A Custom Title Contest for '05

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And, speaking of such awards... I secretly hope that there'll be a custom title competition one day down the road.     

Thanks for reminding me. We haven't had a custom title competition in a LOOOOONG time, so we're definitely due for one. I'll try to think up something for the not too distant future. 

I've thought of something that might prove very interesting:

Over the past few days something has happened on the forum that turned on this icon several times. It's part of a yet to be explained feature. However, if you've seen it, then you should be able to explain what its appearance means. So, in order to win yourself a custum title you need to explain:

• on which forum page does the icon appear?
• and when it appears, *specifically* what does it indicate?

The first cousin (who hasn't already won a custom title) to correctly provide both answers in a completely unedited post (and keep in mind that we can easily tell if a post has been edited  ) will win. And you'll have until 12am ET on Saturday to post the answer - though, if you've been observant enough, it shouldn't take anywhere near that long for you to come up with the answers.

Oh, and BTW, the icon has been temporarily disabled until after we have a winner or until time runs out, so don't expect to see it in the meantime.



(* A custom title cannot violate the forum's guidelines or contain any of the forum's censored words. It can't be something that members earn through posting (so no jumping to Full, Senior or God). And it can't be something like Webmaster, Global Moderator, Moderator or Administrator because those postions have already been taken. )

[onyx_treasure]

     I see the icon on the Dark Shadows Forum home page.  I thought that when it is lit up blue, I had new unread messages. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I see the icon on the Dark Shadows Forum home page.  I thought that when it is lit up blue, I had new unread messages.

Yes, and no. I think you're thinking of this icon: But this icon: shows up much less frequently.

However, you're definitely on the right track! 

[Heather]

It appears on the main page/index... to indicate a new cousin has joined, perhaps?

-Heather (really guessing here...  )

[ClaudeNorth]

Hmmm...it appears on the home page, once you've logged in, to indicate that you've received new "Curses," perhaps?

Jean-Claude (who consulted his "Hardy Boys Detective Manual" for help...)

[Connie]

I'm gonna guess it shows up on the home page when you have a new IM.

      

[Annie]

Hi MB that would be nice if there was!
                         Love Anne

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Because onyx_treasure got so close to posting the correct answers, I've decided to extend the original deadline for 48 hours - and to provide a very big clue:

• Within this month, dom, FireRose, Heather, Julia99, mscbryk and I have all done something that would have turned on the as of yet unexplained icon. Some of us even did what we did on multiple occasions - though it isn't necessarily true that we all did the same thing - though each of us individually did do the same thing (meaning that I performed an action that would have turned on the icon and that FireRose performed another action that would have also turned on the icon, and though we may have performed different actions, I didn't also do what FireFox did and she didn't also do what I did).

The rest is up to you. You now have until 12am ET Monday to provide the answer. 

[FireRose]

This is just a guess, but I think it shows up on the homepage to let everyone know when new pictures are uploaded to the site.

FireRose

[michael c]

i see that i'm in very good company...but what the heck did we do?

[onyx_treasure]

   Does it mean someone has opened a new topic since my last visit?

[Connie]

Some of us even did what we did on multiple occasions - though it isn't necessarily true that we all did the same thing - though each of us individually did do the same thing (meaning that I performed an action that would have turned on the icon and that FireRose performed another action that would have also turned on the icon, and though we may have performed different actions, I didn't also do what FireFox did and she didn't also do what I did

This is driving me absolutely crazy.  Are we allowed more than one guess?
After reading and re-reading this puzzling clue, the only action I can think of people doing would be cursing or curing.  That would fulfill the part of the clue that says that two different actions have the same result - turning on the icon.

Is this close to the answer?  

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Are we allowed more than one guess?

Definitely. 

Is this close to the answer?  

Sorry - nope. Not close at all. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Does it mean someone has opened a new topic since my last visit?

Not necessarily a new topic...

[Heather]

Does it mean that someone has responded to a topic in one of the Child Boards (of the main boards - I hope i phrased that okay - LOL)? Because I was just thinking about this and I think a few of us have done that recently. For example, the "Julia, sly minx" topic - which was just recently moved to the Current Talk X child board, had a few responses after it was put there....