#1: Byrdie (byrdie) on Aug 29, 2009

When I hover over the title of a puzzle a drop down pops up (is that an oxymoron?) offering several choices. One of the choices is "View Information" and in that choice there is a category called "Players." After that there are two numbers which I always assumed to mean attempts and completed, and I've always assumed attempts to mean the total number of players who've started the puzzle.

I have to question the way that's calculated. I have an as yet unpublished puzzle, unpublished because I've been working on solving it to make sure it's solvable by logic alone. *NO ONE else has attempted to solve this puzzle yet, however it shows 17 attempts. I've been in and out of it because I'm struggling with it a little.

Is something being calculated incorrectly (there's only been 1 player - me) or is each attempt by a player supposed to count as a new player?

Thanks.

I think it counts how many times someone starts the puzzle who has no previously saved copy of the puzzle. That's really about the best I can do, since the system doesn't remember that you ever played a puzzle unless you save it.

Clearly this will give some over-counting, but I think it's not normally an awful lot.

Or maybe it's buggy. I don't have the code right in front of me.

I have to think it's buggy because I've been in and out of the same puzzle saving the progress each time. Since no one else has tried this puzzle and I don't think I've done 17 edits it can't be right.

What puzzle number was this?

5450

It's true. I have seen that in every puzzle I had created and gone back into to try and solve it or tweak it. Each time it gets counted as a new user or player attempting to solve it.

I've noticed this with the puzzles I create and edit and resave several times before publishing. I don't think it matters much though.

I first started looking at it because I thought it would be fun to know how many people are trying the puzzles I've created. The number sometimes is so different, however, from the number of completed puzzles that I started to question it. That's when I took a look at my unpublished puzzle. To my way of thinking there should only have been one attemptor - me, so it confused me to see 17.

Martin how about considering being a judge? View the previous Forum?
We have tons of perks!

Thanks for considering me but I'm not confident enough in my solving ability yet. Also, currently my schedule is rather erratic and I don't know that I'd be able to consistently meet the obligations that come with the position.

I'm honored, however, that you would suggest it.

Not every contest is as busy as # 42 we usually have 10 to 12 puzzles.
It's only few minutes every Sunday at around 7 PM. We chat on gmail, but sometimes one of us submits previously thru email because of a schedule conflict, so Sylvain has a point system that helps the other 2 decide pondering the submission of the 3rd. Sometimes is only 2 of us, as it's been lately.
If you want to give it a try, you'll be welcome.

Try it! You will love it! Don't let the fact that I was a judge for many months and then dropped out dissuade you.

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