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But a search for 2943 would bring up both threads. Likewise with the IQ threads. How can people who are so clever at solving crosswords find a simple website so difficult to get to grips with?

Finding it and using reply will bring it back to the front page again!

This is all getting far too complicated, honestly I have no wish to make anyone start using Search before they can post.

As I said earlier, let’s just concentrate on the first page, you don't need search for that, if your Crossword is not on Page 1 then you can start another thread.

Scan down for the Crossword concentrating on the NUMBER, eg 4923. The thread might be headed ST 4923 or Sunday Times 4923 or Times 4923 BUT the number will be consistent.

Orson, I love this “ How can people who are so clever at solving crosswords find a simple website so difficult to get to grips with?”

The answer is that Crossword solvers have very unusually programmed brains, they have to be in order to solve the most complicated clues which us mere mortals find totally incomprehensible.

Thanks for simplifying things Norah.
I'm sure the occasional duplicated thread won't matter.

Now can you explain what we can and can't do according to Covid rules?!

Thanks, Norah.

Now, Rossim... have you got an afternoon to spare? What country are you in? What part of that country are you in? Do you want details of all the laws, regulations, guidelines and government 'advice'? Are you classed as 'exempt' when it comes to compliance?

Wouldn't you rather just forget about Covid and tackle a crossword or two?

Hi Norah
Re ideas for simplifying the search for a thread: the English Chess Forum has a first page of 27 subject areas:

https://www.googenglish chess forumle.com

You click on one to see the various threads which have been started under each subject. You can either reply to these or start a new thread relevant to that subject.

The Crossword Forum currently has twenty threads on its first page. These could be replaced by major topic areas. Perhaps the more popular cryptic crosswords could each be a topic in themselves (Listener, Times, Guardian etc.) with another area entitled 'Other Cryptics'. Then you could have Quizzes, Clue Setting Competitions (click to link to the threads of Clueless, Peer Review, Weekend Peer Review and the lists of previously used words), General Chat etc.. Even Pedants United would benefit from being a major topic with a link to see the different threads which get started under that heading. I don't think it would be difficult to decide on about 20 major areas, but it could be any number you choose. Of course I have no idea how to set this up, but an expert website person might find it easy.

The other facility on the chess forum is to send Private Messages. I do find here that I sometimes want to comment privately to a clue setter (e.g.), when it would be of no interest to others. There is of course the safety net of being able to block messages from anyone you choose.

No doubt this is all too radical - I would quite understand!

Sorry, the link in my previous post got mangled. Here is another try

https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=2

The link in @17 takes you to General Chat. Click Board Index to see all the main subject areas and how they lead to different threads within each.

My thoughts on this are shown in the attached link. Those thoughts still stand now.

https://www.crosswordsolver.org/forum/591569/use-current-thread-rather-than-create-a-new-one/

Hi Malone

Thank you. You sound really well informed but I'm afraid you won't be able to give me much advice.
Sorry, but I choose to remain fairly anonymous on this forum so I'm afraid I can't disclose many of those details.

So I'll stick to crosswords and my knitting for the foreseeable future!