Infrastructure Week

We completed our latest XWord Info upgrade and we’ve now settled comfortably into our new home on the Azure cloud. Will you notice or care? Maybe not, but there are many advantages for us and for you. We can now upgrade the site with bug fixes or new features with zero downtime. (It used to… Continue reading Infrastructure Week

Wordlist downloads

We’ve recently had reports that our new logon authentication system on XWord Info has affected Wordlist downloads. Fortunately, the fix is easy. If you’ve recently downloaded a wordlist (particularly an OS/X version apparently) and had problems, 1) log off XWord Info, 2) log back on, 3) download the list again. You should be fine. Once… Continue reading Wordlist downloads

That extra XWord Info Log In

Did you notice that you recently had to log back into XWord info for no apparent reason? Here’s the explanation. Note, this post gets increasingly technical, so feel free to bail when you get bored. TL;DR: Just log back in when you’re asked, and everything will work fine. What happened? The short answer is, we… Continue reading That extra XWord Info Log In

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Categorized as Software

Link to us, get free access

If you have a crossword-related blog or website, add a permanent link to XWord Info on your home page, and we’ll give you four months of access for free. If you already have an account, we’ll extend it four months.

Analyze your own crosswords

XWord Info started as a website mostly for curious solvers. Over the years, the site has evolved and is now equally aimed at helping constructors create their best work. We have Jeff Chen’s word list, some sample Python scripts, and a Finder page that has been used more than 13 million times. (An upcoming post… Continue reading Analyze your own crosswords

We Get Mail

Jim Horne answers questions about XWord Info we get in email.

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Categorized as Feedback

Crosswords and Computers

Crosswords used to be constructed entirely by hand. Watch Garson Hampfield reminisce about the old days. I love this guy. Some constructors still use graph paper, but almost all published crosswords now benefit from some computer assistance. The Auto-Amazing-Theme-Generator™ has yet to be invented, but software such as Crossword Compiler for PCs or Crossfire for… Continue reading Crosswords and Computers