Black Hole ghosts

[Arunas]

Hi All,

Just a quick thought. What's your opinion regarding the Black Hole/Unsolved/Pending puzzles?
Should they stay here till forever or is it possible to apply a "hints-giving" practice?

If there's some mystery that only you know about - what's the fun? I personally don't fear giving hints to push it to solved.
I think that:
- We should have a minimum number of  puzzles left without any notice hiding somewhere deep in the "Black Hole" section...
- We should try to keep a certain balance of open puzzles... Just don't know what should an appropriate number of them...
- Last, but not least - before you post a new puzzle - why not to check for your old outstanding puzzles and to blow the dust of them? Giving hints won't harm anyone. This will just ignite new enthusiasm for old forgotten mysteries, I suppose.

Let's brings some light into the Black Hole!

[nicanary]

Personally I agree with the practice of giving hints in order to resolve a puzzle. I feel that puzzles should only reach the Black Hole as a last resort - if they are cars unknown even to the puzzle-setter then I don't think the ordinary sequence of sections should apply. They should be posted in the "information requested" section.

My own puzzles are not really difficult to solve for a Pro - I have only 1 puzzle in the Black Hole, and even that could be solved by any member who is prepared to contact other people outside AP. Nobody was interested in doing so, and the BH was used.

I like the idea of resurrecting BH ghosts with a few hints or clues.

[Carnut]

I suppose older puzzles are left up in the hope that a new whizzo Rookie will come along and be able to identify them.
Someone somewhere will know what they are..
But since that doesn't seem to happen any more it would be a good idea to get some of them moving and Solved; one of the problems is that plenty of them were posted by Puzzlers who no longer visit..

[mekubb]

I agree with Arunas, he has a point. Why keep in the Black hole for ever ? Let's starting giving some hints.

[Majeko]

I agree with Arenas, he has a point. Why keep in the Black hole for ever ? Let's starting giving some hints.

Well, I'm not a rookie anymore (very close to becoming a Pro). After that I want to turn my attention to the Black Hole puzzles. I strongly believe that puzzles are there to be solved. And I also believe that we want to share our knowledge about cars on this website. Therefore I can't believe that a poster of a puzzle is happy to have a puzzle remain unsolved in the Black Hole.

It's a bit early for a spring cleaning but I would applaud a spring cleaning of the Black Hole puzzles.

[Paul Jaray]

My idea is simple...no one of my puzzles will reach the BH if I can avoid it.
The only ones that will go there are the ones that I do not know myself....and this is what I believe it should be the reason of that section: a place where they will last untill anyone will find the solution.
If nobody find the solution of my puzzles, I'll try everything to have them solved and in some cases I used the hungman game...not very professional but I prefer that to an useless move into the neverending darkness.
I'm sure, if we press on the ones we like, the solutions will come eventually..

[Carnut]

Quite so.
We must want our puzzles to be solved as we want this to be an on-line database of the rare and obscure.  An unsolved puzzles tells no-one anything (except perhaps what it's not!).
I only move mine after several months to avoid the Pro's board becoming overloaded with very old forgotten stuff; there are enough puzzles there that are far too old already!

[Otto Puzzell]

I'm piratically giving away points. 

[Carnut]

I'm piratically giving away points. 

Can I have some then please?  I don't seem to be able to get more than the tiniest morsels as a Pro!

[Otto Puzzell]

Per PJ's suggestion, I'm adding clues to my black hole puzzles much more. Closed a few old ones already since I started this weekend.