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Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!utah-cs!utah-gr!thomas
From: thomas@utah-gr.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Answers on net
Message-ID: <803@utah-gr.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jun-83 21:00:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: utah-gr.803
Posted: Fri Jun 10 21:00:10 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jun-83 19:48:22 EDT
Lines: 20

Recently two puzzles were posted to net.math.  People immediately posted
solutions to the net.  This is not nice!  Some of us don't want to sit
down and think about a problem right when we see it, but might like
to work on it later.  If you MUST show off your intelligence (or lack
thereof) how about sending your solution to the poster (who presumably
already knows the answer, so you won't be spoiling HIS fun).  Then,
after a decent interval has passed (maybe 2 weeks), the poster can
repost the problem with a summary of the best solutions.  That way,
not only can everybody who wants to solve the problem read the netnews
without fear, but we won't have to wade through reams of solutions.

Finally, if you just can't stand it, and you absolutely just have to
post your solution so the whole world knows how smart YOU are, at
least you could explain HOW you got it.  A message saying "The ages
are x, y and z" doesn't help anything (except maybe your ego), whereas
a message explaining how you derived x, y and z might.

(Flame off)

=Spencer