The Fickle Sky by Adam, Tøm, Charlie Fish, GYØ Daryl
October 21st, 2007 4:10 PMA few weeks ago, Quentin Watson (formerly Stanley Gibbons) submitted a very literal interpretation of this task. It was quickly judged as too little effort for a Level 6 completion, and flagged to death.
Not wanting to accept defeat, he decided to collaborate with a few others to try again. But how to write something in the sky and make it worth 250 points? We certainly weren't going to hijack an airplane. (That's at least Level 7.)
The solution? Instead of one completion worthy of Level 6, we have submitted TEN completions worthy of Level 2 (give or take). Together, they represent a Level 6 completion.
Methods of skywriting:
1) Typing Trickery
This is the original, very literal interpretation. I suppose you could also technically complete this task just by writing down the phrase "something in the sky"...
2) Projectorage
The GY0 clan appropriated a digital projector, splashed some sky over a whiteboard, and wrote in the sky. Can't argue with that.
3) Light Writing
Charlie Fish burned some words into the sky using a sparkler and a 3-second exposure on his camera.
GY0 Adam did it too (and in Charlie Fish's opinion he did it better!):
4) Words on a Skyview Window
SF0-Man came to the rescue for this one, scribbling on the sky, "It's a bird... It's a plane... IT'S SKYWRITING!"
5) Writing "in" the Sky
Part 1: Another fairly literal interpretation...
Part 2: This uses a particular definition of the word "in":
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
in /ɪn/
preposition, adverb, adjective, noun, verb, inned, in·ning.
.
.
.
5. (used to indicate means): sketched in ink; spoken in French.
So the word is not written in "ink", it is written in "the sky" - i.e. it is written using the sky.
Part 3: Part 2 was written using a printed image of the sky, whereas this time the word is actually written in the negative space - the cut-out space - which contains sky. The word is made from the sky. Again, writing "in" the sky can mean writing USING the sky...
6) Hijacking a Plane
OK, we did manage to commandeer a plane after all...
(If you can't see the videos, scroll down to the bottom to see them there.)
7) Ribbon Writing
Charlie Fish tried to write with a ribbon in the sky. He probably should have used a bigger, silkier and more colourful ribbon on a less windy day, but you get the idea.
8) Smoke Signals
Charlie Fish borrowed his housemate's smoke machine to make smoke signals in the sky. Writing in morse code, the signals spell SF0.
9) Word Suspension
Charlie Fish hung some writing in the sky. This has the advantage of being visible to everybody that walks past my house, so I've left it there as an advertisement for SF0.
10) Mid-air Musings
Charlie Fish is writing (whilst) in the sky.
Summary:
1) Typing trickery
2) Projectorage
3) Light writing
4) Words on a skyview window
5) Writing "in" the Sky
6) Hijacking a Plane
7) Ribbon Writing
8) Smoke Signals
9) Word Suspension
10) Mid-air Musings
Note that the first few comments below apply to the original task, before it was resubmitted!
20 vote(s)
anna one
5
Burn Unit
5
Fonne Tayne
5
susy derkins
5
Ohrlyeh Totenkinder
5
Lincøln
5
Malaysian Eddy
5
Meta tron
5
GYØ Ben
5
Scarlett
5
Spidere
5
Loki
5
The Vixen
5
Jellybean of Thark
5
Torsten the dissenter
5
Herbie Hatman
5
Zhee Meatss Needz Cheffing
5
Jason Hewett
5
Twenty Four
5
meredithian
Favorite of:
Terms
lewlesque, multicompletion, trytryagain, sf0daemonspeaks51 comment(s)
Surely typing is writing :S
I'm writing a sentence right now.
...and I do love visual puns, craftiness, and unexpected interpretations. However, for a level 6 task, I would expect something...more. (Think of it like this; 250 points is 50 votes, which is a heck of a lot)
This is exactly why we need a "forgo automatic points" option. Flagged due to high-pointness of the task.
Yes. Clever, but not 250 points clever. I don't do this often, but you've earned my fickle flag.
I love your player icon, I loved your escape the camera. In my show of good will, I give you a vote for your great icon.
This proof has been flagged by several of your fellow players (for the benefit of all, flags are anonymous). As such, it has been automatically disapproved. Most likely, they've posted comments explaining why they're displeased. If you think you may be the victim of a bug, injustice, or a gang of Rubins, hit up the contact page.
Wow, you can comment flag the Daemon - a true sign of resentment towards your task being taken off!
I'm sorry, I have to flag as well...
But I do like your other tasks! I truly do!
I'll leave it here in case a new player tries it.
I'm never going to do this without trickery anyway.
I don't think the task (not this completion) should have been posted to begin with (or at least not for 250 points. Its not feasible for the vast majority of us, and it begs "trickery,"
"posted by Lizard Boy on October 1st, 2007 10:42 AM
This is exactly why we need a "forgo automatic points" option. Flagged due to high-pointness of the task."
Like votes only?
If so that would be a good option.
There are so many possible interpretations for this task, I don't think that there is any one "right" or implied way of doing it. So what if you can't rent an airplane and form words out of contrails? Who said you have to literally mark the physical sky above us with words? (even that can be interpreted in more ways than one). I think it's an awesome task.
i agree with you. i think its a great task, that proly won't be done with an airplane. i just don't think it should be worth 250
there you go thinking with the points, man. just figure that shit out and let us (i.e., the community) worry about the points and votes. somebody please just write on the damn sky!
I like the variety of thought put into it. Ten interesting little takes on the task.
yes... you've perhaps silenced that earlier point-unruliness by diluting your action, or rather multiplying it.....
now each completion is worth 25? sounds fair. i vote for at least one of them, especially 'writing in midair' but equally so the lightplay.
when i tried to do that for one task back in the day i failed utterly.... and in the end didn't submit nuthin'.
aww, i've been practicing with my laer pointer and tri-pod. you all beat me to it
Good job on the resubmit. You get a spirit-vote from me, kids. Also, I love me some light writing.
One could think that you guys pretty much exhausted the possibilities!
Light frozen in mid-air, make sure your hand is neurosurgeon-steady. Maybe this device invented by GRL could be useful for sf0s worldwide: I, for one, want it!
Ribbon writing, on the other hand, is certainly a complex communication technique, mastered by the very few, and technology hasn´t help it much.
I flew on an ultralight plane a few weeks ago: damn, that would have been such a prime location for sky writing...
This proof has been flagged by several of your fellow players (for the benefit of all, flags are anonymous). As such, it has been automatically disapproved. Most likely, they've posted comments explaining why they're displeased. If you think you may be the victim of a bug, injustice, or a gang of Rubins, hit up the contact page.
Why was this X'ed again? Did you guys really flag it to death again, or is that big red X just a hang-over from the original completion?
Boo!
If you think you may be the victim of a bug, injustice, or a gang of Rubins, hit up the contact page.
It looks like you've been flagged anew.
Sorry to see that, fellows. I guess standards around here are pretty high (unreasonably high?) for a 250 point task. Either that, or there are at least five people so unhappy with word-play completions that they'll flag anything that comes close.
If you ask me, this time around you've put together a legitimate completion. It may not be an overwhelming, awe-inspiring praxis, given the task's rather extreme point value, but I'm surprised to see it flagged.
Hope you don't take it too hard. A lot of us enjoyed it quite a bit.
At the very least, you've given those of us itching to try this task some more data on what we'll need to do to keep the praxis viewers happy. And, you've convinced me that Burn Unit's votes-only submission button really could be useful. No doubt this could have netted a 0+100 pretty easily, rather than a Big Red X.
Jeezum crow people what the hell is the matter with you?
A variation on smoke signals is exactly what I was planning, spending no money on it either. So let's honestly assess this: would that have gotten flagged? Let me ask you flag throwers, do you think you could have gotten the button-punches you needed if I'd slung my version up on the praxis solo? Or might the "burn unit cred" have gotten me kudos instead? I was amused and inspired.
People are, and I say this with all due respect, just assholes.
Burn, and Loki, I'm still holding out hope that the red is a hang-over from the original completion (which deserved it). We are currently seeking confirmation from the site administrators.
If we did get flagged to death again, fair enough, the community has spoken. But if not, then we want a fair chance!
Certainly do, I admit that when I submitted the original I knew it was going to get flagged, I was bored and I fancied doing something. However, this resubmit saw much more effort than the original, and should not be X'd!
Vote (but, due to X, no points) especially for the smoke signals and the lovely writing mid-air photo. Nicely done, indeed.
I hadn't voted before, basically in agreement with Loki--that the resubmit was nicely done, but not awe-inspiring when compared with the point value (though غ م صيب /zemaluco's argument was persuasive, and made me reconsider). I vote now to say I think it was well done. Spirit vote, if nothing else.
Spirit vote or not its still 5 points. Thanks.
Seriously. What the z'ell? Y'all are just jealous of their high sky'n skillz.
The task is back, thanks to whoever fixed the X!
Pity the victims of a Daemonic oversight! For whatever reason, unsubmitting wasn't clearing flags correctly. For technical reasons, we can't separate the flags from before and after the re-submit, so they've all been cleared again, and the red X removed.
then I retract my paranoid ravings. Good news, everyone! You're not all assholes!
I love the Daemon! He is not villainous at all!
The Daemon should be more villainous.
I don't agree that the compilation of these 10 completions is worth 250 points. These photographs are clearly only worth 10 or 15 points each.
I want to see 20 things written in the sky.
20 things!!!
Charlie Fish: you can pick locks, why don't you just steal a plane?
Villain:
Picking locks.
Flying light aircraft.
There is a difference. Please learn this before next boarding a plane.
For writing 20 things in the sky.
And for being a general all around good guy.
picking a lock is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman...
Fast Show reference deserves a vote I think.
Even if it was made in the comments.
Hold on.
This is my task.
Meta: that sounds extremely awkward...beautiful women are that hard to maneuver in bed?
It's just like making love. You know, left, down, rotate 62 degrees, engage rotor...
Hahahaha. I just got that comment, Mink.
JUST now, watching Futurama.
Only 3 months late.
I love underhandedness.
But I flag because there is no writing here. Just typing.