Puzzle Description:

I really dont know what this is :)

#1: Adam Nielson (monkeyboy) on Nov 1, 2009

Come on.... who rated this above 1?

Thank you, I enjoyed your puzzle.

"david bryan" is the nicest person on this site. The only time he ever speaks is after someone criticizes a puzzle, and then it is to defend whomever created the puzzle that gets ripped on by saying how much he likes the puzzle. Way to go, bdaved!

I think it is a deranged laughing cow. Or maybe a trick or treater still wearing costume who has consumed too much candy?

A David Hockney copy of a Jackson Pollock painting?

Why is it ok for some to do something silly like this and yet others get torn apart? Randomness is not creative.

People who want to create puzzles can learn from this. Think about what makes solving pbn puzzles enjoyable:

First, it is fun to figure out where to color in squares and where to place dots, in anticipation of finding an interesting image at the end and discovering what the clever title means. The most fun is that moment when the dots and squares suddenly turn into a recognizable image and you have that "Aha!" experience that gives your brain a little burst of pleasure. THAT is what makes a good puzzle fun.

Working a puzzle where the image is random nothingness is like being given a present and opening the gift to find an empty box. It's always fun to open a gift, but just a little disappointing when there is nothing inside.

Perhaps the creator of this puzzle is to young to appreciate the art that goes into a good puzzle. Hopefully, this insight can help this person make puzzles that will get more favorable comments next time. Because that is fun too. :-)

Teresa, I always enjoy your puzzles. You're creative and there's a sense of joyfulness about them. I see that in puzzles like this one as well, and I like that better than the visual karaoke of a well-rendered, soulless image that some people seem to prefer, but which I see as meaningless. Sometimes a what's-it can be fun too.
And I know many creators of visual art who would vehemently disagree with the statement that randomness is not creative; I've even heard students asking how they can incorporate more randomness into their work.

I didn't say that randomness is not creative. When it comes to art, I can appreciate many kinds, even those creative works that seem to be meaningless, when I can find meaning or try to perceive the artist's intent. I can stand back and study and enjoy weird or unreal or random looking pieces.

What I was referring to is the paint-by-number solving experience, which is different from art appreciation. The cognitive experience is unique, in that the brain slowly tries to put together clues to "find" the image that is being constructed.

I was not criticizing the creative quality of this puzzle, only explaining why most users will not get much enjoyment from solving this one.

Well said, Teresa.

As for the "visual karaoke of a well-rendered, soulless image that some people seem to prefer, but which I see as meaningless" comment, I actually prefer those puzzles. They are much more worth the time to solve, when there is a well-rendered, pleasing image at the end.

Teresa, the part about randomness and creativity wasn't in reference to your comment. My apologies for the confusion. You're as right as anyone in your opinions about the puzzles. I merely point out that there are other opinions, but I wouldn't presume to speak for anyone other than myself. I have no idea what most users would enjoy. What I really appreciate is the joy and enthusiasm with which some of the simplest puzzles are presented, and I'd rather salute that than shoot it down.

Awwwwww....... :-)

Cool puz :D

I personally don't consider a random jumble of dots to be a pbn. It just doesn't seem to be in the spirit of a nonogram. Having said that, I definitely prefer images like this over the many no-white-space images that are no challenge at all to solve! At least you can treat this like a Rorschach test of sorts. (For instance, I think the image looks like me in the morning.) :-)

So, at the risk of annoying Adam, I'm giving this 2 stars.

LOL. I understand your point of view, Cro. :-)

This is a puzzle, but not necessarily a PBN. It was an interesting challenge to solve so not boring, but there's no pay off other than having solved it. To me, when even the creator doesn't know what it is, then it lacks the quality that would make it a PBN, let alone that I'm expecting some sort of image as a reward for the effort I'm expending. If you wanted to call this a "P"uzzle BN - cool.

It reminds me of some terrible '60s wallpaper. Fill in some of the spots with orange and chartruese ...

@8 - In my family, you may end up with an empty box when you unwrap your gift. In fact I know I've given at least one myself. Normally it's followed by an actual gift. Another family favorite is to wrap a small gift in an oversized box, just because it throws off the people who like to guess what the gift is.

@15 - I'm seeing an owl with a banana. What does that say about me? Maybe I'm still thinking about the conversation about aiden ambrey's <(*v*)> symbol from puzzle #1296.

LOL! Or maybe you're still thinking about your bosses "floppy"?!
:-P :-)

Nah, I don't work with him anymore.

Hmmm... ok, I think it is a broken car window. The box looks a little like the rearview mirror with a crack, and the rest looks like cracked glass...a little depressing, but that's what I see!

I 100% agree with Teresa

maybe a geometric stained glass window that hasn't been colored in yet? The puzzle did bring about a lot of conversation.

So the lesson here is: If you create a puzzle but don't know what the image is, MAKE SOMETHING UP. Thus the philosophical argument about the purpose of PBN is over, and the only question remaining is if the creator accurately depicted the title in the image.

no way larrrrrrry.... art is art and conversation is conversation...you know that

In the spirit of guessing: Norman Bates' Jack-O-Lantern.

Gosh, what's the deal with this site? Here's another puzzle that I completely missed the comment thread the first time around.

it missed you too, kristen.

To add to the Rorschach test, thanks to my daughter I see the head of an SD-Gundam (looking to the right). http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb57/ZGMF-X666S/sd_gundam.png

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