Topic: New section needed?

[RayTheRat]

There's been a fair amount of discussion about puzzles that seem to have been left in limbo by those who've left the group or aren't active any more or who seem to have forgotten about their puzzles...or something.

Is there a need for an "orphanage" for those puzzles that aren't be actively "parented" any more?

If it were to be created, then maybe anyone could try to solve the puzzles by presenting "proof" (not links, but other forms, like ads, catalog pages, quotes from authoritative literature, etc.) and then approved by the editors/moderators.  That way we might be able to "keep this place nice and tidy" as Allemano might say.

What do you think?  Am I beating a dead horse?

[Otto Puzzell]

It sounds like a good idea to me, so long as we have clear criteria of what should be sent to the orphanage. I suspect there are some reqs in the Black Hole now that might easily migrate there, as well.

[Avalanche]

Something perhaps related to this...

Are we getting enough new members to keep up with the number of puzzles posted? I know since I've graduated to "Expert"  I have not solved any puzzles. This is in large part because I don't have the time to do the required amount of research once the puzzles get to that section. However, I do see large numbers of puzzles in the rookies section that go completely ignored that I could solve, and by the time I see them moved up to the expert section, I've been beaten to the punch. 

Perhaps extending one's stay in the rookies section might help keep that section a little less cluttered?

[RayTheRat]

Welcome to the western hemisphere.     The world-wide nature of this forum seems to make it hard for folks in all areas, since what might appear as an advantage to one group (say central Europe) could possibly be an advantage for someone in the western US (like me) who sleeps at strange hours (again, like me.)  And it could work the other way around. 

I'm not sure that making the "expert" threshold any higher would be of any real benefit.  I think most people who join up want to be able to post their own puzzles as soon as possible...and raising the bar would only make that harder.  Jmo.

RtR

[Paul Jaray]

We already had this discussion, somewhere.
We come to a conclusion, if a puzzle is blocked and forgotten we can bump, bump again, contact the puzzler via PM and take control of his puzzles. Not all these steps are necessary.
I thought it was a good idea before, I still do.
(But I find very annoying to see those puzzles there for decades!)

[RayTheRat]

We already had this discussion, somewhere.
We come to a conclusion, if a puzzle is blocked and forgotten we can bump, bump again, contact the puzzler via PM and take control of his puzzles. Not all these steps are necessary.
I thought it was a good idea before, I still do.
(But I find very annoying to see those puzzles there for decades!)

Ok.  I defer to precedent.  I agree about the puzzles being dormant for a LONG time, but I shall remain patient.  As they say in legal proceedings, "further deponent sayeth not."

RtR

[Otto Puzzell]

I dunno why this didn't occur to me before...  


1.  Broom the long-unsolved Pro puzzles to the Black Hole

2.  To graduate from Rookie to Expert, solve 1 Black Hole Puzzle.

3.  To grauduate from Expert to Pro, solve 5 Black Hole Puzzles.

[Arunas]

I dunno why this didn't occur to me before...   


1.  Broom the long-unsolved Pro puzzles to the Black Hole

2.  To graduate from Rookie to Expert, solve 1 Black Hole Puzzle.

3.  To grauduate from Expert to Pro, solve 5 Black Hole Puzzles.

How about increasing threshold for rookies too?

[dzima1985]

2.  To graduate from Rookie to Expert, solve 1 Black Hole Puzzle.

How many puzzles was solved in the last month by rookies? A maximum of 5! Number of replies in Rookie section to date - 0.
They never solved the puzzles of the Black Hole.

[Otto Puzzell]

The last month is not representative of the 7 year history of this site. During that time plenty of one-time Rookies have solved puzzles from the higher ranks that had stumped more senior members.

[Allemano]

I dunno why this didn't occur to me before...  


1.  Broom the long-unsolved Pro puzzles to the Black Hole

2.  To graduate from Rookie to Expert, solve 1 Black Hole Puzzle.

3.  To grauduate from Expert to Pro, solve 5 Black Hole Puzzles.

It's easy to promote a rookie for one solved BH puzzle, but if an expert needs five BH puzzles to get Pro fame it may be hard to monitor... unless there's a seperate statistic for that.

[Otto Puzzell]

A logical consideration - I hadn't considered that.

[WayneB]

2.  To graduate from Rookie to Expert, solve 1 Black Hole Puzzle.

How many puzzles was solved in the last month by rookies? A maximum of 5! Number of replies in Rookie section to date - 0.
They never solved the puzzles of the Black Hole.

I solved a black hole puzzle as a rookie, think it was back in February.

Solved a few in the Expert section as a rookie too.

On the whole I like the way the forum operates, there are a few puzzle posters who mess people around though, you can answer their initial questions correctly and they add a new question later on when the puzzle has been answered.

I also have noticed that some dont award the puzzle point after you have given a solution or add it then change their mind and take it away which is frustrating If you have spent a few hours to find the solution.

[Carnut]

I also have noticed that some dont award the puzzle point after you have given a solution or add it then change their mind and take it away which is frustrating If you have spent a few hours to find the solution.

Report them to the Admins!  It will be looked into.
The problem with monitoring it is that there is no way you can tell who had how many points at any stage other than right now.  It's actuallly impossible to look back and say 'Hey, I should have had a point for that puzzle and didn't get it'.  I don't know if some really clever computer guy could devise a method of seeing what points were awarded for which puzzle?  Frequently I think, 'Now did I give him that point or didn't I?' and there's no way of knowing the answer.  Sometimes puzzlers might therefore get 2 from me to be on the safe side rather than giving none at all..!

[Otto Puzzell]

For group puzzles - some of which take a very long time to solve - I tally the points on a spreadsheet and award when the puzzle is done.

For 'regular' puzzles, I try to always award a point at the time I declare it solved. If I've missed any, please give me a shout. If anyone else has neglected to award a point, please do the same.