[GreenWindmill]

Thought I'd bump this back up the forums - don't know if anyone still checks or is interested but I wondered if there'd been any kind of reveal about this puzzle? Never did get to the bottom of it and leaving it alone for 18 months hasn't made me any wiser! Any takers?

[rose]

So the dates of posting shows this puzzle has been kicking around for a year.

I was wondering if the .500 could refer to an error message or possibly a port number?

Did anyone try counting the letters (as opposed to the words) in the original metafilter article to see what that gives us? I know that doesn't account for the punctuation but maybe CT used periods in keeping with IP addresses for some reason?

Link = http://www.metafilter.org/mefi/24344

[Scribe]

Only just discovered these, but looking into it more as the endgame neareth... Could do with a bump, I think.

Thought they might be International Dialling Codes (format plus, urrr, they're next to a phone?), but quite a few of the numbers are lacking, so I think that's maybe a dud. Next!

[GreenWindmill]

[ramble]No huge new ideas here but I'm unwilling to let this topic die so easily just because the puzzle isn't worth any points. It's just plain irritating.

I noticed there seem to be a lot of 5's in the number string - not sure if this is common in IP addresses or the like but it struck me as odd.

I decided that since 'e' is the most common letter in the English language perhaps and also the fifth, perhaps each digit should be translated rather than the sets separated by dots.

This provides:

bg.ee.be.cd.d.dc.e00.ae.ah.ee.ac.a.a0.c0.ef.ee.ci.ba.h.af.bg.ee.be.fi.bi.ce.fb.ee

(not sure what to do with zeroes)

Struck me as similar to Homage In Glass but can't believe the same technique would be used again and also fail to see how a tune would help us!

Basically a blind alley I think but if it kickstarts any extra discussion I'll consider it worthwhile.

The repetition of 27.55.25 is probably significant as well but I'm stumped for now.

Personally, I'm swayed towards the website/email idea due to the nature of the card and the potential usefulness of successfully deciphering the puzzle but I'm a complete luddite when it comes to IP addresses etc. so I'm hoping someone else can come up with a bright idea...[/ramble]

[Soulsproximity1]

First time Poster so be nice.

I have been Messing around with these numbers and seeing if I can find any meaning in them.

So i first decoded them in octal and I got this:

Code:

-$ -   5+-2-

Which could be something. Then I tried hex and I got this:

Code:

'U%4D5UeS’'U%i)5bU

But baiscly both methods lead to nothing.

[jsweby]

Has anyone tried texting the hints number to see if that gives us a clue about the numbers?

[neopuff34]

I apologize for bringing up an old topic, but has anyone made any more progress with this? I'm just worried that we may be missing out on an important puzzle.

[dommccas]

Just looked at this card again after solving it a while ago. The numbers are really starting to annoy me.

I don't know much about the internet and its history but has it allways been using the tcp/ip protocall. isn't there an older network that it could be. the numbers range from 1 to 69 except of course that annoying 500. the network would have to be still up for it to be of any use.

is everything on the net tcp/ip? is that a really stupid question?

not the best idea but i thought i'd wack it out there anyway.

[sackofpotatoes]

I think that lends further credence, sixsidedsquare, to the conclusion that this is not a design element.

Not that I have any idea what it is, but I think it is an open puzzle.

Any new ideas out there?

[sixsidedsquare]

Hoping to spark some more thought here on the number string.
I emailed pxc customer service asking if the 500 was meant to be a 50 (mainly hoping for some other hint back) but all they said was that it was in fact meant to be 500, and no hints at all

[Juxta]

Hi there. It's a nice idea, but sadly, the edition of the Sentinel which we get here on Earth is limited to what we see...as none of us have the "keys" required for full access. Keys are described here.

J

[kookaburrah]

Humm

[sackofpotatoes]

Chris, do you really think a series of very small numbers is a design element? It doesn't immediately jump out at me as increasing the artistic qualities of this card.

In any case, no leads here...

[chichiri]

Lol, I e-mailed them ages ago saying that since it's not the main puzzle and we have no hint for it that I think we should get one (really pushing luck there) I musta pushed too far coz got same reply, oh well doesn't hurt to try.

no da

[European Chris]

It may not have been deliberate. Just a bit of design that people are looking a bit too closely at.