# 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:** 3
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/41 "2023-07-19T17:51:34Z")
Was he fraudulently raising money under the pretense that it was for a charity or some other good cause? Edit, to clarify: By “good cause” I mean something the suckers . . . er, _donors_ would consider a good cause. But maybe or maybe not what the folks around here, in general, would consider so. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/42 "2023-07-19T19:41:45Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the crime related to stocks? **NO** > > Fraud? **YES** > > Was he selling something? **YES** > > Did he encourage people to send him money? **YES** > > The nature of the trolling, was he attacking individual people or institutions? > > **INDIVIDUALS** > > Did he have a particular subject that was the focus of the trolling? > > **YES** > [@dirtball](#): > > Was he fraudulently raising money under the pretense that it was for a charity or some other good cause? > > **NO** Caught up. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/43 "2023-07-19T19:56:36Z")
Did Igor have a radio or television show? Did Igor espouse right wing political views? Did Igor claim to be religious? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/44 "2023-07-19T19:58:14Z")
**NO to all of @Buck_Godot questions**. He has a reason for trolling, though. It’s not _just_ him being a jerk. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/45 "2023-07-19T20:02:44Z")
Did he fraudulently sell something, in order to make fun of a company that actually sells something like it? Or to make fun of the sort of people who buy it? Will we need to figure out what he was selling? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/46 "2023-07-19T20:37:08Z")
Was the fraud based on the things he was selling? What was he selling, was it a: Financial product or service Personal product or service Home product or service Business product or service? How was the trolling part of his crime? did it advertise the thing he was selling? did it develop his persona and celebrity in order to help his sales pitch? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/47 "2023-07-19T21:19:07Z")
Was what he was selling something that protected people from Igor.? Was Igor’s convicted of a crime? Do you actually know Igor’s real name? Is there a good chance that I know Igor’s real name? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/48 "2023-07-19T21:29:48Z")
Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not being as good as he claimed? Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not working at all? Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not existing? Did the trolling increase demand for the thing he was selling? Did the victims of his trolling know that he was the seller of the item? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/49 "2023-07-19T21:36:16Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Did he fraudulently sell something, in order to make fun of a company that actually sells something like it? Or to make fun of the sort of people who buy it? > > **NO** > > Will we need to figure out what he was selling? > > **NO** , it was a specific thing, but could be any type of item. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the fraud based on the things he was selling? > > **YES** > > What was he selling, was it a: > > Financial product or service > Personal product or service > Home product or service > Business product or service? > > **PERSONAL PRODUCT** > > How was the trolling part of his crime? > > **_THAT_ IS A GREAT QUESTION, BUT NOT A YES OR NO.** > > did it advertise the thing he was selling? > > **NO** > > did it develop his persona and celebrity in order to help his sales pitch? > > NO - THOUGH I THINK THERE IS A PARTIAL “UH, KIND OF…SORT OF…UH, MAYBE” IN HERE. [quote=“Buck\_Godot, post:47, topic:987214, full:true”] Was what he was selling something that protected people from Igor.? **NO** Was Igor’s convicted of a crime? **YES** Do you actually know Igor’s real name? **YES, THIS WAS IN THE NEWS AND HE WAS CONVICTED SO MADE PUBLIC** Is there a good chance that I know Igor’s real name? \*\* > [@Chronos](#): > > Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not being as good as he claimed? > > **YES** \* > > Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not working at all? > > **NO** > > Did the fraud consist in the thing he was selling not existing? > > **NO** > > Did the trolling increase demand for the thing he was selling? > > **YES** > > Did the victims of his trolling know that he was the seller of the item? > > **NO** - COMPANY HAD A NAME. WHO KNOWS THE OWNERS NAMES NORMALLY? \*Not as good and sometimes counterfeit/knock-off. I think sometimes legit, too, but a lot of fraud. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/50 "2023-07-19T21:38:48Z")
Helpful lines to inquire about: **1. What did his trolling consist of?** **2. Why did he act to rudely/terribly to people?** The product does not matter, so I will tell you. No googling, as this will lead you down the path to finding an answer quickly. It was glasses. Online prescription glasses. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/51 "2023-07-19T21:44:52Z")
Did he act rudely to discourage refunds? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/52 "2023-07-19T21:44:54Z")
Did people fear him primarily due to his trolling? Did he assume a fake identity? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/53 "2023-07-19T21:45:47Z")
Is it me or does this seem like it could apply to many people like Billy McFarland of the Fyre Festival et alii. Am I missing a clue that makes the answer very specific even though we don’t know who it is? ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/54 "2023-07-19T21:49:54Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Did he act rudely to discourage refunds? **YES…and other reasons** > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Did people fear him primarily due to his trolling? > > **YES** > > Did he assume a fake identity? > > **I DON’T KNOW. IRRELEVANT.** > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Is it me or does this seem like it could apply to many people like Billy McFarland of the Fyre Festival et alii. > Am I missing a clue that makes the answer very specific even though we don’t know who it is? I don’t know anything about those situations, but this trolling has a unique(I think) twist to it that makes it worthy of a puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/55 "2023-07-19T21:50:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I don’t know anything about those situations, but this trolling has a unique(I think) twist to it that makes it worthy of a puzzle. Did I miss a clue on that twist? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/56 "2023-07-19T21:51:25Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Did I miss a clue on that twist? We have to come up with the right question to ask that will produce the missing clue. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/57 "2023-07-19T21:53:57Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > We have to come up with the right question to ask that will produce the clue. Wee that’s frustrating. I vote that to make this LTP more user friendly, we get a clue that at least leads us to think laterally and not guess-and-check. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/58 "2023-07-19T22:01:44Z")
That is the way these puzzles work, here is a classic example > Romeo and Juliet are dead. They are lying on the floor in a pool of water. There is also broken glass around them. A window is open. The solution is that Romeo and Juliet are fish and a cat knocked their bowl off the shelf. You have to ask questions to figure out that they aren’t just your run of the mill murder victims. Read some of the other [threads](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193) for more examples. In this case we know that he is a troll who has found a unique way of turning a profit from his trolling. We need to discover that unique way. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/59 "2023-07-19T22:08:07Z")
And usually, in this sort of puzzle, the trick is based on some incorrect assumption the reader would naively make (like in @Buck_Godot 's example, the assumption that they were humans). So good questions will whittle away the space around assumptions, hopefully finding which one is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/60 "2023-07-19T22:12:32Z")
Back to the scenario. Did he threaten people’s reputations unless they bought his product? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=4)