"Build Your Brand" - May 8, 2020

[MajordomoTom]

so, while I'm firmly on the boat on this one, after the deadline, if someone could post in the nudges thread a few nudges in the <spoiler> tags, in increasing "usefulness", that would be appreciated.

I don't want the full reveal, I like a bit of teasing first.

I did that, since there were so many nudge requests on this one, but it got deleted.

"...after the deadline..." being a key component of the request.

yes, explicitly after the deadline. Then the dance of the rabbit veils may commence.

[BrianMac]

My $0.02 — I’d be in favor of a return to a strict no nudges asked or given policy.

Everyone can wait til the official deadline, and learn just as much about meta solving strategies afterwards as beforehand.

Honest question: Was there ever really a policy of not asking for or giving hints, or is it just that the old board did not have private message functionality?

Anyway, I'm not sure how such a policy could be enforced, or what any advantage of it would be.

[BrianMac]

1A - e.g. , also frequently found under bridges

Seriously. 13 posts and 10 of them are just complaints about the forum.

[TPS]

Anyway, I'm not sure how such a policy could be enforced, or what any advantage of it would be.

I would say less than 25% of people have a problem w/ hints (and other aspects of the forum). If the rules changed my guess is someone would just create another forum (maybe one like this or maybe on twitter or reddit) and then a large % of the people who don’t have a problem with it would simply go there - so it wouldn’t really solve the issue they are complaining about. So if they don’t like it perhaps since they are in the minority they should just create their own forums here they control the rules.

I would point out the most vocal person about it - rarely posts and when they do their post is to complain about that one thing - which begs the question - what are they even here for? It also begs the question - what has gone so incredibly wrong in your life that you troll a message board devoted to discussing a free crossword puzzle contest?

[boharr]

Anyway, I'm not sure how such a policy could be enforced, or what any advantage of it would be.

I would say less than 25% of people have a problem w/ hints (and other aspects of the forum). If the rules changed my guess is someone would just create another forum (maybe one like this or maybe on twitter or reddit) and then a large % of the people who don’t have a problem with it would simply go there - so it wouldn’t really solve the issue they are complaining about. So if they don’t like it perhaps since they are in the minority they should just create their own forums here they control the rules.

I would point out the most vocal person about it - rarely posts and when they do their post is to complain about that one thing - which begs the question - what are they even here for? It also begs the question - what has gone so incredibly wrong in your life that you troll a message board devoted to discussing a free crossword puzzle contest?

Very well said. I totally agree.

[debbierudy]

Settled on the ship, sipping leftover prosecco from brunch with sliced strawberries - not bad! Tomorrow I'll see if self-congratulation is in order ("You never would had seen this so it's great that you quit when you did!") or Muggle regret for not pressing on.

[higgysue]

I had a Guinness today to see if I could do what Al does. It didn’t take.

[Geoduck]

Well, I solved the grid on Friday evening and didn't see the meta immediately, Just got back to it now and still don't see anything.

It's a good thing I've never been prone to seasickness.

[SusieG]

I don’t have a strong opinion on the nudges. When I first started doing the “Puzzle Contest” it drove me crazy if I didn’t figure it out by the deadline. I asked for a nudge a few weeks ago and it just made me feel like a cheater, even though it was a very gentle nudge. So I won’t ask again. It’s just not fun for me unless I do it alone, but I understand others may just want an answer ASAP. The forum is a fun group, and I’m always amazed at quickly (and consistently) some of you finish the grid and solve the meta.

[DBMiller]

Can we go back to alcohol, travel, music or food?

So I was on a cruise, having a drink with dinner, listening to the band - When this guy sits down next to me and asks me,

"Does your wife go? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Wink wink, nudge nudge?"

[ky-mike]

A first time solver, not even a "muggle" could submit one puzzle and win the mug. Someone who plays all the time might never win one, or might have two or three.

Funny story. A few years ago, my youngest daughter was home from college for the weekend. I can't even remember how much, if any, she contributed to solving the puzzle that weekend. The only time she has ever submitted, she won the mug. I kept it (of course).

Now, back to your regular programming.

[oldjudge]

One of first submissions in late-2017 won a mug (a plain WSJ mug, although it did come with a card that said that I had achieved something only marginally less significant than finding a cure for cancer). I thought this would become a regular thing, lol.

[tim1217]

Can we go back to alcohol, travel, music or food?

So I was on a cruise, having a drink with dinner, listening to the band - When this guy sits down next to me and asks me,

"Does your wife go? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Wink wink, nudge nudge?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLRZ0dI ... e=emb_logo

[EdStrong]

Finally seeing the light. Mr Gaffney - wow, very impressive. Through the massive first hurdle, hoping step 2 is significantly easier...

[Omnibus]

Easy solve, but a tough meta. Finally got it after a beer helped my mind relax. Thanks, Isaac!

[bhamren]

About a month ago I asked for a nudge on week 3 MGWCC. I got the nudge and did again for week 4 and got that. These are the first time I have ever asked for help (outside of asking my son who is more into number puzzles rather than work ones).

For the WSJ puzzle I have never asked for one, even though I am hopelessly at sea on this one. For some reason, I don't care as much on the WSJ puzzles. Maybe it is because I already have a mug?!?!?

For the MGWCC there are streaks involved and for the WSJ there are not. Even though I have missed only one WSJ puzzle this year and I have missed 2 MGWCC this year, it doesn't seem as important for me ask for a nudge for the WSJ one. Not really sure why.

Like I posted last week, there is more luck involved in getting the WSJ mug. There were over 1000 correct answers when I got mine, and that was when 1000 correct answers were rare (even though I would guess under 400 correct this week.

I lived in Winnipeg for 6.5 years and won a bunch of radio call in prizes. And I was second place for a 28 foot above ground pool. I won some cookware that we still use when only 100 people entered.

[MarkL]

At this point, I think a 140 character limit might help.

[howardl]

Has anyone else had this experience?

Last week, I submitted the answer Richard II then I noticed that I could make one more checker jump to a more famous king Richard III. So I went back to page and hit the submit button again, and I submitted that new answer. (At least this is what I thought happened.)

This week, I submitted what I am sure is the right answer (too early to say it); then later, unsure if I had submitted, I hit the submit button again, and got no response.

So I'm wondering if there is a built in "checker" that allows one to resubmit once one has submitted a wrong answer, but that does not allow one to resubmit if one has submitted the correct answer. I'm pretty sure I read some time ago that all submissions were read by a person (so capitalization, etc wouldn't matter). Which would argue against a "built in checker". Unless the person reading has a "reset" for wrong submissions.

I guess occam's razor is that I failed to submit my first Richard II, or that I had a keyboard glitch this week when I tried to submit a second time.

But a built in checker like this would allow one to verify his answer by trying to resubmit -- if you can resubmit your answer was wrong; if you can't resubmit your answer is right.

[camandsampowercouple]

anyone else out here trying to grind this out in the last few hours?

[Geoduck]

anyone else out here trying to grind this out in the last few hours?

Yep. Me. But I'm about to hang it up, mix me up a nice black hole, and go watch a movie.