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How can someone get a cryptogram in 5 seconds? Are those bots or just people who memorized the quote and type insanely fast? Even if one memorizes all the quotes how do they know which one it is?
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5 seconds is possible...I've gone close myself and I only type with one finger on one hand. A good typist could do it in 5 secs no problem. I have doubts on the 2 or 3 second records that you see occasionally being legitimate. Some letter patterns are easy to see, but you still need 1 or 2 seconds to process them, let alone type the correct answers. In my opinion, the 2 second solves infers that the pattern recognition phase of the solve may be done by means other than human. -
Well, gee. I'm sure five seconds is well within the ability of many. I've never had one, but I've had about fifty to one hundred solves of seven or six seconds with maybe one thousand of eight or nine. Once you have played for thirteen years as I have, maybe you'll have the knack too.
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One-second solves are done only by a bot. And, important to note, a computer program would likely always solve a puzzle in no more than one second.
Two and more seconds are indeed done by humans. These particular humans are simply best at what cryptograms require: they are super-fast pattern recognizers with fast reflexes, and they also have fast internet connections. Every skill set has its super-achievers, and our fastest players on this site include a few young folks who are top players in national competitions.
Here's a discussion of a real instance of cheating, started by Will0416, a college student who joined this site at age 14 and who has set many <5 seconds records: Dude's Definitely Cheating
Here's a video that Will0416 made of his active screen as he solved a series of cryptograms -- this includes solve times that you say are impossible, but here they are: https://youtu.be/bTum02N4D0w?si=gSh9394Mtm4oIYc3
Here's a thread I started a few years ago to address the claims of cheating and robots: Is Bansai a Robot?Comment
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