# Once again, cubing is very unrecognized



## Brian Le (Jun 18, 2009)

What is your opinion on the following article?

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/06/17/iowa-teen-wins-text-messaging-championship/

Basically, this 15 year old girl won a texting tourney. And she won 50k. Just for messing up her thumbs for life. Hm...


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## qqwref (Jun 18, 2009)

"Ms. Dynda was in New York for a second straight year to compete for the texting title, which began as a promotional campaign for LG’s cellphones three years ago."

THERE. Texting might seem like a very silly thing to have a competition about, and it definitely is, but the reason they can give out a $50,000 prize is *sponsorship* - by participating in the tournament they are advertising LG's phones. Cubing doesn't really have any. The only company with money that we really represent is Seven Towns, and although they definitely help us out in larger competitions, it's not like we're really advertising their products (considering how few of the top cubers in any main event use Rubik's products). So they don't really have an incentive to let us give out huge prizes like that. In the end the importance of a competition is pretty much about the money involved, and cubing is historically pretty bad at raising large quantities of cash.


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## MichaelErskine (Jun 18, 2009)

I believe that cubing is getting quite popular but there's little money to be made so it doesn't attract profit-hungry hangers-on -- that's a good thing!


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## Stefan (Jun 18, 2009)

Nice (as far as I as a texting refuser can tell).


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## AvGalen (Jun 18, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> Nice (as far as I as a texting refuser can tell).


I would agree that this was a good article (I didn't like the opening sentence).

Texting is also a lot like cubing, but not as evolved:



> Over five rounds, contestants texted phrases on LG-distributed phones — no iPhones or other handsets allowed — while jumping obstacles on a treadmill, enduring heckling and while blindfolded


 
In 1982 contestants had to use provided cubes. Now we can bring our own even dispite a sponsor.

Blindfolded is something we already do and I think I just found out about one or more of the US Open mystery events 

They are also just in the phase where they are *considering* to have a World Championship.

So basically, all they have done that the WCA hasn't is
* Find a big sponsor
* Get global media coverage 
* Have a quarter million people (in the US alone) competing in prequalifications
* Have the media involved in getting participants

All of the above is off course easy to do


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## blah (Jun 18, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> Nice (as far as I as a texting refuser can tell).



Why refuse?


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## Stefan (Jun 18, 2009)

blah said:


> StefanPochmann said:
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I refuse to text because it's so cumbersome and inefficient. I prefer to call and talk.


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## nitrocan (Jun 18, 2009)

It's funny how she defends texting as being a social person and not an emo.


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## masterofthebass (Jun 18, 2009)

A "local" girl made it to the finals. I don't know how she did. When I saw this, I thought of the same thing, why can't cubing do this. But then it was obvious, cubing isn't something that everyone in the country does, and some people are really good at it. Cubing has too hard of a "learning curve" for it to be common place that everyone is solving it. Texting can be done monkeys if needed, and it allows for a larger mass appeal.


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## pjk (Jun 18, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


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I couldn't agree more. I don't use it and doubt I ever will. I have better things to do.


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## Logan (Jun 18, 2009)

We should ask Verdes if they would like to sponsor a competition.


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## fanwuq (Jun 18, 2009)

pjk said:


> StefanPochmann said:
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Also agreed. I prefer talking in person to talking through a telephone. I don't know why, but the telephone makes feel very awkward. I haven't tried texting and I never will.
I fail too see why this makes cubing "unrecognized." The comparison isn't parallel.

Edit:
The winner wants a flying pony. At least she has something in common with you, Stefan. (Ok, it didn't say flying, but it's not that important.)


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## AvGalen (Jun 18, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


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I prefer to call and talk, but texting works better than voicemail when people have their phone turned off.
And for some people/service-plans the financial aspect might play a role. Sometimes texting is free or much cheaper than calling

There is a time and place for texting instead of calling


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## jacob15728 (Jun 18, 2009)

I wonder if they texted like omg, u, lyk, 2, wat, or if they had to use correct English. My guess is the former.


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## JTW2007 (Jun 18, 2009)

pjk said:


> StefanPochmann said:
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You guys are cool.


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## PatrickJameson (Jun 18, 2009)

Why do all the texting competitions I see use qwerty? That's not even real texting.


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## DavidWoner (Jun 18, 2009)

fanwuq said:


> pjk said:
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You forgot to mention that its expensive unless you get a plan with at least 1000 texts a month.

I do agree that there is a time and place where texting is more convenient than calling, but I've never had to say anything so important that it couldn't wait until I could call.



jacob15728 said:


> I wonder if they texted like omg, u, lyk, 2, wat, or if they had to use correct English. My guess is the former.



You should reread the article.


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## Bryan (Jun 18, 2009)

For all of you that complain that cubing doesn't get the exposure that other things do, let me ask you:

What have you done to advance cubing?


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## Erik (Jun 18, 2009)

I complain too, but it is easy to say that people are just stupid to recognize cubing as they 'should'. Maybe WE should present it in a better, more accessible way, where we always put the emphasis on *Fun, Easy and Cool*. To try to counter the most regular opinion of *Lame, nerdy, too difficult and lifeless*.
Example: most FAQ's (maybe even including my own), has their questions asked like: _is there a downloadable standalone timer for on my computer or macbook?_ Instead of: _what program can I use on my computer to time solves?_ Makes the question more accessible and less complicatedly asked.
Although cubers like to show off their intelligence in general, instead we should try to show the ease, fun and coolness of it.
For example, I'm active in a chess club for 10 years already. The reason why most little kids start is because they think it is 'cool' and want to do what their friend (who is already at the club) does too. In chess particularly, the fun for the beginner or child is to win pieces, to capture and concur, and of course to win.

Bryans question is very fair, since probably almost none of you try really actively to show the cool/easy/fun side of cubing to others besides maybe your close friends. 
Personally I always try to take any possibility that brings cubing in the media although mostly I don't gain anything from that, which is also the reason I have my website and youtube. (well, nowadays I make a little bit money with youtube, but that's not the main reason)

Any thoughts/disagreements/suggestions?


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## Odin (Jun 18, 2009)

I cant belive some one would be proud of such an achievement.


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## EmersonHerrmann (Jun 18, 2009)

And that they would be happy to tears (then again, I would be crying if I won 50k ) But you are right, taking pride in that is just too much. I don't take pride in cubing, but it's more pride-worthy than texting.


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## SlaughterMelon (Jun 18, 2009)

fanwuq said:


> pjk said:
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I also prefer talking to people on the phone, but if you can't talk, or if you're just chit-chatting about random, unimportant stuff, texting is good.




> You forgot to mention that its expensive unless you get a plan with at least 1000 texts a month.


Really? Is it really that expensive? I've got Verizon, and for $10, I get ~500 texts to other networks, and unlimited to other Verizon customers.


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## qqwref (Jun 18, 2009)

I'm also one of those people who don't text... hell, I don't even use a cellphone unless I absolutely have to. To be honest I hate those things.

But if they're using a qwerty keyboard, isn't it just typing under the silly constraint of "your keyboard is really damn small so you have to use your thumbs"? Why don't we have a national invitation-only competition for solving keychain cubes then?


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jun 18, 2009)

Buggy793 said:


> @Bryan
> I'm pretty sure you mean promote cubing... Not advance... Fridrich made sure of that.
> 
> But seriously, a texting competition?



But seriously, a cubing competition.

I know we all love them. We go to them and enjoy them.

However, in another persons standpoint don't you think that *they* may think it's strange.

Be a little open minded when I tell you this.

You're just *SOLVING A PUZZLE*. You turn a toy until the pretty little stickers turn the same color. You spend hours memorizing algorithms just so that you can drop a few seconds.


If you weren't a person who ever experienced the joy of speedcubing and you read an article like this, don't you think that would seem strange. That some person out there takes the time to memorizing sequences to solve a little plastic twisty toy?


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## fanwuq (Jun 18, 2009)

aznmortalx said:


> But seriously, a cubing competition.



Funny thing is that many adult non-cubists tell me, "You know they have contests for these things, you should compete and you will probably win!"
I reply, "Yes, I went to a few before. Usually quite a few people are faster than me."

Erik and qqwref,

+1


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## Bryan (Jun 18, 2009)

Buggy793 said:


> @Bryan
> I'm pretty sure you mean promote cubing... Not advance... Fridrich made sure of that.



Promote and advance as synonyms. But I'll rephrase my question: What are you doing to grow the popularity of speedcubing?



aznmortalx said:


> However, in another persons standpoint don't you think that *they* may think it's strange.


Not as strange as cupstacking, text competition, or other "odd" sports. Being strange doesn't hold you back.



aznmortalx said:


> You're just *SOLVING A PUZZLE*. You turn a toy until the pretty little stickers turn the same color. You spend hours memorizing algorithms just so that you can drop a few seconds.



And baseball is a game where you just hit a ball with a stick and run, as opposed to golf, where you hit a ball with a stick and walk.


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## Dene (Jun 18, 2009)

Well, I guess I go in the (small) crowd of people that have a non-functioning phone (number expired after not using it for over a year).


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## Deleted member 2864 (Jun 18, 2009)

Dene said:


> Well, I guess I go in the (small) crowd of people that have a non-functioning phone (number expired after not using it for over a year).



you haven't used a phone for over a year??? wow... I don't call people nor text very much but... over one year?


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## ConnorCuber (Jun 18, 2009)

Bryan said:


> And baseball is a game where you just hit a ball with a stick and run, as opposed to golf, where you hit a ball with a stick and walk.



Don't forget Hockey, where you hit a piece of plastic with a stick and skate.


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## Daniel Wu (Jun 19, 2009)

ConnorCuber said:


> Bryan said:
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Plastic?


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## ConnorCuber (Jun 19, 2009)

rickcube said:


> ConnorCuber said:
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Rubber*


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## qqwref (Jun 19, 2009)

You could say that almost every sport sounds silly when distilled down to its essence by someone who doesn't understand its complexity. That hidden complexity is what makes people keep practicing a sport for years or decades. If cubing was just playing with a toy as fast as possible, nobody would do it; the fact that every scramble presents a new challenge and that both mental and physical skills are required to be fast are important factors that I think many non-cubers miss.


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## royzabeast (Jun 19, 2009)

Brian Le said:


> What is your opinion on the following article?
> 
> http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/06/17/iowa-teen-wins-text-messaging-championship/
> 
> Basically, this 15 year old girl won a texting tourney. And she won 50k. Just for messing up her thumbs for life. Hm...



Well, I posted a poll asking the community if people wanted cubing to be popular. If you consider"Wouldn't mind" and "love for it to be popular" as separate opinions, most people don't want it to be so recognized.

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?p=193676


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## gpt_kibutz (Jun 19, 2009)

royzabeast said:


> Brian Le said:
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> > What is your opinion on the following article?
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I'd prefer cubing not to become recognized, but my point here is that this "text mesaging" is way more stupid than cubing (according to some people, who say that cubing is indeed stupid). How come can it cathc people's attention more than other relevant activities?


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## royzabeast (Jun 19, 2009)

luisgepeto said:


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Well, texting is much more mainstream. Acutally, it's not really mainstream. It's becoming more like asking somebody if they have a house phone. Apposed to cubing, which is just a hobby, and not so much a necessity to socializing as texting is.


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## Stefan (Jun 21, 2009)

Odin said:


> I cant belive some one would be proud of such an achievement.


Beat them or shut up.


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## Novriil (Jun 21, 2009)

When being honest then I have read only the first page of this thread. So I'll comment that.

Cubing cannot be so popular in prequalification cause texting. I text a lot sometimes. And I think that most of the people who have mobiles text sometimes. That's a thing you don't have to learn for the comp. You can go to prequali. Without any special practise. But cubing... THINK A BIT! You can't go to rubik's comp without knowing how to solve it. Texting you don't have to learn so. It's pretty easy.

And yes Stefan.. I agree that it's a good thing not being so popular.

// heh  And don't forget soccer where you just have to hit the ball. Leaving out basketball (the best ) Where you just have to throw the ball around. And board games are totally useless


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## Odin (Jun 21, 2009)

StefanPochmann said:


> Odin said:
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Rofl. Why so aggressive ?


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