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Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 1:53 pm
by FrankieHeck
Can I just say that I saw this discussion topic on my phone just now, and for a brief, horrifying couple of seconds, I thought it was labelled "nude requests." :lol:

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 2:42 pm
by MajordomoTom
you can start that as another thread, if you so desire.

Brian - is there any widget on the website to block threads?

:)

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 2:51 pm
by TPS
FrankieHeck wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 1:53 pm Can I just say that I saw this discussion topic on my phone just now, and for a brief, horrifying couple of seconds, I thought it was labelled "nude requests." :lol:
We have added a lot of new members to the "lifestyle" recently.

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 2:53 pm
by MajordomoTom
playing X-words with X'd-legs?

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 8:00 pm
by Nlobb
Help! So many ideas but stuck in the mud? Can anyone give me a nudge?
Thanks in advance!!!

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 2:10 pm
by DBMiller
Post removed.

Edit: Let's try to limit the publicly posted hints until after the deadline.

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 5:04 pm
by RhymesWithPrius
Nudge please. :)

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 7:13 pm
by UTHfan
yeah, I'll take one too. I think I see something but my crossword motor is off this week.

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 9:58 pm
by MajordomoTom
that's odd ...

and that's a nudge.

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 1:30 pm
by Bob cruise director
I posted this here and on the FAQ-Community page just so contributors, especially newbies understand nudges/hints.

Help on the grid or the meta is what we call a nudge or hint. Everyone has an opinion on nudges from the purist who won’t look up anything in the grid on Google, to those who want to learn and succeed with any and all assistance. How you complete the grid and the contest is a personal decision and whether you submit your solution to the WSJ after getting a nudge is also a personal decision. The consensus is that completing the grid with the use of Google is generally accepted but submitting the meta solution to the WSJ after receiving more than a gentle nudge is not. Again, it is a personal decision.

For new people, let me differentiate between being “on shore” and submitting to the WSJ. The blog is here for all of our enjoyment and is not official. When you say you are on shore, it gets recorded as such. Whether you got there with a nudge or your ultimately find that you are on the shore of a deserted island, we don’t care. It is all for fun. However don’t forget to submit your solution to the WSJ.

Nudges have become a sensitive issue for three reasons I can think of:
• We have a lot of new muggles over the last two months.
• We have had three of the hardest metas in the past four years over the past six weeks so there have been a lot of public requests
• We are all a little bit cranky after being sequestered for the past 10 weeks or so

People take a lot of pride in solving the contest but at the same time are more than willing to help others increase their success rate.

The only hard and fast rule both here and on the WSJ page is that no “spoilers” are allowed. A spoiler is a direct giveaway of the answer to the meta or something that would easily lead to a direct giveaway. It is possible, and many of us have done it, to not have the solution and make a casual comment which is interpreted as a spoiler to someone who has the answer. It happens infrequently but if it does, just delete or edit your comment. Someone will let you know by PM or a comment. Sometimes Brian Mac will take down your comment. Do not take offense, it happens.

A few thoughts on the process of requesting a nudge.

• Rather than asking for a nudge in a public forum find someone who has posted that they are on shore and that they have posted a lot (as viewed under their avatar). Send them a Private Message with a request. A couple of issues with a public request is that the rest of us do not know if no one responds or if you have gotten 25 responses.
• Nudges come in a variety of types depending on the style of the person giving you a nudge. Some will give you a little hint first and if that does not work and you want it, give more hints
• When you make a request for a nudge through a PM, there are several things that I like to see, quickly summarized, that you have given it your best shot and are still stuck, but want to learn
o Don’t make a request for a nudge Thursday night or Friday. Sometimes sleeping on it or trying different things makes the solution come to you
o Explain all the paths that you have explored (we call them rabbit holes). You may get a response that you are really warm or that you are cold in which case I usually print out a new grid, fill it in and start from scratch. Or in explaining what you did, you may have that AHA moment and don’t need that nudge.
o Try to establish a longer term friendship with some muggles
• Do not expect that you are going to have a high success rate from day 1. Work the puzzle, study the past metas by each creator and above all, have fun.

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 3:23 pm
by Nlobb
I would love a nudge for sound off if anyone can help!
Thanks in advance!!
N lobb

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:39 am
by 802puzzler
I've tried about 15 mechanisms for "SUMMER WEAR" and none of them have gone any "WEAR." Can I discuss what I've tried so far? Or maybe just a first step nudge? TIA

Re: Nudge requests

Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:47 pm
by KFB
New to nudge negotiation. I've had a few ideas. I think a number clue works here somehow. Any help welcome.