Where is everyone?...

I've been away for a couple of weeks and thought I would come back and catch up on the messages...

But there was only about one message to catch up on.

I guess everyone else has been away for August too, or is everyone just busy doing the puzzles Come on fellow puzzlers where are you!!!

Gemma

Re : Where is everyone?

Hi Gemma,, it has gone a bit quiet around here hasn't it. Hope you had a great holiday. I found a great site for slitherlink and have spent the last week or so doing nothing but! Expect I will tire of them soon and get back to the variety book I downloaded. I like to have a bit of a change now and again.

Re : Where is everyone?

Yes it has been pretty quiet over August in terms of the forums which is a shame... the vast majority of magazine downloaders don't come and join in the forums.

In fairness I suspect many people don't realise that they are here! I suppose it might be an idea to mention them in the email people get when they download a magazine.

It's been interesting to see that the children's puzzles magazines have been particularly popular this month, no doubt with parents looking for something educational to occupy / distract their children a little during the long Summer break!

Re : Where is everyone?

We are obviously the chatter boxes of the puzzle world! I don't actually know anyone else who spends as much time on puzzles as myself so it's good to discuss with likeminded people occasionally!

It's interesting that you say children's puzzles have been popular this month. I work in a school and am thinking of setting up a lunch time puzzle club for some of the 10/11 year olds I work with next term - convert one or two to puzzles whille they are young!!

Re : Where is everyone?

Well I guess I could be accused of being biased when it comes to puzzles, but that sounds like a great idea!

If you need any logic puzzles (such as simple sudoku etc) for then to try then just let me know and I can send you some free.

Re : Where is everyone?

I've been pretty quiet recently too trying to enjoy the Summer and the sunshine, although I think probably we had quite an early Summer this year didn't we!

Anyhow have finally finished my current magazines (good effort there, about 300 puzzles done ) so now looking for the next challenge.

Any recommendations?

Re : Where is everyone?

300 puzzles Stacey, that's impressive! Which types have you been doing? If you want a bit of variety and maybe to try out some new types I would really recommend the variety mag. There is so much to do in there with some more straigthforward oneS and then some real challenges with the sudoku plus/minuses.

Puzzlemags - thanks for the offer of puzzles for the kids! I think I should be okay for a while. I have managed to find some very simple KenKen, Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Futoshiki and kakuro so that should be enough to keep us going for a while, but if I get stuck then I shall know where to come!!

Re : Where is everyone?

I've settled on the fiendish sudoku for now... I realised I haven't actually done a 'normal' sudoku for ages what with all the other more interesting types to try; it will be interesting to see if I've improved at solving them having done all the other puzzle types.

Re : Where is everyone?

I know from the page views that there a considerable number of people who do check out the forums and read messages etc, but the number that then sign in and participate is quite low.

I'm not sure if there is any good way of encouraging people to sign in and post except to say that puzzling is good fun particularly when you share your thoughts, hints and tips with others and it's possible to have very interesting puzzle related discussions(!): so hopefully more people will sign up and share their puzzling views in due course!

Re : Where is everyone?

It seems that most people seem to just prefer solving the puzzles to talking about them! I visit two or three puzzle sites and none of them have a particularly busy forum which is a shame. I don't know what the answer is except to keep posting ourselves in the hope that eventually a few more people become regulars.

Re : Where is everyone?

It is indeed a shame there are not more posts, I think an ideal number would be a few posts a day so that there is enough to read without having to spend ages catching up. Unfortunately there seem to be periods of a week or two here with no-one posting in the forums, as you say I guess everyone is busy doing the puzzles - or they should be as they are great little magazines at a very good price!!!

I do like the fact that these forums feel like they are occupied by "normal people" though, I don't know about you but some of the other forums it feels like everyone is a maths genius with a pHD in logic puzzles so they can be a little intimidating, and also incidentally everyone in them seems to be a man!!