LearnedLeague roundup 2 April 10, 2017 5:21 PM   Subscribe

It's been 2 1/2 years since the last "Hey, who's on LearnedLeague, and who wants to be?" post. Some folks got invited then, and some folks (like me!) got invited later, as a result of posting in that thread. Referrals for LL73 are open, so: Who's on LL, and who isn't but wants to be?

As before, nobody can promise you that if you ask a Mefite directly, that they will be able to refer you. Referring someone is vouching for their reliability and non-cheatenousness. I recommend that if you want in, that you post it in the thread, and then over time the Magic of the Internet may bring you an invite.

I'm EdwardsDP, in (checks) Tidewater A, until I go 0-25 next season and get relegated back down to B. Thanks to RossS for my invite!
posted by Huffy Puffy to MetaFilter-Related at 5:21 PM (64 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite

I'd like to be invited if anyone would be interested in inviting me. Am available by MeMail for rigorous honesty tests and kitten pix.
posted by epj at 6:05 PM on April 10, 2017


OverholtJ, Memorial A, really only comfortable referring somebody I know IRL or have interacted extensively with.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:10 PM on April 10, 2017


I was on it for a while and really enjoyed it....to much. When I realized I was spending hte first hour or so of my workday on it, I had to pull the plug. Have fun y'all.
posted by Miko at 7:14 PM on April 10, 2017


Oh hey! There's a decent chunk of the Chicago Cabal* (*TINCC) on there in the WilsonA branch. I'm LeeJen and also have a referral to give. Hit me up on memail if you want to be in Fjord.
posted by phunniemee at 7:24 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


An hour? That feels like too much.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 7:55 PM on April 10, 2017


Just finished my 12th season (I'm in Rundle C Morningstar), and even smithed a one-day since the last time we talked about it here.

I've referred several MeFites. My invite for next season is not claimed as yet if anyone is interested.
posted by Ufez Jones at 8:43 PM on April 10, 2017 [2 favorites]


WestJ, recently demoted to Memorial E League, still enjoying it! If someone knows me IRL-sh and wants to be referred, please drop me a note. I am really serious about making sure you won't cheap and won't forfeit.

An hour? That feels like too much.

It's six questions per day. Some you might know right off the bat and some are more challenging. All of them, nearly all, are single or double answer questions. So just the act of answering is brief. However if, like me, you struggle with a lot of the questions, you may take more time trying to figure them out. And there's a defensive aspect which can also take some time if you take it seriously. Here are some sample questions. And here's the rookie primer which explains how gameplay works.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 11:16 PM on April 10, 2017 [1 favorite]


BeltK, in Memorial A. Hi OverholtJ, you beat me last season, and we tied before that! I'd be happy to refer someone. I myself am the fortunate recipient of a invitation via a MeFite (thanks Jessamyn!), and it'd be rude not to pass that along.

Thanks for the reminder, btw. I have to renew my membership and I've been forgetting to do that.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:50 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]


Hey cool! I just finished my rookie season (ProvostD in Morningstar - what up, Ufez Jones!) and managed to win the dang thing and should be in Rundle B next season. I also have a referral to give out, but like Horace and Jessamyn, I will be a bit careful about who I give it out to.

I'm up for a MeFite Private Rundle, if there is one, and if it is OK to talk about publically. There is no Private Rundle.


An hour? That feels like too much.

I usually read the questions first thing in the morning, ruminate over them in the shower and on the way to work, and by the time I sit down at my desk, I pretty much know if I'm ever going to get them or not, so the actual act of answering only takes a few seconds.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:28 AM on April 11, 2017


I'd very much appreciate an invite, as I've pined over LL from afar for years. I can vouch for my truthiness and participation in local pub quizzes or, you know, show you pictures of my super adorable dog.
posted by Torosaurus at 8:08 AM on April 11, 2017


CarrollC here, in A Cascade, and posting from a sockpuppet account with my real name because I prefer to keep at least a tissue-thin barrier between my main MeFi account and my RL identity. Although I learned about LL from the MeFi post, I didn't get in through MeFi, but from a Facebook friend who posted a few months after that about being in LL, and whom I subsequently begged for an invite.

When I started I honestly never dreamed I'd make it up to play with the big dogs in A, and since I have my main goal has been just to avoid relegation, which I've achieved so far, although sometimes by the skin of my teeth — coming down to a tiebreaker on one occasion.

I'd be interested in a MeFi private rundle as well.

I have two referrals and would feel comfortable referring most active, established MeFites (i.e., if I recognize your MeFi username on sight — if you've made at least 1000 comments on one of the subsites this is probably true). My one referral to date was someone I know IRL, and they ended up forfeiting 10 times their rookie season, so I figure knowing someone IRL is overrated as far as judging their LL-worthiness.
posted by Chuck Carroll at 8:17 AM on April 11, 2017


I tried to establish a MeFite private rundle last season, but couldn't find enough people. MeMail me if you want to participate.
posted by Etrigan at 8:24 AM on April 11, 2017


I cannot refer anyone at the moment (seat's taken) but am open to it for future seasons. I have referred a couple of mefites in the past and doing a quick check of their profiles, they have been better referrals than some of the friends that I've recommended. I'm always disappointed when someone quits after their rookie season.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 8:53 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]


ProvostD in Morningstar ... and managed to win the dang thing and should be in Rundle B next season.

Impressive result...impressive enough that you're potentially eligible for a Battlefield Promotion directly to A under rule 11.1.1.2.
posted by Chuck Carroll at 9:13 AM on April 11, 2017


I am very interested in this and have been for awhile, but I don't know anyone in real life who is a member. If someone can bestow some internet magic on me now or in the future, it would be appreciated!
posted by Falconetti at 9:22 AM on April 11, 2017


It's six questions per day.

Yeah, I did take a lot of time with them, because some of the questions have multiple answers - like things in list form, where you can get six of the eight answers right away, but get stuck on the last 2 and neeed to let them percolate. Also, the defensive aspect Jessamyn mentions was something you could get deeply into, and then if you start comparing stats and looking at profiles and checking past quizzes, it is a time-eater. Many people would not play in as obsessive a way and can do it more efficiently. Personally I had to cut it out.
posted by Miko at 9:23 AM on April 11, 2017


I have two referrals I would love to give to Mefites, if you don't have one yet, hit me up! First two to memail me.
posted by leesh at 9:34 AM on April 11, 2017


Oh, to followup! I am in Morningstar, KorenmanA. I am not that great (or am very easy to defend against, anyway) but love it very much.
posted by leesh at 9:35 AM on April 11, 2017


Impressive result...impressive enough that you're potentially eligible for a Battlefield Promotion directly to A under rule 11.1.1.2.

Thanks! I read the rules pretty carefully before the season, and I remembered that little caveat when I was doing pretty well early on. I checked the leaders of Rundle B at the time, and I did not appear to be on pace to match their TMP totals. Going into the last week, I thought I would check again to see how far off I was, and was shocked to see that I was ahead, and would likely stay ahead barring a terrible finish on my part and a very good one by the leader of Rundle B.

I'm not sure if I am excited or terrified at the chance to jump right to the Big Leagues out of rookie ball.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:28 AM on April 11, 2017


Going into the last week, I thought I would check again to see how far off I was, and was shocked to see that I was ahead, and would likely stay ahead barring a terrible finish on my part and a very good one by the leader of Rundle B.

Hey, I did ok on TCA at least.

Hi, I'm WilsonB2, also part of the MeFi Morningstar crew. I have a referral available and a soft spot for fellow mostly-lurkers.
posted by rewil at 11:44 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]


Oh hi! I had no idea you were a MeFite. Congrats on winning your Rundle, and perhaps we shall meet on the field of trivia in Rundle A next season.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:03 PM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]


Look at my lil referrals making friends! Don't you want to be a Morningstar Mefite too? :)
posted by leesh at 12:05 PM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]


To clarify on all this: the league is organized by branches. Everybody I refer, and everybody they refer, all stay together in one branch. So when new rundles are set up, branches of people who presumably know each other stay together. So some of these rundles will be Mefite-heavy.

It's like Amway, but you get trivia opponents instead of money.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:21 PM on April 11, 2017 [5 favorites]


It me, WatermanT in B Horizon.
posted by clavicle at 1:43 PM on April 11, 2017


even smithed a one-day
Oh hey, my friend won your 1DS, Ufez Jones! I looked at it but I knew I was never going to beat her so I didn't play.

KaderlanJ, newly promoted to A Sequoia (lol). I went to Vegas last year to cheer on a friend who qualified and got to shake Thorsten's hand. (FWIW if anyone's thinking of going this years, MeMail me. At the very least I might have some suggestions.)
posted by asterix at 1:51 PM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]


Thanks for posting this! I'm in Arcadia and am totally petrified to have been bumped up into D after an initial season in E. I would be open to sharing an invite with a MeFite. Please feel free to write me if you would like one. (I am also very grateful to RossS for inviting me in this same way!)
posted by snorkmaiden at 2:36 PM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]


also: JohnsonV, C Sugarloaf, smithed the currently running the Atlantic ML.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 2:52 PM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]


As a recovering Scholars Bowl junkie, I'm interested!
posted by en forme de poire at 3:40 PM on April 11, 2017


It really makes me realize just how dependent my brain has become on having the Internet in my pocket at all times. I've joked for some time that I consider myself a cyborg because of how much memory work I have shifted from my meatbrain to my phone, but working under the restrictions of Learned League has me stretching trivia "muscles" that have been atrophying since 2007.
posted by Rock Steady at 3:47 PM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]


I would like to play but probably would not be very good!
posted by ferret branca at 7:19 PM on April 11, 2017


I've joked for some time that I consider myself a cyborg because of how much memory work I have shifted from my meatbrain to my phone

I outsourced remembering whether I need to go to work tomorrow so I could remember more trivia. Priorities.
posted by Etrigan at 7:22 PM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]


I would be very interested in an invite.
posted by Tsuga at 7:25 PM on April 11, 2017


MeltonA, part of the extended Ufez Jones/leesh tree in Morningstar. Rundle C for now, but I'm averaging middle-to-low standings there and wouldn't be surprised if I end up back in D at some point. Have one referral available if anyone else would like to join this mighty powerhouse of mefites; memail me for info.
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:42 PM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]


Since the referrers are essentially putting their necks on the line for you here (if a referral forfeits a lot, it affects the referrer's ability to refer in the future) it is probably a better display of commitment to the league to be proactive and memail one of the kind folks offering in this thread, rather than wait for someone to give one to you.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:11 AM on April 12, 2017 [2 favorites]


I do still have one referral left out of two--don't be afraid to Memail us, we are sincerely offering here. And I second what everybody had matching towels says above. If you are actually interested, you can take the two minutes to send a note to an internet stranger. :)
posted by leesh at 6:24 AM on April 12, 2017 [1 favorite]


For people who are already in LL, I'd like to suggest also poking around in the forums where there is a lot of nerdy discussion about trivia and match days. Also consider signing up to be a tester for other people's one day specials and minileagues. You can get lovely emails like the one I got today "You are signed up as a tester for the upcoming LL One-Day Special: Eggs"
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:46 AM on April 12, 2017 [3 favorites]


I am on LL as LavineE ; in the TINCC branch of Fjord. I have no extra referrals until 3 seasons from now, but am definitely available for any very tentative or "I am super busy right now but maybe at the end of the year I'll have some time" mefites that want one.

For me, this falls into the "I am so bad at this, but I am enjoying myself a lot" category of activities. I came in dead last (and was close to a winless season) so will be dumped into Rundle E for this round. It's still a good time though.
posted by Fig at 9:24 AM on April 12, 2017


I got a chance to look at some of the sample questions last night on my way home from work, and ohhhh they were glorious. There was actually a question about the best song in the world, which is Nightshift, by the Commodores. (You thought I was going to say Werewolves of London, but that's the second-best.) If anyone has any spare LL invites not yet claimed, I'd like to plead my case: I'm a non-cheater and this is exactly the kind of trivia I love and am fairly good at. (Which is to say: pick me, pick me!)
posted by tapir-whorf at 12:12 PM on April 12, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'm in Arcadia and am totally petrified to have been bumped up into D after an initial season in E.

Well, we were in Arcadia. As of the coming season, we've been transplanted to the newly formed Tidewater. (I had been hoping for Maelstrom, but oh well.)

And I had similar feelings after a fluke season sent me from D to C, two seasons back. It didn't stick. :-)
posted by Shmuel510 at 1:31 PM on April 12, 2017 [2 favorites]


Tidewater? That's gonna add like an hour to my commute.
posted by Etrigan at 2:16 PM on April 12, 2017 [1 favorite]


(I had been hoping for Maelstrom, but oh well.)


I think we're supposed to write it MAELSTROM.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 2:48 PM on April 12, 2017


MÄËLSTRÖM
posted by Etrigan at 3:00 PM on April 12, 2017


Well, we were in Arcadia.

Et in Rundle D Arcadia, ego.

I think we're supposed to write it MAELSTROM.

I think we should always refer to it as The Maelstrom, as in ""Close race for promotion in Rundle B Atlantic, and there's a three-way tie for first in Rundle C The Maelstrom."
posted by Rock Steady at 3:23 PM on April 12, 2017


I've been working my way down the thread. So far, everybody has gotten an invitation already (yay!). If you're still waiting in a couple of weeks, go ahead and contact somebody. Last call for referrals is May 4.

I'm also thinking pretty hard about upgrading my membership so I can join a MeFi private rundle.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:06 PM on April 12, 2017


This may be a weird question, but how many of the sample questions should I be able to answer right off the top of my head, or on (brief) reflection? I know it depends on the questions, person, etc., but can anyone give me a guess based on their experience? I'm interested, but not if I'm going to humiliate myself.
posted by zorseshoes at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2017


I'm at the bottom of the whole thing and most days I get between 1-3 out of six right. It's a good day if I get four and it's a bad day if I get zero. In the upper "rundles" people get most of them right most of the time. and it's a lot more about defensive strategy.

One of the things that can keep people in the middle rundles is if they have a few bad categories. Like, I know shit about Classical Music. This is both keeping me from doing well on those questions but also making me really easy to defend against because I'm predictable. So if you have a few bad categories, no big deal. If you only get like 20-30% of the questions right, no big deal (as long as it's not a terrible blow to your self-esteem. I am ok with this since LL is full of Jeopardy players and I have other skills in my life). If you struggle to get any right, you might find it more frustrating than fun.

After the Rookie season you'll be slotted with people who are about at your ability level so the first season is sort of difficult (hard to defend against people, much more random seeming play) so no matter how you do, if you show up you should be playing against people who are more or less at your level.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:40 AM on April 15, 2017 [2 favorites]


You can also think over the questions ALL DAY if it helps you. Some people are bad at snap answers. I have to grind them out a lot of the time, trying to jog my memory by going down the alphabet "Does her name start with A? B? C?...?"
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:41 AM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


I have gone through the thread, and there appear to be only 1-2 potential players left who have posted who may not have been referred yet. If you are one of those people, and you haven't been referred yet, you may want to go ahead and MeMail somebody. Or you can just wait it out; there's still 10 days until the first round of invitations go out.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 8:07 AM on April 15, 2017


I thought I had a referral but it fell through... Anyone else have one left over?
posted by en forme de poire at 2:47 PM on April 15, 2017


I still got you, en forme. Sorry, been on and off the grid this week.
posted by Etrigan at 4:25 PM on April 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


To second Jessamyn, one good thing about LL is that after the highly chaotic rookie season, you end up matched against people who are roughly at your level of skill. And some match days will be harder for you than others, depending on whether that day's questions happen to be about things you know about or things you really don't. (For that matter, some days' question sets are just harder, period, while others are easier.)

With that having been said, taking the entire league as a whole, across the entire season, the overall success rate pretty consistently works out to about 50%, with those in the higher rundles getting more, and those in the lower rundles getting less.

Breaking this down further...this past season, people got the following number of correct answers per day on average, out of 6:
A Rundles: 4.5
B Rundles: 3.8
C Rundles: 3.3
D Rundles: 2.7
E Rundles: 2.0
Overall league average (with or without the rookies): 3.0

It is also worth noting that the league structure is weighted toward the bottom; there are far fewer A and B Rundlers than players in the other levels.

(I'm a D Rundler myself, and happy to be one. I most commonly get 3 right, but there have been six days over the past eight seasons when I got 0 correct, and three days when I made a sweep of all 6. [Also, I won one of the former, because my opponent forfeited. Never forfeit.])

For a better idea of what a Match Day is actually like, here's Match Day 1 of the past season, LL72. When you've finished that set, click the "Match Day 2 >>" link in the small print on the upper left to go to the next day. (The categories—"GEOGRAPHY", "WORLD HIST", etc.—are not shown during a real match, but otherwise the questions are as originally given.)

Finally, y'all can add me to the list of people you can contact if you want to be considered for a referral.
posted by Shmuel510 at 8:27 AM on April 16, 2017 [1 favorite]


Thanks, Jessamyn. Your responses are very helpful. I understand about having all day, but I was wondering whether I should be getting, IDK, 75% right off the bat to be worthy. Now, to figure out whether there are any invitations still out there!
posted by zorseshoes at 5:46 PM on April 16, 2017


I sent three memails. Fingers crossed.
posted by zorseshoes at 5:54 PM on April 16, 2017


Thank you, Shmuel510!
posted by zorseshoes at 8:22 PM on April 16, 2017


Thanks Etrigan! Sorry to doubt you, I just figured I was too slow in replying.
posted by en forme de poire at 9:46 PM on April 16, 2017


It looks like everybody who has posted in this thread wanting an invitation has gotten an invitation. Just so you all know, the e-mails won't go out until April 25.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:06 AM on April 18, 2017


Something worth noting for the incoming new LLamas: You get to choose or make a flag.

The prefab flag choices that weren't taken by others in the last round can be seen here; more will be available once you're invited. You can go with one of those—I think most people do!—or you can make your own.

Should you go the latter route, note that flags are displayed at many different sizes, from the full size of 154x87 pixels down to a mere 25x14 pixels. Ideally you'd like something that looks okay at both extremes. Here's a page that uses the small ones (scroll down; they'll be on the right); click any one of them to see a page with the full-size version.

(You only need to make one version, at full size; the rescaled versions will be created automatically.)

Also note that there is usually a Flag Amnesty Day once a year, wherein people can trade in a flag they dislike for something better, but this recourse has thus far been made available only to those who are using one of the prefab flags*. If you make and submit your own, you're stuck with it.

The upshot is that if you're pressed for time and aren't able to make the flag of your dreams by the deadline for this season, you're probably better off going with the assignment of one of the prefab ones for now, rather than half-assing something original that isn't what you really want. On the other hand, there's still plenty of time at the moment, so you might start tinkering with ideas now.


* There have also been limited exceptions made for people whose flags duplicate other people's flags. For that matter, I got special permission to tweak a few pixels on mine, which you probably wouldn't notice unless you were comparing the two directly, but it fixed a minor inconsistency with my referrer's flag (duplicated in the corner of mine) that was driving me nuts.
posted by Shmuel510 at 2:16 PM on April 18, 2017 [3 favorites]


If you make and submit your own, you're stuck with it.

Still mad!

posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:17 PM on April 18, 2017 [1 favorite]


My sympathy!
posted by Shmuel510 at 2:18 PM on April 18, 2017 [1 favorite]


I'd be interested in an invite if anyone has one left!
posted by peacheater at 4:41 AM on May 2, 2017


Wow, this is a thing I need in my life. I've been a pub trivia aficionado for years, but can't bring any of my current friends as they just want to drink and cheat and do not understand the spiritual feeling of (legitimately!) beasting the competition.

I went with my AP friends (and my parents) in high school, and we were amazing.If someone wanted to rekindle my decade old trivia memories with an invite I'd be grateful.
posted by sazerac at 9:55 AM on May 2, 2017


FYI: The last rookie invitations will be distributed on Monday, May 8. So referrals need to be submitted ASAP.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 10:27 AM on May 3, 2017


Just wanted to drop in and say thanks to Rock Steady for the referral. Can't wait! :)
posted by sazerac at 11:21 AM on May 3, 2017


Huffy Puffy helped me out too so I'm all set! Thanks!
posted by peacheater at 4:30 PM on May 3, 2017


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