Puzzles Etc.

Khale_Kitha

1:00 PM

The ONLY people who can delete them are the ones reading the flags.

question_asker

@Deusovi yeah, fair enough.

Deusovi

no, other people can delete answers

well, they could before the rep jump

Khale_Kitha

Not anymore - it needs 3 votes

Deusovi

yeah, that's what i meant - i guess you meant deleting alone?

Gordon Allocman

I haven't flagging much at all on this site, but I think graduation had a pretty largely negative impact on the moderation of this site from what I can tell

Khale_Kitha

1:01 PM

Yeah

Deusovi

honestly i'm notthat much of a fan of the moderation in general

at least graduation will give us new mods

...eventually

question_asker

@Deusovi though, if we're being honest, I would probably decline that flag too - it might not be an answer to that question but I'd have such a hard time deleting that answer

Khale_Kitha

Maybe, heh

Deusovi

@q_a: "deleted" things are never deleted. you can still see them with enough rep, just grayed out

deleted comments are only visible to mods

question_asker

you know what I mean though

Deusovi

1:02 PM

and you can always see your own deleted stuff

question_asker

I couldn't in good conscience get rid of that answer.

Deusovi

i'd tell him to ask a question about general sudoku strategies and then self-answer

don't forget, that's a thing you can do

question_asker

that still seems weird to me

I know it's allowed, but feels so much like it shouldn't be

Deusovi

hell, i'd even give that answer a bounty if it was put on the right question

question_asker

I see much more innocuous stuff get accused of "rep farming"

Gordon Allocman

1:05 PM

Wait which answer are you discussing on that sudoku question?

Deusovi

imo it's not rep farming to post a long and detailed explanation, even if it was to your own question

the only one there

the accepted one

Gordon Allocman

Oh, there are two that I see.

I personally see nothing wrong with that answer

Deusovi

(whoops, my bad, there are three)

question_asker

@Deusovi I mean, if you did it 'honestly' it might not seem that way

Deusovi

it's a great answer, but it doesn't answer the question

Gordon Allocman

1:06 PM

The asker asked for strategies he could apply to that sudoku, and the answer gave strategies he could apply, though not all my apply to that specific sudoku

question_asker

but here, on puzzling, it seems like a shithead move to say "Here's a puzzle! Oops here's the answer, sorry, I get the rep for this, not any of you who hoped to solve it lol"

Khale_Kitha

7

A: What should be the subjects of our fortnightly topic challenges?

steganography From the tag wiki: "Hidden messages concealed in otherwise unsuspicious pictures, text, and/or audio". There's plenty of ways to hide messages within the raw data of images/audio, but I personally like variations of steganography where the information is hidden in seemingly innocu...

Rofl @ the comments on this (especially Alconja's last)

question_asker

I mean, that's demonstrably rep farming

Deusovi

yeah, i agree that you shouldn't self answer puzzles

but that question wouldn't be a puzzle

not all puzzling questions have to be puzzles

Gordon Allocman

I self answered my music puzzle because the only real answer on it was barely written as an answer and the user has given up, but I made it CW just for people to see what I had in mind when making it

question_asker

1:09 PM

lol OK so I just saw the "go north" answer

what.

Deusovi

my point on that other one was that it was a fantastic answer, just to the wrong question

Khale_Kitha

42!

Deusovi

yeah, the go north guy was trying to make a riddle but it doesn't work

Khale_Kitha

Yeah, that's about as much of a riddle as that Peanut Maze

....for lack of a better term.

question_asker

I mean

Deusovi

1:09 PM

peanut maze?

the one with all the Is?

Khale_Kitha

Yeah

question_asker

oh my god, I just realized what that stupid thing is actually saying

I was like, where is the riddle here

(spoiler alert: there isn't one.)

Khale_Kitha

Yeah, it's basically the comment that I made on the Peanut Maze turned into a riddle.

Deusovi

yeah, he's writing his own riddle and then answering it

KoA

I think a self-answer on a large puzzle is okay if you do it at the end and just use it to combine everyone else's efforts (+Community Wiki the answer)

Like puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/13303/…

Deusovi

1:10 PM

@koa agreed

question_asker

OK y'all. While I'm thinking about it, I want to know the answers to these:

21

Q: Sculptures in a park

You just moved to a new city, and your childhood friend, who happens to live nearby, has invited you for lunch. On your way, however, you get too engrossed in counting the fire hydrants and stray from the correct path. Before you know it, you end up in a strange park surrounded by all kinds of bi...

Khale_Kitha

74

Gordon Allocman

42

question_asker

9

Q: The inheritance of Mr. Jones

When I went to get the mail this morning, I noticed an official-looking letter in my mailbox. It said 'Quick 'n Quiet Notary Service' on the back, and it was addressed to me. Curious about the content I quickly opened the letter: Dear Mr. ..., We regret to inform you that Mr. Jones has passed a...

enigmatic-puzzles cipher

Khale_Kitha

27

KoA

1:11 PM

plastic bag

fate

fuuuuuck offfff

ROFL Gordon

hahaha

i love that plastic bag has become a meme here

Khale_Kitha

1:12 PM

/q_a_troll

:P

Gordon Allocman

I bet that was the last thing you expected

Khale_Kitha

Rofl, Gordon

question_asker

it's down below

Khale_Kitha

The best part is, that you have to know the joke to get that joke that you just stated :P

New Monty Python Skit: "No one expects....

.....Fate!!"

question_asker

oh and this one:

31

Q: Question the solution: a question

against ^ against | v--- this is + busbus + against | . gnra + >, , @ The solution to this rebus is a question. You do not have to answer it, just discover it. Good luck, and happy puzzling. Hints

rebus

Gordon Allocman

1:13 PM

The spanish inqui... fate

question_asker

orchestral sting

Gordon Allocman

I still want the answer to this one:

6

Q: Opposites can attract

rested my Head on me leg and heaved a sigh of Relief. Asked the guy a Question I Didn't Understand. climbed A Hill and saw a Battered Cowboy. Then, decided to take a dip in the Pool. I may not like cats very much, but I can't say this is any better: ___________ To what am I referring? Hint

riddle wordplay

Khale_Kitha

Wu330 on, right now - asking for hint.

question_asker

oh yeah

Khale_Kitha

That one we may not get an answer to

Gordon Allocman

1:15 PM

I need two more lines, and then how they fit together, assuming I am even on the right track so far

Khale_Kitha

I remember when this one originally came out

He implies (heavily) that the answer is a word-sequence-portmanteu

question_asker

I've thrown away too much rep on puzzles that still haven't been solved, so I don't want to set a bounty

especially now that I need like 18K rep to get back to where I was

Khale_Kitha

ikr

Gordon Allocman

It's kind of cool how when I first started I was pretty much at a loss but after a month or so on here I was able to make so potentially correct progress

So I can be pretty patient when it comes to waiting to find out an answer to a puzzle, but when it comes to people solving a puzzle I made, it is a lot harder to wait :P

Khale_Kitha

Hard to figure out where things went on it, though

Because of edits vs comments

Gordon Allocman

1:20 PM

on mine?

Khale_Kitha

Yeah, looking at history - looks like all comments are from before edits

You put a new idea for hint 3

...but then removed it

Gordon Allocman

Wait which question are you talking about?

question_asker

oh jeez I hadn't even read all of your answer yet

Khale_Kitha

Ah, moved to the top

The one you linked...

question_asker

I got a similar impression about that puzzle, @GordonAllocman, but couldn't make anything fit. Glad you made good progress on it.

Gordon Allocman

1:23 PM

oh I got confused, yeah the top is the most recent discoveries I made, the bottom is there since that was my original answer, I probably could have made a different answer to make it less confusing

Khale_Kitha

Ah - or just mark it with a divider

Because - yeah - had no idea it wasn't part of your current thoughts

Gordon Allocman

I just edited it, is that a little easier to understand now?

Khale_Kitha

Will be interested to see what you come up with, because I've got nothing further, yet, to help

A little, yeah

Gordon Allocman

If I ever actually get a complete answer I will make a new answer so it is much less confusing

Im currently stuck with (asked question, didn't understand) and (then, pool) but I don't think I am going to get them unless it just comes to me out of nowhere

Khale_Kitha

Yeah

lol, @manshu

What ELSE should we edit on this guys' puzzle?

:P

I feel bad editing people's puzzles.

manshu

1:31 PM

I love finding mistakes. :p

question_asker

oh god I want to solve this one but someone will beat me to it

Khale_Kitha

Which one/

Gordon Allocman

Anyone know why GentlePurpleRain goes on mass editing sprees where often all he changes is moving spaces from the end of lines to the start (as well as some other more reasonable changes)?

manshu

@GordonAllocman ask him

Gordon Allocman

Good point, I guess it's nice to clean up, but sometimes it will bury new posts with old solved puzzles

Khale_Kitha

1:32 PM

Oh right... has to scroll through chat

(Yes, I've seen that happen when Gamow went on a spree editing like 90 puzzles to add tags, etc)

nm, anyhow.

Gordon Allocman

Wow I definitely like f"'s answer to ghotiy over the accepted one. what kind of phrase is that?

Khale_Kitha

I...um...

wasn't aware that "Egg Timer" is a "common phrase"

manshu

@GordonAllocman silence is the best phrase

Gordon Allocman

It's a physical object, definitely not a phrase

Egg timer that is

question_asker

ok I'm annoyed with this puzzle

Khale_Kitha

1:39 PM

silence is a physical object, too, watch.

Hits manshu over the head with silence

question_asker

because some of the clues could be multiple things and there's no specifying condition

Khale_Kitha

Yeah, I avoided that one once I realized I needed to add the trivia tag. LoL

Though I would imagine...

the specifying condition is that it makes up the final word

assuming it is one word

question_asker

yeah but there's too much to choose from

Khale_Kitha

:(

which one?

manshu

@Khale_Kitha dead silence :(

Khale_Kitha

1:41 PM

Killing me softly.

Btw, make sure you guys vote on KoA's meta post, if you agree.

Gordon Allocman

which one?

Khale_Kitha

(q_a - I have the same issue with Gordon's question, hehe. Certainly makes it tougher =D)

the migration close reason

Also - I'm still working on yours Gordon..

But for now....

(Afk for a bit - feel awful)

question_asker

oh jeez

@KoA are you serious

KoA

Hmm what?

question_asker

haha just the fact that you and I posted partial answers at about the same time

with roughly the same clues figured out

KoA

1:47 PM

they're the easy ones ;)

question_asker

though I think your first one is right - I've never heard that song

KoA

How have you not heard Hello

When it came out it was on every station over and over again hahaha

Gordon Allocman

It goes like: "Hello, is it me you're looking for"

KoA

not quite xD

Safari was released in 2003, I don't think that's 2007

question_asker

there was a version released for windows that year

like I said, the clues are shoddy

Gordon Allocman

1:49 PM

this one youtube.com/watch?v=PUjvaMWKeBI

question_asker

no browser was "released" in the sense of being released for the first time in 2007

lots of countries are in the congo

KoA

It says "initially released"

question_asker

I know!

and there are none that actually fit that

KoA

"Economics __th"

question_asker

and "usually paired with feta" could be a lot of things

spinach, grape leaves, olives, etc.

onion, tomato, etc

but yeah I'm lost on what __th is

but apparently I'm close

(I upvoted your answer, I'm not a jerk)

Jonathan Allan

1:54 PM

@question_asker 11 cranberry

10 must be m

KoA

all g, I don't care about rep (except that it enables me to be more active in moderating type stuff)

question_asker

oh yeah

"economics math" is ... a term you don't hear much?

KoA

Economics Math?

Jonathan Allan

no

but what else makes any sense?

question_asker

I mean... do you hear that much?

KoA

1:55 PM

"Economical math" "math of the economy" "mathematical economics"

"commerce"

question_asker

yeah I don't doubt it's the intended answer, I just wasn't thinking in that direction

Jonathan Allan

economics' math ? ?

@question_asker 10 Lombardy, Italy

question_asker

or Como, or Campagnia

also, cranberry could be peaches

Jonathan Allan

picked the one nearest the Alps :)

I heard about a lot of the world's cranberries coming from the States, but not peaches :)

question_asker

@KoA I hope I didn't come off as snaking your answer there

Gordon Allocman

2:01 PM

I don't know how I feel about that question...

question_asker

@JonathanAllan eh, fair enough. Georgia (the US state, not the country) is known for peaches.

Deusovi

yeah, that's not really a puzzle?

KoA

@question_asker bruh we answered at like a 10 second difference don't worry about it :p

great minds think alike?

Gordon Allocman

It's barely a puzzle if anything, since all the clues are simply trivia and he explicitly tells you what to do with each answer

Deusovi

it's just "follow directions", not a puzzle

following directions can be a puzzle (eg the duck konundrum from the MIT Mystery Hunt) but here it isn't

Jonathan Allan

2:03 PM

it's an easy puzzle if it is a puzzle :)

Gordon Allocman

I think it might have been reasonable if he made his clues a little trickier but still not too broad

question_asker

yeah

Deusovi

yeah

KoA

And maybe not specify what letter is what, so you had to anagram it at the end?

Deusovi

maybe crossword style clues?

Jonathan Allan

2:04 PM

yes I was about to say that

Gordon Allocman

This is a good example of the line between simple trivia and a puzzle. Some small changes may have made it a great puzzle, but alas

question_asker

yeah I was thinking like, first, fix the damn clues

don't say "capital of country in second largest rainforest" when there's like five

but then find a way to "build a path" through the answers that gives you the letters

KoA

All puzzle makers have to start somewhere :)

It wasn't a great puzzle, but it wasn't a plastic bag either

question_asker

true

Deusovi

he could've at least made it more than random trivia

like have a category or something

KoA

2:08 PM

I'm working on my puzzle and like

Do you ever have something you need to be the solution to a clue but you have no idea how to write a clue that's good for it?

Gordon Allocman

Pretty much every time I make a riddle

question_asker

heh

Deusovi

yep! i'm working on a fairly big one and i'm running into that problem a lot

question_asker

puzzling.stackexchange.com/a/32405/17250 oh my god if this answer is right I'm going to be real mad at myself

Deusovi

that can't be right

KoA

2:11 PM

my clues for this one are either way too obvious or way too hard there just doesn't seem to be an in-between #struggle

question_asker

all I know is that picture frames (or, secondarily, house remodeling of some kind) was literally my first thought

though it does rely on outside information

what I wouldn't give for a search engine where I could be like "whats the song thats like 'b-dum dun duhh, b-dum duh duhh, b-dum duh dahh, b-dum duh dahh,' and then just keeps getting faster"

KoA

Just make a digital version of me

question_asker

ok whats the song then smartguy

KoA

Gavotte by Gossec

:p

but legit is that a job because I'd so want to do it

A website where people send in short voice recordings of bits of songs and then they identify the song for you

wow 1555 rep how magical

Jonathan Allan

2:40 PM