URL or Phone number?

[mrpoirot]

As we all know, tomorrow Lukas will provide an extra clue. Most of us hope that it will resolve the URL vs. phone number issue once and for all. What are your thinking at this point with regards to this?

[susb8383]

I think you need an I Don't Know choice. That would be my vote. I can see it going either way.

[mrpoirot]

Done.

[efanton]

But maybe the question should be 'does the solution involve a phone number?'

I have always discounted that a phone call would have to be made. On pure logic grounds. It would be very difficult indeed to set up a treasure hunt that involves a phone call unless you could limit those calls to very limited numbers, or have some mechanism that stopped poor innocent people totally unaware of this treasure hunt being woken up at ungodly hours of the morning..

As I jokingly remarked earlier in an other thread, the way to resolve the issue, before he offered a additional question, would be to ring every number in his local exchange and as soon as someone answers ask the question 'Is this Lukas Stanley or the number to his online treasure hunt?' It would quickly become apparent that involving a phone call in a hunt like this is an extremely bad idea when his neighbors quickly get pissed off with him.

That doesnt however discount that a phone number (or part of) could be part of the solution, a dialing code for instance, Maybe an information line, or something similar that would not be called but could be used as part of a URL

[mrpoirot]

It is now official: No phone needed!!!

[goldenchild]

If you used a laptop to make a Skype call or something similar would that count as a “phone” call? Also let’s say if the first three keys were a phone number to a set up answering machine that told you a website to visit to proceed from there. Technically someone could stumble onto that website in some other way... and bypassed having to make a phone call...you wouldn’t “have” to make a phone call. I’m not saying I believe this is the case, but there is some room there for misdirection.

[susb8383]

I read more into his answer than just a simple no. This is my take. He's already said that there are external confirmers (note: plural) that you have found the correct key(s). In his hint video, he emphasized "have" as in "you don't HAVE to call a phone number to find the treasure."

My view is that if you solve the key(s) correctly, you'll end up with a phone number. If you call that number, you'll hear something that says, "yup, you got the key correct."

The number needs to be input on the treasure chest webpage. So you don't have to hear the confirmer in order to use that number to open the chest. But if you do hear the message, you'll know beyond a doubt that you have the number correct.

[mrpoirot]

Aug 3, 2019 15:30:09 GMT -5 susb8383 said:

I read more into his answer than just a simple no. This is my take. He's already said that there are external confirmers (note: plural) that you have found the correct key(s). In his hint video, he emphasized "have" as in "you don't HAVE to call a phone number to find the treasure."

My view is that if you solve the key(s) correctly, you'll end up with a phone number. If you call that number, you'll hear something that says, "yup, you got the key correct."

The number needs to be input on the treasure chest webpage. So you don't have to hear the confirmer in order to use that number to open the chest. But if you do hear the message, you'll know beyond a doubt that you have the number correct.

That is true. I also wonder what he really means here. Not sure this clue helped me that much. Also, the mini-hunt, while looking a lot fun, seems quite hard. Image if this hunt is 20 times harder (1000/50)....

[susb8383]

Yeah, I'm finding the mini hunt to be hard too. I think I understand what the riddle refers to, but so far I don't know how to apply it to the encrypted text.

[efanton]

Aug 3, 2019 15:21:26 GMT -5 goldenchild said:

If you used a laptop to make a Skype call or something similar would that count as a “phone” call? Also let’s say if the first three keys were a phone number to a set up answering machine that told you a website to visit to proceed from there. Technically someone could stumble onto that website in some other way... and bypassed having to make a phone call...you wouldn’t “have” to make a phone call. I’m not saying I believe this is the case, but there is some room there for misdirection.

If you used a laptop to make a Skype call or something similar would that count as a “phone” call?

I would say a very definite yes.  This is a internet based hunt designed for ALL people.  Some might not have access to skype or something similar (Political issues such as some countries blocking access, inability to install software, bandwidth some users and countries have pretty abysmal bandwidth, etc)


I think stumbling on the website would be extremely unlikely.  As its a new website thats unlikely to have external links to other websites, and the fact that it will have hardly any traffic or visits  means it will never appear in search engine results.
In fact, turning the argument on it head,  it would be far more likely that a telephone number would be found by mistake.

I dont have access to the patreon page so I haven't seen the exact wording of his answer or the question asked. 
Simply stating that a phone call is not required, does not mean  phone number or part of it (an area code for example) cant be part of the solution.
I would have much preferred the question  asked 'is a phone number (or part of) required to answer the puzzle?' rather than 'is a phone call required?'.  The first question would have ruled out far more possibilities.

[susb8383]

He answered it in a video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvuv0BHSP9c&t=4s

[efanton]

Aug 3, 2019 17:37:41 GMT -5 susb8383 said:

He answered it in a video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvuv0BHSP9c&t=4s

Thanks susb8383.

So he hasnt ruled out you area code idea.  
His answer helps,  But not as much as I had hoped.

[TheCoyWonder]

I think this exchange is interesting...



It's as if MJ rules out the phone number personally and Lukas, in his own way, says not necessarily. 

I don't think he has hard and fast ruled out a phone number used in the process of getting the treasure, its just not the direct way to win, if that makes sense.

[efanton]

Aug 3, 2019 18:31:52 GMT -5 TheCoyWonder said:

I think this exchange is interesting...



It's as if MJ rules out the phone number personally and Lukas, in his own way, says not necessarily. 

I don't think he has hard and fast ruled out a phone number used in the process of getting the treasure, its just not the direct way to win, if that makes sense.

Well that has well and truly put the cat among the pigeons.  Thanks for posting that TheCoyWonder

Looks like Lukas is definitely not discounting that a phone number (or part of) COULD be part of the solution.
As ever, he is being as evasive as he possibly can be.
The question is is he just being evasive, or does it mean a dial code for instance could still be part of the solution.
Personally I never thought a phone call would be involved,  but I did and still do like Susb8384's idea of an area code.  Is it he is afraid that if an area code is part of the solution that he might later be accused of misleading people by his answer in the video?

[susb8383]

I don't recall saying that I thought the answer to a part was an area code. If anything, I think an area code AND an exchange are needed.