DIYCOW

DIY COW RETURNS!!!!!

Anax — Thu, 19 May 2011 09:59:12 +0000

Yes indeed. UKPuzzle.com has come back to life along with the DIY COW forum. I thought at first it was just UKPuzzle that had successfully migrated to the new host, but they inform me it hasn’t transferred yet and that it’s still on Web-Mania’s servers. This is terrific news – the website AND THE FORUM will migrate in the next couple of days, but it’s available again with immediate effect; none of the sql data has been lost. Break open the champers! For now, let’s complete the current challenge here – this week’s winner can set the new challenge on the original forum.

DIY COW #111 – UNDERPANTS

Anax — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:21:58 +0000

Here we go with challenge #111courtesy of Boaz. Do your best with UNDERPANTS boys and girls. Instructions are: maximum of FOUR clues each, no editing – deadline Friday 5pm. Have fun.

DIY COW #110 – PROFIT

Anax — Sat, 07 May 2011 08:16:12 +0000

This week sees the return of The Apprentice on the BBC – a program which, I have to confess, I watch avidly. To celebrate, I have chosen PROFIT as this week’s word.

Your challenges are to create a definition that has some interest or deception, to construct wordplay that is accurate and fair and to write a plausible and smooth surface reading. To help you deliver these requirements I have arranged for you each to be given FOUR clues to write. I advise you not to use up all your clues at the start of the week, as the best ideas often come later. I will do my write-ups daily so don’t even think about deleting one after the day of submission.

I’ll see you in the boardroom at 5pm on Friday, where – sadly – all but one of you is going to get fired. Dram

PS Those of you in far-flung places need not be concerned, no knowledge of The Apprentice is required, this will still be the regular competition. The only change is the limit to the number of entries per person.

Typing bold and italic:

Sloggers & Betters in Birmingham – 25th June

Anax — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:07:51 +0000

Something I posted on the anaxcrosswords blog – would seem appropriate to mention it here too! More details via this link: http://anaxcrosswords.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/sloggers-betters-in-june/

For those unfamiliar, S&B is a chance to meet up with cryptic solvers and setters in an informal, relaxed atmosphere – basically it’s an excuse for lunch and a drink with like-minded folk. If you would like to attend please email me anaxcrosswords@yahoo.co.uk – the chosen pub is reasonably big and I think a party of 40-ish should be easily accommodated. Lunch is planned for about 1pm (get there earlier if you wish) and we stay as long as we want to. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

UPDATE: The pub booking is now confirmed. Nearer the time I’ll email a PDF of the menu so we can let them know in advance who’s having what (you can also download this from the pub’s website, linked to via the anaxcrosswords blog entry). The venue has a back room restaurant seating around 20 people but, of course, food can also be served in the main bar area.

INTERESTED? Several of you have already made contact to say you’ll be there – great stuff! Could I now ask you to download this Word document: SloggersBetters9 - it gives details of the event but there’s also a little form to fill in and return via email; just simple stuff that will allow me to do name badges, confirm meal choices etc. Many thanks!

UKPuzzle / DIY COW status update

Anax — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:39:31 +0000

Despite several attempts at contact there is no further news from Web-Mania regarding the offline websites.

Just out of interest I found a review forum and among the hosting companies reviewed is Web-Mania. I was shocked to see just how angry people are about this company, and the general consensus is that since transferring from the UK to America they’ve become downright shady characters – one commenter claims to know that they’ve actually gone out of business, but only backs that up by saying phone calls/emails/letters etc are going unanswered. Meanwhile Web-Mania has updated its homepage and still invites people to pay them for hosting.

It’s all a bit worrying to be honest.

UPDATE: Good news, bad news. I’m in the process of transferring UKPuzzle.com to a new webhost, which is good – should take a couple of days to get the domain re-registered and upload everything. Bad news, though. The mysql folder (which contains all the DIY COW forum data) is on Web-Mania’s server #18, that is one of the damaged ones. So I can’t retrieve anything or back it up – it’s looking like it may be lost.

FURTHER UPDATE: Thanks to Gnomethang (see posts below) there is some more information. Web-Mania’s website now confirms that 7 of its servers went offline due to technical failure and that new equipment was being installed on 4th May 2011. However, this link http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59768/notices/1349844 shows that a meeting of creditors took place (I presume) on 26th April with a view to liquidation of the company.

DIY COW #109 – CURRENT

Anax — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 18:32:41 +0000

Gazza has set the word CURRENT as this week’s challenge.

At the moment we have no way of knowing when the forum will be back online. My gut instinct is to say use the next few days to work out some clue ideas (i.e. don’t post them here yet) in readiness for ‘home’ re-opening, but if there’s no sign of that happening by, say, Tuesday evening start posting your clues here. I’ll go with consensus, though; if you feel it’s worthwhile submitting here from the off, please go ahead.

DIY COW #108 – DIVORCE

Anax — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:45:12 +0000

Here we go…

DIY COW Forum is working!!!

Anax — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:10:54 +0000

Great news, and a great relief too. One or two of you may have found your way here oblivious to the old phpBB forum, so here it is: http://www.ukpuzzle.com/phpBB3/index.php

Could I ask those of you who have posted MANICURIST clues here to copy them into the proper forum? Many thanks.

DIY COW 104 – MANICURIST

Anax — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:29:01 +0000

Last week’s winner Tesla has put forward MANICURIST for DIY COW 104. Even if we don’t end up using this forum as the pukka clue-writing thing, at least you now have a word to play with. By all means post ideas here! CONTEST FINISHED Results in PDF form here: DIYCOW104

PLEASE REGISTER HERE

Anax — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:21:22 +0000

Hi folks. I’m getting nowhere with the problems at the original DIY COW, so I propose some small measure of preparedness here.

As yet we still don’t know exactly how the challenge setting/judging will take place here, but with the proper forum being fragile we might as well get ourselves ready for the move here that was originally scheduled for August. We can work the details out later.

WordPress works a little differently. To prevent spammers each contributor’s first comment must be moderated, so please make yourselves known a.s.a.p. – not least because I need to know that the original forum’s members are aware of this place!