Welcome to Puzzle-checker, a tool to check coordinates for geocaching puzzle caches.
Please note that this puzzle-checker is still a beta, please report any bugs or problems to me MrZaibot
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I have a password for my puzzle instead of coordinates?
You have two options when you create a new puzzle solution. One is coordinates, the other is a password. If you click the button labeled "Use password solution" you can create a password for your geocache puzzle. You can also have several different combinations that are right, e.g. both "Nobel" and "Alfred Nobel" are the correct answer. If you choose a case-sensitive solution, lowercase and uppercase letters and spaces must be a correct match.
Is this tool safe?
In case you're wondering if this tool is secure, don't worry. The script uses a "one-way" hash, a code that is highly unique to that data. However, it does not actually contain the data, encoded or otherwise. This means that it is literally impossible to determine the coordinates from the database itself. The only way to attack it is brute strength - trying every possible combination of coordinates until the solution is presented. Considering there are approximately 2.8 million unique coordinates in a 1.6 km radius, that would be a lot of trying!
A hacker might also try to crack it on a home computer - but he would have no idea what data goes into the hash, how the coordinates are encoded, etc. It would be improbably difficult to crack - in fact, the easiest solution is just to solve the puzzle posed by the cache owner!
What about "fuzzy" solutions? How do they work?
There is a possibility to choose the ranges for the coordinates. This can be good when calculation results can differ from some decimal points. Keep in mind that the bigger the margin you choose, the easier it is to guess the solution. The number of meters is given for both north and east, so it is not a radius from the correct coordinates.
I created a link before you allowed "Fuzzy" solutions. Can I change a solution from Exact to Fuzzy?
No problem. Just log in and change the fuzzy solution you desire, 0 meters is a exact solution.
Will "Fuzzy" solutions give away my cache location?
You can specify if you want to present the real coordinates or not. If YES, the coordinates will be presented if the solver are within specified "Fuzzy" location. However, it's worth noting that offering a fuzzy solution would make it easier to "brute force" solve a cache - trying a solution every 10 meters is a lot less difficult than trying one every meter. So only use the fuzzy solution if you have a good reason, and only use the 30 meters solution if you really really have a good reason. Of course, knowing you're within 30 meters can still make for an awful large area to search.
What about statistics? What do you log?
The stats are limited to how many good and bad solutions were attempted.
Help! I lost my special cache owner links!
If you lose these special link the easiest way to get it back is to log on to your page and select the solution you want. Another way is to use another link and change the GC-code in that link. We recommend that you save a copy of the link on your local computer.
What is sub-coordinates?
Sub-coordinates can be used if you want to create several steps in your puzzle, or if a puzzle has multiple solutions, then you can guide the solver on the right path.
Can I get mail if someone solves my puzzle?
Of course! You must have an account and be logged in. Then you can tick the box when creating or changing an existing solution. You can also tick the notification column in the "My Solutions" overview.
