Saturday, August 21, 2021

Gmail locked me out of my own account

If you missed it, a few hours ago, I was all like "you know what would be more fun than a dumb marketing email?  Like, a flash-mob email pub quiz!" (which is included below, if you still want to play.)

And then on top of that, I was all like "and you know what would be crazy? Is if we did real prizes and I personally responded to everyone like I was right there at the bar with them!"

And then the internet was all like:
And I was all like "Whoa.  That's a lot of players.  But whatever! Let's do this!  Let's be crazy! I got all night!"

So I'm all encouraging them like:
And for, like hours, people are winning and solving puzzles, and everyone's all super happy like:
And it was exhausting, and really fun. And I was constantly hundreds of emails behind in responses but that was okay because this all felt special and I loved it.

But I guess when you do something as insane as spend all Saturday night personally responding to hundreds and hundreds of emails, it starts to look suspicious to google?

Because after 4-5 hours of playing our game, google was all like:
...So anyway. We played so hard tonight that Google thought I was a robot and locked me out of my own account.  If you're waiting on a response, you might have to give me a minute.

Hopefully you still want to play, so I'm including the game below.  I'm sure the emails will pile up for a bit, but tomorrow when we clear all this up, I might have to mass-email out some hints before we declare winners.

Mainly I didn't want to leave you guys hanging, So I'm using this *other* mass-email service to let you know that our game is on pause for the night... because Gmail was afraid I was sending mass emails.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

-Brian

ps:  I never know if I'm using the word "irony" correctly.  This is definitely situational irony, right?

pps:  original flash-mob pub quiz attached below.  Here's hoping I can get back to you ASAP! XOXO

It's the weekend, so let's play a game: Solve these 4 riddles, and I'll give you a prize.

First off: yes, I'm serious, yes, this is real, yes, the prize will be a for-reals prize and not a garbage gotcha-thing, and (most importantly...), yes, this is seriously how I'm spending my Saturday night tonight. Playing quiz-master via email with you.

Yes, this is weird, but who cares. I got a night off and I like chatting with you lot.

Couple of ground rules, in advance, tho:

First off: I can't stop you from Googling or cheating, but I'd like to think you'd want to play by Gentleman's Rules on this one. I'm really here responding, so maybe pretend we're doing a pub quiz, and really try your best on each answer. (I think it'll be more fun.)

Next: When you respond, feel free to just give me your 4 guesses in order of the riddles. Since you're replying directly, I'll know you're playing the game.

Finally: Again, if you're tempted to Google and cheat, you really don't need to. Just gimme your best guess and (just like if we were at the bar), I'll give you a nudge if you need a hint.

Ready? LET'S DO THIS!!@!  -Brian

 
How many alphanumeric characters are on the headside of a penny?
Yep, just a regular US penny, like the one you're ignoring in your change dish right now.

I'm saying "alphanumeric" because some people think I'm being tricky about whether numbers are letters.  And before you point it out, yes, I know there's two answers based on whether or not there's a "D" on there (which means it was minted in "Denver").

Looking for an answer in specific numbers on this one, and you get bonus credit if you include an explanation of your thinking.
Can you drink from an unopened bottle of beer or wine?
Before you type it, no, you can't just say, "Yes." You gotta tell me HOW you can.

(I mean... if you can. I'm not saying whether you can or can't, because that would be giving something away.)

(Which I'm not.)
Two American coins are held in a closed fist. The coins equal thirty cents. One of them is not a quarter. What is being held?
This one's pretty direct. Bonus credit if you explain.
Which word has KST in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end? (It's a seldom used word but can be found in the dictionary.)
This one is the trickiest of all. It's a good challenge, and I'm gonna have to just go on the honors system that you're not going to go Googlin' or nothing.
Aaaand, that's it!  Pretty much I'm trying to do a sneak-attack pub quiz, right now, for real prizes. Just respond to play!

-Brian
OH, WAIT!!  WHAT'S THAT YOU ASK???

"Where did these puzzles come from and where can I buy an entire deck of 52 of them???"

Funny you should mention that. If you're the lazy type (like me), who is already shouting:
Then you should know that, for the first time, The Bamboozlers Deck from Diamond Jim Tyler is available right now as individual decks at scamstuff.com!

Skip all the lines and get 52 of the best bar betchas and scams, in a gorgeous stand-alone deck. We love this deck, and you can get it right this minute without having to play any silly games. Just click and go!
Each of the 52 cards features a challenge, puzzle, magic trick, or bar bet. And the best part is, only you know the answers, because the cards only have the questions.
It's the perfect keepsake to keep on your desk or at your bar . . .

. . . the type of knick-knack friends and visitors will begin idly playing with, but eventually have them begging you for a hint.
The artwork looks gorgeous, and as always, there's nothing like that smooth glide of a air-cushioned finish.

They'll feel wonderful fresh out of the box and in your hands.
Looking forward to your replies. No cheating! ;-)

—Brian

PS: In case you missed it, The Labyrinth is our most recent puzzle box. Check it out here.


from Hacker News https://ift.tt/381WazI

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