Puzzle Description Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

#1: Adam Nielson (monkeyboy) on Sep 2, 2008 [SPOILER]

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

It shows no comments, but there is 1 comment. Now hopefully after I post this there will be 2.

Hmmm... had me stumped!

I doubt anyone, honestly, will guess this one.

great idea but you foul me completly this time

I thought it was a twisted lemon/lime...not too zoomed in on. but no. Good one.

:-)

Thanks!

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view hints

Wow you must love these "Close up". Are you obsessed? Just Wondering that's all. It was fun doing and very simple too. My friend who is new at this could do all the "Close ups" in a snap. Thanks.

Hey von, "do" them as in "solve them," or figure out what they are a close-up of?

No I am not obsessed. People have done many more puzzles in a series than I have so far in this one. I just think they are fun, and most people on here seem to agree.

I think they're lots of fun. So be "obsessed"! :)

I agree, Jane, that this is great fun. So glad you think there is nothing wrong with “obsession” over a good thing. So go to it Monkey and have fun creating them. We are enjoying them as well. Just as I think there is nothing wrong with being “obsessed” with football, or reading, or Jesus. Nonogram is great too. :-)

Nonogram?

Nonogram is the same as Web Paint by-number

Great puzzle! How did you ever think of this one?

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

I didn't say this was the last one. But apparently most people don't like these puzzles. I figure if I get ratings of 3 and 1/2 or higher, then I would continue, due to fan enjoyment. But most of them are getting ratings of around 3 or slightly less.

As I explained in my first disclaimer, I know the images themselves are not great. They are not designed to be. The aim was to see if they were a good representation of a larger image. Apparently they are not. The rating, (at least I was hoping anyway) would be if you could "see" the larger image based on the small portion I made visible. Apparently I am not that great at it.

And to not be a hypocrite, I will stop. I have always rated other people's puzzles low when they are bad, and/or made negative comments with the hope they improved their puzzles.
I tried several of these small ones, and since they continue to get low ratings, there is no point to continue.

I want to make puzzles on here that people enjoy, and that are high quality. So when these get low ratings, I can tell that people in general don't care for them. It was just a nice idea to try. Granted not everyone feels that way, but when enough people rate it low, it usually means something.

I know my larger ones get higher ratings, which is why I continue to make those. Lots of people don't like me, and that's fine. I still get decent ratings on almost all of my large puzzles, so I enjoy continuing to make them.

I also know people rate all or lots of my puzzles low just because they don't like me (I won't name any names, but you all know who you are). That's also fine. I think that enough decent people on this site rate accurately to make up for that fact. I think most decent people rate my good puzzles high, and my poor puzzles low.

Make sense?

whether the peoples rating are low or not isn't a reason to stop making them. I myself enjoy trying to figure them out (of course most the time I get them wrong, but that's ok)
so please do some more

This one was awesome Adam.
No, I didn't guess it correctly but I don't care. The fun for me is to first solve the puzzle and then (after I guess incorrectly...) read the description. I get a kick out of it. I think they're fun. Maybe your ratings would be higher if there were a rating for fun and clever.
I think this is a great idea and very entertaining to solve.
I would like to see more of them.

I've been solving these out of order, but so far I think this one is my favorite.
Thanks! :-)

Adam, I think your perception might be slightly off... My guess is that MOST people who rate, rate the puzzles before they see what the answer is. I usually do. But I *try* to go back and re-rate them based on the answer after I see it. I'm not sure I always have. And I'm POSITIVE not every one goes back to re-rate. I wouldn't take the ratings into that high regard. Go with the comments!

Thanks you two for your comments. I appreciate them. But can you see my point? Persistent low-"ish" ratings tell me that these aren't very well received. But, if a few people like these, then I guess I can consider racking my brain trying to think of more. Should I make a few easier ones? Or keep trying to make difficult ones?

Wrong name again. Oops.

Oh :P~~ on the low ratings anyway. If everyone stopped after their first low-ish rating, there wouldn't be very many puzzles here since, frankly, most first puzzles suck. ;)

Yes, but these aren't my first puzzles. I have done plenty of good ones before I started this series. And all of these in this series apparently suck. :-)

They don't suck Adam! Look at all the positive comments.
People are enjoying them.
I like them because they are playful. They are more than a standard puzzle.
No, they are not as complex, nor as "pretty" as many others.
But their appeal to me is the game inside the puzzle.
I think they are clever and fun and I don't think that you should be swayed by the ratings with these. They fall into a category of their own.

Hey, what am I chopped liver??

Not at all.... I had just read your comment, Nancy, and then had to see a patient. By the time I got back to see the new comments, there were 2 more (from Deana and Gypso) and I didn't reread all the previous comments. Thus, I wrote "you two." You are definitely included in the "please do more" section. LOL

Yes, Nancy. You are in fact chopped liver. :)

I know that these aren't your first Adam. That's not the point. The point is lousy ratings don't mean anything. And yours aren't lousy anyway. They just aren't as high as you'd like them. :P

Ditto Deana!

Right on. I am used to getting around 4 to 4+ on my larger ones, which makes me feel worse when these little ones get 2-3. :-(
That's all I am saying.

Adam check you Gmail I got ther update theme list for the rest of 2008

Little ones almost always get lower ratings. *shrug* Nature of the beast.

I guess that's just the case, isn't it. Well, more to follow shortly.

youpi !!!

Random factoids:

Large puzzles generally get better ratings than small puzzles. So do hard puzzles.

Fairly few people rate the puzzles they solve.

The ratings aren't meaningless, but I wouldn't read too much into them either.

:)

I agree with everyone. Please make more! and ppbt %P on the bad raters. We, the chosen few, love your puzzles and this series and we demand you make more!!! :)

Adam, you have got excellent ratings for your close up puzzles, most of my smaller puzzles, ie: the Love animals have a rating of between 2 1/2 to 3, which I think is good and fair considering their size. Most of yours have a rating of three or a little higher which is fantastic. If they got between 1 or 2 it would be understandable if you were a little put off, but I think you should be very happy with the results, plus the wonderful comments you get should be the all the confirmation you need to know they are well liked and recieved.
Yes it is hard to keep a series going for too long, we run out of ideas, get pbn block, but if you do come up with something, no matter if it takes days or weeks, they will still be popular and most people will love them and remember where you left off, plus a series such as yours will always be popular no matter what, there is no story line to it and people love to guess what an image is, makes it all the more fun. Just a little idea though, I was thinking it would be more of a buzz if you didn't put the answer in the first spoiler, see if someone can correctly guess it for like a day, maybe give it 24 hours before you give the correct answer, see if anyone can guess correctly, just an idea.
Just for the record, I have rated your puzzles appropriately at all times :)

People must have changed their rating of those small puzzles of mine (or decided to rate them high at all recently), because they are all about 3 or higher now. They were all under 3 (except for #3) when I made these initial comments (even with lots of people rating them).
I guess I am satisfied with 3+.

Anyway, thanks to those few of you who want to see more, and for your supportive comments.

Marz, I never thought to hear from you again (or at least see you commenting on one of my puzzles. I read your comments on other people's puzzles, but you hadn't commented once on mine any time in the last 2 weeks or so). I don't blame you at all for wanting to ignore me and/or my puzzles. You have every right.

The questions I have for you, Marz are... I know you are a great puzzle creator, and I know that YOU know that you are a great creator, so are you REALLY satisfied with 2-3 ratings? For even great small puzzles that you so often do? If you honestly say yes, then I will accept that and continue on. Regardless of what you have said to me in the past, I think you do AWESOME work. I esteem your opinion and value your insight among only a select few other creators on this entire site.

For the few regulars on here who comment and encourage, thank you once again.

Why have rating for quality at all? Let the comments that flow afterwards be all the "rating" we need. As for difficulty, I think that is appropriate to rate, as it can allow someone to bypass a very difficult puzzle if they choose.

Jan, one final thought... is there any way to change the rating system? Either add a "fun-ness" category, independent of quality of image and difficulty in solving or do something similar?

That'd be nice...a "fun-ness" category.
Marz, I can't believe your cute love puzzles have gotten such low rating either. There are some harsh judges out there.
Anyway, you both need to continue doing puzzles. They're awesome!

I have learnt over time not to take the rating system too serious, I think it is a pretty fair system especially if there has been a lot of raters and I have also learnt that it does go a lot on the size of a puzzle. I am very happy with the ratings I get on the love animal series, I don't spend much time creating them, up to half an hour max, they are not the most detailed of puzzles either. I actually wouldn't want them rated much higher then they are because if then, when I created a really good puzzle, one that took a lot of time and had lots of detail and I was really proud of and it only got half a rating more than my smaller puzzles then I might get discouraged, maybe. Well I like the fact that there is a bit of difference in rating between puzzles that I have put a lot of effort into than the ones I haven't, that's what I am trying to say.
I am more inclined to take note of the ratings of my bigger puzzles than the smaller ones, but I mainly go by the comments I receive, and thankyou to all the lovely people who do leave a comment, I always appreciate them :)

My love puzzles didn't get a low rating, they got an average rating, a low rating would be less than 2, so I am content with what they got, perfectly realistic.

A quality rating takes a lot into consideration, for instance, fun, detail, size, artistic value, originality, and even though we have a system for rating difficulty, if a puzzle has lots of fun tricky bits and the solver loved these kinds of puzzles, then that would most likely go into the equation of the quality rating too.

So whatever rating you get do not take it too personally, keep up the good work and cherish any lovely comments you get.

Thankyou Adam for your compliments here, I too think your puzzles are great, they are to me classics, good sized black and whites with a dash of challenge, my favourite type. I will be commenting on your puzzles from now on, all is forgotten and forgiven, I appoligize on my part for all the shenanigans, it was so not like me to cause trouble, but.....how good is life here lately, hehe! Much of that goodness has arisen from Sylvains brilliant idea (WC), his maturity and kind heart, he is an inspiration to me, thankyou Sylvain, you are a true gentleman :)

Oh dear, look how long this comment is, I better go before I have to put it all in novel form.

PPP 4ever! :)

Ps, thanks Telly :)

I want to read your novel Marz... lol


I far as I'm concern Adam the rating is not a big thing. If you are satisfy with the puzzle you create and if the comment are great then you achive what you want to achive. Many people won't rate the puzzle or rate them before they finish it. And since its a average score to have a 3 mean that probably some people rate it very hight to compensate for idiot rate it very low.

The comment of your fellow puzzler should be what keep you going not some abstract number on a pc screen.

In a way same goes for difficulty. What hard for me ( being an average slover at best) might not be hard for you, Dogmon and other mastersolver, and can be even harder for casual player or newbies.

THat why a set an approximate level of 3 for the WC but its not an absolute. a 3 of difficulty for me is perfect but some are looking for 5 other for 2 and once again it depend on your skill.

keep the good work your puzzle are always very beautiful and interesting.

Marz you're going to make me blush yet again :-)

You might try looking at the number of people who have completed the puzzle. I think you'll find that something like 10 times as many people will solve a 20x20 puzzle as will solve a 50x50 puzzle. Mostly only the people who complete the puzzle will rate it. So big puzzles get rated by a handful of big puzzle lovers, while small puzzles get rated by everyone. That tends to lower the ratings of small puzzles.

I also think not everyone appreciates what it takes to make a good small puzzle. A lot of people just look at the final picture, which is almost always better looking on a big puzzle, and rate that higher. But doing a good picture on a small grid takes a lot of skill, and I personally try to take that in account in my ratings.

So I really don't think you should give up on small puzzles. They make hundreds of people happy, while big puzzles only make dozens of people happy.

I think these "close up" puzzles are nice examples of one way that you can make successful small puzzles: cropping off less necessary parts of the image. They take that technique to an extreme, so that it is hard to identify the image, but it's a valid technique. I don't particularly care whether you continue this series or not, but I do hope you don't give up on small puzzles.

Gee thanks.

Adam did you check your Gmail for the update on the theme of the next WC I didn't heard anything from you since I post it

I said it was great.

Didn't you get my mail?

maybe I tougth it was from the 1st list sorry

Anyway, nice topics

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

I have never rated puzzles, I didn't feel qualified to do it. If it means to what degree I enjoyed solving it or was pleased with the end result I'll do it. This series is been lot's of fun for me, in fact you should make a contest out of it, not giving out the answer for a week or so and then awarding points to those who guess them correctly.

I totally see that zandperl

Yes, Jota. I tried doing that. I didn't give out the answer for even 1 or 2 days, and people were commenting about how they would "never know" or "want to know" if it wasn't posted immediately, because they wouldn't remember to go back and check the answer later. I have a solution. I will post the answer to any new "Close-Up" puzzle I do in a new Forum, so that only the people who want to know immediately can look. Those who want to guess can make their guess in the comments section of that particular puzzle, and look in the forum whenever they want.

Excellent! Thanks

Maybe the best way to think about "quality" ratings would be, "how strongly would you recommend this puzzle to a friend?" because that's how those ratings are going to be used. People use them to pick out puzzles worth doing from the list of puzzles.

I have given up on these quality ratings (for small puzzles, and especially for the close-up series). What everyone has said so far makes sense.

That's a good point Jan W. I like that suggestion.

wow thats a lot of coments. I really liked this one eventhough I had no idea what is was.

Thank you lots, Rea.

Interesting comments on ratings considering what has happened recently.

Comment Suppressed:Click below to view spoilers

I personally enjoy well-thought out comments so, I say it's ok...but I'm not monkeyboy so...?

Fans? Dude you sit on your @$$ and make pictures on a piece of graph paper on the computer. No one is really a fan, this is what people do rather than pick their butt at work

I really thought I had this one. I thought it was one of the hard candies you can find at Christmas....oh well. I also have a hard time rating puzzles. I don't believe I could EVER create a puzzle, much less one better than any on the site, but I try to rate on the quality of the picture when it is complete. I also have a hard time rating the difficulty. I TRY to scale the difficulty by size, but I know I don't succeed. Thank you all for taking the time to create these. I have enjoyed almost every one of them and look forward to more

I say any puzzle that can get this many comments must be great. :) I think everyone who takes the time to make one of these for someone else's entertainment (and I imagine theirs in making it) is a great person. I would never criticize. I enjoy them all.

I recently decided to try sorting my unsolved puzzles by # of comments. It's funny how this particular topic (lower ratings for small puzzles) keeps cropping up periodically, as new creators join the site.

Fun puzzle, Adam! I didn't get the image until I read the answer. Kristen, you steered me to this puzzle. It is frustrating when you make a very difficult puzzle that gets rated a 1 in difficulty. If anything, raters should want to encourage puzzle creation (especially smaller B&W).

Good puzzle !

Show: Hints | Spoilers | Both

Goto next topic

You must register and log in to be able to participate in this discussion.