Personally? I think the application is simply too long. So I voted for the questions that I believe don't really tell me a whole lot about the applicant. Sure, it's fun to have questions where the applicants can be creative (for example, create your own spell/character and such), but to me, that doesn't help determine what house someone is in. Nor do the favorite/least favorite HP book questions. Also agree that the "what house don't you belong in?" question should go.
Preferably, I'd like to see the app trimmed down a bit, to about 10-15 questions.
I agree with originalbatgirl above about the "what house do you feel you don't belong in" question, for the reason stated there (and I haven't even been here that long and have seen trouble because of these questions), and when I was filling out the app I rather thought that was for the sorters to decide. I could say the same thing for the "Name three reasons why you would like to be sorted into each House" question, too. They are difficult to fill out if one has trouble identifying with a particular house for that matter. I think it's an interesting question to discuss in general but I wouldn't say it's working too well for the purpose of sorting. I think removing these things would unbias the app somewhat, because the houses in the books don't get equal focus and get kind of easy to become stereotyped if people don't really think beyond these stereotypes. If people have trouble accepting the house they're sorted into for whatever reason, that's what the appeals community is for (hopefully at least after TRYING OUT their house
( ... )
The first question on the app has been driving me nuts lately. "Oh. Yes. Another person who would like to be an auror. How lovely...and ever so creative, too
( ... )
And, at last, the "grade-your-own subjects" question. There aren't really house traits tied in with that anyway...you don't have to be a Slytherin to excel at Potions, you don't have to be a Ravenclaw to be good at Charms. It doesn't help.
Yes! I agree. I remember an application where one of the voters said something like 'I was going to vote you into -----, but because you said you said you wouldn't have a great academic record, I'll put you in Hufflepuff.'
Questions like that simply encourage the stereotypes that Ravenclaw equals SuperAcademic and Hufflepuffs are either unintelligent or unacademic. It irritates me.
I'm surprised to see that so many people want to get rid of the "make your own spell" question! That's one of my favorites. In other news, I think that the OWL question is really unnecessary; it tells me nothing about the applicant. Same with "write yourself into a book", it just tells me what sort of Mary Sue the applicant would want to be..
I enjoy reading the new app better than the old one because of the questions that require a bit of crativity. After all, we're all part of a community that is purely imaginative so to me that's the most important thing to express (yes, I'm old fashioned. I'm also OLD ;-) ) When someone is a decent writer their personality comes out when they answer those questions. Yes, the "I want to be an auror" gets a bit old, but every once in awhile something new pops up. I like the questions that kind of put the applicant in the frame of mind of living in the world (or our evolving version of the world).
Those OWL question is a bit less pointless IMHO, unless the person can tie it back to another question. I don't mind the Mary Sue question because it requires some amount of thinking to answer.
I guess my point is I like the general feel of this app, but it is too long. I only have one question that I'd like to dump, though. Good luck to those of you who are more involved with it!
Comments 23
Preferably, I'd like to see the app trimmed down a bit, to about 10-15 questions.
spidez / Ravenclaw
Reply
We decided it was just too long, especially when we saw that the queue is EMPTY.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Yes! I agree. I remember an application where one of the voters said something like 'I was going to vote you into -----, but because you said you said you wouldn't have a great academic record, I'll put you in Hufflepuff.'
Questions like that simply encourage the stereotypes that Ravenclaw equals SuperAcademic and Hufflepuffs are either unintelligent or unacademic. It irritates me.
Alice//Hufflepuff
Reply
Meidi | Ravenclaw
Reply
Those OWL question is a bit less pointless IMHO, unless the person can tie it back to another question. I don't mind the Mary Sue question because it requires some amount of thinking to answer.
I guess my point is I like the general feel of this app, but it is too long. I only have one question that I'd like to dump, though. Good luck to those of you who are more involved with it!
Reply
Leave a comment