# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 215
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4281 "2026-03-04T23:10:11Z")
Was entering the command part of an effort to troubleshoot an issue? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4282 "2026-03-04T23:20:56Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Were you trying to give a command to another player, and suddenly learned that you were giving a command to a computer? No. > [@dirtball](#): > > Was entering the command part of an effort to troubleshoot an issue? No. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4283 "2026-03-06T15:51:39Z")
Did the error message accomplish your objective by blocking part of the screen? Was a glitch involved? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4284 "2026-03-06T21:02:08Z")
No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4285 "2026-03-09T21:16:44Z")
Monday bump. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4286 "2026-03-10T01:35:27Z")
May we have a hint or is there no way to do that? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4287 "2026-03-10T02:04:05Z")
I will say that one of @Cheesesteak 's last questions brings us very close to figuring it out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4288 "2026-03-10T02:05:53Z")
Were you trying to get better illumination, and didn’t directly get it, but got a bright enough ‘error’ message to suffice? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4289 "2026-03-10T10:43:55Z")
No, not illumination. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4290 "2026-03-10T10:57:52Z")
Even though your computer was apparently able to run the game, did the error message establish that your computer either was or was not capable of supporting a feature of the game you wanted to use? If so, was this feature built into the game? Or was it some kind of hack or add-on? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4291 "2026-03-10T13:43:47Z")
did you need to spell a word correctly, but failed and the error message contained the correct spelling of the word you needed? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4292 "2026-03-10T14:07:32Z")
Was the language in the error message relevant? ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4293 "2026-03-10T14:19:41Z")
Were you trying to minimize the game window? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4294 "2026-03-10T14:54:58Z")
Were you trying to test something about the screen display? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4295 "2026-03-10T20:15:27Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Even though your computer was apparently able to run the game, did the error message establish that your computer either was or was not capable of supporting a feature of the game you wanted to use? > If so, was this feature built into the game? > Or was it some kind of hack or add-on? No to all. > [@Sigene](#): > > did you need to spell a word correctly, but failed and the error message contained the correct spelling of the word you needed? No. > [@Biotop](#): > > Was the language in the error message relevant? No. And welcome back to the thread! > [@Thumper668](#): > > Were you trying to minimize the game window? No. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Were you trying to test something about the screen display? No. I know that doesn’t look like progress, but at least we’re active again! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4296 "2026-03-10T20:45:44Z")
When the error message displayed did it: change the game display parameters- resolution, color, aspect ratio add something to the screen that you wanted? remove something from the screen that you didn’t want? Did it do something unrelated to the things presented on the screen? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4297 "2026-03-10T20:50:35Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > When the error message displayed did it: > change the game display parameters- resolution, color, aspect ratio No. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > add something to the screen that you wanted? Yes. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > remove something from the screen that you didn’t want? No. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did it do something unrelated to the things presented on the screen? No. EDIT: Wait, I think I might have misunderstood that last question… Rephrase that? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4298 "2026-03-10T21:04:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Rephrase that? Is it effect entirely confined to the screen? No sound or haptic response, or turning the computer off, disconnecting the internet, bumping another player from the game, any bizarre stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4299 "2026-03-10T21:08:19Z")
The relevant effect is entirely confined to the screen. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4300 "2026-03-10T21:29:24Z")
Did you receive an error message that either covered up a distracting element on the screen or caused a distracting element to scroll off the screen? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=214) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=216)