In order to create a bit of a fun, we here on RG proudly present:

The Review Marathon!

(Idea created by Narc)

So, what is this, you ask? Well, basically, for one weekend all who participate in this competition go out on FictionPress and review as much as they can! When the weekend is over, everyone's given reviews will be counted into a total sum, and the three that gave the most reviews wins.

And what does one win? Well, it is to be mass-reviewed back by the other participants!

RM history 2008:

January: A total of 291 reviews from 9 active participants. Winner (Imalefty) did 57 reviews.

February: A total of 523 reviews from 11 active participants. Winner (simpleplan13) did 114 reviews.

March: A total of 701 reviews from 15 active participants. Number one winner (simpleplan13) did 201 reviews.

April: A total of 679 reviews from 16 active participants. Number one winner (One-Hand Clap) did 208 reviews.

May: Let's find out!

Current legend: One-Hand Clap, with her massive 208 reviews! A newcomer to both this site, and this forum, but she took over the legend record on her first try!

Competition date: Not yet decided.

Time-zone is FP's standard time: GMT -8.For an online time clock, go to this address:

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/usa/pacific-time/

Please do not ignore reading, as this is vital information, and ignoring it will perhaps result in somewhat tragic results (no, I am not threatening you!).

--- RULES FOR THE REVIEW MARATHON ---

(Please be aware that a lot of changes and additions have been made! So it's best if you read it again)

Basic:

1) You are not allowed to review your fellow participants in order to increase your point count. You are also not allowed to count in the reviews given for the Review Game or any other review exchanging services/agreements. After the RM is over, you can review whomever you want, though.

2) 1 review (on a poem, a chapter of a story, or a whole story) = 1 point. Participant with most points will win.

3) Everyone who reviews will keep a total point count at the end of their post.

4) Users are also not allowed to change their usernames before they have reviewed the winner and their duty is over as it might confuse people.

5) The time-zone the RM goes by is FP's standard time: GMT -8.

Registration post:

6) In order to participate, register. You register by making a registration post in this topic, stating you wish to participate. This is preferably done by the day before the marathon, but we allow registration posts during the game as well.

7) You must state in your registration post that you are fully committed to reviewing the winners once they have been declared.

8) In your registration post, add links to all stories/poems/chapters that you review throughout the weekend. Instructions for editing posts are below. Please, after having reviewed a story, edit it in your post as soon as you can and keep a count in your post!

9) If you register for the RM and do not participate, but illustrate you could have by posting in another RG topic, you are required to give the winners two times the normal reviews required. This is not for cases when the participant got sick or weren't able to do this for other reasons. It's reserved for blatant disrespect.

10) You can prior to when the RM starts take back your registration. When you withdraw the registration, you will have no obligations.

Reviews:

11) All reviews given in the name of the RM must fulfill a minimum standard, otherwise the participant won't get any point for it! The requirement is according to the Easy Fix Review Game, which is:

"You need to state one thing you liked and why, and one thing you didn't like/could be improved, and why.

If you absolutely can only find good or less good things to say, then please state two things you liked and why, or two things you didn't like and why. The review will be seen as invalid otherwise."

This also applies to the review(s) you give to the winners.

12) "Copy and paste" reviews will not be counted.

13) When you make a review, mention The Review Game's Review Marathon and reference the link that you are required to put in your profile.

Exception to this rule: If you review a multi-chap, and more than two chapters, you only need to have the advertisement tag in your first and last review for that story.

14) Link to the Review Game in your profile, while mentioning the Review Marathon belongs to it. No linking to The Review Marathon is required. Only linking you need to do is to the Review Game. But both must be mentioned.

Winners:

15) We will have three winners for the RM, and three winners only. Ties in the third place position are not allowed. So as you review, keep a point count at the end of your post so people can see if they are tying with you. If there is a tie for the third slot, we will eliminate by deciding who gave the best reviews (quality).

16) Participants must review the winners and state that their review is their RM prize review. They must review the winners within two weeks. If not, they will face the consequences. A participant is required to review unless they withdrew their registration before the start of the competition.

17) The three winners get a prize. Number One winner gets two reviews from all participants, and doesn't have to review the other winners. Number Two and Three get one review each from all participants, except the Number One winner.

18) If you are unable to review the three winners within two weeks, you may request a one-week extension (or more if needed). Reasons for this must hold valid, though.

--- TECHNICAL ---

- Wondering how to edit a post?

Beside the button that says "Reply" in a person's post, there is a "Mod" button. Click on it. A small menu-bar will appear. Click on "Edit". Edit in the story/poem/chapters you review, give a link, and submit.

- How do you link to a story or author in your post?

I shall use Narc's story "Roanoke" as example. Look at the reply window. It has a small menu bar. First you need to type the story title (ie, Roanoke). Then you select that. The previously untouchable button on the right of the scroll bar in the menu is now activated. Click on it.

A small window will pop up. Copy and paste the web address to the story or author in question. Type in title. Click "Insert" and you're all done!

Example: Roanoke

However, some people cannot use this method as the pop-up window won't show. This is an alternate method, thought up by Silv3rdr34ms. This will be done in your reply window:

(& l t ;)a href="http://www.fictionpress.com/~silv3rdr34ms"(& g t ;)Silv3rdr34ms' Profile(& l t ;)/a(& g t ;)

1. Take away the parenthesis ()

2. Take away the spaces of what was inside the parenthesis.

3. Click "Site Preview". This will make the link activate. Close it when it's done loading.

4. You should have a working link when you post.

But if this is too complicated, just copy and paste the web address.

- Wondering how you link to the forum in your profile?

0. Open your profile editor ("Log in" - "Profile/Bio")

1. Write the word that you want to be clickable. In my profile, I used Review Marathon.

2. Select those two words

3. Click the icon on your editor's menu bar that has a green circle. It is named "Insert/Edit a hyperlink" and comes after the horizontal line.

4. Copy the address for the forum topic in where the "Address" goes. On the line under, write "Review Marathon"

5. Click Ok

6. Click "Save changes"

--- EXAMPLE OF IDEAL POST ---

" I, Fractured Illusion, hereby register for participation on the holy day of Sunday the 27th January for the very much anticipated Review Marathon. I am fully committed to reviewing the winners once declared!

EDIT:

List of points:

Roanoke, by Narc

I reviewed chapter 1 to 14.

Count: 14"

--- SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR REVIEW ---

We all know the actual review needs to fill up to minimum requirement, see rule 3. But it also needs to have that advertisement in it mentioned in rule 8. But the ad is not to be too excessive. Only requirement is to mention the Review Marathon and say that you have a link for it in your profile (and actually have it, too). Examples:

1. "It's the day of the Review Marathon! Woot! (link in my profile)"

2. "- Frac, from the Review Marathon (link in my profile)"

3. "PS! If your bored check out the Review Game's Review Marathon (links in my profile)"

When reviewing the winner, you can mention it this way:

1. "Congrats, winner of the Review Marathon! Here is your prize!"

--- THE REVIEW'S CONTENT ---

I have noticed lots of people haven't appeared to understand the requirement of mentioning a like and dislike, and a why attached to both, let me illustrate with this example:

Ie 1:

"I like it... it was beautiful"

Here is what they liked (the piece) and why (it was beautiful)

Ie 2:

"It was beautiful"

Here is something they liked (the beauty), but no why.

Ie 3:

"It was beautiful, because your imagery came to life within so few words"

Here is something they liked (the beauty) and why (due to the imagery)

See how I see the differences? You need to be clear and precise in your reviews to meet the requirements. You need to state a clear like and dislike, and a clear (and separate!) why to both. Like + why cannot be the same thing! Therefore, only example 1 and 3 would pass. But example 3 has the most quality in it. In ties, it is quality we will go for.

--- PROBLEMS? QUESTIONS? ---

Go to the "Problems/Questions about the RG" topic. This topic is to be "clean", which means only registration posts until I say otherwise.

--- SUMMARY ---

Here is a basic run-down of the RM. Read rules for more.

1. You register with a post. As long as you don't withdraw the registration before RM weekend starts, you will have to review the winners when they are made official

2. Participants will review anyone they want on this site, as long as it is not:

a) a fellow participant

b) themselves

3. One review will count as one point. For a review to be counted as a point, it has to fulfill these requirements:

a) It must be according to Easy Fix standard at a minimum: One like + why, and a dislike/could be improved + why

b) It must have an RM tag: Mention the Review Marathon and that you have a link in your profile

4. Participants must have a link on their profile to the Review Game forum, while the RM is mentioned alongside it.

--- EXAMINATORS ---

Of course, for this to be done, we need people to be examinators. Examinators make sure the winner's reviews are legit before they announced to be given the prize. You can be both a participant and an examinator, or only one of them, or neither. To be an examinator, you need to go to the Suggestion topic, and suggest to be one. Please do so! It would be nice to have help! I'd like to keep the maximum at 5.

Please, do not sign up for being one if you can't do it. Being an examinator, it is required that you straight away after the RM is over, go over the reviews of the three people with most reviews. We require efficiency and haste. If you do not feel you can live up to this, I'd rather you don't be one.

--- LIST OF EXAMINATORS ---

None as of yet

--- LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ---

None as of yet

--- THE END! ---

--- NOW REGISTER, DAMMIT! :D ---

(No registrations for RM May accepted yet)

CLAP TRAP, ZONNE AND JESSE THE STORYTELLER ARE NOW THE OFFICIAL WINNERS OF RM APRIL!

ALL PARTICIPANTS HAVE A TWO WEEK PERIOD, STARTING TODAY, GIVE AT LEAST TWO REVIEWS TO NUMBER ONE WINNER (CLAP TRAP) AND AT LEAST ONE REVIEW TO THE SECOND AND THIRD EACH (ZONNE AND JESSE THE STORYTELLER)

Winners:

1. Clap Trap

2. Zonne

3. Jesse the Storyteller

I suggest you all shower them with reviews, though!

Reviews must be given before 8th of May, or you will be banned.

---

REMEMBER!

These prize reviews have requirements for them to count as given. If you review the winners and don't follow the criteria, your review won't count, and you will have to re-do it.

The criteria:

1) It must be according to Easy Fix standard at a minimum: One like + why, and a dislike/could be improved + why

2) Must state it is a prize review for the Review Marathon

3) Review must be given within two weeks after this post has been made

All participants except number one winner (Clap Trap) has to review the winners. Even the second and third winner has to give prize reviews.

We keep track of the review given, and make sure the winners get what they deserve. If you do not review them properly, we will nag at you forever. It's a promise! However, should you within the two week period fail to give the winners their beyond well deserved reviews, you will be banned from the Review Game until you leave those reviews. So if you have obstacles within this two week period, alert me (Fractured Illusion).

---

List of participants (total) that I expect to give reviews to the winners:

Zonne - reviewed number one and three [complete]

Jesse the Storyteller - reviewed number one and two [complete]

Sanity's Brink - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

Esther Jade - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

dragonflydreamyr - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

Fractured Illusion - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

asylum writer - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

theflyingcrabsareeatingmyhair - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

.aliceflower. - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

Harmonic Discord - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

writingxonxwalls - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

Apple Cherry Muffins - BANNED

notazombie - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

snowdance-lyghtning - BANNED

Arianna Sterling - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

damaged isolation - BANNED

tibetan-knight - reviewed number one, two and three [complete]

Stylo - BANNED

Kumquat21 - BANNED

Monocouerest - BANNED

Rumba Rumba - BANNED

A Raindrop's Shadow - BANNED reviewed number one, two

Wilson EK - BANNED

To the winners: As soon as someone makes a prize review to you, PM me and tell who did it, and for what story, so I can check them off this list.

To the banned: As my PM to you explained, you are banned for not reviewing the three winners according to the standard/not reviewed them at all. The ban last as long as you let it. I will un-ban all and everyone that reviews the winners according to the standard explained in this post. You decide if you want it to be lifted or not.

Results from the participants:

Clap Trap: 208

Zonne: 120

Jesse the Storyteller: 99

Sanity's Brink: 80

Esther Jade: 64

dragonflydreamyr: 30

Fractured Illusion: 29

asylum writer: 12

theflyingcrabsareeatingmyhair: 12

.aliceflower.: 8

Harmonic Discord: 5

writingxonxwalls: 4

Apple Cherry Muffins: 3

notazombie: 2

snowdance-lyghtning: 2

Arianna Sterling: 1

damaged isolation: 0

tibetan-knight: 0

Stylo: 0

Kumquat21: 0

Moncouerest: 0

Rumba Rumba: 0

A Raindrop's Shadow: 0

Wilson EK: 0

Total participants: 24

Total active participants: 16

Total points: 679

On behalf of us mods and examinators, we thank everyone that actively participated and helped spread the review love! :)

No registrations accepted for RM May. Date will be decided in the Suggestion topic, which will feature a poll of when the next RM should be. Poll will be featured shortly.

Update: Poll is now featured. Go ahead and vote if you wish to participate in the next Review Marathon. Choose a date most suitable for you.

Note: .aliceflower. changed username to Summer Deyze Starfield

Clap Trap changed names to One-Hand Clap

Jesse the Stortyeller has been given a one week extension due to internet problems

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