ROM/Auto ID Quiz FINISHED!

[Harry P.]

Well, it's been a long run for Real or Model and Auto ID Quiz… years, in fact. I hope that ROM and/or Auto ID gave some of you some fun over the years, but the time has come for me to call it a day… and here's why:

For a long time, I've suspected that some of you (quite a few of you, actually) weren't playing the game, you were cheating. Let me explain.

The point of ROM was to try to determine if the car was real or a model by looking for clues in the photo… the relative size of the texture of the ground compared to the car, whether certain details were there or not, the overall realism, etc. The point was to look at the photo and try to see the clues in the photo that helped you decide whether the car was real or a model.

Likewise, the point of Auto ID was to find design cues or styling touches that maybe tipped you off as to the make of the car… then try to find your guess online and see if you were right. Again, looking at the photo and using the clues to help you ID the car.

But quite a few of you were simply taking the image and doing a google photo search, and letting google find the photo online for you–and obviously once google found the photo online, you knew the answer immediately. There was no work involved, no challenge… you didn't "play the game" the way it was intended, you just let google find the answer for you.

I don't understand why those of you who played the games that way even bothered. I mean, anyone can do a photo search and get the answer immediately. So why even bother sending me an answer (or voting if the game was ROM)? What's the point? It's like taking a test when you have the answer sheet! There's no point in taking a test if the answers are given to you.

I'm not mad at anyone… you can play the game however you want. I just don't get why anyone would bother in the first place, if all you were doing was a photo search and letting google find the answer for you.

For those of you who played the games the way they were intended, and I know that some of you did… sorry to end them. But I no longer get any fun out of searching for the cars every week and posting a new quiz when so many of you are just letting google find the answer for you. If you aren't going to play the game the way it was intended, I see no point in putting in the effort to continue the game.

If anyone wants to "claim" ROM or Auto ID, be my guest. Have at it. But I'm telling you, there's no fun in putting up a new game every week when the people w

[GeeBee]

It's a shame some members have to spoil it for the rest of us .....

[Harry P.]

It's a shame some members have to spoil it for the rest of us .....

Don't blame them. They didn't affect your enjoyment of the game, right?

The real problem is me. I just have lost the motivation to put together a new game every week, knowing that so many people weren't playing the game the right way and were letting google find the answer for them. That just takes away my motivation to keep on doing this. Maybe someone else will take over and keep things going. I officially "give" ROM and Auto ID Quiz to anyone who wants to take them over.

Just one warning: After doing this for so many years, it was getting really hard to find good ROM subjects anymore.

[maltsr]

Thanks for hosting these Harry, I for one really (or modelly) enjoyed them .

[Harry P.]

Thanks for hosting these Harry, I for one really (or modelly) enjoyed them .

I see what you did there...

But hey... it had a good run. I wasn't going to keep on doing it forever.

[Dominik]

sorry to hear that Harry, but i understand your Position.

for me, to find the cars on Auto ID (or ROM), i never used Google to make a photo search. it is a fun game and your Auto ID are really hard nuts. i tryed the way too google for the cars i think, what manufactor it is. hard to find...and happy, when i have a matching car.

cheating is for beginners or someone, who cant "loose" a game....or didn't understood the game. its a game and no challange who has the answer first.

[mikemodeler]

Thanks for the years of enjoyment Harry. I was one of the ones who searched the old fashioned (meaning the way you intended) way to find the answers. You are right, part of the fun was learning about many different types of vehicles along the way.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Thanks Harry. Always enjoyed searching by using search terms from observing the photo. Examole 1930 european pickup. Then I would go through the search results images looking for the car in question. Also foundsome neat cars doing it that way.

[dw1603]

Hi Harry

I guessed that it must be a bit of a trial finding new subjects every week. Well I really enjoyed it while it lasted and spent absolute hours on fascinating (and frequently frustrating) research. Some times I recognised it straight off, other times there were enough clues to point me in the right direction, occasionally I just got lucky, but I never resorted to photo search.  Thank you for a lot of fun and mental exercise, I will miss the weekly challenge.

Dave

[Jantrix]

Admittedly I had to use Google for the auto ID quiz. I just don't know enough about non-domestic cars to even hazard a guess in most times, but I never used in for RoM.

Thanks for doing it as long as you did Harry. I enjoyed them.

[sjordan2]

Admittedly I had to use Google for the auto ID quiz. I just don't know enough about non-domestic cars to even hazard a guess in most times, but I never used in for RoM.

Thanks for doing it as long as you did Harry. I enjoyed them.

That has been my procedure.  The search on Auto ID was part of the fun, but ROM should involve deduction, not Google.

[W-409]

It's sad to hear these games are ending. They've been a great fun even if I haven't been playing them every week lately (Been a bit busy). I understand though that it's no fun to host the game when some of the players are cheating. I can't understand either why someone would do that. In Auto ID Quiz I think searching different car makes/models from Google is the fun part (Especially if I can figure out what car it is!) and in Real Or Model it's fun to guess from the details and car's overall look which one it is.

Actually it was new news for me that you can do a picture search in Google... Had to try it and looks like it works sometimes. But yep, it's a no brainer to do it in the game... Even if you got the credit by cheating that way, what is the fun part in it?

Well, usually I didn't figure out what car it is in Auto ID Quiz (And to be honest my guesses in ROM didn't go much better either ) but I always had fun playing the games. Hopefully someone will continue this anyway.

Thanks to Harry for hosting these!

[peteski]

Harry, why not employ a simple solution to the Google search problem and continue with this fun quiz?  Once you find a photo simply rename the image using some generic name like Photo01.jpg and then use that photo in the quiz.  That eliminates any possibility of searching for file name.

[The Creative Explorer]

It is not the filename, you can googlesearch with the image itself and find similar images.

 

Too bad Harry, I am sorry it had to go this way, I know you've been dealing for quite some time.

 

That being said;  I do hate to see it to go, I wouldn't mind to take over.

Edited December 7, 2015 by The Creative Explorer

[otherunicorn]

Harry, why not employ a simple solution to the Google search problem and continue with this fun quiz?  Once you find a photo simply rename the image using some generic name like Photo01.jpg and then use that photo in the quiz.  That eliminates any possibility of searching for file name.

It is virtually impossible to modify a photo in a way that google can't find it. Cropping it, flipping it, etc, all have no effect. Their AI search engine is that powerful.

 

Harry - not as ready to take it back on as you thought?

[peteski]

How do you search Google using a jpg image as the search pattern?  I never heard of that.

 

EDIT: nevermind I just figured it out.  Yeah, I can see how this makes cheating easy!   We sure live in amazing times!

Edited December 8, 2015 by peteski

[Speedfreak]

How do you search Google using a jpg image as the search pattern?  I never heard of that.

 

EDIT: nevermind I just figured it out.  Yeah, I can see how this makes cheating easy!   We sure live in amazing times!

I'm not so sure they are truely amazing, there is no magic. Great game, thanks Harry. Think of something to replace it! 

[peteski]

I'm not so sure they are truely amazing, there is no magic. Great game, thanks Harry. Think of something to replace it! 

I know there is no magic. I'm amazed at the vast amount of information that is out there on the Interwebz, and the computing power (Google) at our fingertips, which allows us to instantly search all that information.

[dimaxion]

Harry ;

      As always I thank you . I've felt bad (?)as I felt I was ":cheating" delving into my Library for the Correct Model Name or MY . I am unaware you were referring to using an online search or this was / is possible . When I did use these references I have , I let you know where .  If you had not listed me as a 'wienner' I would take my loss as my own fault . You never did complain nor ignore me as one member getting it right . That is I'm referring to the few times I got Car ID correct .. lol .. 

       So once again Sir I must thank you for exercising my faulty memory . I do appreciate your efforts and Challenges you put forth . Someone pick up the torch please ?     Thanx ..

[otherunicorn]

Harry ;

      As always I thank you . I've felt bad (?)as I felt I was ":cheating" delving into my Library for the Correct Model Name or MY . I am unaware you were referring to using an online search or this was / is possible . When I did use these references I have , I let you know where .  If you had not listed me as a 'wienner' I would take my loss as my own fault . You never did complain nor ignore me as one member getting it right . That is I'm referring to the few times I got Car ID correct .. lol .. 

       So once again Sir I must thank you for exercising my faulty memory . I do appreciate your efforts and Challenges you put forth . Someone pick up the torch please ?     Thanx ..

If you already had the answer, or had a valid way of getting it from your own library, that is not cheating. The only issue was with those that did a reverse image search using google (or similar).

[dimaxion]

Yes , I understand this NOW .. lol .. dazed and Confused .. my World . Welcome to it  .. lol .. I'm still unable to Reverse Image ..  Thanx ..