Use of scripts to solve jigsaw puzzles on Jigidi

What is Jigidi?

Jigidi is a free online jigsaw puzzle community for jigsaw puzzle lovers from all over the world. A community that runs on curiosity, creativity and kindness. Together we build our brain health, share our creativity and connect across all kinds of borders and barriers.

The overall purpose for Jigidi is to create a fun and creative growth community for the individual while growing the common ground worldwide (yes, this can be done♥)

Using Jigidi as part of geocaches

One feature of Jigidi is leaving a message upon completion of the puzzle for those who solve it.

This functionality has proven itself attractive to part of the geocaching community in relation to what we understand to be mystery caches.

But the jigsaw puzzles are not appreciated by all as part of geocaches.

Instead, by some, a jigsaw puzzle is seen as an unwanted barrier for getting the information they desire, and they wish to do geocaching without the added jigsaw puzzle challenge. Thus, using a script to automate or bypass the process of solving the jigsaw puzzles becomes an attractive solution - but this violates our terms of service.

Violation of our terms of service

Whatever the reason for using such a script or application, it is a violation of our terms of service, and continuous use may result in restrictions.

This text explains why this is a no-go on Jigidi, and it ends with a request to the geocaching community to debate amongst themselves:

• If using a Jigidi jigsaw puzzle to communicate the next step in a mystery cache is something the community appreciates as part of geocaching.
• And – if so – agree upon some rules that are acceptable to everyone.

Why is using a script a problem?

We are aware that some geocachers do not appreciate the challenge of solving a jigsaw puzzle as part of their geocaching adventures and therefore have developed scripts to automate the process of solving jigsaw puzzles.

Besides violating our terms of service, the use of scripts to cut corners like this is a thorn in the eye of those who make online jigsaw puzzles part of their mystery caches.

Also, scripts to automatically solve jigsaw puzzles are easy for others to modify, and we have seen regular use of these scripts to achieve #1 positions on the leaderboard.

Lastly, serving a jigsaw puzzle to a script requires the same resource as serving it to someone actually solving the puzzle, but without adding any value to the community.

What does the geocaching community want?

As we started by saying, jigsaw puzzles are not for everyone. And we understand why some people would prefer not to have these as part of their outdoor adventures, but to combat the platforms providing the technology to create online jigsaw puzzles is neither OK nor a reasonable solution.

The core of the problem is not that Jigidi requires a jigsaw puzzle to be solved for the message to show, but that not all geocache hunters enjoy the challenge of solving a jigsaw puzzle as part of their geocaching adventures.

We propose a discussion within the geocaching community around the use of online jigsaw puzzles in geocaches – seeking to reach a compromise where everyone’s preferences are taken into account.

Suggestions to consider:

• Agree to a maximum number of jigsaw puzzle pieces to make the puzzle manageable for everyone.
• Always serve an alternative option to get the same information the jigsaw puzzle would provide for those who do not like jigsaw puzzles.

But we are only experts of online jigsaw puzzles and obviously cannot guide you in such discussion. The creative ideas and solutions must come from you within the geocaching community.

Love,

Jigidi