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 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved 
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Posted on: Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:17 am




Posts: 855
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 6:51 pm
Post Re: Calcudoku.org 20 Million Solved Puzzles Analysis
pnm wrote:
...

I suppose a single row would go a long way,
maybe not theoretically guaranteeing you have the right solution,
but what are the odds ..

edit: by the way, your row 21 is correct [thumbup]

Thanks, I am happy with that, I morally earned 1 point [ :-) (21 rows, 1 point per correct line ... [smile])


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Posted on: Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:22 pm




Posts: 956
Location: Ukraine
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:03 pm
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
I'm just wondering how many people have bothered to solve this puzzle. I've made a few attempts, but have run into blind alleys. I don't think the puzzle is that complicated. Just very large and requiring a lot of concentration. Given the absence of points, I'm not inclined to spend too much time on it. And even if I do end up solving it, how will I know that I've solved it correctly if I've no way of checking it online?

Patrick, I'd be interested to hear your reasoning for not awarding any points for this puzzle. Is it a lot of additional work for you to include it as a book puzzle worth points? Or is it that you don't think it's complicated enough to merit awarding 21 points? If the latter, have you considered awarding a lower number of points commensurate with what you think the puzzle is worth? And are you not even slightly curious to know how many people have solved it?

Anyway, as I said earlier in this thread, it's your website and it's up to you how to run it. The way this puzzle has been dealt with strikes me as out of line with your normal approach, but it's not really any of my business so please feel free to ignore this post (or to tell me to get lost) if you feel I've crossed a line.


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Posted on: Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:43 pm




Posts: 81
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:16 am
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
What a pity we'll have no point to solve this 21x21 puzzle because it's the general principle of the site...
Personnally, I only solve puzzle with points and as Paulv66, I would like to know, I agree with him in his general analysis


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Posted on: Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:49 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
Logically, if subscribers are allowed to do the 21x21 and non-subscribers are not, then it would be unfair to allow subscribers extra points while disallowing non-subscribers....hence the zero point valuation....which is the only way to "even the playing field"


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Posted on: Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:07 pm




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
There are several perks to being a subscriber. Subscribers get 3 more puzzles each day; they also get access to puzzle books. I thought it was only subscribers who could sign up for the newsletter which was have the 19 x 19 puzzles was originally released.

This would just be one more perk of being a subscriber.

I can understand non subscribers being peeved about yet another perk being given to subscribers. But there needs to be an incentive to subscriber.


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Posted on: Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:26 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
True....but you outlined all of them in your first 2 rows of your message....and they are there daily for the subscriber's benefit......so why do you need 1 more incentive [confused]


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Posted on: Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:22 am




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
I don’t necessarily need another incentive to be a subscriber. I have been a subscriber for years.

I am not sure how many subscribers there are, but I am guessing there are less than 100. I am basing my guess on how many people have solved some of the subscriber only puzzles when I get them done. My guess could easily be wrong.

Some of the easiest puzzles that are available to all sometimes have 600 or so solvers.

I don’t know the the subscribers cover the costs of this site.

But how does one encourage more people to subscribe?

It is up to Patrick to decide to do whatever he wants to do.


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Posted on: Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:36 am




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
I too have been a subscriber since I started but my motivation was to support Patrick and his site....besides (and Patrick can clarify this) but I am not sure that there were as many non-subscriber puzzles as there is today [smile]


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Posted on: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:01 am




Posts: 956
Location: Ukraine
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:03 pm
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
The site provides several puzzles each day for non subscribers. Those who are prepared to pay to be a member get a few additional puzzles each day and some other perks, including access to the 8x8 timed and more attempts at the smaller timed puzzles.

If I was a non subscriber and I felt aggrieved that a greater number of additional puzzles was being provided to subscribers, I would have an easy solution - become a subscriber. I think if I was Patrick, I’d be more concerned about keeping my subscribers happy than my non subscribers.

Having said this, I’m fairly sure that this is primarily a labour of love for Patrick and his motivation for keeping the site going is not driven by the amount of money he takes in, which is certainly not commensurate with the amount of time and effort he puts into running the site. And I think most subscribers are not driven solely by the desire to get access to more puzzles. Like you, they are doing it at least in part to acknowledge and recognise all the work done by Patrick.

I think we’re straying from the issue I raised in my post, which was to ask Patrick his reasoning for not awarding points for this particular puzzle. Whether or not these points would be available to non subscribers is a separate issue, but as things stand, they currently have the same access to the puzzle as subscribers do.


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Posted on: Thu Jul 09, 2020 1:03 am




Posts: 691
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:20 pm
Post Re: 21x21 puzzle to mark 21212121 puzzles solved
It would be interesting to know what the stats are.

How many active participants?
What’s a good metric? People who do at least 1 puzzle a week? At least 1 puzzle a month? That assume that people who do take vacations would not be gone for a month.

How many subscribers? I assume Patrick should have that one on his finger tips.

And I am curious: Do the subscribers cover the cost of running this site?

Paul,
We are straying from the point.
Again, its up to Patrick to answer the various questions that have been posed to him.


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