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Hello World,
I want to take this opportunity to address cryptic crosswords[^] that we frequently play on the site. Recently I saw a discussion about the puzzles. Some members were debating the ethics of using tools to assist with the game.
I have keenly[^] paid attention to the psychiatric research[^] being done around this topic. There are other papers published on the subject, same conclusion.
Using anagram solvers or word association tools is irrelevant.
The research around cryptic crosswords involves divergent thinking[^] and bisociation[^]. Using tools does not give any advantage at all, and it can be proven. The "game" is to find the logic, tools only give a speed advantage.
Deal with it.
Cryptographic Cheaters always win. --Alan Mathison Turing (he never said this, but I wish he did)
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Personally, I tend to struggle enough just trying to decipher the clue. All the diverging bisociations are quite challenging enough as it is.  Anagrams muddy the water even more. (As an aside, I'm coming to suspect that ~73.639% of all English words can be a cryptic anagram indicator.)
Therefore, if I suspect the clue is an anagram, rather than expend more effort trying to rescramble the letters into a different word, quite possibly rather esoteric in and of itself, I "cheat" with an anagram solver - and quite shamelessly I might add. 
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FreedMalloc wrote: quite shamelessly I might add
That's why I posted about this topic. I'd like to see more people participate, there is no shame in using tools for code breaking[^]. It's great to find talent.
Use all the the tools at your disposal, ignore the losers. It's nothing but background noise, make yourself shine above the others.
We want to see you win, faster and better than the background noise.
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I have in the past been fairly convinced the answer is an anagram and either I simply can't "get it" or don't have time. In that scenario, if I use an anagram solver, I haven't posted my solution as it definitely feels like cheating...
modified 6-May-22 4:22am.
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Quote: I'm coming to suspect that ~73.639% of all English words can be a cryptic anagram indicator.
You're not far off! Here's a list[^], many of which can also be transformed into adverbs, participles, or whatever, which will also do. And a favorite trick of devious setters is using an anagram indicator that is actually the definition, just to throw you off.
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The types of tools you mention, I can (partly) agree with. The thing with the CP CCC OTD is that time does matter - it's essentially a race to find the solution, and as you say, anagram solvers can give a speed advantage. Personally, if I'm sure the answer is an anagram I prefer to avoid the anagram solvers and work it out myself.
There's a tool I use occasionally when I can't solve a clue (either on CP or the newspaper) when I am too impatient to wait for the answer. You put in the clue, it gives you the answer. (Generally speaking, anyway; not so much for the little-used words that sometimes feature on CP). It requires zero thought or analysis, and if I've used that tool, I would never claim the answer as my own. (When completing a newspaper crossword, I use a forward slash to cross off numbers I solve; a backslash to those I've resorted to cheating on! ... and that's just for my own "consumption").
The same site - which I won't name here - also has a clue generator. You put in the solution word, it gives you a selection of known clues. I have occasionally used that too in relation to CP answers; and have found the exact same clue as was used by the setter on CP. Co-incidence? Possibly... 
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That looks an interesting site Derek
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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While I have never used an anagram tool, I do use Google to search for synonyms.
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I've used an online thesaurus for that.
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I run an old app (a single exe file) and got an error:
Component 'MSCOMCT2.OCX' or one of its dependencies not
correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.
is there any way to figure out the cause? finding this MSCOMCT2.OCX can resolve the issue?
diligent hands rule....
modified 5-May-22 23:37pm.
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That was a common controls library that came with older versions of Office 32-bit.
There is no equivalent for 64-bit Windows or Office. It's just not used anymore.
You might be able to find a copy of it online somewhere, but beware. Files like that usually come with an additional "payload" that you'll regret using.
You'll have to put the file in Windows\SysWow64, then register it by opening a CMD Prompt and typing:
regsvr C:\Windows\SysWow64\MSCOMCT2.OCX
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thanks for the comments.
I find a link to get all kinds of OCX file at this.
diligent hands rule....
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It still works just fine.
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your comments inspired me and highly appreciate it![Rose | [Rose]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/rose.gif)
diligent hands rule....
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Wordle 321 4/6
⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛
⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
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Phew! That was close...
Wordle 321 6/6*
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩
🟨🟨⬜⬜🟩
🟨🟨⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. -Anon
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Wordle 321 4/6
🟨⬜⬜🟨🟩
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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Wordle 321 4/6
🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟨🟩⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
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Wordle 321 4/6
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟨⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Wordle 321 5/6*
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
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Wordle 321 X/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
Didn't make that one.
Only had two letter after four tries and three after the fifth 
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4/6
🟨🟩⬛⬛⬛
⬛🟩⬛🟨⬛
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
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Luckily I could use this word since my kid broke one earlier today!
Wordle 321 5/6*
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛🟩🟨⬛
⬛🟨🟩⬛⬛
⬛🟨🟩🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
"It is easy to decipher extraterrestrial signals after deciphering Javascript and VB6 themselves.", ISanti[ ^]
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Wordle 321 3/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
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