@shanselman Scott: I've been thinking about your observation that the NYTimes #Connections puzzles can be "sometimes very not fun" because it's "competing" on opinion. I highly value your feelings about things so I was trying to figure out why I'm not as bothered. One thing I thought of was two approaches in software product development, both valuable. One is to figure out a way that works. Any solution is OK. For most under the hood stuff, that's good. In fact, "elegant" clever solutions are often highly valued and are fun. Alternatively, when building an app for others to use, the choice of affordances depends upon understanding those others who may think differently than you. Getting into someone else's head may be where the joy comes from even if it's a odds with your own feelings. Two different types of fun.
@shanselman Thank you, Scott, for always making me think and learn! I had just been listening to your recent podcast with Kate Kalcevich about Innovation in Accessibility (https://hanselminutes.com/942/innovation-in-accessibility-with-fables-kate-kalcevich) when I came up with this framing about #Connections. The podcast included how one needs input from others to understand what helps make something accessible to them -- you can't always just imagine yourself.
@shanselman @danb Yeah, that episode was nice.
@danb @shanselman Hey Dan, made any good spreadsheets lately :-)
I love working on the Connections puzzle, and often find myself with three rows solved and trying to make the connection between the remaining 4 :-)
One thing I have found useful is to remember that each group has exactly 4 members, and to find a potential second (non overlapping) set for the next row.
Sometimes knowing that there IS only one solution can help you find the key to the problem ...
@danb This is a super helpful analysis! Thanks for sharing!