The Future of Puzzlebrains

[Scurra]

So, having got most of the next issue out of the way (see here), there are two things that I would very much like the feedback of the Puzzlebrains community on.

Firstly, there is an issue that affects more than just Puzzlebrains. You may not be aware of it, but - from 1st January next year - anyone who sells anything "digital" within the EU will have to charge VAT at the rate applicable in the country of the customer. This was designed to clamp down on big companies like Amazon and Google who register in low-VAT countries to reduce their tax liability, but, unfortunately, it has had the side-effect of affecting anyone who makes their product available in the EU.
Now at present, Puzzlebrains does not have any European customers (we have had some outside the EU but not inside, not counting the UK of course!) And UK companies do not have to register for VAT until they have a turnover of >£80,000 a year, which we do not.
However, the way the rules are currently structured means that this is not an excuse. Even if you do not expect any sales within the EU, it is necessary to keep various records of customer's addresses (we already do, but not to the extent required) and a quarterly return has to be made, consisting entirely of zeroes. And that's assuming that you can make sense of the HMRC "one-stop shop" which is supposed to deal with all of this for you... And whilst it is true that the taxman is unlikely to come after a microbusiness for failing to do this, a failure to comply would be illegal.

Secondly, there is my own situation. Whilst I have enjoyed writing and editing Puzzlebrains over the past few years - and have appreciated all the support and contributions that people have made over that time - I simply need some time off. If we had been a growing product (that was making money) then the situation might have been different. As it is, I know that I can't produce a magazine to the quality I expect at the frequency it has been done for the time and effort it takes me.

I want to make it clear that I am not proposing that we close Puzzlebrains! However... and it's a big but - I do not anticipate being able to produce six issues of the magazine next year. I am not even certain that I could promise four (even with the help of those who contribute regularly.) Having said that, I would probably be willing to commit to producing a couple of new issues during the year, with the intent of resuming some sort of regular schedule in 2016, although probably only on a quarterly basis. That doesn't mean that there aren't ideas that could be pursued to "fill in the gap" as it were - there are other puzzles out there that people here might like to share.

In conjunction with the first issue about VAT, it seems to me that a simple solution would be for me not to ask anyone for a subscription for next year at this time, and to remove the ability to buy magazines from the website (we did sell a couple that way but that's all. Which is why this VAT thing is so ridiculous!) I would also stress that the website will remain up and running - indeed, I would hope to be able to add some of the older issues back to it. And the forum will definitely remain.

I would, however, appreciate any comments and/or suggestions people might have.

[Snoopy]

Because of family problems I have not used the site so much this year but I do enjoy using it. I feel that the final decision should be made by Scurra and his helpers as they are the ones who do all the work. In saying that I would hate to lose the puzzles entirely as I need something to pass the time. I would also say thanks to everyone associated with the puzzles and mags.

[maisie ladybird]

I too love PB and would be very sad to see it dissappear, but I can't understand that you need a break.
I don't understand the ins and outs of the VAT situation, be could you make it a club with membership fees instead of paying for individual magazines? I, for one, would be just as happy with only online puzzles and no magazine.

[Scurra]

Ironically, the situation is actually the reverse - we'd probably be OK with a magazine only and no on-line part! (Or, rather, no on-line puzzles.) The problem is with what is called "digital" products since they don't have a physical form and therefore don't require things like warehouse space or postage. Having said that, the rules are likely to extend to everything within a couple of years.

[LAT]

I agree wholeheartedly with everything Maisie said. I think that the quality of puzzles we get here is amazing but would be more than happy to get less professional-looking puzzles that we just download. And I fully understand your need for a bit of a break.*

If we became a club could we pay subscriptions to help cover the costs of maintaining the website and your computer costs?
And what would be the situation if we wished to make voluntary donations to funds?

* Who knows, if you had a break from having to create a set of puzzles every couple of months, what sort of fiendish ideas you might come up with instead?

[Biscuit]

i agree with all the comments. I love the puzzles even if I;m not good at them. It is a real community feel. I would happily join a club and try to help more with the puzzle process. I don't understand the whole download VAT thing but could they perhaps be emailed. I am not sure how the entering the answers thing would work though. I would happily contribute more as well if this helped the cause.

are apps expensive? coz a lot of companies seem to have gone down this road so maybe that may be a way. I really am probably talking a lot of rubbish.

[giraffe]

Hear hear, to all that everyone has said. I love the puzzles, and the community. I'm willing to help in any way I can and I can fully understand management needing a break.

I would have thought an app was a digital sale in the same way as selling the puzzles online. (Not that I know how to do apps. )

[Scurra]

An app would be considered the same, yes. One of the more ironic side effects of the new rule is that lots of "small" publishers will be driven into the arms of Amazon et al because it's the only way they will be able to continue - and, of course, that's exactly what most of us were trying to avoid in the first place! (Whereas the new rules were designed to affect the big players and the people writing it didn't realise the effect on everyone else, as is usually the case with things like this. It's a cock-up, not a conspiracy...) Unfortunately, that's not really an option for us, because the "answer checker" feature that is a part of the set-up here is not something that you find in books!

(As I noted above, it is possible that we would be OK under the new rules if we removed the possibility of people buying copies through the website and only operated on a subscription basis. But even then it isn't clear if we could offer PDF downloads on that basis.)

[Bunnylump]

Well, Scurra, you know my thoughts on the matter and that I am happy to do anything I can to help (apart from dealing with finances because I'm abysmal at anything like that.) Donald is registered for VAT and he doesn't seem to have too much trouble with the websites he has to use to record the information, although that might be a different kettle of fish as he obviously does need to pay VAT. But there are various clever sods on here who I'm sure would be able to help to work out how to do a zero return if it comes to it?

I would be very happy to pay a subscription, and in fact wouldn't have any objection to paying more than we do currently. The website is a great place to speak to friends as well as the discussing puzzles aspect and it would be very sad to lose it. I am also very happy to make a "donation" if that would be an easier way to do it.

If there is an issue with the downloading of PDFs, then if the worst comes to the worst, e mail me with whatever you have and I'll print them out on A4 sheets and send them to everyone if it comes to it!

Having worked in various government departments in the past, I know how they work. The chances of them chasing us up as such a small company (or caring what we are doing) are so minimal as to be ridiculous. However, I do understand that where legality is in question, you need to cover all bases. And although it irks me to say this, maybe the way forward would be to sell magazines like books through Amazon?

I completely understand that you need a break; we've been so lucky to have you all this time, free of charge! My only observation is that I think if you are considering doing a couple of "issues" then it's important to say when they will be, so that people don't "drift away" because they keep coming back and don't have any idea what's going on. So some kind of proposed issue dates would be sensible, IMHO.

[Laura]

Yes, Scurra, do what you need to do!

Also, it would be good to still be able to take part in SUMS, CISRA etc. puzzlehunts as a team, even if we have less magazines to do.

[chazzie]

Scurra - as others have said - you do what you need to do - with appreciation for all you have done over the last 5(?) years.

Taking Lauras comments about SUMS, CISRA, etc...... I wonder whether we can keep life within our site - by sharing solving of these puzzles.......when these events take place they are always quite frantic - and I'm not sure we have ever got to the stage of even trying to solve the metas.

At the same time - Im conscious that given the short timescales for these puzzlehunts not everyone can afford the time - at the time these puzzlehunts take place - but would probably enjoy trying to solve (collectively) at a later date.

All of these puzzles - are made available on the internet - and just wondering - whether people would welcome some collaborate solving after the event?

[LAT]

Re the puzzle hunts - the worst thing for me is that they are usually Monday to Friday so I rarely get a chance to catch up on what is discussed during the day, let alone add anything useful. Now a collaboration over a weekend might be a different matter.

(Mind you, the way I am feeling about work at the moment, that may not be a problem for much longer.....)

[Looby]

My thoughts are that it would be a shame for the entire Puzzlebrains to fold as we have made good friendships on here which it would be nice to be able to maintain
Having said that, the puzzles in general lately haven't been the sort that I have been able to do - because generally I want something I can do without the use of a computer. I usually do puzzles in bed and my desktop is downstairs. I have plans for a purchase in the new year of a notebook or similar (and I don't mean the one I bought in Tescos last week to use with a pen to make shopping lists) so that would have solved part of the problem.
Personally I prefer to work with a paper and pencil rather than trying to use computer skills I don't have. I would prefer puzzles with fewer 'layers'. I seem to like the number-type puzzles that Hazel hates!
I appreciate the time and effort that has gone into writing a constant stream of puzzles over the years and accept that your brain needs time to 'de-warp' itself.
I would be happy for this to become a club with a subscription if that is the easiest way forward.

[Wulfruna]

I had not realised the VAT complication, but hopefully taking a bit of time out will help to clarify how we deal with that. In the meantime, my feeling (as a consumer!!) is that we have a loyal core of puzzlebrainers who are happy to regard ourselves as a club sharing a mutual interest, for which we may be willing to continue to make a voluntary contribution to keep things going. Have I read that correctly? In that case we are not "buying" a product as such, but simply keeping the show on the road, as other societies have to do. Whilst formal subscriptions have helped to pay the cost of printing (and posting) actual magazines, there are also other hidden costs relating to equipment and website costs, whilst David of course continues to give his time and energy for free.
There is also the aspect of the Puzzle Hunts, which affects a more limited group of us (I have only been an occasional dipper into that, but might do so more if I was having to be less pre-occupied with our own puzzle-testing!) - but this is indeed one of the club's 'activities'.

One other point that David does not mention (other than obliquely), but that we discussed last time I was with him and which seemed to make good sense....: Without the pressure of producing 6 issues next year, he would have time to re-visit all the older issues and make an assessment of which of them are most suitable for continuing to be offered on the site , or which ones might be easily up-dated for that purpose as well. Some of the individual puzzles in them are clearly dated (as related to something popular at the time - e.g. soap operas or a film) and might need to be replaced with something else. And in a few cases it may be that the whole issue needs to be re-visited.
That could be good preparation for some kind of "relaunch" in another year or so.
In the meantime, we need to take on board the question of what sort of puzzle production we have during this year and how people are notified when a new set is ready. We already get an e-mail message with our passwords, so that should solve the problem?

[Bunnylump]

I may be wrong, but I do think that most people put all the effort into solving the puzzles because they feel like part of the community. I think it's really important, therefore, that the forum continues in some form, and that we have a rough idea of when we might have some more puzzles to look forward to, rather than just relying on an e mail.

I also agree that it's a waste of the material already produced to not update it with a view to being sold / used eventually. But of course the whole VAT thing needs to be addressed if they were to be sold.

I'm just worried that unless we have some concrete ideas of what's happening and when, things could drift and disintegrate into nothingness, which would be such a terrible shame after all the mammoth effort and time that has gone into the puzzles so far. I'm NOT trying to pressurise Scurra (I understand why he needs a break!) just trying to be realistic about what needs to be done to keep us ticking along. I'd really miss all of you!!

[Laura]

Just out of curiosity, how many copies of each magazine do you sell? I reckon there are about 20 regular posters on the forum? Do you sell considerably more than that?

[giraffe]

Maybe a mini stand alone puzzle could be offered on the site on the first of each month, or every other month as a reason to look in. I don't think I would stop looking in as I like to see what people are up to, but If Bunnylump thinks that is a problem. Maybe these could be puzzles that were rejects form a meta as they didn't work, or weren't complex enough to be deemed worthy. (I have no idea what sort of puzzles may be floating about in the rejects pile, or whether they need to be saved for future use) Perhaps the sort of puzzle that we sometimes have in an issue as non meta or filler puzzles, or a link to external puzzles being posted on a set date.

[maisie ladybird]

Just another thought - how about splitting the group of puzzles up into part works. Usually the issues consist of around 10/12 puzzles + meta, would it work if these were released in, for example, one a week or 2/3 a month. This would then stretch the issues out, but forum activity would be ongoing.

[Bunnylump]

That might work.

Of course, there's no reason why members couldn't contribute something now and again, is there?(Obviously with Scurra getting the final say.) Expecially since we seem to have some new contributors...

[gill216]

Without going in to other details, I can assure you that the forum is safe until December 2016. Lots of time to sort out the rest- but keep those ideas coming!