Puzzle Solving Workshop Event...

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I am looking to run an event focusing on puzzle solving concepts (it will not be a forum to actually solve puzzles or for people to provide solutions). I am expecting it to be an open forum/open dialog type of thing, with everyone contributing to the discussion. I just plan on being the facilitator/mediator.

 

I put together a few slides (PDF file available here), and would like to get some feedback from the community. Please post any comments, criticisms, changes, additions, etc here.

 

Thanks in advance!

[+niraD]

Overall, it looks good.

 

Archived puzzle caches are a good source of examples, so you can discuss real examples of local puzzles without spoiling an active puzzle cache.

 

I would use a different term than "Number" to refer to Sudoku puzzles. They're really logic puzzles, and the 9 digits could be anything. I think Ken Ken, crosswords, and a lot of other "standard" puzzles that have been adapted for a geocache fall into the same category as Sudoku puzzle caches, but I'm not sure what the best term would be. Calling them "Logic" puzzles works for Sudoku, Ken Ken, and similar puzzles, but not for crosswords, etc.

 

You list "Animations" twice on page 8.

 

You should mention anagrams somewhere. I've often seen anagrams (e.g., of the cache name) used as clues.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Overall, it looks good.

 

Archived puzzle caches are a good source of examples, so you can discuss real examples of local puzzles without spoiling an active puzzle cache.

 

I would use a different term than "Number" to refer to Sudoku puzzles. They're really logic puzzles, and the 9 digits could be anything. I think Ken Ken, crosswords, and a lot of other "standard" puzzles that have been adapted for a geocache fall into the same category as Sudoku puzzle caches, but I'm not sure what the best term would be. Calling them "Logic" puzzles works for Sudoku, Ken Ken, and similar puzzles, but not for crosswords, etc.

 

You list "Animations" twice on page 8.

 

You should mention anagrams somewhere. I've often seen anagrams (e.g., of the cache name) used as clues.

 

Thanks for the input. Will update the slides.

[+Cuddlefish]

I am looking to run an event focusing on puzzle solving concepts (it will not be a forum to actually solve puzzles or for people to provide solutions). I am expecting it to be an open forum/open dialog type of thing, with everyone contributing to the discussion. I just plan on being the facilitator/mediator.

 

I put together a few slides (PDF file available here), and would like to get some feedback from the community. Please post any comments, criticisms, changes, additions, etc here.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Awesome! I solved a puzzle after reading your presentation. Nice work.

[+birder428]

Looks good. Will be printing off and putting in my PUZZLE CACHE notebook to refer to for those puzzles I just don't get. Wish I lived in RI so I could attend! Nicely done.

[+IdaLabs]

Wow. I'd like to be there also. Maybe you could record it for us???

[+geekslady]

When are you planning on hosting this?? I know we would attend.

[+wimseyguy]

Looks great, just don't read the slides to the group word for word. Nothing drags a presentation down more than that. The attendees have already read it faster than you can read it aloud to them.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Wow. I'd like to be there also. Maybe you could record it for us???

 

That's a good idea...maybe I will.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

When are you planning on hosting this?? I know we would attend.

 

6 Nov, 11am-12am, at the Newport Public Library.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Looks great, just don't read the slides to the group word for word. Nothing drags a presentation down more than that. The attendees have already read it faster than you can read it aloud to them.

 

I haven't read a slide to an audience in 15 years. They're there to keep my train of thought going.

[+Scooter Rider]

Just a heads up.

 

The most common Morse code. Is international Morse there are a hand full of others that differ some what from it.

And its meant to be read with your ears.

If you haven't guessed I am Ham operator and still use it.

[+popokiiti]

I could do with this as I am useless at puzzles! Yes, I overthink the issue, but pointers in the how-to would be great. As another poster said, it would be wonderful if you could record this - similar to HeadHardHat's Geo-Snippets, but a written version would be appreciated (by me) too. I am only sorry that I won't be able to make the event.

That baby is the cutest, BTW! Have fun, hope it goes well at the event.

[+Bad Duck]

6 Nov, 11am-12am, at the Newport Public Library.

 

Wow a 13 hour event....

[+SSO JOAT]

I just presented a puzzle educational event last month. The presentation materials can be found on the Geocache Alaska! Education Page.

 

The pdf of my powerpoint is linked from the Sept 16th "Puzzle FUNdamentals" event listing. Note that as part of the presentation, the pdf itself has a puzzle hidden within it that was provided as "homework" for the attendees. The first to figure out that puzzle was rewarded with the coordinates to an ammo can cache that was ready to place and also had an unregistered TB tag set inside.

 

The events that live streamed this presentation are:

 

GC2CKNZ

 

GC2CKND

 

GC2CKQ2

 

GC2CKPF

 

Will be presenting a second edition of this next fall and in between I'm building a Blog site with lots of puzzle solving information, tips, & tricks. That project has just been started.

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I am looking to run an event focusing on puzzle solving concepts (it will not be a forum to actually solve puzzles or for people to provide solutions). I am expecting it to be an open forum/open dialog type of thing, with everyone contributing to the discussion. I just plan on being the facilitator/mediator.

 

I put together a few slides (PDF file available here), and would like to get some feedback from the community. Please post any comments, criticisms, changes, additions, etc here.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Something that you could add that would be quite useful would be a list of resources such as links to the Puzzle 101 series, online stegonography tools, cipher solvers, and just some web sites and/or books on ciphers. For example, Fred Wrixon's book called Codes, ciphers, secrets and cryptic communications explains lots of different types of ciphers, the history behind them and how to solve them. When encountering a puzzle cache that contains some encrypted text, often the most difficult part is identifying what kind of cipher is being used. Once you've figured that one out, solving it may be a mapper of plugging the text into an online version of the appropriate cipher cover (ie. the rumkin or purplehell sites). Anyone that has solved a pigpen cipher can immediately recognize when it's being used but there are others that have some distinguishing characteristics as well and Wrixons book is pretty good on identifying those characteristics.

[7rxc]

6 Nov, 11am-12am, at the Newport Public Library.

 

Wow a 13 hour event....

 

Not really! In that am pm format there isn't a 12am or 12pm... 12 noon or 12 midnight yes...

 

same for 12:01pm which is one minute after 12 noon... Since 12am doesn't exist, this forum will never end... but it will start on time hopefully.

 

Doug 7rxc got to get back to a good puzzle I'm working on.

[7rxc]

Just a heads up.

 

The most common Morse code. Is international Morse there are a hand full of others that differ some what from it.

And its meant to be read with your ears.

If you haven't guessed I am Ham operator and still use it.

 

And you didn't notice his spelling of Baudet instead of Baudot...

 

I hope this was an early version of the file... I see some things that I read were fixed already.

 

Doug 7rxc 73

[+GeoGeeBee]

6 Nov, 11am-12am, at the Newport Public Library.

 

Wow a 13 hour event....

 

Not really! In that am pm format there isn't a 12am or 12pm... 12 noon or 12 midnight yes...

 

 

In the world of commercial broadcasting, where everything has to be logged, 12:00 AM is midnight and 12:00 PM is noon.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

6 Nov, 11am-12am, at the Newport Public Library.

 

Wow a 13 hour event....

 

Not really! In that am pm format there isn't a 12am or 12pm... 12 noon or 12 midnight yes...

 

 

In the world of commercial broadcasting, where everything has to be logged, 12:00 AM is midnight and 12:00 PM is noon.

Can we stay on topic please?

[+Scooter Rider]

Just a heads up.

 

The most common Morse code. Is international Morse there are a hand full of others that differ some what from it.

And its meant to be read with your ears.

If you haven't guessed I am Ham operator and still use it.

 

And you didn't notice his spelling of Baudet instead of Baudot...

 

I hope this was an early version of the file... I see some things that I read were fixed already.

 

Doug 7rxc 73

 

Oh a typo like you leaving off VE on your call hey it happens.

[7rxc]

7rxc is my geocaching name... VE7RXC is my callsign..

 

To GGB... doesn't make them right. 11 59 59.99 pm is followed by 12 am?... and 00 00 00.01 is am

Only 24 hour clock allows the use of 24xx at the end of a shift and 00xx for the start of another.

 

To BBW... sorry about that... and I will now.

 

Like the idea. Hope you have changed the PP file or ?? to fix some of the suggestions.

 

Doug 7rxc VE7RXC

Edited October 9, 2010 by 7rxc

[+TripCyclone]

I would use a different term than "Number" to refer to Sudoku puzzles. They're really logic puzzles, and the 9 digits could be anything. I think Ken Ken, crosswords, and a lot of other "standard" puzzles that have been adapted for a geocache fall into the same category as Sudoku puzzle caches, but I'm not sure what the best term would be. Calling them "Logic" puzzles works for Sudoku, Ken Ken, and similar puzzles, but not for crosswords, etc.

 

I struggled with a way to label these once before. Eventually came to look at them as "Newspaper Puzzles". The types of puzzles you might find in a puzzle magazine or the New York Times.

 

http://tripcyclone.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/ahhhthe-dreaded-mystery-cache/ I put this together a while back for my blog and it helped me personally look at classifying puzzles. The first on the list is one type I've seen A LOT less of since writing this post.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Slides have been updated and now reside here.

 

I wish the links had carried over when I created the PDF. I tried to make sure I had the right tittles, so searching should yield the caches (except for a couple of mine that are archived).

[+SSO JOAT]

You need to use full version Acrobat to get the links. So either send your PPT to someone who can convert it for you, or write out the whole URL of the places you've linked to. Better to have the URL than just an underlined word that isn't linked to anything.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

You need to use full version Acrobat to get the links. So either send your PPT to someone who can convert it for you, or write out the whole URL of the places you've linked to. Better to have the URL than just an underlined word that isn't linked to anything.

I have that at work. For the presentation I will have PPT available, so I will use the native format.

[+J the Goat]

I'd like to see the whole presentation. I'm horrible at puzzles. I've solved a few, and would like to learn how to do some more. Maybe I'll see if I can get a guest host and do a similar type event.

 

Nice slides. I do like the idea of using archived puzzles, with the CO's permission, to demonstrate some of the methods.

[+rafermadness]

I just presented a puzzle educational event last month. The presentation materials can be found on the Geocache Alaska! Education Page.

 

The pdf of my powerpoint is linked from the Sept 16th "Puzzle FUNdamentals" event listing. Note that as part of the presentation, the pdf itself has a puzzle hidden within it that was provided as "homework" for the attendees. The first to figure out that puzzle was rewarded with the coordinates to an ammo can cache that was ready to place and also had an unregistered TB tag set inside.

 

The events that live streamed this presentation are:

 

GC2CKNZ

 

GC2CKND

 

GC2CKQ2

 

GC2CKPF

 

Will be presenting a second edition of this next fall and in between I'm building a Blog site with lots of puzzle solving information, tips, & tricks. That project has just been started.

 

 

Nice presentation!

[+Sol seaker]

Wow.

 

If live video streaming is a possibility, I'd love to carry it here on the West Coast.

 

Let me know if you're interested, and I can create an event here for people to watch it.

 

Would be really great!!

[+Sol seaker]

Just to mention again, just in case,

 

you probably already know about it, but if you don't this series is on how to solve puzzles:

 

 

GCYXZ7

 

Well that is one of the series.

 

Just in case there might be one little piece of info you've missed.

 

You could also use those puzzles for examples to work in the class since they are in Florida, your people wouldn't be running out to do them.

 

they are good examples of each type of puzzle.

 

Lot's of people from all over the country do them and post a note that they've solved the puzzle even though they won't be looking for the cache anytime soon.

 

Make the people work them in class themselves, then you're not giving anything away, but give people real world experience on each type of puzzle.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Sol seaker

[+SSO JOAT]

If live video streaming is a possibility, I'd love to carry it here on the West Coast.

 

If you're referring to our Geocache Alaska! sponsored events, I'm afraid that while developing the remote event concept, it was determined that we needed to stay within the state. That was a decision made by the club's board of directors in conjunction with input from reviewers and the Lillypad. While it may someday be possible to have satellite event locations linked into a far away hosting event, it appears that we are not there yet. But as with all things about the speed of technology, I expect that live-linked event sites will become a common occurrence in the near future. Also, there is expense involved in creating and running a live web feed that must be considered.