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It's a pet belief of mine that Guinness World Records are a 'scam'. The big sporting records, like fastest 100 m sprint, are actually tracked by the sports bodi
by 2zcon 7y ago
It's a pet belief of mine that Guinness World Records are a 'scam'. The big sporting records, like fastest 100 m sprint, are actually tracked by the sports bodies. What say they have in the matter is its own debate (e.g. there's no record for the 150 m, because the IAAF don't sanction a 150 m race, but there was a famous unsanctioned race between winners of the 100 m and 200 m races), particularly in sports with multiple federations or codes, but at least they sometimes have international government funding from which to derive some kind of authority.
GWR have nothing but a tacky book, yet we've all been sucked into this notion that it's not an official world record unless they say it is. And what they accept as a record is subject to strict guidelines (i.e. what they're willing to put in a child's Christmas stocking) and dubious rulesets. There are even unbreakable 'first xyz' records and geographically limited 'world' records.
- JoeAltmaier 7y agoIts an entertainment book to have in a bar to settle bets. If you have something more convenient/as cheap, let us all know!
- 2zcon 7y agoI find pulling up Wikipedia easier than carrying the book, albeit not when it references the book!
- fortran77 7y agoAlso, you can quickly edit it so you win your bet.
- dfxm12 7y agoI've never been to a bar that actually had the book. Is this a regional thing?
- stronglikedan 7y agoHave you made a bet in a bar that the book could have settled? Maybe they only pull it out when needed, instead of keeping it on display.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- Cthulhu_ 7y agoIt's entertainment, an annual coffee table book where you can raise your eyebrow and have a good chuckle about. For competitors it's the challenge to come up with something silly to add as a new category as well. And in a lot of the categories it's a huge fundraising / charity event, or a media event for e.g. a baking community to create the world's biggest cake. Of course some corporations also try to get in on it but I think that's with limited success. I mean at the moment I could probably compete in "world's worst PHP codebase", but there's probably a lot worse out there.
- zython 7y agoGWR has recently shifted its business to consulting companies countries and other entities with image problems. They hand out records to them and make a show and everything, as to "record-wash" their image. You're damn right GWR is a scam
- GuB-42 7y agoFrom Wikipedia > On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. After missing a shot at a golden plover, he became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the red grouse – it is the plover. That evening at Castlebridge House, he realised that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird. Beaver knew that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in pubs throughout Ireland and abroad, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realized then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove successful. Yes, the Guinness of world record is the same Guinness as the beer, and it is meant to be used in the same context: in a pub, having a good time with friends.