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 is the site becoming less interesting / attractive? 
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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 4:24 pm




Posts: 3296
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
 is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
Hi,

For the past few months, the number of active users has been slowly but steadily dropping.

Have things changed wrt. the usability for example?

Are there too many ads?

Do people have any suggestions for fixes that would make puzzlers less likely to leave?

Thanks [namaste] [drool]


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 5:52 pm




Posts: 956
Location: Ukraine
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 10:03 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
pnm wrote:
Hi,

For the past few months, the number of active users has been slowly but steadily dropping.

Have things changed wrt. the usability for example?

Are there too many ads?

Do people have any suggestions for fixes that would make puzzlers less likely to leave?

Thanks [namaste] [drool]


Hi Patrick

As a subscriber, I’m not subjected to ads, so I can’t comment on that aspect. I haven’t noticed any change in usability, so my view is that the reduction is probably due to external factors.

Part of this may be COVID 19 and the change that this made to many people’s lifestyles and the changes that are now happening as a result of the easing in restrictions

Another factor may be the number of daily online puzzles that have sprung up in the wake of Wordle, which has been something of a phenomenon. Maybe people who were previously getting their daily puzzle ‘fix’ from this website are now doing some of these puzzles instead? I have to confess to having caught the Wordle bug myself and now find myself doing this on a daily basis in addition to many of the other Wordle inspired online challenges.

While this hasn’t caused me to stop doing calcudoku puzzles, it has caused me to run out of time on a number of days and I’m no longer the obsessive ‘completist’ that I was before my attention got diverted to doing these other puzzles. It’s probably good for my brain to be doing word based puzzles in addition to number based ones, although I was never an avid fan of crosswords.


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 6:44 pm




Posts: 3296
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
That's an interesting point, about the "daily online puzzle" apps: maybe I should
do something similar, a simple app where you can do one Calcudoku a day
(and connect it somehow to the site).


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 7:56 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
I used to be a "do all puzzles no matter what", but over past month or so have had a lot of health problems which have had an effect on how well I am doing puzzles........consequently, I am no longer disturbed if I do not get a puzzle or 2", hence have inadvertently stopped trying to get solution.......I still try, but in some cases, after 1/2 hour I just say "to heck with it".......age might play a role in decisions........how are age demographics ?? I also agree with paul re: Covid as many people were left with nothing to do while "stuck"at home"


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 8:03 pm




Posts: 212
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 2:11 am
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
I have only a loose understanding of the mechanics at play, but I thought that most internet content tended to have a seasonality to it where it decreases in summers and then peaks during winters. Have you not seen that pattern in past years?


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 10:13 pm




Posts: 3296
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 11:58 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
starling wrote:
I have only a loose understanding of the mechanics at play, but I thought that most internet content tended to have a seasonality to it where it decreases in summers and then peaks during winters. Have you not seen that pattern in past years?


I looked at some of the numbers.

The last time activity was this low was August/September 2016.

From then on it grew about 20-25%, with small spikes after the first newsletter (near the end of 2019),
and when COVID started (~ March 2020).

The decline is there from about two years ago, and slow but steady [mellow]


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Posted on: Sun May 08, 2022 10:52 pm




Posts: 931
Location: Ladysmith, BC, Canada
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 1:37 am
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
Could it be due to the difficulty of some of the new bonus puzzles....I for one have run into some difficult (easy?bonus puzzles) that would rival some of the more everyday difficult puzzles...especially the one now that I have spent a lot of time on and still no solution [cursing]


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Posted on: Mon May 09, 2022 1:21 pm




Posts: 116
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 6:44 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
beaker wrote:
Could it be due to the difficulty of some of the new bonus puzzles....I for one have run into some difficult (easy?bonus puzzles) that would rival some of the more everyday difficult puzzles...especially the one now that I have spent a lot of time on and still no solution [cursing]


You may be right in general, maybe there are not enough easy/medium level puzzles on the site.

(and maybe some of the "medium" puzzles are too difficult)


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Posted on: Mon May 09, 2022 6:58 pm




Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:59 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
I (50 yo) have found this site as my mother (79 yo) showed me. My first impression was outdated design (graphics and user interface). Mouse usability is low.

A fresh design will help, stop with the gray background and get better colors for the navigation bars. Buttons need tool-tips (just title attribute in the html tag) don't design them like windows buttons with round borders and dropshadows.

Mouse usability is most likely low whatever you do. Get it easier for users to learn the keyboard shortcuts.

Add some simple CSS animations for a better experience.

To attract new users: Advertisement.


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Posted on: Mon May 09, 2022 7:04 pm




Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2022 8:59 pm
Post Re: is the site becoming less interesting / attractive?
One more thing, your adblocker strategy is quite strict. Most interesting puzzles are removed when an adblocker is detected. Even an adblocker user can be usefull: He / she might become subscriber later or tell about your site to others. With the current amount of puzzles available with adblocker, I would leave this site too.


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