What is the world coming to when the humble game of pub trivia is being compromised by new-fangled technology?
Wayne Shapiro, owner of Sydney's Trivia Madness says "cheating at trivia nights is the bane of my existence". With many phones capable of logging onto the Internet, finding answers can be a few simple phone taps away.
Many pubs and clubs offer prizes such as drink vouchers or free meals, yet that seems incentive enough for some people to cheat their way to winning.
Shapiro says that it's a double-edged sword. "People are naturally competitive, which is why I have a job," he says. "And people will try anything to win, whether it be technology or just asking someone on a different team."
The problem with cheating, he says, is that you can't really stop it. "Unless you catch the person literally red handed, there's nothing I can do," he says.
When asked if people cheating annoyed him, Shapiro said that "was an understatement"
Angus, 23, of Neutral Bay goes to a local trivia night each week and says that it doesn't bother him if people cheat.
"It's just trivia, [I] don't take it too seriously. Those people [who cheat] don't win anyway; they're clearly not very smart."
A recent poll of the
FHM office found one person who admitted cheating at pub trivia, and one who did admit to cheating at a baby shower. Another staffer said that he would be prepared to cheat. "You've done nothing wrong unless you get caught," our colleague rationalised.
Would you cheat at trivia? Would you dob someone in for cheating? Should there be a no phone policy at trivia nights? Is this all just blowing it out of proportion? Want more technology stuff?