Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine Vol 02 Issue 11
------- Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine -------
Vol 2, Issue 11
After the past few issues, you'd think that the Web was all about
business. "Who owns your website?", "What time tracking tools do
you use?" and "How to improve your Web presence" -- they're all
important and interesting to write about, but let's not forget
the fun. Today I'll touch on some of the fun sites that I've
found (especially for puzzlers like me).
Oh, and a quick update from last issue. It turns out that you
*can* customize your CreativeProOffice installation by uploading
a logo which displays in the upper left corner of the screen.
Thanks to my buddy Barry Marshall of MicorDesign
(http://www.micordesign.com/) for setting the record straight.
----------------------------------------------------------------
In This Issue...
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Article: Puzzlers Conquest
2. Blog Posts
3. Shameless Self-Promotion
4. The Fine Print
----------------------------------------------------------------
1. Article: Puzzlers Conquest
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Web may have started out as a way for physicists in
Switzerland to pass information back and forth, but it sure has
come a long way from those early, humble beginnings. If you
wanted, you could spend your entire day surfing from one fun site
to the next. Of course, in order to maintain cordial relations
with your employer/co-workers/clients/spouse, I wouldn't
recommend it, but the amount of entertainment available has
rapidly exceeded any one person's ability to enjoy it all.
That being said, though, I'd like to put in a recommendation for
three related sites for those of us who enjoy math and number
puzzles, like Sudoku. If you've got a moment or two, head over
to the "Conquest" trilogy: http://sudokuconquest.com,
http://kakuroconquest.com, and http://hitoriconquest.com. It'll
be the best five or six hours you've ever wasted.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the last five years,
you are familiar with Sudoku. You know the idea -- a 9x9 grid
with some numbers already seeded within it. Your goal is to
enter the numbers 1 to 9 into each column, row, and 3x3 sub-grid
so that non contain a duplicate number. Easy to learn, can be a
challenge to master. SudokuConquest.com does a good job of
implementing the puzzle online. As with all of the Conquest
series, it keeps track of the time it takes you and remembers
your record thus far (very cool, until you realize that you've
played almost a hundred games and the sun is coming up). The
thing that I like especially is that you can enter multiple
numbers in the same grid box. I sometimes need to see this in
order to figure out the more difficult puzzles. A lot of the
online implementations leave this out.
I actually don't play Sudoku very much. Personally, I prefer
Kakuro (http://kakuroconquest.com). Kakuro also goes by the name
Cross Sums in some puzzle books. Essentially, the idea is that
you have a crossword grid. Instead of word clues, however, you
get number clues. The numbers in a "word" have to add up to the
clue value. The "letters" are the numbers from 1 to 9, and you
can't repeat any number in a "word". As with SudokuConquest,
this puzzler has time and record tracking, and a variety of
difficulty levels. You can also specify a larger puzzle to give
you a little more challenge.
The Hitori puzzle (http://hitoriconquest.com/) was brand new to
me. This one is an interesting combination of Sudoku and
Minesweeper (don't pretend that you don't know what *that* is).
In this one, the puzzle presents you with a grid of numbers.
Your task is to eliminate all the duplicate numbers. The trick
is that you aren't allowed to eliminate numbers which are right
next to each other (though diagonals are allowed) and you can't
have eliminations arranged in such a way that diagonally touching
positions isolate a square from the rest of the grid. If you
want to try it, I'd recommend checking out some of the helpful
hints to get you started.
When you've got a minute or two, give the Conquest series a try.
Sometimes it's nice just to let the mind focus on something less
important. I know it can clear my noggin and have me ready to
work on more important things. Of course, as with all things,
use it in moderation. We don't want to have to open up a new
chapter of Conquesters Anonymous in this area.
Drop me a line at gpeters@cyberdatasolutionsllc.com with your
favorite time waster, er, I mean "example of Web entertainment".
C'mon, you know you've got one!
Copyright 2008, Greg Peters
----------------------------------------------------------------
2. Blog Posts
----------------------------------------------------------------
Links to posts on the "Clearing Up the Confusion" Blog from the
last year:
Thursday, May 29, 2008 -- We've Got It All
http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2008/05/weve-got-it-all.html
"OK, if you thought that your idea for a wacky website was just a
little too wacky, you can rest assured in the knowledge that you
are probably well within the bounds of acceptable practice on the
Web...."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 -- Life is Good
http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-is-good.html
"Those who actually check on my blog on a periodic basis have
undoubtedly noticed a long dry spell here. Part of that, of
course, is due to the darling angel who has decided to come live
with us -- our delightful daughter, Kaylie. While she does take
up some time, though, our life with her is becoming a bit more
under control (as much as it can be, at any rate)...."
----------------------------------------------------------------
3. Shameless Self-Promotion
----------------------------------------------------------------
The "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-Zine is a production of Greg
Peters, owner, chief cook, and bottlewasher of Cyber Data
Solutions. CDS has been helping website designers develop better
web presence for their clients for more than a decade. Visit us
on the Web at www.cyberdatasolns.com to see how we can help your
webmaster.
----------------------------------------------------------------
4. The Fine Print
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe:
You can subscribe to the "Clearing Up The Confusion" E-zine at:
http://www.cyberdatasolns.com/ezine
Questions:
If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding the
Clearing Up the Confusion E-zine, please email Greg Peters at:
gpeters@cyberdatasolns.com
This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright and contact
information intact, without specific permission, when used only
in a not for-profit format. If any other use is desired,
permission in writing from Greg Peters is required, with
notification to the original author.
We never send the "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-zine uninvited,
and we NEVER share, sell or rent our mailing list to anyone. Your
privacy is safe with us.
