problem spoilers

[sixty_something]

we have a new spoiler feature to hide any part of your reply that may disclose the correct solution
please, use the new icon above , it creates a button like this:

Spoiler

just enter any comments or suggestions that may give away the answer like in the code below

[close]

Code Select Expand

[spoiler]just enter any comments or suggestions that may give away the answer between the spoiler brackets [/spoiler]

please, do continue to offer your opinions about possible ways to interpret solutions .. we've had several already posted .. others have been suggested to me in Tells proposing alternative analysis using roll-outs and different GNUbg evaluation settings

reader's comments and suggestions are more than half the fun and educational value of this problem series .. my intent all along has been to complie sets of problems frequently missed by voters along with comments and observations by other fibsters, expert or not, regarding better ways to detect and avoid mistakes we all make, even the experts

keep on voting .. only one vote per reader is allowed and the results of a poll are only displayed after you have voted . answers will be provided in the form of GNUbg analysis TXT files attached to the original or subsequent posts

there is a thread discussing the evolution of this problem posting style and other suggestions at posting a position as a problem was a problem in our Feedback & Questions forum .. please contribute there with any suggestions or comments

if you have questions on posting a problem, please contact me or just give it a try .. we can always edit it later .. i'll soon have a post describing several ways to do it

a special thanks to webrunner for adding the spoiler feature


It's compassion that makes gods of us.
-- Dorothy Gilman

[ah_clem]

Ouestion:

Should we use the spoiler for all proposed answers or only those that contain rollouts or other presumably definitive answers?

I've been putting my comments inside the spoiler tag, but really that seems presumptuous as my partially-baked ideas are incorrect more often than not.  It's not a "spoiler" so much as just another wild-assed guess.

IOW, should the spoiler tag be reserved for comments that are actually spoilers?

What's the convention here?

[playBunny]

I've been putting my comments inside the spoiler tag, but really that seems presumptuous as my partially-baked ideas [...]

My rule of thuimb is that if I think I might give something, anything, away that someone might wish they had thought of themselves before reading me say either that idea or something that readily leads to it, then I add a spoiler button.

Putting it a different way, a partially baked cake can still be gobbled down and found nutritious.

I'd rather annoy someone who thought I didn't need to have added a spoiler button than deprive someone of the satisfaction of the fruit of their own thinking.

[ah_clem]

The way I like to approach these problems is to first do my own analysis without reading what anyone else has said.  Then I post my answer, warts and all.

Next, I'll look at other proposed solutions and see if it changes my mind.  Maybe respond with an "after seeing ____'s response, that seems correct."

Finally, I'll look at the bot's solution (rollout, etc.) or the "expert's" answer.

It's only the last one that's actually a spoiler.  If I don't want to read other people's take on the problem, I won't scroll down the thread.  OTOH, if everything is behind a spoiler tag, I might see a rollout when I'm just looking for another person's opinion.

So my take is save the spoiler tag for rollouts or other  authoritative answers.  But I'll go with the flow on this one...

[diane]

My rule of thuimb is that if I think I might give something, anything, away that someone might wish they had thought of themselves before reading me say either that idea or something that readily leads to it, then I add a spoiler button.

That is pretty much how I use it - and I do like to see it used, because when you go to a problem to read and think about it, you can't help but start to take other's ideas on if they are in plain sight. 

With spoilers, I can make my decision, then read the others posts, contrary to what lewscannon would have you think   

Then I post my thoughts if I have anything different to offer - or something silly to say 

[playBunny]

I might see a rollout when I'm just looking for another person's opinion.

So my take is save the spoiler tag for rollouts or other  authoritative answers.  But I'll go with the flow on this one...

When I post a GnuBg analysis my convention is to let it be known outside the spoiler but hide the goodies inside.

But it was for the opposite reason to the one you mentioned. It's so that someone looking for a rollout
can find it easily and doesn't have to bother reading my opinion! 

[playBunny]

you can't help but start to take other's ideas on if they are in plain sight. 

This is very true. Even though we may consciously avoid looking at others' words and may keep our focus away, our eyes will still encompass the wider area and our brain will still parse the images and look for meaning.

It's a natural part of reading and you can sometimes notice the effect when reading a book. A novel idea comes to you as you read and then the author says it in, say, the next paragraph. You didn't necessarily originate the idea, and "oh, what a coincidence", you very possibly read it in advance subliminally.

[ah_clem]

...you can't help but start to take other's ideas on if they are in plain sight. 

Yep. No argument there.

The thing is, a reply that's down thread is not in plain sight unless you scroll down to it. I have no trouble ignoring posts that are not on the screen.

[diane]

Yep. No argument there.

The thing is, a reply that's down thread is not in plain sight unless you scroll down to it. I have no trouble ignoring posts that are not on the screen.

Yes, it is mostly the top couple of posts as I scroll to see the board or options...so the lower ones don't have to bother   

[ah_clem]

Since I haven't signed up as a supporter, the second post of every thread is an ad.  This prevents me from seeing the other responses until I scroll down.  Maybe the ad's actually a good thing?  Who knew?  (c:

Without that "spacer" you might well inadverdently see the first response along with the original problem statement. I'll try to be careful if I'm the first to reply so as not to warp your train of thought with my partially-baked ideas.

[socksey]

Maybe the ad's actually a good thing?  Who knew?  (c:

Probably your site adminstrator, stog.   

socksey



"They spend the first six days of each week sowing their wild oats, then they go to church on Sunday and pray for crop failure." - Bob Hope, on sailors

[diane]

I'll try to be careful if I'm the first to reply so as not to warp your train of thought with my partially-baked ideas.

that is very thoughtful of you