Holy cow

[n-j-b]

haha thank u, and do look out for the third one! Also congrats to will0416 on all the fast times!

[w1nn1nq]

It's kind-of nuts. I got "good" at the logic problems many years ago. By good, meaning I'd set a record as often as not. I probably hit the leaderboard on a crypt one in 100 times, maybe that's generous. I don't think cheating is going on because if someone did write a program to cheat, you'd see the same insane times on the harder crypts.

In theory, a program could be written to automatically read the html, extract the encrypted letters, use a dictionary and run through the 25! possible (25 factorial - since letters don't equal themselves) , with letter frequency analyzed to optimize the search because 25! is about 1.5E+25, then pop it back into the form and return. Spitballing on that, I'd think a NASA-level supercomputer might be required to consistently get record times, but the algorithm could be greatly improved by learning methods similar to how we attack crypts (best educated first guess, and so on). It would be an interesting project, but the optimizing would turn it into a full-time endeavor for a while.

Not really. Harder crypts on a computer program would also take more time. Also, the program wouldn't have to brute force everything. I think the ACA has a database with word patterns that you could load in, then spam the, let's say, 4 remaining letters. Alternatively, you could put all of the quotes in a database. My personal record is 6 seconds, so I think that 2 seconds is quite possible, though.

[hrossa]

Wow, way to go n-j-b. The rest of us should just practice typing the Bob Hope "bank" quote and just be ready for whenever we see "Bob Hope"! Mine wouldn't be any 2 seconds, but it ought to be kind of fast.

[Eureka]

"It is better to be the hammer than the anvil. "

— Proverb

Another of will0416's 2 second records. I always enjoy finding them.

[Eureka]

"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't."

— Robert Benchley

Another of will0416's 2 second records! There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can finish a puzzle in 2 seconds, and those who can't.

[dopeycancel]

"It is better to be the hammer than the anvil. "

— Proverb funny shooter 2

Another of will0416's 2 second records. I always enjoy finding them.

I am really impressed with this proverb.