Feedback wanted

[Redfraggle]

Yeah, we need one that I can post asking people for 'help'.

[Redfraggle]

Well Scurra is a genius so i trust he'll come up with something suitable. I can talk and so can you Bunny - so we play our strengths - and then we'll have to delete this thread to cover the evidence of our scheming

[strep98]

I seem to have a Facebook page (my daughter did it for me), except she has used my real name, is that OK?

What do I need to do now kind people

[giraffe]

I think you can change your name. Not sure how!

[MBH]

And if we do suddenly attract a lot of people in their teens and twenties, who show enough genuine interest for us to suggest they join the forum, we have to be aware that the forum will change, and will really have to change, dramatically.

The beauty of a 'forum' is it draws together people of a particular interest. We have an age range of Lally to Brian, but even before Lally came along her siblings were treated with total respect by the rest of us because they 'spoke' intelligently and with interest.

From my experience on the Martial Arts forum (which is FAR more diverse in interests), people are treat as well or as badly as they deserve I'm sure trouble makers would be dealt with as described, but the area of interest we enjoy (Puzzles) would deter most Internet Trolls.

I really liked Lord Mayor this time round. But I suppose if it was one of those wordsearch type ones at least they would be familiar for people to know how to start. There was that Mirror Mirror one recently.

There was one a while ago with a selection of unreadable lines where one was simply written backwards - it gave directions on HOW to read another line, and so-on. These are good because you're getting constant feedback that you're right and the options are reducing each 'stage' of the puzzle.

[giraffe]

Was that in the Lords (Lord Cipher? ) K and F loved that issue, but lost interest with later ones because they felt they were too hard to start. They didn't want help, but couldn't see where to start without at least a nudge.

[Laura]

I tell you which one I liked - the Zebra one from Africa.

It was the one that had different words connected to black and white in it, split up through the lines. When you coloured in the black ones (I think it was that way round), you could read the answer.

It was a sort of split up wordsearch. If people were struggling, you could hint that the words were split up, then that they might be connected to the title somehow, that they were in two groups etc.

[Edited with spoilers in case anyone hasn't done this yet!! Bunny]

[giraffe]

Could you please spoiler comments like that, I don't think I have done Zebra yet.

I was sat in a quiet side road waiting for a certain young man to finish his Latin paper this afternoon, and I suddenly thought "What about Barbican?" Now that was horrendous, but not in a clueless sort of way (From what I remember) It's the sort of puzzle that could inspire lots of comment. (Maybe I ought to go back and look at it to see if I've got rose tinted specs on about it)

[LAT]

I was wondering which puzzles people are struggling with on the latest issue, then those of us who have done them could advise on which might lend itself best to a discussion on method with confirmations as you go along. That way it wouldn't look so odd if we do attract interest and new members suddenly realised we were discussing a really old puzzle but pretending it was new?

Things like a wordsearch with a twist could work well. Or one of the cryptic crosswords which has hidden answers or letters changed.

Or we could look at which fairly recent puzzle has inspired a lot of discussion and use that?

[giraffe]

I have just discovered (whilst looking for something else entirely, and not even puzzle related) a site called the answer bank. It has a section on crosswords and puzzles where people post that they have one clue left in a certain crossword and can someone help them. I was wondering whether to post that i saw someone on the train reading a puzzlebrains magazine and does anyone know where I can get hold of it as the puzzles looked a bit different! Might just start a bit of googling of the name by cryptic puzzle doers.

[Redfraggle]

Strep you dont need to anything yet. Once PB group is on Facebook - you will be added. From there we can all post our comments. It will then startt to spread.

BTW Strep - add me on there - Judith Acheson

[Laura]

Giraffe - very sorry!!! I shouldn't have assumed that everyone would have done that one, but as I usually seem to do less than most people, and much more slowly, I just never thought.

And apologies to anyone else who may have read it inadvertently.

Sorry.

[Bunnylump]

No worries, Laura, easy mistake to make.

[LAT]

Well I seem to have managed to set up a facebook account. I also seem to have asked quite a few people to become my friends. Now it's not that I didn't want them as friends, but I thought I was just admitting I knew certain people and would subsequently get asked if I wanted to invite them to be friends, but the next thing I knew, I had a message saying that requests had been sent to all of them! A few people are going to be very surprised to have been asked!
And some of you lovely people have already said yes! And one lovely person has also sent me a couple of messages.
In the end I couldn't see the point of using an alias and I also wasn't sure I wanted to be instantly identified on here so I used my real name. I'm hoping that is the right decision.

Not sure what next though!

[strep98]

I hope I was that lovely person

[LAT]

Of course you were, I felt very welcomed!

[giraffe]

You friended the real me, rather than the giraffey me and as it was your real name the real me said yes.

[LAT]

Well the real me was very happy - I think it was because I had the real you in my email address contact list.

[Redfraggle]

OK folks, this is to help you all understand Facebook being used as a promotion tool.

Firstly, Puzzlebrains already exists on there which is us but it was never used.

I want to set up a Puzzlebrains 'group' which is different. This can be attached to my own login - so when i login I can see exactly what's going on in there.

Puzzlebrains group is like the hub of a wagon wheel - and everyone who joins the Puzzlebrains group becomes a spoke on that wheel. Members dont have to befriend each other - you are only befriending the Puzzlebrains group.

Admins can add members to the group or approve requests from others wanting to join the group. There would also be a link to the main Puzzlebrains page which would give details to subscribe.

When we comment on a puzzle advertised in the group - it appears on everyone's wall - allowing them to comment too.

As I am commenting - it appears on everyone's wall - so it scrolls past. That way others can see the puzzle and ask to join the group. I can approve posts or remove anything / anyone offensive.

I need the ones who have already joined FB to be ready to comment on a puzzle so that a comment stream is started.

Does anyone have any questions?

[gill216]

Yes, I have PB as a friend already. Have I done what you need? I'm quite happy to start commenting on PB'S wall if you tell me what I need to do. I really am a facebook dodo and I suspect most of us are. We need dodo instructions.

Sorry Jude- you must be tearing you hair out already but I'm trying to explain that I really don't know what to do.

First one to utter the same words re puzzle solving gets barred!!!