"Build Your Brand" - May 8, 2020

[JoeS]

Yes. But at this point, you are right. It is more grind than energy, creativity, and passion. I have asked for help.

[camandsampowercouple]

I got a nudge last week and it ruined the feeling when i finally did solve it so I'm committed to figuring this one out. I feel like I'm still at step 0 or maybe step .5 after 4 days so idk there has to be SOMETHING thats going to jar loose and its all going to fall into place....i can taste it

[BethA]

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.

On the WSJ blog, it was a policy not to post spoilers, and that was pretty well enforced.

It was a general or commonly-accepted practice not to ask for nudges. That was my observation for the past 4+ years. It seemed to get out of hand recently.

Still my $0.02. Not trying to create more work for you!

[michaelm]

Staying at the bar.
Thanks Isaac for the virtual tab.
Suitably humbled but fascinated by twists and turns in the nudge debate saga.
Congratulation and good luck to all solvers.

[Bob cruise director]

Our final count is 73 on the ship and 65 on the shore.

[Rad26]

I give up. Way too much time invested. At least I got MGWCC Week 2. Stay safe.

[LadyBird]

On shore. I like everyone's bird avatars so I added one of my own.

Your avatar looks like it could have my avatar for lunch! Or as a snack with your cocktail of choice.

[boharr]

On the WSJ blog, it was a policy not to post spoilers, and that was pretty well enforced.

Wait. Has anyone ever advocated that spoilers be posted to this forum?

In my limited experience, spoilers or near-spoilers are quickly taken down.

[Colin]

Our final count is 73 on the ship and 65 on the shore.

Thank you Bob... no solution for me but at least I am in the majority for a change! My wife just gave me a nudge (sorry) and told me to put down the crossword or she will have a cross word for me!
Good night all.

[jimbo1]

On shore.
With help.
Not apologizing since the path I got stuck was, in the end, the right one.
Very much a fun one !

[DrTom]

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

Well they do say a wink is as good as a nudge? Though of course I am sure that anyone who wanted a nudge would have been less enamored of a wink.

[DrTom]

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.

Wow, I'm right??? That happens even less often than me being one of those who has solved the hard puzzles. Damn, I need to buy a lottery ticket!

[DrTom]

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.

Heck as often as you solve the META, and as helpful as you can be, I'm surprised it is NOT a regular thing. Funny thing about being regular though, sometimes that means once a day, sometimes that means once a week. However, if we are following MY regular that would be never, and that is just going to leave you bloated (and would correspond with what many people say about me!)

[DrTom]

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

Oh, I think we have exceeded more than 140 of us long ago! Hopefully we will be offset by "non-characters"

[DrTom]

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.

I think that un-ringing that bell is not an option. Heck why not give nudges, perhaps, if we want to limit them at all, we can do a "not before Noon (or later) Sunday. Makes people try as many things as they can but still relieves that "darn I'm stupid, why can't I see what is there" feeling

[EdStrong]

Count me ashore, nudge-free.

[JeanneC]

Sent an answer (not the right one, I’m sure) by paper airplane to shore. Sent it because I had a feeling about it. It just looked right to me. However, to quote a line from the movie “Now Voyager”: “I am awash in shame”.

I hereby promise to have as much fun as I have this weekend but hopefully with the correct answer in future endeavors.

[spotter]

I tried and tried and tried. Just not happening this week. I can’t get away from a couple ideas and they’re just not leading me anywhere. One being to “Part The Waters” and walk to shore. I’m anxiously waiting for the big reveal in 33 minutes

[camandsampowercouple]

Right there with you excited for the reveal

[Inca]

I completely agree that there should be absolutely no public discussion of thought processes or answers before the deadline. That having been said, I made a beeline for the alleged hint and was sorry/not sorry to discover that it had been deleted. Yes, I am STILL AT SEA and have called in the cavalry (to mix a metaphor): my nephew AND my significant other!
Speaking of WWII and VE Day, I watched a production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" done via Zoom by the Park Square Theatre in Minneapolis. It's brilliant and moving and offers much-needed perspective on the inconvenience we are "suffering." It's free through May 15. Thank you to the WSJ theater critic, Terry Teachout, for the heads up!

I know just what you mean, Wendy, about being sorry/not sorry the hint was deleted.

Just to weigh in on the whole nudge/no nudge discussion:

For myself, I do not ask for any help. Even among family members, we each like to solve on our own (No one in my household does the meta. I'm talking extended family).

Having said that, it drives me crazy on a week like this when I don't see it. I'd love to just drop it (I actually didn't have much time to keep staring at it this week) but then I keep thinking maybe I could get it and should keep looking. So that is a form of torture and I can totally understand if someone feels the need to end it by getting a nudge from someone. And it totally does not bother me at all if they do that.

And please, please don't tell me that you don't like it because they will submit and may happen to win the mug..... THAT worries you????

I bless you that you may never have worries greater than that one (although I suspect that if this is important to you, you are probably critical of many other very important things in your life).

I say live and let live. Mine is not the job to tell other people what they should be doing--I tried to do that with my kids (where it was my job) and hope I did a good job of it. I'm not taking on the world...or even just all the people on this board.

And by the way, I see lots of references in the posts of people working on the puzzle as a group/family/friends/whatever. I totally get that; it must be fun...and that's what this should be about. But for those disturbed by nudges, what is the difference between working with family or getting nudges from friends because we may not have family?

I'm done....for now