GCHQ Holiday Puzzle
If you like puzzles, GCHQ has one for you.
Just don’t let it distract you from fighting the UK legislation giving the GCHQ new surveillance powers.
Comments
Carl 'SAI' Mitchell • December 18, 2015 1:38 PM
This appears to be pretty much the same as the “pattern” puzzle in Simon Tatham’s Portable Puzzle collection: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/pattern.html
Elizabeth • December 18, 2015 2:23 PM
It’s a Nonogram (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonogram), also known as Picross for those who play Nintendo games.
Archon • December 18, 2015 4:29 PM
Funny, I tried to post and it failed. They’re on to me!:)
Anyway, it’s a standard – if rather annoying because it’s basically white noise – puzzle in the shape of a QR code to http://www.gchq.gov.uk/puzz which contains a six-question test, which subsequently unlocks ANOTHER part. Yeah, I’m done. I didn’t sign up for a pop quiz.
For the curious, part 2 question 1 is:
Q1. Which of these is not the odd one out?
STARLET
SONNET
SAFFRON
SHALLOT
TORRENT
SUGGEST
JustAGuy • December 18, 2015 11:43 PM
TORRENT is odd, because all the others start with S.
SAFFRON is odd, because all the others end with T.
STARLET is odd, because all the others have a double consonant.
SONNET is odd, because all the others have 7 characters.
SUGGEST is odd, because all the others are nouns?
Amusing.
Freedumb • December 19, 2015 10:03 AM
Wow the telegraph article is it a joke?
“Pass the snooper’s charter now, or London will be next”
“If we truly believe in standing in solidarity with Paris, we must let it pass. We must demand it passes.” I think I’m going to be sick.
Fear and emotional blackmail where is the rational argument???
Dan Hagon • December 20, 2015 11:24 AM
There’s a backdoor in at least two parts of the puzzle: https://gist.github.com/axiomsofchoice/f792de2536c172a1f02b
Mary • December 20, 2015 1:32 PM
@Dan Hagon
Since agencies like the NSA and GCHQ don’t “play fair” in any way, shape, or form, in regards to legalities and morality, I would expect the later parts of their puzzle to require such cheats and hacks…
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Archon • December 18, 2015 1:20 PM
(Pokes at it.) Weird, it’s got some boxy things… cartoony spectacles? They wouldn’t outright state they’re watching me in their Christmas greeting, would they?
(Keeps going.) Oh, God, it’s a QR code, I’m almost sure of it. So I load that into my phone and visit a page that they can track? Gee, thanks for not even keeping out of my business on bloody Christmas.