Web Paint-by-Number Forum
Topic #1006: Fun Stats from the Saved Puzzle tab
By Carol Brand (KarylAnn)

#1: Carol Brand (KarylAnn) on Jan 14, 2018

I've been solving puzzles from my Saved Puzzle tab lately and got curious about just what was in there. I have 100 puzzles saved. How many puzzles do you have in your Saved Puzzle tab?

Here's a breakdown of my Saved Puzzles:

Oldest puzzle: #5704 by Teresa K.
Oldest Create Date: 12/22/2009 #7458 by MaryJane Anderson
Newest Create Date: 11/04/2017 by Robyn Broyles
Highest Quality: 4.5, a tie between Linda Martin and Kurt Kowalczyk
Highest Difficulty: 3.75, a 6 way tie - interestingly there was a puzzle by me in this group
Most Comments: 34 in a puzzle by Marie-Louise Ambrey
Smallest: 2 5x5 which required a lot of guessing and I deleted. Interestingly, one was a puzzle which Jan had
eliminated but was still in my Saved Puzzles. Now a 6x6 by Joseph Newton is the smallest.
Largest: 55x55 by Brian Bellis, followed by a 48x60 by Kai-Uwe Zickerick, followed by a 50x50 by Teresa K
Most Saved Puzzle Creators: 12 by Aldege, 8 by Teresa K, 7 by Kai-Uwe Zickerick
#2: Aurelian Ginkgo (AurelianGinkgo) on Jan 14, 2018
Interesting concept. I'll bite. But my report is rather boring. I don't let my tab accumulate more than ten puzzles at any given moment, so the ones in there are always changing. At this moment I have about 5 or 6. I usually have 3 or less.

Speaking only for myself, I would see excess as clutter and I'd probably abandon the tab and never return to it if it got "messy".
#3: Byrdie (byrdie) on Jan 15, 2018
I rarely have any in my saved tab, usually not more than 1. I tend to go back and complete any unfinished puzzles before I start new ones.
#4: Carol Brand (KarylAnn) on Jan 25, 2018
Wow, good for you! I wish I didn't have so many in that tab. I find, however, that I get interrupted and have to save the puzzle, or I just get frustrated that I can't find my error and save, or the puzzle is just too big to sit for so long to solve so I save it. I know I probably should get back to it right away but it seems some new puzzle catches my eye. I've solved another 10 from my saved puzzles so I'm down to 90. Thanks for responding!
#5: Wombat (wombatilim) on Jan 25, 2018
I currently have 57 saved; I last did a major cleaning of that list maybe 9 months ago. It tends to be stuff that I think probably requires guessing but I haven't given up on figuring out with logic yet. Sometimes I find that returning with fresh eyes will help me spot the stuff I missed before, and I can figure my way through it.
#6: Carol Brand (KarylAnn) on Jan 26, 2018
What got me thinking about the Saved Puzzle tab was a comment by Kristen Coolman awhile back. She had made a small and fairly easy puzzle which is unusual for her. In the comments she said something to effect that this was for all the solvers who had her more difficult puzzles saved in the Saved Puzzles tab.

I'm glad to see that there is someone else out there with a substantial list of saved puzzles. I agree that when you return with a set of fresh eyes, suddenly it seems everything falls in place. Thanks for responding Wombat.
#7: Susan Duncan (medic25733) on Feb 5, 2018
I have many puzzles in my saved file and lots of them are back as far as 2011. I have been working away at them and finding some real jewels.
#8: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on Feb 5, 2018
I have 134 saved puzzles. I tend to forget about them there. Most are guessing needed.

Oldest puzzle & Create Date: #108 by clay deardorff Oct 27, 2004 (multiple solutions, some guessing)
Newest Create Date: Jan 28, 2018 by Brian Bellis (unique, some guessing)
Highest Quality: 4.5 by Brad Verheyen (unique, some guessing)
Highest Difficulty: 4.5 by Aldege Cholette (unique, massive guessing)
Most Comments: 44 in a puzzle by Adam Nielson (unique, some guessing)
Smallest: 13 x 11 by Josh Greifer (deep lookahead)
Largest: 60 x 75 by Brad Verheyen (unique, some guessing)
Most Saved Puzzle Creators: 14 by Brian Bellis (6 guessing; one deep - which I solved... but then unsolved it seems?!?; and the rest unmoderated), and 14 by myself -- all of which have not been published 'cause I can't get them to solve yet.
#9: Carol Brand (KarylAnn) on Feb 7, 2018
Ahhh...I knew there had to be others out there who had quite a number of Saved Puzzles! Thanks for responding Susan and Joe. Wow, Joe, a 2004 puzzle and 14 puzzles by yourself saved! I like reading the commentary of those older puzzles. Sometimes it still relevant and in others, time has moved on.
#10: Bill Eisenmann (Bullet) on Apr 19, 2019
I have a ton of saved puzzles. I get so addicted to solving at times that I fear missing a puzzle (especially when someone (JOE!!) suddenly posts 50 puzzles in just a few days, so that the previous ones are off the screen). What I'll often do is open a new one, start it, then save it for later, and rinse and repeat.
#11: Brian Bellis (mootpoint) on Apr 19, 2019
About 250. I'd better get to work.

Oldest puzzle & Create Date: #230 "Marlin" by Jan created fourth of July 2005
Newest Create Date: #32380: Angry Bird by Gaynor Sorrell Apr 15, 2019
Highest Quality: #20964: Not resting on my laurels 4.5 by Kristen Coolman Jan 25, 2013
Highest Difficulty: #22000: a family guy?(tuffy color logic) 4.25 by Kurt Kowalczyk (bahabro)May 21, 2013
Most Comments: #20020: O C D with 61 comments by Tom O'Connell (sensei69)Oct 11, 2012
Smallest: #6439: Royal Foursome 8x8 by Gator (gator) Aug 5, 2009
Largest: #15009: The ZEN of P.B.N. -- "The Paradox" 65x65 NiGHTS (NiGHTS) Jun 29, 2011 (Followed closely by "Our Community Quilt" which is by us!)
Most Saved Puzzle Creators: Aldege

Carol. I wouldn't be surprised if many have the Quilt as their largest saved puzzle.
#12: Byrdie (byrdie) on Apr 19, 2019
I'm always surprised at the number of people who save and have large numbers of unfinished puzzles. I rarely have more than one, if that, and work each puzzle until complete.

What especially perplexes me is the comment about saving puzzles so that you don't miss them. The "Find Puzzles" page in the left column works ... exceedingly well. Me personally, when I first started I went through solving all the puzzles of a particular (smaller than 20x20) size. As I got more confident, I've just been solving then in numerical order, including the "questionable solution" puzzles. (Use "Find puzzles for which I have not saved a solution.") I have also targeted a specific user's puzzles as that is a search option.

From what I've gathered, persons who solve puzzles on here are reasoning and reasonable persons. Other than a severe case of FOMO, I can't think of a *reasonable reason for saving large numbers of unfinished puzzles.

Just my $.02.
#13: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on Apr 19, 2019
In my case, I *will not* guess to finish a puzzle. So if I cannot find a way to finish a puzzle with deep lookahead, it will languish in my saved puzzles.
#14: Byrdie (byrdie) on Apr 20, 2019
If there's no other way to finish a puzzle, I peek at the solution. While it doesn't satisfy the desire to solve the puzzle, neither does leaving it undone. I have enough other unfinished things in my life. Just keeps the saved list cleaner for me to find the puzzle I actually am working on.
#15: Carol Brand (KarylAnn) on May 7, 2019
Wow Brian! That is a large number of puzzles in your Saved tab. I'm down to 87 but considering I started this forum a year and half ago, I'm thinking that is not such a great accomplishment. My newest save is 31285 Short Order by Joe.
Thanks for responding everyone. Yes, Brian, I think you might be right about the Quilt puzzle! I often wonder what new people to site think when one of those small quilt pieces shows up in Featured Puzzles.

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