Feature requests

[Charlie Reams]

On the high scores page, it strikes me as odd that the 15-rounder format with its 15 000 games is only entitled to a top ten scores the same as, for instance, CSW Goatdown 9, which to be frank barely even needs a top 1. Perhaps some records could be scaled back while others- 15 rounders, 9 rounders and speedgoat spring immediately to mind- could be enchanced to a top 20 or 25?

Done.

[JackHurst]

(once again, sorry if its been posted before)

I'd find a sort of 'backwards' stemmer useful in the modules on lexplorer.

For example, sometimes could look at a selection and get Notarised for 9, but realize that there isnt an O. Easy for most players to realize you could get strained with Notarised-o, but with other words and letters, it could be useful to learn what words you could get if you took one letter away.

More examples from Common a common 9:
ANTIPODES-P=SEDATION
ANTIPODES-N=DIOPTASE

[Phil Collinge]

A couple of things that have been on my mind a little while, and a third that reared up tonight.

1) When playing a numbers attack and the scores are tied, you then have a conundrum to determine the winner. For me this doesn't fit with the format as it would with a letters attack or 15 rounder as its a complete change of discipline.

Would it not be possible, and preferable, to have a further numbers game in the event of a tie?

2) This might be an impossible ask, but is there any way of facilitating a 'chat history' so that you can view chat that took place when you weren't physically in the room?

This would be especially useful for occasions where you lost connection and you're opponent might have called you a cunt in your absence but would also be a way of catching up on anything interesting you might have missed, which, with new additions, is more likely by the day.

3) I noticed this evening that we had two players by the name of Paul Williams, registered on 9th and 11th May. I think it would benefit everyone, especially Messrs Williams, if there could be some way of differentiating between players of the same name - either by a (1) and (2) or a middle initial - and some way of preventing duplicate name registrations.

Although this may sound a triviality, if they're both around for a while it could cause endless confusion

[Neil Zussman]

(once again, sorry if its been posted before)

I'd find a sort of 'backwards' stemmer useful in the modules on lexplorer.

For example, sometimes could look at a selection and get Notarised for 9, but realize that there isnt an O. Easy for most players to realize you could get strained with Notarised-o, but with other words and letters, it could be useful to learn what words you could get if you took one letter away.

More examples from Common a common 9:
ANTIPODES-P=SEDATION
ANTIPODES-N=DIOPTASE

I suggested it here and got turned down. I still think it would be a good feature though, so hopefully you can come up with some better arguments than I did.

[JackHurst]

No idea if it could be implemented easily, but I'd like to see a kind of 'Anti-Stemmer' feature- i.e. if you put in a string of n letters, it tells you all the words of length n-1 that could be made from those
(such as: ACELP
Stemmer: ACELP+A=PALACE
ACELP+D=PLACED etc.
Anagrams: Place
Anti-Stemmer: ACELP-P=LACE
ACELP-L=CAPE, PACE etc.)

Pretty useless as this is just like an anagram solver.

Just because it would be like an anagram solver doesnt make it useless, the stemmer is like an anagram solver, but it does the work for you. This would be the same.

Admittedly, the stemmer tries 26 letters to add to the word, and a backwrds stemmer would only have to try 2-9, but it would still save time and make things a lot easier. Most people wont go to the trouble of fimiliarising themselves with all 8 letter words you can make from DERATIONS by typing 9 different sets of letters into an anagram solver, they have the possibilities right infront of them, they will probably think that they are worth knowing and take note.

[Charlie Reams]

Re. the anti-stemmer: Maybe. (It was Kirk that dismissed the idea, I was just never got round to doing it.)

1) When playing a numbers attack and the scores are tied, you then have a conundrum to determine the winner. For me this doesn't fit with the format as it would with a letters attack or 15 rounder as its a complete change of discipline.

Would it not be possible, and preferable, to have a further numbers game in the event of a tie?

This has been suggested before. It's not a good idea because it would make it impossible to beat Rex at numbers or letters attack.

2) This might be an impossible ask, but is there any way of facilitating a 'chat history' so that you can view chat that took place when you weren't physically in the room?

This would be especially useful for occasions where you lost connection and you're opponent might have called you a cunt in your absence but would also be a way of catching up on anything interesting you might have missed, which, with new additions, is more likely by the day.

I was considering doing this the other day and decided that no one cares enough. Since you've proved me wrong, I will.

3) I noticed this evening that we had two players by the name of Paul Williams, registered on 9th and 11th May. I think it would benefit everyone, especially Messrs Williams, if there could be some way of differentiating between players of the same name - either by a (1) and (2) or a middle initial - and some way of preventing duplicate name registrations.

Although this may sound a triviality, if they're both around for a while it could cause endless confusion

This is a pretty good idea, although I'd need to do some head-scratching about exactly how to differentiate them. Maybe I could give them randomly generating honorifics...

[Ben Wilson]

Re. the anti-stemmer: Maybe. (It was Kirk that dismissed the idea, I was just never got round to doing it.)

1) When playing a numbers attack and the scores are tied, you then have a conundrum to determine the winner. For me this doesn't fit with the format as it would with a letters attack or 15 rounder as its a complete change of discipline.

Would it not be possible, and preferable, to have a further numbers game in the event of a tie?

This has been suggested before. It's not a good idea because it would make it impossible to beat Rex at numbers or letters attack.

To be fair you'd have to be masochistic to even think about taking on Rexie at a letters or numbers attack (and technically, isn't it impossible anyway, as the format automatically changes when you add a tie-break conundrum?). I think 'continuing the trend' in an attack-style game (one where the rounds are either all L or all N) is a good idea though.

[Dan Vanniasingham]

3) I noticed this evening that we had two players by the name of Paul Williams, registered on 9th and 11th May. I think it would benefit everyone, especially Messrs Williams, if there could be some way of differentiating between players of the same name - either by a (1) and (2) or a middle initial - and some way of preventing duplicate name registrations.

Although this may sound a triviality, if they're both around for a while it could cause endless confusion

This is a pretty good idea, although I'd need to do some head-scratching about exactly how to differentiate them. Maybe I could give them randomly generating honorifics...

The second Paul Williams (11th May) is my Eggheads teammate. I told him about Countdown stuff and, surprisingly, he's also a fan. He's known as "Fingers" on the bowling circuit, so I'm sure he won't mind having that as a middle name or new first name if that helps.

[Kai Laddiman]

(once again, sorry if its been posted before)

I'd find a sort of 'backwards' stemmer useful in the modules on lexplorer.

For example, sometimes could look at a selection and get Notarised for 9, but realize that there isnt an O. Easy for most players to realize you could get strained with Notarised-o, but with other words and letters, it could be useful to learn what words you could get if you took one letter away.

More examples from Common a common 9:
ANTIPODES-P=SEDATION
ANTIPODES-N=DIOPTASE

I suggested it here and got turned down. I still think it would be a good feature though, so hopefully you can come up with some better arguments than I did.

Two months earlier...

[Charlie Reams]

2) This might be an impossible ask, but is there any way of facilitating a 'chat history' so that you can view chat that took place when you weren't physically in the room?

This would be especially useful for occasions where you lost connection and you're opponent might have called you a cunt in your absence but would also be a way of catching up on anything interesting you might have missed, which, with new additions, is more likely by the day.

Done.

[Dinos Sfyris]

Awesome. I feel like I'm in that film Sliver.

[Ian Volante]

Awesome. I feel like I'm in that film Sliver.

Are you Sharon Stone or the apparently lightly-greased naked muscly man?

[Maxine Silkstone]

Don't know if it's possible, but it would be nice when signed in, to be able to mark yourself as 'busy' or 'away' for those times when the doorbell goes, or the dog needs to go out, or the kid needs algebra explained again, and you really don't want to sign out in case you can't get back in again. Or, you just want to play the teasers and not engage in a game because you have to go out in a bit. That way you don't have to keep typing polite refusals to people's challenges.

[Ian Volante]

Don't know if it's possible, but it would be nice when signed in, to be able to mark yourself as 'busy' or 'away' for those times when the doorbell goes, or the dog needs to go out, or the kid needs algebra explained again, and you really don't want to sign out in case you can't get back in again. Or, you just want to play the teasers and not engage in a game because you have to go out in a bit. That way you don't have to keep typing polite refusals to people's challenges.

I thought this, but then I suspect there'd be a lot more people just lurking and clogging up the server without actually doing anything.

[Charlie Reams]

Don't know if it's possible, but it would be nice when signed in, to be able to mark yourself as 'busy' or 'away' for those times when the doorbell goes, or the dog needs to go out, or the kid needs algebra explained again, and you really don't want to sign out in case you can't get back in again. Or, you just want to play the teasers and not engage in a game because you have to go out in a bit. That way you don't have to keep typing polite refusals to people's challenges.

I thought this, but then I suspect there'd be a lot more people just lurking and clogging up the server without actually doing anything.

It's a pretty good idea, you're not the first person to ask for something like that so I'll probably do something along those lines. For the record, I'd rather people just suggested whatever features they'd like and left the technical stuff to me; it costs very little to have someone logged in and not playing.

[Ian Volante]

Don't know if it's possible, but it would be nice when signed in, to be able to mark yourself as 'busy' or 'away' for those times when the doorbell goes, or the dog needs to go out, or the kid needs algebra explained again, and you really don't want to sign out in case you can't get back in again. Or, you just want to play the teasers and not engage in a game because you have to go out in a bit. That way you don't have to keep typing polite refusals to people's challenges.

I thought this, but then I suspect there'd be a lot more people just lurking and clogging up the server without actually doing anything.

It's a pretty good idea, you're not the first person to ask for something like that so I'll probably do something along those lines. For the record, I'd rather people just suggested whatever features they'd like and left the technical stuff to me; it costs very little to have someone logged in and not playing.

Fairy nuff, especially now things are more stable!

[Charlie Reams]

2) This might be an impossible ask, but is there any way of facilitating a 'chat history' so that you can view chat that took place when you weren't physically in the room?

This would be especially useful for occasions where you lost connection and you're opponent might have called you a cunt in your absence but would also be a way of catching up on anything interesting you might have missed, which, with new additions, is more likely by the day.

Done.

Don't bother to thank me.

[Phil Collinge]

Of course I'll thank you Charlie (last time I was on I didn't notice it was active).

In the two months I've been here the improvements to the site have been very impressive, and it was a damn good site even before them.

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say how very grateful I am for all the work you put into this site.

[Gavin Chipper]

This has been suggested before. It's not a good idea because it would make it impossible to beat Rex at numbers or letters attack.

To be fair you'd have to be masochistic to even think about taking on Rexie at a letters or numbers attack (and technically, isn't it impossible anyway, as the format automatically changes when you add a tie-break conundrum?). I think 'continuing the trend' in an attack-style game (one where the rounds are either all L or all N) is a good idea though.

You could have it so that you can have a certain number of tie-breaks of the same sort and then still finish with a conundrum. Maybe three tie-breaks of the same type and then a conudrum. And as for being impossible to beat Rex in a letters or numbers attack because of the format change, isn't that just a minor semantic point? I think the game only calls it something else for the records pages, but from our "human" point of view it's still the same game type.

[Charlie Reams]

Of course I'll thank you Charlie (last time I was on I didn't notice it was active).

In the two months I've been here the improvements to the site have been very impressive, and it was a damn good site even before them.

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say how very grateful I am for all the work you put into this site.

You're welcome

[Neil Zussman]

As well as letting you know when someone starts watching the game you are playing, would it be possible to be informed when they stop watching? I'm paranoid, you see.

[Kirk Bevins]

As well as letting you know when someone starts watching the game you are playing, would it be possible to be informed when they stop watching? I'm paranoid, you see.

That's a great shout - I've always wondered this then see them "leave the room" so know they must have stopped.

[Darren Carter]

Love the new features, especially the recent games in the player profiles. I don't see how it can improve any more if I'm being honest.

[Oliver Garner]

Love the new features, especially the recent games in the player profiles. I don't see how it can improve any more if I'm being honest.

Totally agree but it would be even better if you could click on the result to give a link to the game.

[Neil Zussman]

As well as letting you know when someone starts watching the game you are playing, would it be possible to be informed when they stop watching? I'm paranoid, you see.

New: Notification when someone stops spectating (thanks Neil.)

I got mentioned on the Apterous homepage! My life is complete Thanks Charlie!

[Lesley Hines]

Brilliant new improvements - thanks very much! Thought it might be nice, if, when someone joins the game, they can see the chat word currently up and how long they've got left to answer it. I seem to do a good line in joining just as it says 'fred got it first - you've got 58 seconds left to try', and don't know what the letters are!

What a great site

[Lesley Hines]

Charlie, I can't decide if you're the ultimate philanthropist or desperately in need of fresh air, but either way I'm loving it! Thanks very much - now all i need to do is answer them

[Kai Laddiman]

How about a bot that never scores (like The Duellist) but your rating does not change?

[Matt Morrison]

How about a bot that never scores (like The Duellist) but your rating does not change?

Ratings wouldn't need to be changed. If he never scored he would quickly descend below a Prune-level rating, and so you'd have to win several long games against him before you'd even get one point. It wouldn't allow for any ratings abuse, so long as Charlie introduced him at a 200-ish rating, rather than a 1433 provisional.

[Kai Laddiman]

How about a bot that never scores (like The Duellist) but your rating does not change?

Ratings wouldn't need to be changed. If he never scored he would quickly descend below a Prune-level rating, and so you'd have to win several long games against him before you'd even get one point. It wouldn't allow for any ratings abuse, so long as Charlie introduced him at a 200-ish rating, rather than a 1433 provisional.

Oops, I meant its rating doesn't change either.

[Howard Somerset]

As well as letting you know when someone starts watching the game you are playing, would it be possible to be informed when they stop watching? I'm paranoid, you see.

I was never aware that there was a possibility that they had left until a game a couple of days ago when a person started watching, and then a few rounds later that same person started watching agaon.

[Ian Volante]

I think Eoin deserves credit for this, but how about Junior Goatdown? It's possible to create that on the custom menu (ooh, pops out, nice!), but it just plays as a normal game.

[Ian Dent]

Not a request by any means but multiplayer countdown. Any way it could work?

[Ian Volante]

Not a request by any means but multiplayer countdown. Any way it could work?

I used to play like this when I was younger, both with the usual scoring system, and also independently of the two TV contestants.

[Darren Carter]

When you click on a users name on Apterous, and you can see their most recent games, I would quite like it if it also showed your record against them as well. Any thoughts?

[Charlie Reams]

When you click on a users name on Apterous, and you can see their most recent games, I would quite like it if it also showed your record against them as well. Any thoughts?

I think girls with long hair are pretty. Can you narrow that down a bit?

[Jojo Apollo]

Probably been mentioned before, how about a handicap game? This would allow a lower ranked player to compete with the big guns: you give the lower ranked player a +18 headstart or the higher ranked player starts on -18 before the game starts, for the 15 rounders (maybe +15, as +18 may be too big a headstart, and 15 is more fitting for 15 rounds i.e. one point headstart per round) for the nine rounders maybe a +9 headstart etc.

[Maxine Silkstone]

Probably been mentioned before, how about a handicap game? This would allow a lower ranked player to compete with the big guns: you give the lower ranked player a +18 headstart or the higher ranked player starts on -18 before the game starts, for the 15 rounders (maybe +15, as +18 may be too big a headstart, and 15 is more fitting for 15 rounds i.e. one point headstart per round) for the nine rounders maybe a +9 headstart etc.

I think that kinda already happens, and is amalgamated into Charlie's mystical magical formulas somewhere. As, on the rare occasions I have beaten someone rated higher than me, my rating has increased more than I would have expected. The formulas are available somewhere as a PDF if you have a rummage round the site, reads like complete Swahili to me, but whatever floats yer boat!

[Ian Volante]

Probably been mentioned before, how about a handicap game? This would allow a lower ranked player to compete with the big guns: you give the lower ranked player a +18 headstart or the higher ranked player starts on -18 before the game starts, for the 15 rounders (maybe +15, as +18 may be too big a headstart, and 15 is more fitting for 15 rounds i.e. one point headstart per round) for the nine rounders maybe a +9 headstart etc.

I think that kinda already happens, and is amalgamated into Charlie's mystical magical formulas somewhere. As, on the rare occasions I have beaten someone rated higher than me, my rating has increased more than I would have expected. The formulas are available somewhere as a PDF if you have a rummage round the site, reads like complete Swahili to me, but whatever floats yer boat!

He's not referring to ratings Maxine! More to giving a start to lower-ranked players in this style of game.

This could work. However, it would have to be based on ratings, which isn't ideal, but wouldn't be too bad. Maybe one point start for every ~30 difference in rating, and that would give me a roughly twenty point start over Kirk.

[Marc Meakin]

I know this is trivial but do the DC guests get updated from time to time

If you are open to suggestions i recommend the meerkat from the advert. Just so he can say simples when an easy numbers solutions comes up.

[Maxine Silkstone]

Is there any way to ditch 'dead' games from the challenge window? I have three dead ducks in there now and there's no room to see real challenges anymore on this poxy little monitor.

[Ben Wilson]

How about links between high scores pages for related formats? E.g. Conundrum Attack can link to Speed CA, Hyper CA etc, Speedgoat can link to Goatblitz to Lightning Goatblitz and so forth.

[Julie T]

Hi, Charlie,

I don't really go on the forum these days, but had this email bounced back unread, so posting here:

I've created an account on apterous for one of my sons, Henry.
In case he encounters any unsuitable DC guests, I've set it to 'fast mode'.

You had plans a while back to let users filter out certain DC guests.
I was wondering whether you were still thinking of doing this at some point, or whether 'fast mode' was an easier way around this.

Thanks muchly, hope you're doing well in whatever you're up to, in and out of Countdown/apterous!

Regards,

Julie Taylor

[Ian Volante]

Hi, Charlie,

I don't really go on the forum these days, but had this email bounced back unread, so posting here:

I've created an account on apterous for one of my sons, Henry.
In case he encounters any unsuitable DC guests, I've set it to 'fast mode'.

You had plans a while back to let users filter out certain DC guests.
I was wondering whether you were still thinking of doing this at some point, or whether 'fast mode' was an easier way around this.

Thanks muchly, hope you're doing well in whatever you're up to, in and out of Countdown/apterous!

Regards,

Julie Taylor

Apterous was down a few minutes ago I think, so a resend will probably work now.

[Charlie Reams]

any unsuitable DC guests

Like who?

[Julie T]

Hi, Charlie,

I don't really go on the forum these days, but had this email bounced back unread, so posting here:

I've created an account on apterous for one of my sons, Henry.
In case he encounters any unsuitable DC guests, I've set it to 'fast mode'.

You had plans a while back to let users filter out certain DC guests.
I was wondering whether you were still thinking of doing this at some point, or whether 'fast mode' was an easier way around this.

Thanks muchly, hope you're doing well in whatever you're up to, in and out of Countdown/apterous!

Regards,

Julie Taylor

Apterous was down a few minutes ago I think, so a resend will probably work now.

TX, Ian, but my email service tried repeatedly for about 4 days apparently.
Anyway, Charlie will presumably read it here, so no probs.

[Julie T]

any unsuitable DC guests

Like who?

Heck, don't really want to get into past issues, but it is possible that there may presently, or in the future, be some I might not want a 12 year old to see, whether or not I might find them offensive myself.

It did seem like a good idea of yours that we could filter out if we wanted to.

[Matt Morrison]

Julie - considering you're copying the text of a private e-mail to Charlie, shouldn't you be sending it as a private message to Charlie rather than a public forum message?
Posting it here seems a bit like you're trying to make a point and bringing old debates back up, which you may or may not be. Just saying, that's how it looks.

[Charlie Reams]

any unsuitable DC guests

Like who?

Heck, don't really want to get into past issues, but it is possible that there may presently, or in the future, be some I might not want a 12 year old to see, whether or not I might find them offensive myself.

It did seem like a good idea of yours that we could filter out if we wanted to.

Sure, but there's no point me writing the feature if there aren't any guests that anyone wants to filter. So, for the sake of argument, which ones did you have in mind?

[Julie T]

Considering the treatment I got on the forum the last time I complained about a character that upset me, do you really think that I'd put myself through that again?

I'll stick to 'fast mode', although it means doing without the excellent 'longer word you didn't go for' checker.

[Charlie Reams]

Considering the treatment I got on the forum the last time I complained about a character that upset me, do you really think that I'd put myself through that again?

I'll stick to 'fast mode', although it means doing without the excellent 'longer word you didn't go for' checker.

That's funny, my memory of your "treatment" is:-

1) Some people disagreed with you.
2) You were abusive towards them (and me.)
3) They then started mocking you.

So if you just refrain from step 2 then I don't think you have much to worry about. (For anyone whose memory needs refreshing, the discussion is here.)

But just to recap, you're sticking to fast mode even though there aren't any characters that you object to?

[Kai Laddiman]

some I might not want a 12 year old to see

Don't worry, my mum's fine with it.

[Maxine Silkstone]

While the site was down I went a wandering on the old news pages, and note that at some point last September you decided Brian Blessed needed 'toning down'. Now as I was an unenlightened non aptoperson then I have no idea what he was like beforehand, but he and good old Will Shakespeare do make good use of the Anglo Saxon elements of our eclectic language don't they? Given that you have now actively reached out to the younger members of society with Junior games, are there any plans to take these gentlemen to one side and explain that their 'historical' English is a little out of place, and that that's not the sort of vocabulary building us parents had in mind?

[Ian Volante]

While the site was down I went a wandering on the old news pages, and note that at some point last September you decided Brian Blessed needed 'toning down'. Now as I was an unenlightened non aptoperson then I have no idea what he was like beforehand, but he and good old Will Shakespeare do make good use of the Anglo Saxon elements of our eclectic language don't they? Given that you have now actively reached out to the younger members of society with Junior games, are there any plans to take these gentlemen to one side and explain that their 'historical' English is a little out of place, and that that's not the sort of vocabulary building us parents had in mind?

I feel that toning down Brian Blessed is like castrating a hyena: rather difficult, and ultimately fruitless.

[Charlie Reams]

While the site was down I went a wandering on the old news pages, and note that at some point last September you decided Brian Blessed needed 'toning down'. Now as I was an unenlightened non aptoperson then I have no idea what he was like beforehand, but he and good old Will Shakespeare do make good use of the Anglo Saxon elements of our eclectic language don't they? Given that you have now actively reached out to the younger members of society with Junior games, are there any plans to take these gentlemen to one side and explain that their 'historical' English is a little out of place, and that that's not the sort of vocabulary building us parents had in mind?

I never read the dialogue so I took a look at some of what you're referring to and I think you have a bit of a point. I mean, Shakespeare has a crap line where he says "fucking" so I've cut that. Blessed says "buggery" which I don't really think is a big deal, but I've changed it to "budgerigars" just to humour you, and also because the surrealism is quite amusing in itself. Incidentally when I "toned down" Blessed, I just replaced his all-caps dialogue with the same text normally capitalised.

[Ben Wilson]

While the site was down I went a wandering on the old news pages, and note that at some point last September you decided Brian Blessed needed 'toning down'. Now as I was an unenlightened non aptoperson then I have no idea what he was like beforehand, but he and good old Will Shakespeare do make good use of the Anglo Saxon elements of our eclectic language don't they? Given that you have now actively reached out to the younger members of society with Junior games, are there any plans to take these gentlemen to one side and explain that their 'historical' English is a little out of place, and that that's not the sort of vocabulary building us parents had in mind?

I never read the dialogue so I took a look at some of what you're referring to and I think you have a bit of a point. I mean, Shakespeare has a crap line where he says "fucking" so I've cut that. Blessed says "buggery" which I don't really think is a big deal, but I've changed it to "budgerigars" just to humour you, and also because the surrealism is quite amusing in itself. Incidentally when I "toned down" Blessed, I just replaced his all-caps dialogue with the same text normally capitalised.

You'd better not have tampered with Ozzy fucking Osbourne.

[Maxine Silkstone]

[quote="Ian Volante"]I feel that toning down Brian Blessed is like castrating a hyena: rather difficult, and ultimately fruitless.
/quote]

Although in some parts of the world the resulting 'fruit' might be considered a delicacy!!

[quote="Charlie Reams"]I never read the dialogue so I took a look at some of what you're referring to and I think you have a bit of a point. I mean, Shakespeare has a crap line where he says "fucking" so I've cut that. Blessed says "buggery" which I don't really think is a big deal, but I've changed it to "budgerigars" just to humour you, and also because the surrealism is quite amusing in itself. Incidentally when I "toned down" Blessed, I just replaced his all-caps dialogue with the same text normally capitalised.
/quote]

Now that would have worked for me, if ever there was a man that spoke in block capitals... Town crier material born a century too late.

Thanks Charlie

Now can someone tell me how to get these &!"%**&%*%£$"%$@ quotes into boxes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ian Volante]

I feel that toning down Brian Blessed is like castrating a hyena: rather difficult, and ultimately fruitless.
/quote]

Although in some parts of the world the resulting 'fruit' might be considered a delicacy!!

I never read the dialogue so I took a look at some of what you're referring to and I think you have a bit of a point. I mean, Shakespeare has a crap line where he says "fucking" so I've cut that. Blessed says "buggery" which I don't really think is a big deal, but I've changed it to "budgerigars" just to humour you, and also because the surrealism is quite amusing in itself. Incidentally when I "toned down" Blessed, I just replaced his all-caps dialogue with the same text normally capitalised.
/quote]

Now that would have worked for me, if ever there was a man that spoke in block capitals... Town crier material born a century too late.

Thanks Charlie

Now can someone tell me how to get these &!"%**&%*%£$"%$@ quotes into boxes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On those you've deleted the square bracket before the final "/quote".

[Maxine Silkstone]

I hadn't even figured out how the 'quote' bits got there! but i got it sussed now on another thread, thanks Ian. Trainee Geek here

[Lesley Hines]

On the whole more colourfully-spoken characters subject - I think Father Christmas might dispel a few myths. I'm gutted to be saying it really, cos I love the DC guests and think they're really entertaining. However, since I'm the one that's introduced our cleaner's wee lass to the site to improve her English and spelling I'll have to take some responsibility (and flak) if she learns more than intended. I did think a better solution might be a limited DC list for junior so those of who can vote can still enjoy them - I know it would detract for me if some of them weren't so brilliantly OTT. If kids decide to play the adult version they'll have to take what they get!

BTW, fantastic improvements - can't believe how hard you work on this and it really is cool.