Listener 4330: Following The Brief By External

[AHearer]

A pleasing puzzle with a neatly worded preamble. It's always pleasing to learn something along the way, so many thanks to eXternal. But we're still waiting for the first tough challenge of the year.

[Contrarian]

the_heisman,

Yes, point taken.

[the_heisman]

thanks Contrarian
I don't know why it irritates me so much - I think part of the reason is that it always leads to these uncharacteristically unfriendly exchanges - and I get annoyed with myself for rising to the bait!

[petefoxes]

Glad I persevered with this. I thought the 'examples' were a bit arbitrary at first until I followed the next steps. Thanks, eXternal.

[jim360]

Bit too much of a spoiler there, Meursault? But you have the wrong choice for one of the replacements anyway.

[Cruncher]

Rather confused by this one. Seem to have completed all the instructions but yet to get the wording of the preamble particularly the uses of the word "brief" and the last word of the quotation. Suspect I'm still missing some vital info.

[Scree]

Got quite annoyed by this. Solved fairly quickly (after a pause to unravel the top left hand corner). Had quote and brief. Found follower. Found name in grid. Chambers gave me one item associated with follower’s invention.

Then got stuck, lost patience, checked another site. Not impressed with how little follower has to do with solution, given that the only shortened entry to make perfect inner sense is also the only one which uses an item attributed to the follower. I expect misdirection, but not to that extent.

And Chambers may confirm the other items required for changing cells, but only if you’ve already guessed what they are. As they don’t relate to the follower’s system, I’d suggest there is ambiguity there.

I do admire the final bit of lateral thinking required (and don’t worry, I won’t be posting a solution!), but after a quote has been wrenched out of context to serve a setter’s sadistic whim (standard Listener practice!) and I’m expected to follow it in a rather literal fashion, it’s galling to find that I was looking for a thematic unity that wasn’t there.

[Scorpius]

I started this very late in the week, so was pleased to find filling the grid was easy, but I agree with Scree's criticisms, don't like the ambiguities and cannot summon up any enthusiasm for the puzzle.

[jim360]

It's not a matter of offence -- it's tradition that on AB we don't discuss the details of the solution of "live" Listener puzzles. Hence, no spoilers.

[EdgeofDarkness]

What little assistance I offered with 4330 would only have been assistance in a minor, technical way to someone who'd already solved the puzzle. And as you pointed out, some of that assistance was misleading. Earlier in the same thread, someone else gave the name of the slave. To my mind that is more of a spoiler. Their comment remains.

A wider view. Was the tradition of not giving answers on answerbank ever voted on ? What purpose is served by posting a comment at all ? Perhaps in some cases merely "Look at me !" "I've finished"... to which the reply should be,"Well done, now go quietly back to your desk and read a book."

[EdgeofDarkness]

To the editorial staff.
The Listener is attempting to encourage wider participation (perhaps you need to justify the print space). You would do well to look again at the incentives on offer. If a solver already has a Chambers, Brewers and Thesaurus and is not the slightest bit tempted by an annual dinner party with other solvers (agreed that the setters might be more interesting to meet), what incentive is there for submitting entries ?
Meursault.