The Sphinx's Lair

Highlights the new user experience catch 22 nicely. No rep, so can't comment, which naturally pushes them towards doing the wrong thing, where they get "punished" for it... so much for falling into the pit of success.

(and that comment is entirely pointing out the issues with the UI design, not with the community or their reaction. Though thanks, rand, for trying to reach out and explain things)

I suspect a lot of how someone fares on SE - probably more than should - depends on their first post.

Which is why it's often useful to lurk for a while and get the feel of the site before starting to post.

Totally agree. I have the benefit of having been on the platform from way back in the pre-SE, SO only days. But from personal experience, my early works on PSE were pretty mediocre, and if they had've got a few downvotes instead of a few upvotes, I may have just walked away again.

But who am I telling :-) You were here (PSE) for months before posting your first question.

Heh. Yeah, agree with the lurking aspect, but not everyone is as patient (lazy? slow?) as me

12:26 AM

... which apparently I downvoted?

shock, horror

:D you bastard

(though I would possibly downvote them myself if I saw them posted by someone else now)

I have been tempted to delete them (though I suppose I actually can't since they're upvoted/answered), but in a way they remind me, that there's always room for improvement

Hmm. Having read it again, I'd probably upvote it if it was posted today (by anyone, not just you). I think my objection to it was more based on a dislike of the type of question - based on phone lock patterns - than the quality of the puzzle. But it doesn't actually require any knowledge of smartphones, as far as I can tell, since you explain all the rules at the start.

Aaaaand I see a small wording mistake in the question, which if edited would unlock my vote, although probably not your phone ;-)

But then you'd have to bump a question that doesn't deserve another turn in the limelight.

I can just imagine someone only familiar with my more recent efforts seeing it at the top of the front page and thinking, "ooh new Alconja puzzle"... before the supreme disappointment sets in. :)

From the front page they could tell that it has an accepted answer more easily than that it's yours.

Just voted to delete this weird question.

Oh, apparently I didn't need to edit in order to reverse my vote! Guess I must have seen that question pretty quickly.

12:42 AM

@Randal'Thor But, my 90 rep! (jk, vtd too, clearly abandoned long ago, with no chance of a clean resolution)

@Alconja I think you don't lose the rep if the post is >60 days old when it's deleted?

Oh.. Maybe you're right. Not really a circumstance that comes up that much. Guess I'll find out for sure soon enough.

Q: Little Red Solving Hood goes one-stop swapping

1:59 AM

1

Moral of the story: Two stored values may be swapped arithmetically with 4 or fewer variable references. Puzzle of the story: Can you exemplify the moral? (With 10 or fewer symbols in all.) The story: Once upon a puzzle there was a dear little user— affectionately called Litt...

3:45 AM

I don't suppose anyone knows offhand if posting a bounty when you're at rep-cap lets you gain rep again?

5:01 AM

hey deus

question for you - is there any good way to make "Stroke cat or dog! (3)" a valid &lit?

Deusovi

6:47 AM

@Rubio No idea what you're going for there.

7:10 AM

Oh. It's meant to give "pet"

Q: Treasure of the fancy island

7:49 AM

0

The colored rectangle below is the map of a fancy island. There is a treasure hidden there, but instead of the usual X on the map to depict the location of the treasure you have the following clues instead: 1. The square of the treasure does not have a yellow neighbor. 2. The square of the trea...

logical-deduction grid-deduction

Q: Came up with this in the bar room meeting

8:23 AM

0

Each clue has an associated word, use the associated words to give you the final answer. Clue #1: Head, Green, Broken Clue #2: Neck, Twist, Fighter Clue #3: Theory, Quartet, Cheese

word

Sp3000

@Rubio I'd be a little wary of using pet like that since I think the verb came from the noun, but even if they were different enough I can't think of any good ways of &lit'ing it

8:37 AM

I was afraid of that. I was trying to do something pretty parallel to that which an idea for this one would have probably helped, but I can't get anything that works and feels right - I may have to abandon that line entirely and try something different. Oh well. Thanks my way for confirming my fears.

anyway*

Sp3000

9:13 AM

Hmm I have to say I don't really get the treasure hunt tag - it feels pretty... broad

Or rather, the concept's not broad, but the tag's being used very leniently

Q: I'm small of eye and large of ear

9:41 AM

0

I strike out at many a sphere I sing a song you'll never hear I fill many fragile hearts with fear I'm small of eye and large of ear What am I?

riddle word rhyme

Mithrandir

10:36 AM

@Rubio it doesn't let you.

Should we create a word-web tag? It seems to be a steady type of puzzle by now.

Q: Obvious but calm and cool riddle

10:53 AM

1

They live in the eminence, the mountains high Createth the doctrines, and abides by. O Potentates, O Overlords, t'is not a wry. Incarcerate, excutes - nefarious they sly. The first. The amnesiac phantom is already dead Gods of birds, maker of dread ! Brother of conspicuous, impis...

riddle

cipher story steganography

11:29 AM

0

Q: Finding Detective Jack!

I am Aidan and I am a detective. I am in a country I have never visited before. Me and my colleague Jack have been working on a task for a few days now. We have been very successful in solving a murder mystery which took place a few days back. Our success has unfortunately been bad eyed by a grou...

TheGreatEscaper

11:41 AM

Huh, with such a huge influx of riddles it maybe wasn't the best time for me to post mine.