and ignoble), *If* this entry were ever to go in the Guide, it should go here: A266168

This is an entry we created to give people a warning about the content of an article. This being the case, this entry should go to the Update Headquarters for consideration there.

Hang on, there's an edited entry specifically dedicated to card games with rude names, and *this* entry couldn't possibly qualify for the EG?

I'm *still* not saying 'It *must* go in', but Shirley this precedent is relevant to the debate.

Ta for mentioning it, Actually. er... i mean... Ashley!

Hands up anyone who finds the game either attractive or noble.

Anyone at all?


It's not an update. There's no duplicated information with the existing entry. Just because there is an entry on "card games with rude names" doesn't block the passage of all other card games with rude names through Peer Review - just as the entry "The Film that Moved You Most and Why" doesn't block the passage of all other moving films through Peer Review.

Is there some rule against having rude words in the title of edited entries? OK - I'll fix that. And I'll add a link to the entry you mention.

Cheers for the feedback
-Martin

I was very careful in my wording Spiff.

I back Sam 110% on his decision. You can change the title to something less offensive and still wouldn't accept it for the EG on my scout shift.

What I am suggesting is that because it has a rude word in the title and it is a card game, it should be incorporated, if it is to be accepted, in that entry.

Ashley

Lucinda,

The feedback is all part of the job. Regarding your entry:

- It is a card game.
- It is universally known as W**kstain - changing its name to get it in the EG is slightly off considering that everyone acknowledges this is its name.
- We have an entry on Card Games with Rude Names.

Your entry sits nicely in this entry, were it to be accepted.

To the update headquarters with it.

A435584

You didn't answer my question on whether there's an unwritten style guideline against rude words in entry titles. In leiu of an actual answer I've assumed it's "yes" - see this thread for new name.

I've updated the entry. I've used some quotes from here. It would have been nice to have got something about someone's feeling on the game itself, but most people have been too busy either saying that the entire entry is vile, or diffending the entry, so there's a shortage of decent-size quotes to this effect. Any help?

Some people may wish to be credited, or may not wish to be credited. As a first pass, I've link-name-checked and credited those who were vaguelly pro, and just name-checked those whose quotes I used who were con (just Jimster). If any of you want more or less credit, just say, and I'll modify appropriately. Trying to avoid causing offence here.

Hopefully, the extra quotes, in particular, give the entry a little edge in terms of usefulness that a number of peers felt it lacked previously. I may make further changes too, if I keep getting this quality of feedback (no, that's not a threat! )

A435584

-Martin

"A card game named somewhat similarly to 'Seven Card Winkstain'"

Isn't that a song by The Fall?

154 postings down the line, i just reread this entry, and i think i may have hit upon something new.

Is it possible that the terms 'spit on the arm' and 'spit in the face' are raising a false impression of what actually happens.

I mean, it's not *that* gross to have a mouthful of beer deliberately ejected, presumably as quickly as possible, to form a kind of arcing jet of liquid, into a close friend's face.

potentially quite funny, actually, under certain circumstances.

It's not really 'spitting in someone's face - it's... well... i'm struggling to find the right verb, but there's really not much actually 'spit' involved, is there.

It's 99% beer that the w**kee gets in the face. no great problem there, if that's the kind of evening it is. There are other beer throwing games that don't seem that much more disgusting. A change of wording might help.

wow, a lot of words to say not much.

But i feel that the way people are reacting, they seem to find it much grosser, as if it was 'cough up a good big slimey green, lean into your mate's face, and let 'em have it!', rather than 'splurge beer all over your mate'.

ok, i'll stop

oh, one last thing, at footnote 2, or is it 3? about the slime.

> "Is it possible that the terms 'spit on the arm' and 'spit in the face' are raising a false impression of what actually happens"

I'm afraid everyone else has it right here, Spiff, and you're the one who's got the false impression.

Sorry!

-Martin

really? Well, yeah, that is pretty gross.

so there's no gulp of beer in the second to 'spitting' scenarios, just saliva (with optional doses of mucus)?

Anyway, while reading your latest update, i think it looks good.

A good looking entry about an odd game of whose existence most people on earth must surely remain blissfully unaware.

Stranger things have the words 'Edited Entry' engraved in cyberstone over them...

Some entries have probably gone through editing with less PR consensus.

I'm not a scout anyway, i'm just along for the ride.

cya
spiff

Well seeing that this swear word is banned, then yes, using it in title would be wrong, I assume. I assumed that was understood



You seem intent on getting this in the EG by hook or by crook - even to the extent of changing the title of the entry (though not of the game).

Let's ignore the title of the entry and concentrate on the entry content itself. It's called Seven Card W**kstain, you call it this in the entry. This game is commonly known as Seven Card W**kstain People in this Conversation know it by this name. W**k is a rude word. You describe a card game. Thus this entry, should anyone want to accept it for the EG, should be included in the entry on Card Games with Rude Names.

further changes:
extra links and such
another name change - struck me that without wxxkstain in the title people might not be aware that it was an unpleasant game before visiting the entry, and that could prove uncomfortable for them. cf Dr. Montague's comment earlier on in this thread.



> "You seem intent on getting this in the EG by hook or by crook - even to the extent of changing the title of the entry (though not of the game)."

Umm yes. It's called "reacting to feedback in Peer Review".
If you'd prefer, I could just ignore you all and call people who disagree rude names, but I think that taking on board constructive criticism and using it to improve the entry would be a more positive approach. Sheesh, you try and change stuff to try and make people happy, and they use it as a stick to hit you with.

And, yet again, I'm not changing the name of the game, because to do so would render the entry unfactual, and it would then be unsuitable for Peer Review. That's a hard limit, and there's no way that I can see to get around that. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

> "Well seeing that this swear word is banned, then yes, using it in title would be wrong, I assume."

Righto. If you could get back to me when you know for sure, that'd be great. I'm a little confused, because if there's a problem because the word is on the banned list, then I'd have expected the entry to be hidden by the moderators, rather than left unscathed for twenty six months. In the meantime, I'll keep the changed name, just in case.



You've used that reasoning to say why it should be an update before. I already explained in post 150 why this isn't valid reasoning. However, I'm happy to repeat myself:

* We have an entry on "card games", but it would be ludicrous to suggest that from now on, all card games can *only* enter the guide by virtue of being updates to that entry.

* We have an entry on card games with rude names, but it would be ludicrous to say that from now on, all entries on card games with rude names can *only* enter the guide by being updates to that entry.

* We had an entry on punctuation, but it would have been ludicrous to have said that from then on, all entries on punctuation symbols could *only* enter the guide by being updates to that entry. And we didn't, hence 'the correct use of the apostrophe in English', amongst others.

I could go on... Sure, if and when this entry gets into the Edited Guide, the CGwRN entry should link to it. However, judging on previous Editorial decisions, it should not form an obstacle to it. If there are specific reasons why my entry shouldn't be treated like every other entry in this matter, could you please say, and I'll try and make appropriate changes to solve this problem.

Cheers
-Martin

"This game is commonly known as Seven Card W**kstain People in this Conversation know it by this name. W**k is a rude word. You describe a card game. Thus this entry, should anyone want to accept it for the EG, should be included in the entry on Card Games with Rude Names"

They why didn't the EG entry on Egyptian rat F**k form an update to the above entry? The former was written after the latter, before you ask.