Nerd Trivia Challenge:

Official Rules and Regulations

Revision E - March 21, 2003

0. The Nerd Trivia Challenge is a trivia contest geared towards the computer history enthusiast. Questions concerning computers, their inventors, their technologies, and their software, all in a historical context, are relevant. The questions are carefully selected by a panel of computer historians and are researched as thoroughly as possible to ensure the correct answer is associated with each question. Only questions with unambiguous, undisputed answers are used in the game.
1. To be considered as a player you must first pass a pre-qualifying quiz given when you arrive and register at the VCF. This is a series of 10 free-form answer questions, with each question being worth a point. The pre-qualifying quiz will be given on days one and two of the VCFE. The top ten scores will then qualify to move on to the final qualification quiz.
2. If you qualify then you must be available on day two of the event at 2:00pm to take the qualifying quiz. This quiz consists of a series of ten questions, each worth a point. The top three scorers on the qualifying quiz will be chosen to play the Nerd Trivia Challenge. In the case of a tie, a tie-breaking question will be asked in a "sudden death" format. The first person to respond with the correct answer to the tie-breaking question will be chosen as the final player.
3. The contest consists of a series of 10 questions, each progressively more difficult than the last. For each question correctly answered, the contestant moves on to the next question.
4. Four possible answers are displayed for each question asked. Only one answer of the four is correct. The contestant must choose the correct answer from the four given.
5. During the game, the contestant has three Interrupts available to assist them with answering a question: Ask a Friend, Audience Poll, and 50/50. The Interrupts may be used on any question. The contestant may use each Interrupt only once, but more than one may be used on the same question.
6. Ask a Friend allows the contestant to ask a friend that they select to give them help with answering the question. The Friend has to be named before the first question is asked.
7. Audience Poll allows the contestant to poll the audience for the correct answer.
8. 50/50 will randomly remove two of the wrong answers from the game board.
9. The contestant must attempt to correctly answer as many questions as possible. In the event a wrong answer is given, the game will end and the contestant's final score will be noted.
10. After all contestants have finished their round, the scores will be compared and the contestant with the highest score will be declared the Nerd Trivia Challenge Champion.
11. Any contestant that successfully answer 10 questions in a row is automatically declared a Nerd Trivia Challenge Champion.
12. In the event of a tie, all contestants who are tied will be given a sudden death question. The first player to successfully answer the sudden death question will be declared the Nerd Trivia Challenge Champion.
13. Any questions or comments concerning these rules or the Nerd Trivia Challenge in general may be directed to ntc@vintage.org.