Web Paint-by-Number Forum
Topic #167: A question for Jan?
By Meg Tayler (rebelcat)

#1: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 2, 2009

Is there a way for me to give puzzles a fractional rating (such as 4.5, for instance)? The reason I'm asking is because I noticed that one of my puzzles has a fractional rating, but only one rater listed in the information box.

I'd love to give more nuanced ratings myself, but I don't see any way to do that in the drop down boxes underneath the puzzles I've solved.
#2: Jan Wolter (jan) on May 2, 2009
There is no way to do fractional ratings. Odd that it's happening. What puzzle? Probably gone by now anyway.
#3: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 2, 2009
Nope, it's still there. Puzzle number 5744, raters 1, quality 2.75.

Curious...
#4: Jan Wolter (jan) on May 2, 2009
Sure is. Well, the number of raters being reported is wrong. There are actually 3 raters but it is saying one. Clearly my code to update the raters count is buggy. I need to check this in more detail.
#5: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 3, 2009
Just FYI - my puzzle 5766 is also showing just one rater, with a quality rating of 2.5.
#6: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 3, 2009
Hey, it's fixed! When there was (presumably) just two raters the number of raters was listed at 1. But when a third rater popped in, all of a sudden the number of raters jumped up to 3.
#7: Teresa K (fasstar) on May 3, 2009
I think I was the third rater. This is a really cool puzzle. Not your best, but really good. I gave it a 4. So how can a puzzle this good have a combined rating of 2.75? That just doesn't make sense.
#8: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 4, 2009
I know exactly how it happened. Jan's new rating system can't kick in with only two raters. The first rater I saw gave my puzzle a 4. When I looked again, it had dropped to 2.5, which means the second rater had given it a 1 and the program had averaged the two numbers.

So, someone really hates butterflies. Maybe they were traumatized by them as a child. ;-)
#9: Twillis (twillis) on May 4, 2009
DANG BUTTERFLY BEASTS!!!!!! WE HATES THEM!!!!

#10: Meg Tayler (rebelcat) on May 4, 2009
LOL, Twillis!

"The Butterflies" is actually a long-lost Alfred Hitchcock documentary film, rumored to be buried in a secret government vault under the giant "H" in the Hollywood sign. If it ever got out, there would be mass panic in the streets.

;-)
#11: Jack Duranceau (hsingimonkey) on Dec 23, 2009
Hi, Jan - Great site! I was wondering why the search routine doesn't allow searching for 1 color puzzles? I wanted to find a seasonal puzzle for one of my classes and was surprised that I couldn't use the sophisticated search engine to do the obvious.

Jack
#12: Gator (Gator) on Dec 23, 2009
Your "1 color" is actually defined on this site as 2 colors - typically black and white (white being the blanks).
#13: Jan Wolter (jan) on Jan 1, 2010
Yeah, I went back and forth on that distinction for a while. If you think of them as "black & white" puzzles then "2 colors" makes sense, but if you think of them as "monochrome puzzles" then "1 color" makes sense. Choosing terminology is always a pain.
#14: Joe (infrapinklizzard) on Mar 12, 2010
As this is a human-engineering problem, you could just state on the form "(monochrome puzzles are 2 colors)"
#15: Edith Clark (eclark) on Jul 18, 2011
I saw somewhere that you can get a puzzle to tell you where you can mark a pixel by typing L or ?. I guess I don't understand because I tried this and nothing happened when I was sure there were places to mark. It said something about purple appearing some place.
#16: Kristen Vognild (kristen) on Jul 18, 2011
When you press L, a purple arrow will point to a row or column that you can use line logic to solve. It doesn't help with more advanced logic forms, like smile or edge logic.
#17: Teresa K (fasstar) on Jul 18, 2011
The L key helper does not work with all browsers though. I use Chrome, as that browser seems to have no problems with this site.
#18: Edith Clark (eclark) on Jul 18, 2011
I use Firefox 5.0. Oh, well. It will keep me more honest--or independent. And honestly, the fact this site makes me think is why I come. Thanks to all who contribute to this site.

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