MormonHub Forum Flurry! Puzzle

[zil]

It's been a busy hour on the MormonHub forums and @pam can hardly keep up. In rapid succession (1, 2, 3, 4), four of the regulars ( @Carborendum, @NeedleinA, @Vort, and @Zarahemla ) each posted a new topic ("Facsimile 2", "Holy Cow!", "New Family Member", and "She's Finally Gone") in a different forum (Advice Board, Current Events, General Discussions, and LDS Gospel Discussion), and a different regular ( @anatess2, @LiterateParakeet, @MormonGator, @Sunday21) was the first to reply to each. From the following clues, can you help @pam figure out who posted what topic, the forum in which they posted it, who posted the first reply for each topic, and the order in which each topic was posted?

NOTE: Above lists are not in any relative order and one should not attempt to use familiarity or anything else in the real world to guess at who would post or respond to which topic, nor the forum in which any topic seems to belong!  Deduction is your only hope.

See attached for a repeat of this info and a grid to help you deduce.

1. MormonGator responded to the fourth post.
2. Zarahemla didn't make the first post, which was in Current Events.
3. The third post wasn’t Holy Cow!
4. Sunday21 replied to the topic in the Advice Board forum.
5. The second topic, which wasn’t New Family Member, was posted by Vort.
6. The She's Finally Gone topic was started in LDS Gospel Discussion but LiterateParakeet didn't respond to it.
7. NeedleInA didn't make the fourth post.
8. Sunday21 didn't reply to Carborendum's Facsimile 2 post.
9. Anatess2 replied to the New Family Member post, which wasn't made in General Discussions.

If you've never done one of these, and need instruction on how to use the grid, let me know.  (Basically, you X out any square that is not a match, and put a dot in any square where there is a match.  Once you've found a match, any remaining squares in the same row or column of that category can be Xed out - e.g. Once you figure out who made the first post, you know that person didn't make posts 2, 3, or 4; and that no one else made the first post.)

Enjoy!

(Yes, this is my definition of fun - and this one's a pretty easy one.)

The grid is your friend...

ForumFlurry.pdf

Edited December 2, 2016 by zil

[NeedleinA]

@zil, might as well deep fry my brain in a vat of day old left over McDonalds french fry grease now, because I have no chance of figuring this out.  

...walks away to count the number of fingers he has on one hand 1,2,3,4 and 5 = me tired.

[prisonchaplain]

@zil You've been so kind, often thanking my posts, and just being encouraging.  Now this.  :::sigh::: I suppose we all need a dose of humility now and then.  On the other hand, when it comes to your definition of fun, I murmur to myself as I tsk tsk, "There, but for the grace of God, go I..."

[Guest MormonGator]

@zil, #3, dearest...I wish you find hobbies other than confusing people!!!! 

[Vort]

This looks awesome, I'm preparing for an hour-long 6:00 meeting, and then I need to review my son's "abstract" (it's nothing of the sort) for a BYU class, so I probably won't get to it for a while. But thanks. It'll be fun when I finally get A Round Tuit.

[zil]

Did you guys (other than Vort) look at the download?  In it there's a grid with each combo intersected so that you simply make Xs and dots in the appropriate square.  Once you've gone through all the clues and marked the "nots" (X) and "is's" (dot), then you start deducing - and it's pretty obvious: if PersonA wrote "Holy Cow!" and PersonA was not the first to post, then "Holy Cow!" wasn't the first post (for example).

Sorry.   (The fountain pen people liked the one I made for them... )

[NeedleinA]

3 minutes ago, Vort said:

This looks awesome, I'm preparing for an hour-long 6:00 meeting, and then I need to review my son's "abstract" (it's nothing of the sort) for a BYU class, so I probably won't get to it for a while. But thanks. It'll be fun when I finally get A Round Tuit.

How did I know Vort was going to bite on this one! Not only is he going to figure it out, he will probably translate the whole thing into Italian. 

[NeedleinA]

5 minutes ago, zil said:

"nots" (X) and "is's" (dot),

You mean Italian xs and dots?

[zil]

3 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

he will probably translate the whole thing into Italian

 

Just now, NeedleinA said:

You mean Italian xs and dots?

Just be glad I didn't post the whole thing in Celtic runes.

[Sunday21]

Dear Zil,

i love you! I have a migraine, a meeting tomorrow morning in which I have to defend my poor department and then the rest of Friday and all of Saturday to build a mathematical model. I do love you but I just can't.

[zil]

3 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

Dear Zil,

i love you! I have a migraine, a meeting tomorrow morning in which I have to defend my poor department and then the rest of Friday and all of Saturday to build a mathematical model. I do love you but I just can't.

Sorry about your migraine.  Hope it goes away  soon!

It could wait, until some day when you're not overly busy - this post isn't going anywhere...

[Sunday21]

Please forgive me! Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[zil]

Just now, Sunday21 said:

Please forgive me! Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

It's not like you're obliged to work out the puzzle! It's an offering, for any who like puzzles.  It's OK if you don't.

[anatess2]

5 hours ago, zil said:

Did you guys (other than Vort) look at the download?  In it there's a grid with each combo intersected so that you simply make Xs and dots in the appropriate square.  Once you've gone through all the clues and marked the "nots" (X) and "is's" (dot), then you start deducing - and it's pretty obvious: if PersonA wrote "Holy Cow!" and PersonA was not the first to post, then "Holy Cow!" wasn't the first post (for example).

Sorry.   (The fountain pen people liked the one I made for them... )

No.  Because we know @Vort is gonna answer it before we can even get our eyes un-crossed.

[classylady]

I love, love, love Logic Problems!  Unfortunately, it's after 3 am, and I'm in Baker City, OR trying to sleep in a strange bed with my Restless Leg Syndrome acting up. My husband and I have about 7 more hours of driving to do before we get home, and then I'll work on it. I don't care if others have already solved it. I want to solve it for myself. Thanks, Zil!!

[askandanswer]

May I suggest that those who solve it let the forum know that they have solved it, but that they don't post their answers until, say, early next week some time, or maybe just send their answers to Zil through private message?

[askandanswer]

11 hours ago, Vort said:

This looks awesome, I'm preparing for an hour-long 6:00 meeting, and then I need to review my son's "abstract" (it's nothing of the sort) for a BYU class, so I probably won't get to it for a while. But thanks. It'll be fun when I finally get A Round Tuit.

Edited December 2, 2016 by askandanswer

[askandanswer]

11 hours ago, zil said:

 

Just be glad I didn't post the whole thing in Celtic runes.

I'm sure you would rue it if you had. That would completely rune my ability to solve this problem

 

Edited December 2, 2016 by askandanswer

[zil]

7 hours ago, anatess2 said:

No.  Because we know @Vort is gonna answer it before we can even get our eyes un-crossed.

The point isn't for one person to post back the answer.  The point is for folks who like doing puzzles to download the grid and spend a little while solving a puzzle.    So it's OK if Vort solves it before your eyes get un-crossed.

[Vort]

10 hours ago, anatess2 said:

No.  Because we know @Vort is gonna answer it before we can even get our eyes un-crossed.

Actually, though I love logic puzzles, this particular type is hard for me. I have to graph it out and cross off boxes. I'll take a shot at this a little later this morning.

[zil]

27 minutes ago, Vort said:

I have to graph it out and cross off boxes.

Me too.  That's why I attached the grid - it's so much easier with the grid.

[askandanswer]

18 hours ago, zil said:

It's been a busy hour on the MormonHub forums and @pam can hardly keep up. In rapid succession (1, 2, 3, 4), four of the regulars ( @Carborendum, @NeedleinA, @Vort, and @Zarahemla ) each posted a new topic ("Facsimile 2", "Holy Cow!", "New Family Member", and "She's Finally Gone") in a different forum (Advice Board, Current Events, General Discussions, and LDS Gospel Discussion), and a different regular ( @anatess2, @LiterateParakeet, @MormonGator, @Sunday21) was the first to reply to each. From the following clues, can you help @pam figure out who posted what topic, the forum in which they posted it, who posted the first reply for each topic, and the order in which each topic was posted?

NOTE: Above lists are not in any relative order and one should not attempt to use familiarity or anything else in the real world to guess at who would post or respond to which topic, nor the forum in which any topic seems to belong!  Deduction is your only hope.

See attached for a repeat of this info and a grid to help you deduce.

1. MormonGator responded to the fourth post.
2. Zarahemla didn't make the first post, which was in Current Events.
3. The third post wasn’t Holy Cow!
4. Sunday21 replied to the topic in the Advice Board forum.
5. The second topic, which wasn’t New Family Member, was posted by Vort.
6. The She's Finally Gone topic was started in LDS Gospel Discussion but LiterateParakeet didn't respond to it.
7. NeedleInA didn't make the fourth post.
8. Sunday21 didn't reply to Carborendum's Facsimile 2 post.
9. Anatess2 replied to the New Family Member post, which wasn't made in General Discussions.

If you've never done one of these, and need instruction on how to use the grid, let me know.  (Basically, you X out any square that is not a match, and put a dot in any square where there is a match.  Once you've found a match, any remaining squares in the same row or column of that category can be Xed out - e.g. Once you figure out who made the first post, you know that person didn't make posts 2, 3, or 4; and that no one else made the first post.)

Enjoy!

(Yes, this is my definition of fun - and this one's a pretty easy one.)

The grid is your friend...

ForumFlurry.pdf

I read this late last night shortly before going to bed. And now its early Saturday morning and its still here. So I guess its not just a bad dream.

[zil]

2 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

I read this late last night shortly before going to bed. And now its early Saturday morning and its still here. So I guess its not just a bad dream.

An excellent example of simple deduction!  Good job.  Now download the grid and try it!

[Guest]

Ok. I finally got it.

I was beginning to think there wasn't enough information.  I'm used to a single set of variables with a single set of equations.  But this was an iterative process.  I believe I had to go over it about 7 times to get all the blocks filled in.

But, yes, it can be done.

[zil]

10 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

Ok. I finally got it.

I was beginning to think there wasn't enough information.  I'm used to a single set of variables with a single set of equations.  But this was an iterative process.  I believe I had to go over it about 7 times to get all the blocks filled in.

But, yes, it can be done.

Yes, that's what makes this a good one*.  In some, once you've gone through all the clues, the answers are pretty obvious and there's no deduction at all.  In this one, the clues give you just barely enough to deduce the remaining information.   (Would you all throw rocks at me if I said I do 1 to 4 of these per day, depending on how many my source provides each day?)

*I did not invent the logic underlying this puzzle.  I took the logic from an existing puzzle and used it to make this one (in case someone's thinking I'm smart enough to make this up from scratch).