The Loneliness of the Professional Puzzler

[Ray B.]

There once was a movie called "The Loneliness of the Long-distance Runner".

Here we have The Loneliness of the Professional Puzzler. Once, when they were only two categories, he could watch new and lovely puzzles be born in the Rookie Section, and he could reasonably hope they would last long enough for their genitor to think that they were big boys now, they could try their luck in the upper category... there the Pro, his keen eye on alert, would catch them unprepared and throw them in his bag.
Now he has to wait twice longer until they reach his playground, the third and upper category. And he knows that before this they'll have to escape a bunch of cunning experts, who will seize all the juiciest preys and leave  only the toughest old-timers for him to feast upon.

I see them pass everyday, those fine cars I think only I should identify.
I see my fellow Pro, when a Feature Writer status allows him to post in the lower categories, uttering melancholic comments and painfully restraining himself from giving an exact ID.
Life is hard on the Professional Puzzler.

[Allan L]

I try to restrain myself from solving Expert puzzles, as I shall get kicked upstairs soon enough!
It is frustrating to be able to post comments but not solutions at lower levels!

[Otto Puzzell]

Hmmm...

[Ray B.]

Yes, but c'est la vie.

[Allan L]

Yes, but c'est la vie.

and drives me to the eau de vie!

[faksta]

Maybe some terms could be imposed for Expert and Rookie puzzles? For example, a week or even less. I mean, after a week being a Rookie or an Expert puzzle the thread has to be moved upstairs. This could help Pros, as I think unlike them, Rookies and Experts need more time to identify the photographs and sometimes it happens eventually...

[Allan L]

Sounds reasonable - you certainly have got my approach right as if I have no idea at all I can't be bothered, but if I think I know and can prove it quickly then I will. (and of course if I really do know, it's an instant reply!)

[Ultra]

Maybe some terms could be imposed for Expert and Rookie puzzles? For example, a week or even less. I mean, after a week being a Rookie or an Expert puzzle the thread has to be moved upstairs. This could help Pros, as I think unlike them, Rookies and Experts need more time to identify the photographs and sometimes it happens eventually...

Imposed is too strong of a concept.  Strongly encouraged by the membership is a much better way of expressing the idea, IMHO. 

You guys are the ones who make such determinations.  Use polite peer pressure to get new puzzle posters to understand these ideas.  It was always the discussion that about 5-7 days was long enough in any category.  Let people know.

:huh:

[Ray B.]

Another sign of the Pro Puzzler syndrome. As I experience it anyhow:
You need some action, and there's not much going on for you because you hit your head on the wall searching the solutions of those puzzles you have the right to solve, but they are buried so deep. So you hope some guys are going to solve your own puzzles, not the easy ones, no, those tough ones they could solve so easily if they only KNEW.
And nobody shows, or they miserably fail.  And you'd be willing to give them as many clues as they like, you have to restrain yourself.

[Paul Jaray]

and another sign...I see a rookie puzzle I think I know (or I may easily find with a not-so-quick search), but then I think "no-way I'm going to waste my time looking at thousands of pictures or reading tens of books, at the end it will be solved before it reaches the pro's shores." but it doesn't happen and when it arrives at our table, I think " it's useless starting to look for it now, other pros will get it before me, it's been posted for weeks!". When I see that it's been laying for some days in the pro section, then I can start to look for it!!

[Ultra]

Remember the Boy Scout motto!!!!

[Paul Jaray]

Do not eat yellow snow?

[Ray B.]

Do not eat yellow snow?

:lmao:

[Otto Puzzell]

Many motto's - one purpose.

[Allan L]

Time for another moan!
I notice that a number of formerly frequent posters have almost disappeared once they have Professional status, e.g. SeaLion, Grobmotorix and Ehhxect.
As has been said (but perhaps not in as many words), by the time the Experts have had a go, there's not much of real interest left - particularly for people like me who are pretty underwhelmed by the multitude of modern concept cars and indistiguishable pressed steel that some seem to have an inexhaustable supply of.
I've only been in this position for a month or two, but I find I'm not even looking at the site much.
It's a bit like our banks which reward loyalty by offering lower interest rates to established customers than they do to newcomers.

[Paul Jaray]

I would like to post classic cars (Pre-war ones) but each time I do it, no one guess!
I have a list of 12 italian cars, and few guesses, plus other unnoticed ones.
I can post other cars as the ones we love, but I feel discouraged because a modern kitcar seems to be more interesting than those, for our friends.
Take a look at these, and feel free to guess!
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=8873.0
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9394.0
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9413.0
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9422.0
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9521.0
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=9522.0

[Allan L]

Thanks PJ, but I think you've foxed me with most of them.
I shall have a go wwhen I've more time.

[Ultra]

Should the pro limit be moved to 300 puzzles solved?

[Ray B.]

I don't think it would change what is making Allan feel sore.
Allan, I also have a small dozen that might fit your specialty in the Pro sections (but I guess you know that)!

The simple fact is that those left in the Pro section are really tough. But we cannot complain about that, being Pros, can we?
The amount has gone down some, which is a good thing because it became discouraging.
The last point is: if we have more old cars lovers, there will be more old car puzzles. If we have more kit car lovers, we'll have more kit car puzzles.

So my advice to Allan would be: in order to keep an even balance, make some recruits among guys like you.

[Allan L]

We can complain.
The problem, if there is a problem, is that you score 200 just by being here for a long time and answering a few each month, not because you have any idea about the kit cars and concept cars and korean rip-off cars that are all that's left for us much of the time.
PJ has found me out - I am not that knowledgable about the uncharted corners of the pre-war cars of a lot of countries, although I have to say that I still find them more interesting, even if I can't find what they are.

[Ultra]

The problem, if there is a problem, is that you score 200 just by being here for a long time and answering a few each month, not because you have any idea about the kit cars and concept cars and korean rip-off cars that are all that's left for us much of the time.

Which brings my 300 threshold question to the front burner.

[Otto Puzzell]

Time for another moan!
I notice that a number of formerly frequent posters have almost disappeared once they have Professional status, e.g. SeaLion, Grobmotorix and Ehhxect.
As has been said (but perhaps not in as many words), by the time the Experts have had a go, there's not much of real interest left - particularly for people like me who are pretty underwhelmed by the multitude of modern concept cars and indistiguishable pressed steel that some seem to have an inexhaustable supply of.
I've only been in this position for a month or two, but I find I'm not even looking at the site much.
It's a bit like our banks which reward loyalty by offering lower interest rates to established customers than they do to newcomers.

That's why I proposed the Pro's Only section. Not as a final resting place for puzzles everyone has had a whack at, but as a place where Pro's have first whack.

[metalshapes]

Time for another moan!
I notice that a number of formerly frequent posters have almost disappeared once they have Professional status, e.g. SeaLion, Grobmotorix and Ehhxect.
As has been said (but perhaps not in as many words), by the time the Experts have had a go, there's not much of real interest left - particularly for people like me who are pretty underwhelmed by the multitude of modern concept cars and indistiguishable pressed steel that some seem to have an inexhaustable supply of.
I've only been in this position for a month or two, but I find I'm not even looking at the site much.
It's a bit like our banks which reward loyalty by offering lower interest rates to established customers than they do to newcomers.

That's why I proposed the Pro's Only section. Not as a final resting place for puzzles everyone has had a whack at, but as a place where Pro's have first whack.

That seems like a good idea to me.

A good incentive to work towards, before you become a Pro.
( in other words, keep it visible to everybody but regulate who can post there...)

[Ultra]

You have what you discuss in the Pros and Feature Writers section.

http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?board=29.0

:-\

[Ray B.]

That's why I proposed the Pro's Only section. Not as a final resting place for puzzles everyone has had a whack at, but as a place where Pro's have first whack.

Yes, let's do it. Otto was right but we kind of forgot what the idea was.