To bring more movement into the puzzle process

[fromwien]

What do you think about of limiting the maximum time a puzzle to stay in each category?
For example:
Rookie section: max. 4 weeks
Expert section: max. 6 weeks
Professional section: max. 8 weeks
or
Rookie/Expert/Professional: each max. 4 weeks
or
Rookie/Expert/Professional: each max. 3 weeks
or
Rookie/Expert/Professional: each max. 2 weeks

I think, such a limit may bring more movement into the puzzle process, and helps to keep the game participants more attentive to what is happening and to get all of them into the course of the game. As I have to notice by myself sadly, the 'Professional' category is always the one with the fewest rate on puzzles. I get more and more uninterested to follow this nice site, as I have very rarely the opportunity to take part of the game

[Carnut]

Thanks for this.
It has been thought of and well-discussed amongst the Editors before.
The problem with that is actually policing it. What happens if the puzzle poster doesn't move it when its allotted time expires?
Does an Editor take it over? We rejected that idea as it doesn't follow the principal of AutoPuzzles, where the Editors don't interfore with puzzles unless it is absolutely necessary.. It's taking on too much as well as the Editor who moves it doesn't necessarily know the answer..

There are many instances where a very regular visitor just leaves his post in the Rookes even and forgets about it. I did move some myself a few months ago and it jogged the memory of the puzzler, who then did take it back again. But there are even Editors (e.g. Djetset) who have posted puzzles then disappeared. What do we do with those? I'm very reluctant to delete them.

What I usually do is either 'Bump' them or send a PM to the puzzle setter asking him to move his puzzles up, which usually does the trick.

On the face of it, it's a good idea, but there are unseen practical problems.

What do others think?

[fromwien]

Wouldn't it be possible, just as with the 'new'-signal, in case when a new answer appeared at a puzzle, to add the same way automatically an 'up'-signal, which draws the puzzle owner's attention to move his puzzle to the next category as soon as possible?

[fromwien]

If you have a look at the attachment to my statement, I think something of 'updating' to this site will be necessary, if we won't loose more and more 'users', and want to get more 'rookies' involved...
These 'stats' from today, with maximum 28 interested people looking at 'AutoPuzzles' shows a very good rating in comparison with many other days. And 28 people is nothing, if we think about all the car-maniacs around in the whole world...
This site has to get much, much more publicity with the quality that is presented here

[Carnut]

Yes, It is a perennial problem.
One idea is not to simply post every new puzzle in the Rookies section then for it to work its way up the other boards, unless and until it's solved, but also to post new puzzles on the Experts, Pro's and even the Masters Boards, according to their difficulty.

It could be a way round to encourage the Pro's more, if they had more of their own puzzles.

You could also actually bar Rookies and Experts from answering on the higher boards - usually they've had their chance. But on the other hand, if the puzzles are posted straight to the higher boards then the Rookies and Experts would never get their chance at them. Not much difference from the Pro's never getting their chance at many puzzles then..!

[fromwien]

Wouldn't it be possible, just as with the 'new'-signal, in case when a new answer appeared at a puzzle, to add the same way automatically an 'up'-signal, which draws the puzzle owner's attention to move his puzzle to the next category as soon as possible?

?

[Carnut]

No idea, sorry. I'm no computer geek!

[Oguerrerob]

I've been thinking about it, since Fromwien posted his idea.
What I think it's we're going to have another problem, that is the upper categories will be full of cars and Rookies and Experts will be almost empties, unless all of us post new cars all the time.
If we see the issue from another perspective, Rookies, Experts and Professionals can look for solving their next categories puzzles even Black Hole, that has plenty and interesting material. Maybe, this could call the missing puzzlers to come back.

I don't know what would be better for the game

[Carnut]

If we continue to allow Rookies to answer any puzzles that would solve that problem!

[gilescooperuk]

Here is a thought, allow cars which are reposts but rookies are not allowed access to the solved puzzle archives, as we have used up a lot of well known cars and are on to the more obscure things these days?

[Wendax]

I don't think we have to ban the rookies from the solved car section. Going through all the posts would be a Sisyphus task. And we have been allowing reposts for quite a while now, if they are older puzzles, perfectly combined with an unknown picture or a different view angle.

[fromwien]

The nice thing about 'AutoPuzzles' is, that everything is easy to understand for everybody. And that's how it should stay, in my opinion. Complicated innovations should actually be avoided.
It was not my intention to create additional rules, but to bring more movement into the existing system in an very easy and inconspicuous way.

The problem that the basic level for newcomers is now much too high, exacerbated by the anti-search-for-image-precautions by the puzzle-setters, frightens many automobile-interested-people to play with us. Even among my friends

[pnegyesi]

We should do a little campaign - like featuring some challenging puzzles on prewarcar.com, on Rare & Unique facebook page, I can ask AustroClassic to work with us etc. Also maybe boost our FB page a bit. There are ideas out there, but I for one will not have time to work on these, just minutes here and there.

Also I am a little bummed that my great Chinese car puzzles became dead ducks. I was hoping our new and enthusiastic puzzlers would grab the opportunity, but sadly no

[fromwien]

I totally agree with you, Pal, but don't we have to do any reformations to the rules before, as we loose many enthusiastic game participants after going up from the Rooks to the Experts? In the near past i. e.: BattlePorQ, 727 (!), etc..
I think, it will be necessary to take attention on this problem, otherwise we will remain a very shrunken family with fewer and fewer participants

[pnegyesi]

Yeah, but it is also a double-edged sword. If we loose the rules, the game will not be such fun any more. I don't know how to politely ask our participants not to shy away from challenges (e.g. moving from Rookies to Experts)

[fromwien]

Again I want determine, not "revolution" but "evolution" depending rules, may bring more movement. See my first post.
If newbies take a look at this site on Monday and next Monday one week later again, without finding much movement among the puzzles, further interest diminishes acutely.
Particularly stubborn car-maniacs will loose interest some more weeks later.
At first my only interest depends on much more movement, not more!

[gilescooperuk]

What is the landing page people get to?

Is it the forum homepage or the front page of the site which maybe needs a revamp (the rare car of the week has been the same since I last looked at the page which must be over a year ago?)

Actually just checked

Featured rookie puzzle - 2013
Featured article - 2010
Photo feature - 2013 (last post 2015)
Featured expert - dead link
Rare car of the week - 2009
Solved puzzles compendium - blank
Featured pro puzzle - 2013
Featured article - 2012
Photo feature - 2012

And then the killer one a copyright date of 2012.

If people are arriving on the homepage then you would think this was a dead site that nobody used based on the links shown.

So if they are getting to the forum they can see stuff is posted regularly if they come to the homepage well.....

[Rusty Chrome]

In general terms I agree with fromwien's initial post.  As a puzzle-setting novice, I found it quite difficult to move my unsolved puzzle from one category to the next. I'm sure it becomes much easier with practice, but an outline of that procedure could do with a clear simple instruction page somewhere, particularly if you want newcomers to do their bit by moving their puzzles on promptly. I'd also suggest more rookies might be interested if you recycle some of the solved puzzles but ask a different question, things like identifying when or where a car was registered by it's number plate, perhaps guessing the country where the cars photo was taken or perhaps the year the photo was taken. Other things might be identifying a less obscure car from components, perhaps it's tail lights or hub caps or something else like the engine.

[gilescooperuk]

Tail lights I did a few a while back, maybe time to start again (the best ones are the car lights lit up at night but they are hard to photograph well)

[Carnut]

It's always good to see puzzles like that!

[gilescooperuk]

Time to raid eBay for some photos then...

[fromwien]

An idea to revive "BLACK-HOLE"-puzzles:
What do you think about the idea, to add (if possible by the puzzle-setter) an additional picture or small hint, and let start this puzzle once again in the 'Master-section' (so everybody will get able again, to offer new guesses)?

[Wendax]

That's a fine idea if there are additional photos or extra information. I think I have done such before, but sometimes you just have little information yourself.

[gilescooperuk]

Going back to my post from the 1st September the  home page for the site  is still the same as it was then......

[nicanary]

As Wendax says, very often with a BH subject even the OP doesn't know much about the car. That's how it ends up in the BH! There's nothing on the internet or in reference books to add any more information. The BH is just going to grow in size unfortunately.

As for the home page, as you say this has been something idscussed before, and I agree that it is not the best advert for our community if a potential new member has stumbled upon the site. I have the puzzle page bookmarked so I never see the front page and forget how bad it is. IIRC when it has been discussed before it was believed that access to the page was restricted to Ultra who was the founder of AP. I'm not sure if he would be all that pleased if we bothered him with extra work now he's retired.