A bit of background .....

What is this?

575by17 is a puzzle challenge that 'hides' the clues in a Haiku-like poem.  It combines sophisticated scoring, competitive and/or collaborative tactics, time pressure and a need to often go 'out of the game' in order to find the answer.

It looks impossible! Is it?

It isn't impossible - everybody can do this if they are prepared to persist as no special skills are required.  If you get stuck, you can get 'help' from the 575 community forums, assuming you can trust what people say because some will try to mislead you with plausible but incorrect answers.  That's part of the game.

Who's responsible for this?

Alan is.  He lives in a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Australia and has never accepted that it is OK for 2 and 2 to equal 5 (or any number other than 4), regardless of the spin-doctoring.  To separate the substance from the spin, you must develop the ability to not think straight!

Alan uses the nickname 'sevenramps' within the game, so you should always, or sometimes, or never, trust the guidance he might provide in forums :-))

Where does sevenramps come from?

It's a long story - let's just say that he believed that an unwavering 'seven ramps' commitment could keep his mother alive as she confronted her greatest challenge.  Devastatingly, it didn't, but the commitment will not die.  575 is the first step on a journey to a much bigger dream.

Are themed puzzles easier than the 'Anything Goes' variety?

In theory, yes, but in practice ....who knows?  For every question, multiple clues are embedded - if you can see them!  To see them, don't think straight!

I've answered all 17 questions but I don't have any ratings.  What's going on?

A puzzle is not 'completed' when all 17 questions have been answered, as you can elect to change some of your answers.  When you don't want to make any more changes (or no more changes are possible), click on the Blue Cross opposite the puzzle name in the Continue Puzzle area of your homepage - this will fold (archive) this puzzle.

Ratings will only be calculated when a puzzle has been 'folded'.

Why should I join?

Because you can then:

Create a profile, become known to other players and gain a reputation based on your performance and involvement.

Decide on tactics – will you focus on accuracy or points, or both?  In puzzle forums, will you help others directly or give your own cryptic guidance?  Will you contribute plausible but misleading information?

Add friends, form leagues and alliances.  Compete against your own 'community' as well as the entire 575 community.

Have your individual puzzle and 'lifetime' performance continuously recorded, with ratings (updated in real time) that position you relative to the very best 575 performers.

Submit your own 575 questions and have them included in new puzzles that credit you as the writer.

Discover the many ways in which meaning can be hidden

Practise and improve your thinking, problem solving and research skills

Prove to yourself (and others) that you can do this .... when, at the start, you never thought you could!

Are there new features planned?

Absolutely.  User rating of individual questions (on a 10-point scale from simple to diabolical), real-time interaction between members and tournament play are just a few of the planned enhancements.

Oh, and things that members want .....that Alan hasn't thought of!

So, Alan, you're sure I can do this?

I am sure, but don't expect to whiz through these in a minute.  Developing the ability to not think straight takes effort.

If you persist, if you use the personal and community resources available to you, if you resolve to not give up, then you will succeed in finding many of the answers you seek.