https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=AA000143&feedformat=atomNASPAWiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T15:43:06ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.29.0https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Data_Synchronization_in_NASPA_Zyzzyva_and_NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17261Data Synchronization in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2022-04-18T16:27:58Z<p>AA000143: /* Wait, there’s a mobile version of NASPA Zyzzyva? */ reformat link to NZM page</p>
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<div>=== Wait, there’s a mobile version of NASPA Zyzzyva? ===<br />
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Yes! NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile (NZM), currently at version 3.3.1, was introduced in 2021 as a mobile companion to the familiar NASPA Zyzzyva (NZ) desktop application, currently at version 3.3.0. While they look very different on the surface, they share common quiz, search, and judge functions, and they are fully compatible in how they record your saved study data. For more information about NZM, please see [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]].<br />
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=== What is data synchronization in Zyzzyva, and why would I want to do it? ===<br />
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Zyzzyva data synchronization is mostly for users with more than one device that they use for word study. If that describes you, and you don’t synchronize your study data between devices, then nothing is coordinated, because those installations live totally separate lives. (That may be good enough, for example, if you only use the desktop application for adjudication, or if you’ve been exceptionally clever and moved your study data to a USB drive that you plug into whichever device you’re using.) Data synchronization makes multiple Zyzzyva installations seem like one, so you can switch devices and pick up where you left off in your study.<br />
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People who use Zyzzyva data synchronization usually have one of two purposes: Either they routinely move back and forth between a home computer and a mobile device, or they use NZM to run quizzes that they had to create in NZ because NZM’s set of search conditions is too limited. (NZM can run those, even though its user interface can’t create them.)<br />
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=== How does data synchronization work? Is it like a backup? ===<br />
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Zyzzyva synchronizes your study data with servers operated by a cloud-storage provider. If you use only one device, but you’re concerned about losing years’ worth of study data if it’s lost or stolen, data synchronization is one way to do it, but there are other ways: On a computer, you can train an Internet service’s program to back up your study data to their servers on a regular schedule. On a mobile device, Zyzzyva’s data are part of the larger set of user data that is covered by backup features included in the operating system.<br />
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When reading the following, it’s important to remember that your Zyzzyva installations will be syncing with a cloud-storage provider, not directly with each other. (At no time is your Zyzzyva session “live on the Internet”!) Consequently, syncing your data between devices always requires an “up” sync followed by a “down” sync.<br />
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=== What Zyzzyva data can I synchronize? ===<br />
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In both the desktop application (NASPA Zyzzyva) and the mobile app (NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile), every user has a “data directory” in local storage to hold all of your study data — everything but the program itself. When you run it for the first time, the program creates this directory in a location that belongs to you (named '''<tt>Zyzzyva</tt>''' in your home folder, if you’re on a computer; it’s hidden on mobile devices).<br />
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For the purposes of synchronization between devices, this data directory is one big blob — you can either sync its entire contents or nothing at all. Still, it’s good to know what’s in there: The '''<tt>quiz</tt>''' subfolder contains your quiz statistics and cardbox data, along with any quiz specifications that you created and saved. The '''<tt>search</tt>''' subfolder contains any search specifications that you created and saved. The '''<tt>words</tt>''' subfolder contains any word lists that you saved, perhaps from the result of a search. The '''<tt>judge</tt>''' subfolder contains logs of your adjudications. The '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subfolder contains lexicon databases, if you’ve opted to build them, and any Custom lexicons you may have created in NZM.<br />
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=== Is synchronization only for mobile users? ===<br />
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First, let’s distinguish between “passive” synchronization, which requires the assistance of another program to sync data with a cloud-storage provider, and “active” synchronization, which is something that Zyzzyva manages on its own using network services.<br />
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NASPA Zyzzyva, the desktop application, has always been compatible with passive sync using Dropbox or another cloud-storage provider; it only requires that you train that program to target the Zyzzyva data directory, or move the data directory to a location that the program targets by default. This works very well between computers, but it generates a lot of network traffic, because files in the data directory change every time you answer a quiz question or judge a word. (NZ doesn’t support active sync yet, but it will, beginning with version 3.3.1, making it work more like the mobile app.)<br />
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The mobile app (NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile and its predecessor, the pre-2014 Zyzzyva iOS app) only supports active sync, and it does not use or benefit from the installation of any cloud-storage sync program, thus, no passive sync. Active sync only occurs when you trigger it, avoiding most redundant network traffic.<br />
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Whatever your scenario, Zyzzyva works fine while you’re offline, and you can sync any changes to its data when you’re back online — manually (active sync) or automatically (passive sync).<br />
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=== What cloud-storage providers can I use, and is it safe? ===<br />
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For passive sync when using NZ on a computer, any cloud provider will do, including Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, and OneDrive. For active sync, Zyzzyva currently only supports Dropbox. Dropbox offers free storage space up to 2 GB per account, and active-sync clients such as Zyzzyva don’t count toward the maximum of three connected Dropbox program installations per account.<br />
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Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine only requests access to its own “app folder” in your Dropbox storage, so it can’t see any other files that you may have stored there or otherwise affect your cloud-storage setup.<br />
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=== Will synchronization use up my mobile-data plan? ===<br />
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Probably not, but if you’re uncertain, use your mobile device’s metering features to watch how much data each sync is using. The initial sync could use as much as 400 MB of data, so maybe you’ll want to do that one while you’re on wi-fi (and not on your friend’s tethered hotspot!).<br />
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=== What could possibly go wrong? ===<br />
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Zyzzyva’s sync engine is very cautious, and it hasn’t been known to “lose” data on its own, but it’s good to be conscious of what can go wrong without realizing it in the moment.<br />
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Anything that changes at one end of the sync relationship will be reflected at the other, either later or almost immediately, depending on whether the sync is active or passive. That includes routine updates to file contents, but also deletions and replacements. When Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine sees changes to a file at both ends, it will favor the end whose change seems more recent, if asked to consider both. If it already had knowledge of the file from a previous sync, it’ll prompt you to choose a side — should it consider changes from one end, both, or neither, or just cancel the sync? This will usually steer you to make a safe decision that you won’t need to correct later.<br />
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The scarier scenario is where the sync engine sees a file for the first time, but it exists in both locations with different contents and last-modified dates; this is very common when a user is syncing the data directories of two Zyzzyva installations for the first time. In such a case, and especially when the sync engine tells you that there are many files in conflict, read the prompts carefully and consider the consequences, as it will happily overwrite an older quiz-stats/cardbox database that you wanted to keep with a brand-new but almost empty one from a new installation where you just happened to run one quiz before syncing. (Ouch!) Remember, changes are handled at the file level, so don’t expect database changes to be merged at the record level.<br />
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=== Why does synchronization take so long? ===<br />
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With passive sync, you probably won’t notice how long it is taking, and it will pick up where it left off if it was interrupted. Most of the time, active sync is very quick, because the active-sync engine is conscious of the prior state of each file and only syncs files that have really changed. However, the first sync can take a long time (minutes to hours, depending on the size of your data directory and the speed of your network connection). Watch the file-countdown indicator if you aren’t sure that anything useful is happening; you can extend the timeout setting if you are getting a lot of prompts asking if you want to cancel the sync.<br />
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On mobile devices, especially iOS devices, it’s important not to put the app into the background or put the device to sleep during a long sync, because the operating system will suspend the app before long, and the sync will have to be restarted — so just plug it in and let the sync complete.<br />
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How long a sync takes depends greatly on the size of the files involved. Of all files in the data directory, lexicon databases are by far the largest (typically 60 MB), but they’ll only change if you rebuild them, so consider that factor if it seems that a sync is taking a long time.<br />
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=== Why do my data take up so much space? ===<br />
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The format of Zyzzyva’s data directory is the same on computers and on mobile devices. Unless you’ve built lexicon databases (optional, but recommended for many reasons as explained in the help files), the size of that directory is generally small. Where the pain can start on mobile devices with limited storage is with lexicon databases, either ones you built locally or ones that were synced in from another device where storage wasn’t a concern.<br />
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Lexicon databases typically use 300 to 400 bytes of storage for each word in the lexicon. This can easily put the size of the database over 60 MB, and you can multiply that by the number of lexicons. Some of those lexicons, you probably don’t even use. So, to cut down on the space consumption on your mobile devices, you may want to delete some of them. There isn’t a way to do this through NZ or NZM, so you’ll have to delete the files yourself; the best way is to log on to the cloud-storage provider’s website, find the Zyzzyva data directory and then its '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subdirectory, where you will find files with names like '''<tt>NSWL2020.db</tt>'''. (To avoid creating those files in the first place, use Zyzzyva’s settings to unload those lexicons before asking it to build or rebuild lexicon databases.)<br />
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=== Why am I seeing data synchronization conflicts, even after the initial sync? ===<br />
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Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine is very cautious, as mentioned above, so it may report file conflicts when they don’t exist. For example, if you initiate a routine sync from your mobile device and put it to sleep, all of the changed files may reach the cloud-storage provider, but the app may be suspended before it gets final confirmation of that, so it won’t update its sync status; the next time you ask it to sync, both ends of the sync relationship think that they have an updated version of the file, which could indicate a conflict. Only after you tell it how to resolve the conflict will the engine go to the trouble of computing the cryptographic hash of the file’s contents and decide that there’s no actual change to be synced.<br />
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=== A sync just squished my cardbox! What do I do now? ===<br />
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Oh dear. Let’s hope you have another copy somewhere. If you have a device that hasn’t yet synced with the cloud-storage provider, you may be able to preserve an older copy of the affected database file and feed it back into the sync process after the damaged file has finished propagating. Or, if your computer operating system or cloud-storage provider offers a way to recover previous versions of files, you can restore it that way, and let that restored version propagate among your devices.<br />
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=== Can I make active sync automatic? ===<br />
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Passive sync is by its nature automatic, as long as the cloud-storage provider’s program is operating and your devices are online. Active sync only occurs when you trigger it, but there are options you can set to make it happen automatically when Zyzzyva starts or quits — actually, whenever you bring it to the foreground or put it in the background. (On iOS devices, this sync-on-quit task has about 30 seconds to complete before the operating system will suspend the app, aborting the sync; however, this is usually more than enough time for it to complete, and you can redo the sync later if it gets cut off.)<br />
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=== Can I sync my data with other users? ===<br />
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No. When you set up data synchronization, either passive or active, you must log on to a cloud-storage provider using a specific account. Unless you share those account credentials with others, the Zyzzyva data directory stored in that location is not accessible to them. (Outside of the sync scheme, though, there’s nothing stopping you from sharing those files with other users.)<br />
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=== I use a Custom lexicon, and nothing seems to sync properly. What can I do? ===<br />
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Custom lexicons are problematic for data synchronization. While each named lexicon is assumed to be identical between installations, the one lexicon named '''Custom''' may not be, so it would be bad practice for Zyzzyva to maintain one quiz-stats/cardbox database and one set of adjudication logs in its data directory that are synced between devices with different Custom lexicons.<br />
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NZ lets you load a Custom lexicon from any location in local storage; NZM only lets you create one interactively, storing it in the '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subfolder of the data directory under a timestamped name. For now, they don’t agree on where to store a lexicon database that you may build from that Custom lexicon. The only way to marry these implementations so that they sync properly involves some serious Unix wizardry, so we don’t recommend it. A solution to this problem will have to wait for a later version where all lexicons are separately loadable and distinguished between installations by analyzing their file contents, so that the Custom lexicon is no longer a special case.<br />
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=== My NZ and NZM data directories won’t sync, though they should. Why is this happening? ===<br />
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We’ve seen this happen to users who set up a passive-sync link to Dropbox by creating a folder named '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' in Dropbox storage and changing their NZ preferences to use the locally synced copy of that folder as their data directory, and only then tried to enable active sync on that or another device. When the active-sync engine tries to sync with that folder in the cloud, it is refused access and creates its own '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva (1)</tt>''' folder instead; the two Zyzzyva installations don’t sync.<br />
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The problem, here, is that Dropbox strongly enforces access control between client apps; if an app didn’t create the folder, it can’t access it. The solution is to break that passive-sync link, delete the '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' folder in the cloud, then link to Dropbox using active sync so that Zyzzyva can recreate that folder in its own right; then, you can link NZ to Dropbox again and resolve any sync conflicts that may result from differences between the data directories.<br />
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=== I tried to link NZM to Dropbox using “Sign in with Google”. Why doesn’t that work? ===<br />
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NZM uses an embedded browser (“webview”) to ask for authorization when you ask it to link to a cloud-storage provider. The resulting logon page may include a “Sign in with Google” button, which probably won’t work. That’s because Google’s identity service doesn’t support browsers that don’t store cookies (I wonder why?). Better just to log on with an account and password — you should only have to do this once per device.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=17260Cardboxing 2012022-04-18T16:26:03Z<p>AA000143: add link to new page about data synchronization</p>
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<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
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It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see [[Data Synchronization in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] and the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
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== Where to Start? ==<br />
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As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
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Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
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We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
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If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
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== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
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Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
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== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
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This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
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How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
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The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
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== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
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=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
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A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
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=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
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If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Remove list from Cardbox'', then right-clicking the list again, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
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=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
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Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000; a ''Lax'' search will return more than 1000 words if those following words are equally probable, which is what you probably want. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
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=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
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A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. In NZ, you can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
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=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
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Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
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=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
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That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
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=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
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The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
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=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is syncing in the background (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync actively with Dropbox, without an installed Dropbox app, and has a ''Sync'' button for that purpose. To bring multiple devices' Zyzzyva data directories into sync, they all need to target the same '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' folder in the same user's Dropbox cloud storage. (Important: If you are using NZM, you should sync your mobile devices to Dropbox first, because Zyzzyva's active sync engine won't link up with a Dropbox app folder that it didn't create. Then, on your desktop devices, install the Dropbox application, set it up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory inside your home directory, then retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move or merge your data there so that Dropbox can manage them. Having done that, you’re ready to sync all of your devices through Dropbox.) When firing up any new NZM installation, press the ''Sync'' button, sign in to Dropbox and give permission when prompted, and then — please! — if you see prompts about conflicted items, read those questions before you agree to proceed with the sync. The first time you sync, there may be conflicts between older, useful cardbox/quiz-statistics databases on Dropbox and newer, but useless databases just established on your mobile device; if so, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, and it will try to keep your device awake, because NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later; since iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an active app, you should let it run in the foreground. After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_101&diff=17259Cardboxing 1012022-04-18T16:23:42Z<p>AA000143: /* Scheduling and Sizing */ add link to new page about data synchronization</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
So what is this “cardbox” thing, why should you care enough to give your time to cardbox study, and why do serious word players obsess about a seven-letter word that isn’t in any approved lexicon? Take a few minutes to learn about cardboxes, word-study habits, and why you too should tend a cardbox as if it were your prize garden.<br />
<br />
== Sebastian Leitner: „So lernt man lernen“ ==<br />
<br />
About 50 years ago, an Austrian-German author made a big splash with his book of scientific theory of “how to learn to learn”. In it, he described what has become known as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system Leitner Cardbox System] for acquiring and perfecting memory through spaced repetition using flashcards. In the 1970s, it was fairly common in certain places to see people with plastic boxes full of flashcards with numbered dividers, reading and reshuffling the cards as if sorting recipes.<br />
<br />
The big idea in Leitner’s system is that some facts are easy to learn but hard to remember while others are the opposite, and that adaptive repetition reinforces long-term memory. Further, he realized that concentrating one’s study only on the things that are hard to recall is discouraging, for lack of positive reinforcement, and so it helps to mix things up. Can’t remember this fact? — bring it back tomorrow for another try. Got this one cold? — great, but you probably won’t need to repeat it for a while.<br />
<br />
Herr Leitner’s system came a bit early for the personal-computer age, but computers have certainly widened its appeal, and there are now many generalized cardbox-study tools to choose from. One thing that fits exceptionally well on a flashcard is a word-anagramming question like <tt>AEINRST</tt>, with the answers on the back, and the impact of this study method has transformed how word games are played.<br />
<br />
== Cardboxing in Zyzzyva ==<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva application came along in the mid-2000s at a time of increased public interest in the game of Scrabble spurred by the publication of a number of books and DVDs and some unprecedented exposure on cable television. He constructed it in a way that suited both casual and intense users, making it an almost universal presence at clubs and tournaments. His legacy continues today in the form of [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] and [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]].<br />
<br />
One feature of Zyzzyva that favored the dedicated game player was its implementation of the Leitner Cardbox System, by which the user could build up a hoard of anagram questions for long-term study by doing anagram or pattern searches and then committing them to the cardbox. Users’ pain tolerance varied, but it became common for Zyzzyva users to amass a cardbox stuffed with many thousands of virtual flashcards, usually the ones deemed most probable to appear in gameplay, and particularly the ones of seven or eight letters that could earn the prized 50-point “bingo” bonus that often decides a game.<br />
<br />
One of the genius things about cardboxing in Zyzzyva is that you get to decide what’s a “passing grade” for remembering the answers to an anagram question. If you’re happy enough that you remembered eight of the nine answers to <tt>AEINRST</tt>, mark it correct and move on. If you’re a bit obsessive and can’t live with not remembering <tt>ANESTRI</tt> (again?!), mark it incorrect and know that you’ll get it when it comes back tomorrow.<br />
<br />
In Zyzzyva, the word “cardbox” has two meanings: Your virtual cardbox contains 16 compartments, numbered 0 to 15. Words you add to the (aggregate) cardbox normally start out in (individual) Cardbox 0 and step up from there as you answer them correctly; an incorrect answer demotes a question back to Cardbox 0. Of course, you can pluck questions out and move them around as necessary.<br />
<br />
Each question in the system has both a compartment (how “deep” in the cardbox it’s gone since you last failed to answer it correctly) and a next-review date that’s assigned when it arrives at that location. The deeper it goes, the farther out the date is set. What’s “due” on a given day, therefore, is not just the questions you recently missed, but rather a mixture of those with some less vexing ones that have come up for review after a longer wait.<br />
<br />
== Scheduling and Sizing ==<br />
<br />
One error some users make is to put too many words in the system. Zyzzyva’s scheduling settings are easily adjusted, but, by default, the questions you can answer with your eyes closed (residents of Cardbox 10 and up) are still going to reappear every 480 days or so, and it’d be tempting Fate to put them off much longer than that. This means that a perfectly familiar set of 48000 questions is still going to hit you with a daily average of 100 questions due.<br />
<br />
There are a few ways to deal with this problem:<br />
* '''Keep the count down.''' Don’t put too many words in the cardbox to begin with, especially ones you’re unlikely ever to see. Once you figure out how to do it, you can do a search for improbable or fully mastered words and remove them from the cardbox to make room for more worthy ones.<br />
* '''Subdivide the cardbox.''' NASPA Zyzzyva supports only one cardbox database per lexicon, but you can run quizzes that impose a search condition on the questions that are currently due for review. Try isolating the ones that have specific characteristics from the ones that don’t, and concentrate on one manageable subgroup for a while.<br />
* '''Up the quiz speed.''' Use a tool like NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile that is optimized for quick cardbox quizzing. [[Data_Synchronization_in_NASPA_Zyzzyva_and_NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile|Synchronize]] your cardbox between multiple devices so that your progress is shared between them; 50 with coffee in the morning and 50 in the bus on the way home isn’t a lot when you have a well optimized study tool.<br />
* '''Surrender.''' Life is not always a box of cards. Sometimes you won’t be able to keep up the usual pace, and it can be discouraging to see that your inattention has left you a thousand questions to answer to reach the goal of zero due. Use the available menu commands to shift the whole cardbox back, either by a number of days or so that a specific number of questions remain due.<br />
<br />
== Your Deepest Cardbox Questions, Answered ==<br />
<br />
Cardboxing isn’t everyone’s pleasure, so it doesn’t make sense to lard the NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ with too much detail about it. Please read our next article, [[Cardboxing 201]], for answers to your deepest questions about cardboxing in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva&diff=17258Zyzzyva2022-04-18T16:22:27Z<p>AA000143: /* Links */ add link to new page about data synchronization</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva''' is a word study and word adjudication [[software|program]].<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is an application for desktop and laptop computers, currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.<br />
<br />
The new [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app is now available for iOS and Android devices. Please see that page for information about the mobile version.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]] wrote the original version of what was then Zyzzyva,<br />
and maintained it for many years as it gained worldwide popularity.<br />
Zyzzyva<br />
has been used at software self-lookup stations at most<br />
North American [[SCRABBLE]] [[tournaments]], <br />
including BAT, Oregon TILE, the Dallas Open, <br />
the [[National SCRABBLE Championship]],<br />
[[National School SCRABBLE Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
and the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]].<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and we have worked since then<br />
with our SCRABBLE partners to ensure<br />
access to all the official word lists for our members.<br />
<br />
NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] has continued development of the desktop edition of<br />
what became NASPA Zyzzyva. Their most recent work has been to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019|CSW19]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.1]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2016]], [[SSWL2016]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]] as well as older versions [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.3]]<br />
: a time-limited test release that expired in May 2015<br />
; Zyzzyva 0.9.4<br />
: released 2006-01-14, first version to include [[OTCWL2]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
The [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]], as with everything Zyzzyva-related, was originally written by Michael Thelen and then transferred to NASPA in 2014. It is now fully up to date with information about NASPA Zyzzyva.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Download]]<br />
* [[Data Synchronization in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17257NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2022-04-18T16:21:24Z<p>AA000143: /* Links */ add link to new page about data synchronization</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher; 12 or higher for version 3.3.1 and later) and Android (5 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile should also run on Chromebooks that support Android apps from Google Play.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.1 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download|NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.1]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
; NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. <br />
<br />
Visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]] page for frequently asked questions about NASPA Zyzzyva in general.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]<br />
* [[Data Synchronization in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=17256NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2022-04-18T16:19:33Z<p>AA000143: /* What It Can Do */ add link to new page about data synchronization</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
The new '''[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]]''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
<br />
While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
<br />
[[File:ZyzzyvaMobile_Zyzzyva.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br />
== What You’ll Need ==<br />
<br />
[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
<br />
* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later (12.0 or later for version 3.3.1 and later). If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 5 (“Lollipop”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
<br />
<br />
The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases. (For each word in a lexicon, allow 300 bytes, or 400 bytes if the lexicon source includes definitions.)<br />
<br />
== What It Can Do ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, ''Quiz'', ''Search'', and ''Judge''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
<br />
* '''''Quiz'''''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. [[Data_Synchronization_in_NASPA_Zyzzyva_and_NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile|Synchronize]] your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''''Search'''''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''''Judge'''''. Get an adjudication (“valid” or “not valid”) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
<br />
<br />
NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, <tt>CARDBOX</tt> is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
<br />
== Where to Get It ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. Click [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download |here]] for the download links.<br />
<br />
For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Data_Synchronization_in_NASPA_Zyzzyva_and_NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17255Data Synchronization in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2022-04-18T16:15:16Z<p>AA000143: create</p>
<hr />
<div>=== Wait, there’s a mobile version of NASPA Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
Yes! NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile (NZM), currently at version 3.3.1, was introduced in 2021 as a mobile companion to the familiar NASPA Zyzzyva (NZ) desktop application, currently at version 3.3.0. While they look very different on the surface, they share common quiz, search, and judge functions, and they are fully compatible in how they record your saved study data. For more information about NZM, please visit https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile.<br />
<br />
=== What is data synchronization in Zyzzyva, and why would I want to do it? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva data synchronization is mostly for users with more than one device that they use for word study. If that describes you, and you don’t synchronize your study data between devices, then nothing is coordinated, because those installations live totally separate lives. (That may be good enough, for example, if you only use the desktop application for adjudication, or if you’ve been exceptionally clever and moved your study data to a USB drive that you plug into whichever device you’re using.) Data synchronization makes multiple Zyzzyva installations seem like one, so you can switch devices and pick up where you left off in your study.<br />
<br />
People who use Zyzzyva data synchronization usually have one of two purposes: Either they routinely move back and forth between a home computer and a mobile device, or they use NZM to run quizzes that they had to create in NZ because NZM’s set of search conditions is too limited. (NZM can run those, even though its user interface can’t create them.)<br />
<br />
=== How does data synchronization work? Is it like a backup? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva synchronizes your study data with servers operated by a cloud-storage provider. If you use only one device, but you’re concerned about losing years’ worth of study data if it’s lost or stolen, data synchronization is one way to do it, but there are other ways: On a computer, you can train an Internet service’s program to back up your study data to their servers on a regular schedule. On a mobile device, Zyzzyva’s data are part of the larger set of user data that is covered by backup features included in the operating system.<br />
<br />
When reading the following, it’s important to remember that your Zyzzyva installations will be syncing with a cloud-storage provider, not directly with each other. (At no time is your Zyzzyva session “live on the Internet”!) Consequently, syncing your data between devices always requires an “up” sync followed by a “down” sync.<br />
<br />
=== What Zyzzyva data can I synchronize? ===<br />
<br />
In both the desktop application (NASPA Zyzzyva) and the mobile app (NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile), every user has a “data directory” in local storage to hold all of your study data — everything but the program itself. When you run it for the first time, the program creates this directory in a location that belongs to you (named '''<tt>Zyzzyva</tt>''' in your home folder, if you’re on a computer; it’s hidden on mobile devices).<br />
<br />
For the purposes of synchronization between devices, this data directory is one big blob — you can either sync its entire contents or nothing at all. Still, it’s good to know what’s in there: The '''<tt>quiz</tt>''' subfolder contains your quiz statistics and cardbox data, along with any quiz specifications that you created and saved. The '''<tt>search</tt>''' subfolder contains any search specifications that you created and saved. The '''<tt>words</tt>''' subfolder contains any word lists that you saved, perhaps from the result of a search. The '''<tt>judge</tt>''' subfolder contains logs of your adjudications. The '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subfolder contains lexicon databases, if you’ve opted to build them, and any Custom lexicons you may have created in NZM.<br />
<br />
=== Is synchronization only for mobile users? ===<br />
<br />
First, let’s distinguish between “passive” synchronization, which requires the assistance of another program to sync data with a cloud-storage provider, and “active” synchronization, which is something that Zyzzyva manages on its own using network services.<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva, the desktop application, has always been compatible with passive sync using Dropbox or another cloud-storage provider; it only requires that you train that program to target the Zyzzyva data directory, or move the data directory to a location that the program targets by default. This works very well between computers, but it generates a lot of network traffic, because files in the data directory change every time you answer a quiz question or judge a word. (NZ doesn’t support active sync yet, but it will, beginning with version 3.3.1, making it work more like the mobile app.)<br />
<br />
The mobile app (NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile and its predecessor, the pre-2014 Zyzzyva iOS app) only supports active sync, and it does not use or benefit from the installation of any cloud-storage sync program, thus, no passive sync. Active sync only occurs when you trigger it, avoiding most redundant network traffic.<br />
<br />
Whatever your scenario, Zyzzyva works fine while you’re offline, and you can sync any changes to its data when you’re back online — manually (active sync) or automatically (passive sync).<br />
<br />
=== What cloud-storage providers can I use, and is it safe? ===<br />
<br />
For passive sync when using NZ on a computer, any cloud provider will do, including Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, and OneDrive. For active sync, Zyzzyva currently only supports Dropbox. Dropbox offers free storage space up to 2 GB per account, and active-sync clients such as Zyzzyva don’t count toward the maximum of three connected Dropbox program installations per account.<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine only requests access to its own “app folder” in your Dropbox storage, so it can’t see any other files that you may have stored there or otherwise affect your cloud-storage setup.<br />
<br />
=== Will synchronization use up my mobile-data plan? ===<br />
<br />
Probably not, but if you’re uncertain, use your mobile device’s metering features to watch how much data each sync is using. The initial sync could use as much as 400 MB of data, so maybe you’ll want to do that one while you’re on wi-fi (and not on your friend’s tethered hotspot!).<br />
<br />
=== What could possibly go wrong? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva’s sync engine is very cautious, and it hasn’t been known to “lose” data on its own, but it’s good to be conscious of what can go wrong without realizing it in the moment.<br />
<br />
Anything that changes at one end of the sync relationship will be reflected at the other, either later or almost immediately, depending on whether the sync is active or passive. That includes routine updates to file contents, but also deletions and replacements. When Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine sees changes to a file at both ends, it will favor the end whose change seems more recent, if asked to consider both. If it already had knowledge of the file from a previous sync, it’ll prompt you to choose a side — should it consider changes from one end, both, or neither, or just cancel the sync? This will usually steer you to make a safe decision that you won’t need to correct later.<br />
<br />
The scarier scenario is where the sync engine sees a file for the first time, but it exists in both locations with different contents and last-modified dates; this is very common when a user is syncing the data directories of two Zyzzyva installations for the first time. In such a case, and especially when the sync engine tells you that there are many files in conflict, read the prompts carefully and consider the consequences, as it will happily overwrite an older quiz-stats/cardbox database that you wanted to keep with a brand-new but almost empty one from a new installation where you just happened to run one quiz before syncing. (Ouch!) Remember, changes are handled at the file level, so don’t expect database changes to be merged at the record level.<br />
<br />
=== Why does synchronization take so long? ===<br />
<br />
With passive sync, you probably won’t notice how long it is taking, and it will pick up where it left off if it was interrupted. Most of the time, active sync is very quick, because the active-sync engine is conscious of the prior state of each file and only syncs files that have really changed. However, the first sync can take a long time (minutes to hours, depending on the size of your data directory and the speed of your network connection). Watch the file-countdown indicator if you aren’t sure that anything useful is happening; you can extend the timeout setting if you are getting a lot of prompts asking if you want to cancel the sync.<br />
<br />
On mobile devices, especially iOS devices, it’s important not to put the app into the background or put the device to sleep during a long sync, because the operating system will suspend the app before long, and the sync will have to be restarted — so just plug it in and let the sync complete.<br />
<br />
How long a sync takes depends greatly on the size of the files involved. Of all files in the data directory, lexicon databases are by far the largest (typically 60 MB), but they’ll only change if you rebuild them, so consider that factor if it seems that a sync is taking a long time.<br />
<br />
=== Why do my data take up so much space? ===<br />
<br />
The format of Zyzzyva’s data directory is the same on computers and on mobile devices. Unless you’ve built lexicon databases (optional, but recommended for many reasons as explained in the help files), the size of that directory is generally small. Where the pain can start on mobile devices with limited storage is with lexicon databases, either ones you built locally or ones that were synced in from another device where storage wasn’t a concern.<br />
<br />
Lexicon databases typically use 300 to 400 bytes of storage for each word in the lexicon. This can easily put the size of the database over 60 MB, and you can multiply that by the number of lexicons. Some of those lexicons, you probably don’t even use. So, to cut down on the space consumption on your mobile devices, you may want to delete some of them. There isn’t a way to do this through NZ or NZM, so you’ll have to delete the files yourself; the best way is to log on to the cloud-storage provider’s website, find the Zyzzyva data directory and then its '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subdirectory, where you will find files with names like '''<tt>NSWL2020.db</tt>'''. (To avoid creating those files in the first place, use Zyzzyva’s settings to unload those lexicons before asking it to build or rebuild lexicon databases.)<br />
<br />
=== Why am I seeing data synchronization conflicts, even after the initial sync? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva’s active-sync engine is very cautious, as mentioned above, so it may report file conflicts when they don’t exist. For example, if you initiate a routine sync from your mobile device and put it to sleep, all of the changed files may reach the cloud-storage provider, but the app may be suspended before it gets final confirmation of that, so it won’t update its sync status; the next time you ask it to sync, both ends of the sync relationship think that they have an updated version of the file, which could indicate a conflict. Only after you tell it how to resolve the conflict will the engine go to the trouble of computing the cryptographic hash of the file’s contents and decide that there’s no actual change to be synced.<br />
<br />
=== A sync just squished my cardbox! What do I do now? ===<br />
<br />
Oh dear. Let’s hope you have another copy somewhere. If you have a device that hasn’t yet synced with the cloud-storage provider, you may be able to preserve an older copy of the affected database file and feed it back into the sync process after the damaged file has finished propagating. Or, if your computer operating system or cloud-storage provider offers a way to recover previous versions of files, you can restore it that way, and let that restored version propagate among your devices.<br />
<br />
=== Can I make active sync automatic? ===<br />
<br />
Passive sync is by its nature automatic, as long as the cloud-storage provider’s program is operating and your devices are online. Active sync only occurs when you trigger it, but there are options you can set to make it happen automatically when Zyzzyva starts or quits — actually, whenever you bring it to the foreground or put it in the background. (On iOS devices, this sync-on-quit task has about 30 seconds to complete before the operating system will suspend the app, aborting the sync; however, this is usually more than enough time for it to complete, and you can redo the sync later if it gets cut off.)<br />
<br />
=== Can I sync my data with other users? ===<br />
<br />
No. When you set up data synchronization, either passive or active, you must log on to a cloud-storage provider using a specific account. Unless you share those account credentials with others, the Zyzzyva data directory stored in that location is not accessible to them. (Outside of the sync scheme, though, there’s nothing stopping you from sharing those files with other users.)<br />
<br />
=== I use a Custom lexicon, and nothing seems to sync properly. What can I do? ===<br />
<br />
Custom lexicons are problematic for data synchronization. While each named lexicon is assumed to be identical between installations, the one lexicon named '''Custom''' may not be, so it would be bad practice for Zyzzyva to maintain one quiz-stats/cardbox database and one set of adjudication logs in its data directory that are synced between devices with different Custom lexicons.<br />
<br />
NZ lets you load a Custom lexicon from any location in local storage; NZM only lets you create one interactively, storing it in the '''<tt>lexicons</tt>''' subfolder of the data directory under a timestamped name. For now, they don’t agree on where to store a lexicon database that you may build from that Custom lexicon. The only way to marry these implementations so that they sync properly involves some serious Unix wizardry, so we don’t recommend it. A solution to this problem will have to wait for a later version where all lexicons are separately loadable and distinguished between installations by analyzing their file contents, so that the Custom lexicon is no longer a special case.<br />
<br />
=== My NZ and NZM data directories won’t sync, though they should. Why is this happening? ===<br />
<br />
We’ve seen this happen to users who set up a passive-sync link to Dropbox by creating a folder named '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' in Dropbox storage and changing their NZ preferences to use the locally synced copy of that folder as their data directory, and only then tried to enable active sync on that or another device. When the active-sync engine tries to sync with that folder in the cloud, it is refused access and creates its own '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva (1)</tt>''' folder instead; the two Zyzzyva installations don’t sync.<br />
<br />
The problem, here, is that Dropbox strongly enforces access control between client apps; if an app didn’t create the folder, it can’t access it. The solution is to break that passive-sync link, delete the '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' folder in the cloud, then link to Dropbox using active sync so that Zyzzyva can recreate that folder in its own right; then, you can link NZ to Dropbox again and resolve any sync conflicts that may result from differences between the data directories.<br />
<br />
=== I tried to link NZM to Dropbox using “Sign in with Google”. Why doesn’t that work? ===<br />
<br />
NZM uses an embedded browser (“webview”) to ask for authorization when you ask it to link to a cloud-storage provider. The resulting logon page may include a “Sign in with Google” button, which probably won’t work. That’s because Google’s identity service doesn’t support browsers that don’t store cookies (I wonder why?). Better just to log on with an account and password — you should only have to do this once per device.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_FAQ&diff=17205NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ2022-03-14T19:08:07Z<p>AA000143: /* How can I transfer my Zyzzyva data from one computer to another? */ allude to sync capability</p>
<hr />
<div>The '''NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ''', as with everything [[NASPA Zyzzyva|Zyzzyva]]-related, was originally written by [[Michael Thelen]] and then transferred to NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
Please note that this FAQ describes the desktop version of NASPA Zyzzyva. For information about the new NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app, please visit [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile|this page]].<br />
<br />
== General ==<br />
<br />
=== Why is the program called Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen writes: I wanted to pick a fun word that was somewhat unique. I knew zyzzyva was one of the most improbable words to be played in a SCRABBLE game, and I liked the sound of it. Later on, after I had picked the name, I realized that since zyzzyva was also the last word in alphabetical order (it has since been replaced by zzz), I could call Zyzzyva the last word in word study. I wish I could say I was smart enough to come up with that slogan from the start.<br />
<br />
=== Why is NASPA involved with Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
With the release of the OTCWL2014 and OSPD5 lexicons in 2014, Hasbro, Inc. began stronger enforcement of their copyrights on the word lists. This entailed a license agreement that would bind the licensee (Michael Thelen's Boshvark Software, LLC) to prevent the leakage of those lists, which had theretofore been a part of the Zyzzyva distribution. As a result, he decided to sell the product to NASPA, and the new NASPA Zyzzyva Committee began work to change the product so that it would comply with the terms of license, and to tie its availability to NASPA membership.<br />
<br />
Beginning with version 3.1.0, NASPA Zyzzyva includes Collins lexicons under license, allowing "bilexical" players to study the current international and North American tournament lexicons and the differences between them.<br />
<br />
Version 3.2.0 removed protection from the NASPA tournament/club and school lexicons, and version 3.2.1 removed protection from the Collins lexicons. This meant that a license was no longer required for NASPA members to use these lexicons, except to perform a one-time decryption of any existing quiz statistics databases.<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 removed all vestiges of these licensing and decryption features. As of August 2021, NASPA and its activities are neither endorsed by nor affiliated with Hasbro or Mattel.<br />
<br />
=== Why is Zyzzyva available for free? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen writes: I created Zyzzyva because I wanted a program for studying SCRABBLE words. There are several programs available, but all of them either lack features I wanted or do not run on Linux. I therefore took it upon myself to create the program I wanted, and Zyzzyva is the result.<br />
<br />
NASPA adds: We appreciate Michael’s efforts in developing Zyzzyva and are committed to continuing to make it freely available to the SCRABBLE community. For licensing reasons, however, and the need to support proprietary word lists, Zyzzyva is now closed-source.<br />
<br />
=== I love Zyzzyva so much that I would like to send you giant piles of money. How can I do that? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen originally wrote: That is so nice of you! I'm always very happy to receive donations of any amount.<br />
<br />
NASPA writes: You can support Zyzzyva development and our other activities by [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/join.pl joining] NASPA or [https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/renew.pl keeping] your membership current.<br />
<br />
If you are feeling philanthropic, why not consider a donation to our [https://www.naspafoundationforyouthliteracy.org/ Foundation for Youth Literacy]?<br />
<br />
=== When will NASPA Zyzzyva be available for my platform? ===<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.<br />
<br />
As of version 3.3.0, there is now a version for mobile devices, too! When NASPA took over Zyzzyva development, the iOS version was already two iOS updates obsolete. We have reinvented it as an app for iOS and Android, with much the same user interface as that pre-2014 app, but built upon the same base source code as the desktop version so that it can be developed in parallel and new features added. For more information on NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile, visit http://zyzzyva.net/.<br />
<br />
== Supported Word Lists ==<br />
<br />
=== How do I use word lists added in the latest version of NASPA Zyzzyva?===<br />
<br />
When you install a new version of NASPA Zyzzyva, it does not change the list of lexicons to include any newly added word lists.<br />
<br />
Follow these instructions to make a word list available in NASPA Zyzzyva:<br />
<br />
* Choose Edit > Preferences > Load Lexicons > Edit... and check the lexicons that you want to use.<br />
* Rebuild databases when prompted. This step may take several minutes if you have many lexicons installed. When it completes, you’re done!<br />
** If not prompted, you can choose Tools > Rebuild Database... to start the process.<br />
<br />
=== Where can I find word lists to use with NASPA Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
If the word list is not [[Zyzzyva#Current_Version | included]] in NASPA Zyzzyva, you may be able to load a text file version of the word list as a custom lexicon. <br />
<br />
It depends on the word list, but you should in general ask the copyright holder for permission to use an electronic copy of the word list. <br />
<br />
If you need help formatting it for use with Zyzzyva, please feel free to contact [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org us].<br />
<br />
== Using Zyzzyva ==<br />
<br />
=== How do I print a list of words? ===<br />
<br />
There is no print functionality built into Zyzzyva. You can, however, right-click (Control-click on a Mac) on any word list (e.g., Search results) and save it in plain text format. Then manipulate the list and print it from a text editor program, like Notepad on Windows.<br />
<br />
=== Why do I not see definitions in search results for a NASPA Word List that I just loaded? ===<br />
<br />
After you load a word list, you must build the database for that word list. Go to Tools -> Rebuild Database and choose the new word list or all word lists.<br />
<br />
Also, make sure that the Show Definitions option is checked in Word Table Preferences under the Edit menu.<br />
<br />
Note that NASPA Zyzzyva's license to Collins word lists does not include definitions.<br />
<br />
=== When viewing search results, what are the marks at the beginning or end of certain words? ===<br />
<br />
Those marks denote inner hooks - they mean that either the first or last letter of the word can be dropped to form another valid word, depending on where the mark appears. If the mark appears at the beginning of the word, then the first letter can be dropped. If the mark appears at the end of the word, then the last letter can be dropped.<br />
<br />
You can choose whether to display a hyphen or a bullet character to denote inner hooks in Word Table Preferences under the Edit menu.<br />
<br />
=== Why did Zyzzyva mark all my answers as missed when I actually got them all correct? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva only marks all responses as missed if you actually entered all the correct responses, but also provided an incorrect response. The reason for marking all responses as missed is because (currently) Zyzzyva has no other way of marking the question as missed without marking at least one response as missed. So instead of picking a random response to mark as missed, it marks them all.<br />
<br />
This only happens if you have the 'Mark question as missed after an incorrect response' setting activated, but not 'End question after an incorrect response'. Technically, it could also happen if you have the 'End question after an incorrect response' setting activated, but not 'End question after all correct responses', and the incorrect response is the last one you give.<br />
<br />
== Cardboxes and Quizzes ==<br />
<br />
=== How does the Cardbox system work? ===<br />
<br />
The basic idea is that you must first tell Zyzzyva which words you'd like it to keep track of. You generally do this by performing a search, then right-clicking the search results, and choosing Add to Cardbox. Then Zyzzyva keeps track of those words and automatically quizzes you on the ones it thinks you need to see each day. When you miss a word frequently, Zyzzyva will show it to you more often.<br />
<br />
Check out the [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles to get an idea of how you can use Cardboxing for word study.<br />
<br />
Also, the Help documentation provides more detailed instructions on the use of this feature.<br />
<br />
=== How do I retain my quiz statistics and cardbox data when I want to study a different word list? ===<br />
<br />
Cardboxes are separate for each word list. You can, however, import quiz statistics and cardbox data from one word list to another.<br />
<br />
* Choose File > Cardbox.<br />
* Select the Lexicon - for example, NWL2020 - and Quiz Type - usually Anagrams.<br />
* Choose Import...<br />
* Select the lexicon from which you want to import data - for example, NWL2018 - and click OK.<br />
<br />
=== How do I remove all my cardbox data? ===<br />
<br />
Do the following:<br />
<br />
* Open a Search tab.<br />
* Do a search that will find all possible words in your cardbox. Probably something like: Length: Min 2, Max 9.<br />
* Right-click the search results and choose Remove list from Cardbox.<br />
<br/><br />
All your cardbox data will be removed from the system, but your historical quiz data will be retained.<br />
<br />
== Portability of Zyzzyva Data ==<br />
<br />
=== How can I transfer my Zyzzyva data from one computer to another? ===<br />
<br />
You can transfer all your data to a new computer by copying your data directory. You can find out where your Zyzzyva data directory is by opening the Preferences window in Zyzzyva and looking at the Data Directory setting. Make a copy of this directory, and move it to wherever you like, on the new computer. Then, after you install Zyzzyva on the new computer, open the Preferences window and change the Data Directory setting to point to wherever you put your data directory from the original computer.<br />
<br />
The transfer should work regardless of the operating systems used on the two computers. For example, you should be able to transfer your data directory from a Windows computer to a Mac, or vice versa.<br />
<br />
You can also synchronize the data directories of multiple desktop and mobile devices over the Internet using a cloud provider. Please consult product documentation and consider the possible pitfalls before attempting this.<br />
<br />
=== How can I change the location of my data directory? ===<br />
<br />
Here are general instructions for changing the location of your data directory. You may find it useful to move the data directory to facilitate the synchronization of data between Zyzzyva on multiple devices - for example, through Dropbox.<br />
<br />
Be sure to follow these directions closely because manually manipulating the Zyzzyva data directory can be potentially dangerous to your data if you're not careful. You should probably read the full instructions before taking any action so you're familiar with what steps are required.<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' In Zyzzyva versions before Release 2.1.0, the default data directory was a hidden folder named .Zyzzyva. You will have to enable the viewing of hidden folders to move that data directory.<br />
<br />
# Open Zyzzyva and find out what your data directory is. It can be found by clicking Edit->Preferences and looking at the Data Directory setting in the General section. Copy and paste or write down this location.<br />
# '''IMPORTANT:''' Close Zyzzyva. We don't want Zyzzyva mucking around with your data directory while you're moving it.<br />
# Find the location of your data directory in the file browser. <br />
# '''Optional but a very good idea:''' Make a copy of the data directory by right-clicking it and choosing Copy and then Paste (on Windows), or Duplicate (on macOS). This will act as a backup in case anything goes wrong.<br />
# Rename or move the data directory to whatever you like. Remember where you moved it and what you renamed it to.<br />
# Open Zyzzyva again. It will probably complain about missing databases, but tell it NO; do not create databases.<br />
# Open the Preferences window again, and click the Browse button next to the Data Directory setting. Use the file browser to find the new location of your data directory.<br />
# Restart Zyzzyva, just to be sure it is using the new data directory. If it doesn't complain about missing databases, everything should be okay. If it does complain about databases, retrace the above steps to figure out where you went wrong.<br />
<br />
=== Can I keep my Zyzzyva data on a USB thumb drive? ===<br />
<br />
Absolutely. This may be a good option for anyone wanting to use Zyzzyva on multiple computers without having to copy data directories back and forth. Simply copy your data directory onto the USB drive (using the process described to transfer Zyzzyva data from one computer to another). Then open the Preferences window and change the Data Directory setting to point to the data directory on the USB drive.<br />
<br />
== Word Probability ==<br />
<br />
=== How does Zyzzyva calculate the probability of a word? ===<br />
<br />
There isn't a handy formula, but it's basically a straight calculation of the number of possible combinations to get a particular set of letters from a full bag, including blanks. Separate combination values are calculated for drawing zero, one, or two blanks, and then the numbers of combinations are added together to get the total number of ways of drawing a word.<br />
<br />
=== Are you sure the probability calculation is accurate? It seems unintuitive to me. ===<br />
<br />
Yep, it really is correct. The calculation of probability is notorious for violating human intuition. One useful guideline to remember is that doubled or tripled letters make a particular letter combination much more improbable than you might think. That's because the number of ways to draw two identical letters out of the bag is generally much lower than the number of ways to draw two different letters out of the bag.<br />
<br />
=== Are you really sure about the probabilities? I need to see more examples. ===<br />
<br />
Consider BAILERS versus BELIERS. BAILERS is a fair amount more probable than BELIERS because of the doubled Es in BELIERS. However, it seems intuitive to say, "If BEILRS has been drawn from a full bag, then there are 9 As and 11 Es in the remaining pool. The E is the more likely draw, which means BELIERS should be more probable than BAILERS."<br />
<br />
While it is true that drawing a single E is more likely than drawing a single A, the math for calculating the probability of a word is more complicated than that. You can't just start calculating with the assumption that BEILRS has been drawn; those letters themselves factor into the calculation, and they are not independent events. In this case, we can reduce the difference between BAILERS and BELIERS to the difference between drawing AE or EE when drawing two tiles from the bag.<br />
<br />
If you draw two tiles out of a full bag, the probability of drawing two Es is much lower than the probability of drawing an A and an E. That is because there are 9 x 12 = 108 ways to draw an A and an E if you draw two tiles. But there are only (12 x 11) / 2 = 66 ways to draw two Es if you draw two tiles. This number of combinations is called "12 choose 2", and is explained in more detail in this [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination Wikipedia article] about combinations.<br />
<br />
To reduce this to a simple example where it's easy to enumerate all the possibilities, consider a 4-tile bag containing only AAEE. I'll label the tiles A1, A2, E1, E2 for convenience. There are 6 possible ways to draw two unordered tiles:<br />
<br />
A1 A2 = AA<br />
A1 E1 = AE<br />
A1 E2 = AE<br />
A2 E1 = AE<br />
A2 E2 = AE<br />
E1 E2 = EE<br />
<br />
As you can see, AE is drawn 4/6 times, while AA is drawn only 1/6, and EE is drawn only 1/6 as well. Even though A and E are equally likely to be drawn if you are only drawing one tile, if you're drawing two tiles, it is much more likely to draw one of each than to draw duplicates.<br />
<br />
As another example, consider a bag where E is more likely than A, as is the case in the full SCRABBLE bag. Consider a 6-tile bag containing AAEEEE, with tiles labeled A1, A2, E1, E2, E3, E4. There are 15 possible ways to draw two unordered tiles:<br />
<br />
A1 A2 = AA<br />
A1 E1 = AE<br />
A1 E2 = AE<br />
A1 E3 = AE<br />
A1 E4 = AE<br />
A2 E1 = AE<br />
A2 E2 = AE<br />
A2 E3 = AE<br />
A2 E4 = AE<br />
E1 E2 = EE<br />
E1 E3 = EE<br />
E1 E4 = EE<br />
E2 E3 = EE<br />
E2 E4 = EE<br />
E3 E4 = EE<br />
<br />
AA occurs 1/15 times, AE occurs 8/15 times, EE occurs 6/15 times. Even though E is twice as likely as A, AE is still more likely than EE! This is the same basic principle that also causes words with duplicate letters to be drawn with lower probability from a full SCRABBLE bag.<br />
<br />
Complicating the math even further is the fact that Zyzzyva calculates probabilities using a full 100-tile bag including two blanks. That may account for differences (usually minor) with other probabilities you may have seen calculated elsewhere, many of which use a 98-tile bag with no blanks.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=17204Cardboxing 2012022-03-14T19:01:26Z<p>AA000143: /* I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? */ correct instructions in light of bug report</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Remove list from Cardbox'', then right-clicking the list again, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000; a ''Lax'' search will return more than 1000 words if those following words are equally probable, which is what you probably want. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. In NZ, you can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
<br />
=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is syncing in the background (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync actively with Dropbox, without an installed Dropbox app, and has a ''Sync'' button for that purpose. To bring multiple devices' Zyzzyva data directories into sync, they all need to target the same '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' folder in the same user's Dropbox cloud storage. (Important: If you are using NZM, you should sync your mobile devices to Dropbox first, because Zyzzyva's active sync engine won't link up with a Dropbox app folder that it didn't create. Then, on your desktop devices, install the Dropbox application, set it up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory inside your home directory, then retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move or merge your data there so that Dropbox can manage them. Having done that, you’re ready to sync all of your devices through Dropbox.) When firing up any new NZM installation, press the ''Sync'' button, sign in to Dropbox and give permission when prompted, and then — please! — if you see prompts about conflicted items, read those questions before you agree to proceed with the sync. The first time you sync, there may be conflicts between older, useful cardbox/quiz-statistics databases on Dropbox and newer, but useless databases just established on your mobile device; if so, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, and it will try to keep your device awake, because NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later; since iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an active app, you should let it run in the foreground. After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=17185Cardboxing 2012022-02-19T23:16:40Z<p>AA000143: /* How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? */ saving a Cardbox quiz requires NZ (desktop)</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Remove list from Cardbox'', then right-clicking the list again, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000; a ''Lax'' search will return more than 1000 words if those following words are equally probable, which is what you probably want. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. In NZ, you can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
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=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
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Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is passively syncing (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). If your Dropbox installation is set up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory in your home directory, then you should retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move your data there. Having done that, you’re now ready to sync with other desktop and mobile devices through Dropbox. NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync with Dropbox on its own and has buttons for that purpose. If you’re firing up a new NZM installation, and already have a usable data directory waiting in the right location on Dropbox, you can start by pressing the ''Sync'' button, signing in and giving permission when prompted, and then — please! — read the prompts about conflicted items before you agree to proceed with the sync. For first-time use, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, and it will try to keep your device awake, because NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later; since iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an active app, you should let it run in the foreground. After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
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=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
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There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=17184NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2022-02-18T16:06:12Z<p>AA000143: update for NZM 3.3.1</p>
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<div>__NOTOC__<br />
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[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
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The new '''[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]]''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
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While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
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[[File:ZyzzyvaMobile_Zyzzyva.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
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== What You’ll Need ==<br />
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[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
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* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later (12.0 or later for version 3.3.1 and later). If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 5 (“Lollipop”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
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The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases. (For each word in a lexicon, allow 300 bytes, or 400 bytes if the lexicon source includes definitions.)<br />
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== What It Can Do ==<br />
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NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, ''Quiz'', ''Search'', and ''Judge''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
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* '''''Quiz'''''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. Synchronize your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''''Search'''''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''''Judge'''''. Get an adjudication (“valid” or “not valid”) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
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NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, <tt>CARDBOX</tt> is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
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== Where to Get It ==<br />
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NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. Click [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download |here]] for the download links.<br />
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For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Welcome_to_NASPAWiki&diff=17183Welcome to NASPAWiki2022-02-18T16:02:00Z<p>AA000143: /* Current Topics */ update for NZM 3.3.1</p>
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<div>__NOTOC__<br />
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{|<br />
| class="left"|<h3>2022 Scrabble Players Championship</h3>July 23-27, 2022 <br><br><br />
The 2022 Scrabble Players Championship (SPC) will take place on July 23-27, 2022, at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards at 110 S Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201. <br />
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Registration is now open for new registrants. Players who rolled over their 2021 NASC registration are already registered for the 2022 SPC. <br />
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[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/2022_Scrabble_Players_Championship READ MORE]<br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/register.pl REGISTER]<br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/reglist.pl?event=NSC2022 SEE WHO'S COMING]<br />
[https://book.passkey.com/gt/218357161?gtid=6777f0a5281e6c7e2607792cefc21642 BOOK HOTEL]<br />
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<!--<br />
[https://scrabble.formstack.com/forms/naspa_toc REGISTER]<br />
[http://scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/nasc-cancel.pl CANCEL]<br />
[https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NASPA_Tournament_of_Champions READ MORE]<br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/reglist.pl?event=NSC2020 PLAYERS NEEDING TO CANCEL]<br />
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[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/reglist.pl?event=NSC2020 SEE WHO'S COMING]<br />
[https://baltimore.org/ VISIT BALTIMORE]<br />
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[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2019/nasc/build/ STANDINGS]<br />
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhvDB0pE-3puxpCIR5cPVIg1Prw327nFX LIVE STREAM]<br />
[https://www.facebook.com/NASPAScrabble/ SOCIAL MEDIA]<br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/2019_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship READ MORE]<br />
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| class="left"|<h3>NASPA Tournament of Champions</h3>August 24-30, 2020, <br><br><br />
Congratulations to Austin Shin, winner of the '''NASPA Tournament of Champions presented by Scrabble&reg; GO'''. <br />
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[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH44AjFtBIqRRLv-Yr6jRBg WATCH]<br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/NASPA_Tournament_of_Champions READ MORE]<br />
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|[[File:2022_SPC.png|360px|link=2022_Scrabble_Players_Championship]]<br />
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|[[File:NASPA_Tournament_of_Champions_Logo_2_.jpg|620px|link=NASPA_Tournament_of_Champions]]<br />
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|[[File:Silver Legacy.jpg|620px|link=2019_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship]]<br />
| class="left"|<h3>2016 North American School SCRABBLE Championship</h3>April 9–10, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA.<br><br><br />
Congratulations to champions Jem Burch, Cooper Komatsu, and coach Cornelia Guest!<br><br><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2016/nassc/build LIVE COVERAGE]<br />
|[[File:WINNERS2016-home.jpg|620px|link=2016_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship]]<br />
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<div id="current-topics"><br />
== Current Topics ==<br />
<!--<br />
When deleting content from this section, if there is a reasonable chance of similar content being needed in future years, please move it to the comment at the bottom of the section.<br />
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[[File:NASPA_Open.jpg|176px|link=COVID-19]]<br />
<h3>COVID-19</h3><br />
[[COVID-19 | Effective 2021-09-01, NASPA returned to normal operations, subject to any restrictions imposed or recommended in governmental guidance, laws or regulations. ]]<br />
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[[File:NASPA-Zyzzyva.png|176px|link=Zyzzyva]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Zyzzyva</h3><br />
<span style="color:navy">NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.1 is available for </span>[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile |mobile (iOS and Android)]] <span style="color:navy"> devices. NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0 is available for </span>[[Zyzzyva | desktop (Windows, macOS, and Linux)]]<span style="color:navy"> devices.</span><br />
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[[File:NWL_Books.png|176px|link=https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/shop.pl]] <br />
<h3>NWL2020 Book</h3><br />
[https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/shop.pl The NASPA Word List is available to order from the NASPA Store.]<br />
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<h3>NWL Apps</h3><br />
[[Software | Check out the apps and software licensed to include the NASPA Word List.]]<br />
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[[File:Streamers.jpg|176px|link=Scrabble Streaming]]<br />
<h3>Streaming</h3><br />
[[Scrabble Streaming |NASPA members stream Scrabble content on Twitch, YouTube, and other online platforms. Be sure to tune in and subscribe.]]<br />
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[[File:NASPA_News.jpg|176px|link=COVID-19]]<br />
<h3>NASPA News</h3><br />
[[IContact | NASPA sends out a weekly newsletter with the latest info on tournament and club play.]]<br />
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[[File:Teamwork.jpg|176px|link=NASPA Youth Scrabble]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Youth Scrabble</h3><br />
[[NASPA Youth SCRABBLE | The NASPA Youth Scrabble program promotes and recognizes youth Scrabble talent. ]]<br />
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[[File:Trophy-award-icon.jpg|176px|link=Awards]]<br />
<h3>Awards</h3><br />
[[Awards | NASPA recognizes player achievements with awards, including Person of the Year and Player Titles.]]<br />
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[[File:Saam logo-tealribbon.jpg|176px|link=Community Advocate]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Community Advocate</h3><br />
[[Community Advocate | The Community Advocate looks into cases of harassment within the organization.]]<br />
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[[File:Suggestion.png|126px|link=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CvfjnaoSFnJmT3p9AzEoesV9YyicDqXJSarQzN4cyNk]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Suggestion Box</h3><br />
[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CvfjnaoSFnJmT3p9AzEoesV9YyicDqXJSarQzN4cyNk Send us your suggestions for tournament and club Scrabble.]<br />
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[[File:Wotd.gif|176px|link=http://scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/wotd.pl]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Word of the Day</h3><br />
[http://scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/wotd.pl See today's word of the day.]<br />
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[[File:Community_Values.jpg|176px|link=Community Values]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Community Values</h3><br />
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[[Community Values | NASPA CEO John Chew issues a statement on important community values and discusses the issue of removing slurs from the NASPA Word List.]] <br />
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[[File:Elections.jpg|176px|link=2021_Advisory_Board_Elections]]<br />
<h3>Advisory Board Elections</h3><br />
[[2021_Advisory_Board_Elections|Advisory Board elections will not be held this year. Terms of current members will be extended one year.]]<br />
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[[File:HouseKey.jpg|176px|link=Vaccinated Play]]<br />
<h3>Membership</h3><br />
[[Membership#Impact_of_COVID-19_Moratorium_on_NASPA_Membership |Membership expiration dates have been updated to account for the moratorium.]]<br />
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[[File:COVID_Shot.jpg|176px|link=Vaccinated Play]]<br />
<h3>Vaccinated Play</h3><br />
[[Vaccinated Play | As of June 21st, fully vaccinated players can participate in sanctioned tournaments and club sessions. ]]<br />
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[[File:Elections.jpg|176px|link=2020_Advisory_Board_Elections]]<br />
<h3>Advisory Board Elections</h3><br />
[[2020_Advisory_Board_Elections|Results for the 2020 Advisory Board elections are available.]]<br />
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[[File:TWL18.jpeg|176px|link=NWL2018]]<br />
<h3>NWL2018</h3><br />
[[NWL2018 | The NASPA Word List (2018 Edition) - NWL2018 - went into effect on March 1, 2019.]]<br />
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[[File:Can-Am.jpg|176px|link=2020 Can-Am SCRABBLE Challenge]]<br />
<h3>2020 Can-AM</h3><br />
[[2020 Can-Am SCRABBLE Challenge | The event will be hosted by Canada at a date to be determined. The event has been postponed from early May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.]]<br />
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[[File:Alchemist_Cup_Team_USA_2018.jpg|176px|link=2020 Alchemist Cup Qualification System]]<br />
<h3>2020 Alchemist Cup</h3><br />
[[2020 Alchemist Cup Qualification System |The 2020 Alchemist Cup will be held December 2-6, 2020, at the Genting Highland Resort in Malaysia. Find out how to qualify for Team USA or Canada.]]<br />
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[[File:Baltimore_Night.jpg|176px|link=https://baltimore.org]]<br />
<h3>NASC 2020 - Baltimore</h3><br />
'''Save the date - the 2020 North American SCRABBLE Championship (NASC) will be in Baltimore (MD) from Aug 1 to 5, 2020!''' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8krCU_9YrU0 Watch the announcement on NASPA Tonight.]<br />
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[[File:Survey.jpeg|176px|link=https://scrabble.formstack.com/forms/nasc2019]]<br />
<h3>NASC 2019 Survey</h3><br />
[https://scrabble.formstack.com/forms/nasc2019 Share your opinions about this and future NASC Tourneys - open to all NASPA members, not just NASC competitors]<br />
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<div class="topic"><br />
[[File:Elections.jpg|176px|link=2019_Advisory_Board_Elections]]<br />
<h3>Advisory Board Elections</h3><br />
[[2019_Advisory_Board_Elections|Results for the 2019 Advisory Board Elections are available.]]<br />
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[[File:NASPA-Zyzzyva.png|176px|link=Zyzzyva]]<br />
<h3>NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0</h3><br />
[http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/Zyzzyva NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0 is now available for OS X, Linux, and Windows.]<br><br><br><br><br />
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<div class="topic"><br />
[[File:Survey.jpeg|176px|link=https://scrabble.formstack.com/forms/nasc2018]]<br />
<h3>NASC 2018 Survey</h3><br />
[https://scrabble.formstack.com/forms/nasc2018 Share your opinions about this and future NASC Tourneys - open to all NASPA members, not just NASC competitors]<br />
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<div class="topic"><br />
[[File:Elections.jpg|176px|link=2018_Advisory_Board_Elections]]<br />
<h3>Advisory Board Elections</h3><br />
[[2018_Advisory_Board_Elections|Results for the 2018 Advisory Board Elections are available]]<br />
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[[File:Fort-wayne-t-shirt.jpg|176px|link=http://blog.scrabbleplayers.org/wordpress/]]<br />
<h3>2016 North American SCRABBLE Championships Blog</h3><br />
[http://blog.scrabbleplayers.org/wordpress/ NASC news and player profiles]<br />
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[[File:NASSC2016winners-small.jpg|176px|link=2016 North American School SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
<h3>2016 NASSC</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2016/nassc/build/ 2016 North American School SCRABBLE Championship results.]<br />
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[[File:NSC-2017-02-144px.png|176px|link=https://www.facebook.com/NASPAScrabble/]]<br />
<h3>2017 NASC </h3><br />
[https://www.facebook.com/NASPAScrabble/ Relive the action in New Orleans - pix, videos, and more!]</div><br />
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[[File:CNSC_2018.jpg|176px|link=2018 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
<h3>2018 CNSC</h3><br />
[[2018 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship|Congratulations to '''Eric Tran''', 2018 Canadian SCRABBLE Champion!]]<br />
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[[File:WESPA_2021_Icon.jpg|176px|link=2021 WESPA Championship]]<br />
<h3>WESPA Championship</h3><br />
[[2021 WESPA Championship| Find out how to join Team USA and Canada for this event.]]<br />
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[[File:NASC_Mask.jpg|176px|link=2021_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship]]<br />
<h3>2021 NASC</h3><br />
[[2021_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship|The 2021 North American SCRABBLE Championship is canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.]]<br />
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<div class="topic"><br />
[[File:SCRABBLE Tile.png|176px|link=http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=10116&m=288131&t=650b9db00f5228ee57432048f1967e4ef1b454e708354ae751c2b95d07c97caf]]<br />
<h3>SCRABBLE GO</h3><br />
[http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=10116&m=288131&t=650b9db00f5228ee57432048f1967e4ef1b454e708354ae751c2b95d07c97caf The NASPA Word List 2020 (NWL2020) is now available in Scrabble GO, the new Scrabble mobile game.]<br />
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<div id="top-news"><br />
<div class="join">[[Membership|Join or Renew Membership]]</div><br />
<div class="join">[{{SERVER}}/cgi-bin/shop.pl NASPA Store: Exclusive Gear!]]</div><br />
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== Top News ==<br />
<div class="news"><br />
<h3 class="date">December 7, 2021</h3> [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] 3.3.0 is now available for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android.<br />
<h3 class="date">September 30, 2021</h3> [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]] is now available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. This version adds support for [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], which will become effective for Collins play at NASPA clubs and tournaments on December 1, 2021.<br />
<h3 class="date">December 2, 2021</h3> The [[2022 Scrabble Players Championship]] (SPC) will take place on July 23-27, 2022, at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards at 110 S Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201. <br />
<h3 class="date">September 30, 2021</h3> [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]] is now available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. This version adds support for [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], which will become effective for Collins play at NASPA clubs and tournaments on December 1, 2021.<br />
<h3 class="date">July 22, 2021</h3> NASPA CEO [[John Chew]] announced a [http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=10116&m=302035&t=650b9db00f5228ee57432048f1967e4ef1b454e708354ae751c2b95d07c97caf change] in NASPA's relationship with Hasbro as of August 1, 2021.<br />
<h3 class="date">July 1, 2021</h3> NASPA will end the [[COVID-19 | COVID-19 moratorium]] and resume normal operations on September 1, 2021.<br />
<h3 class="date">July 1, 2021</h3> The NASPA [[Executive Committee]] announced a [http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=10116&m=301502&t=650b9db00f5228ee57432048f1967e4ef1b454e708354ae751c2b95d07c97caf restructuring of the NASPA management team].<br />
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<!--<br />
<h3 class="date">June 17, 2021</h3> As of June 21st, 2021, we are removing the cap on the number of [[Vaccinated Play |fully vaccinated players]] who can participate in sanctioned tournaments and club sessions.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 20, 2021</h3> As of June 1st, 2021, small groups of [[Vaccinated Play |fully vaccinated players]] can participate in sanctioned tournaments and club sessions.<br />
<h3 class="date">April 28, 2021</h3> Members voted to postpone [[2021 Advisory Board Elections |Advisory Board elections]] for a year. Terms of current members will be extended for a year.<br />
<h3 class="date">March 18, 2021</h3> The NASPA [[Advisory Board]] has asked members to [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/vote.pl vote] on whether [[2021 Advisory Board Elections |elections]] should be held as scheduled or postponed for a year.<br />
<h3 class="date">March 18, 2021</h3> Printed versions of the [[NWL2020 | NASPA Word List 2020]] and [[NSWL2020 | NASPA School Word List 2020]] are now available to order from the [https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/shop.pl NASPA Store]. <br />
<h3 class="date">March 4, 2021</h3> The [[2021_North_American_SCRABBLE_Championship|2021 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] is canceled because of ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
<h3 class="date">November 27, 2020</h3> [[NASPA_Zyzzyva:_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study | NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]] is now available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It includes [[NWL2020]] and [[NSWL2020]].<br />
<h3 class="date">October 15, 2020</h3> The NASPA [[Advisory Board]] decided that the NASPA Word List 2020 Edition ([[NWL2020]]) and the NASPA School Word List 2020 Edition ([[NSWL2020]])will take effect at sanctioned clubs and tournaments on January 6, 2021.<br />
<h3 class="date">August 30, 2020</h3> Congratulations to [[Austin Shin]], winner of the [[NASPA Tournament of Champions]] presented by Scrabble® GO.<br />
<h3 class="date">August 6, 2020</h3> The [[NASPA Tournament of Champions]] presented by Scrabble® GO will be held August 24 to 30, 2020, as a virtual online tournament.<br />
<h3 class="date">July 27, 2020</h3> The NASPA [[IDEA Committee]] met for the first time. This committee has been formed to address issues of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility within our community.<br />
<h3 class="date">July 8, 2020</h3> NASPA CEO [[John Chew]] issues a [[Community Values | statement]] on removing slurs from the [[NASPA Word List]].<br />
<h3 class="date">July 2, 2020</h3> Results for the [[2020 Advisory Board Elections]] are available.<br />
<h3 class="date">June 25, 2020</h3><br />
NASPA released updated [[COVID-19 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for members and directors]].<br />
<h3 class="date">June 20, 2020</h3> NASPA CEO [[John Chew]] issues a [[Community Values | statement]] on important community values and discusses the issue of removing slurs from the [[NASPA Word List]]. <br />
<h3 class="date">June 1, 2020</h3> Elections for the [[2020 Advisory Board Elections |Advisory Board]] run from June 1 to June 30.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 28, 2020</h3>The [[2020 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] has been been canceled because of ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 14, 2020</h3>The [[NWL2018 |NASPA Word List 2018 (NWL2018)]] is now available in [https://www.facebook.com/ScrabbleGO SCRABBLE GO], the new SCRABBLE mobile game.<br />
<h3 class="date">April 30, 2020</h3>Nominations for the [[2020 Advisory Board Elections]] will be open from May 1 to May 31, 2020.<br />
<h3 class="date">March 18, 2020</h3><br />
[http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=14937&m=286005&t=42bfeecf990f5ae04e8a9ea793c9a29e79393ee2e6b4b72ecef1a231ef1a0fa9 NASPA has suspended all club and tournament activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.]<br />
<h3 class="date">March 10, 2020</h3><br />
NASPA released[[COVID-19 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) information for members and directors]].<br />
<h3 class="date">January 30, 2020</h3><br />
Registration is now open for the 2020 North American SCRABBLE Championship (NASC)in Baltimore (MD) from Aug 1 to 5, 2020! [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/register.pl Register now!]<br />
<h3 class="date">October 1, 2019</h3><br />
Save the date - the 2020 North American SCRABBLE Championship (NASC) will be in Baltimore (MD) from Aug 1 to 5, 2020! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8krCU_9YrU0 Watch the announcement on NASPA Tonight.]<br />
<h3 class="date">July 24, 2019</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2019/nasc/build Congratulations to 2019 North American SCRABBLE Champion Alec Sjoholm!]<br />
<h3 class="date">July 22, 2019</h3><br />
The NASPA [[Executive Committee]] announced a [http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=1384631&f=6038&s=10116&m=277480&t=650b9db00f5228ee57432048f1967e4ef1b454e708354ae751c2b95d07c97caf restructuring of the NASPA management team]. <br />
<h3 class="date">July 14, 2019</h3><br />
NASPA [[Zyzzyva]] Release 3.2.1, which includes [[CSW2019]], is now also available for the Linux platform. <br />
<h3 class="date">June 26, 2019</h3><br />
NASPA [[Zyzzyva]] Release 3.2.1, which includes [[CSW2019]], is now available for the Windows and macOS platforms. <br />
<h3 class="date">June 6, 2019</h3> Results for the [[2019 Advisory Board Elections]] are available.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 2, 2019</h3><br />
The NASPA [[Advisory Board]] decided that the [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/scrabble/ Collins Official SCRABBLE Words 2019] will take effect for Collins play at sanctioned clubs and tournaments on July 1, 2019. <br />
<h3 class="date">April 29, 2019</h3>Nominations for the [[2019 Advisory Board Elections]] will be open from May 1 to May 31, 2019.<br />
<h3 class="date">April 18, 2019</h3><br />
NASPA [[Zyzzyva]] Release 3.2.0, which includes [[NWL2018]], is now also available for the Linux platform.<br />
<h3 class="date">March 3, 2019</h3><br />
NASPA [[Zyzzyva]] Release 3.2.0, which includes [[NWL2018]], is now available for the Windows and macOS platforms. <br />
<h3 class="date">January 4, 2019</h3><br />
The NASPA [[Advisory Board]] voted last night to change the effective date for the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] (2018 Edition) - OTCWL2018 - from February 1 to March 1, 2019 for sanctioned tournament play.<br />
<h3 class="date">December 13, 2018</h3><br />
The NASPA [[Advisory Board]] decided that the [[Official Tournament and Club Word List]] (2018 Edition) - OTCWL2018 - will take effect at sanctioned clubs and tournaments on February 1, 2019. <br />
<h3 class="date">November 5, 2018</h3><br />
Registration is now open to represent the United States and Canada at the [[2019 WESPA Championship]]. <br />
<h3 class="date">October 3, 2018</h3><br />
The 2019 North American SCRABBLE Championship will be held in Reno, Nevada, on July 20 to 24, 2019.<br />
<h3 class="date">August 8, 2018</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2018/nasc/build Congratulations to 2018 North American SCRABBLE Champion Joel Sherman!]<br />
<h3 class="date">August 2, 2018</h3><br />
[[Lila Crotty]], [[Jennifer M Lee | Jennifer Lee]], and [[Ezekiel Markwei]] have been appointed to the NASPA [[Advisory Board]].<br />
<h3 class="date">July 2, 2018</h3> Results for the [[2018 Advisory Board Elections]] are available.<br />
<h3 class="date">June 2, 2018</h3> Elections for the [[2018 Advisory Board Elections]] run from June 3 to June 30.<br />
<h3 class="date">April 26, 2018</h3>Nominations for the [[2018 Advisory Board Elections]] will be open from May 1 to May 31, 2018.<br />
<h3 class="date">January 9, 2018</h3><br />
NASPA goes to [[CES 2018]]! See what happens when [[Will Anderson]] plays a Taiwanese robot.<br />
<h3 class="date">December 6, 2017</h3><br />
On November 28, 2017, the NASPA Advisory Board unanimously approved an update to the [[Code of Conduct]] to include specific descriptions of what constitutes sexual and gender-based harassment. <br />
<h3 class="date">July 26, 2017</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2017/nasc/build Congratulations to 2017 North American SCRABBLE Champion Will Anderson!]<br />
<h3 class="date">July 1, 2017</h3>[http://www.icontact-archive.com/-eBE1BTTRFaArP3qIeNvGFEtBtQtSG8v?w=3/ Advisory Board Election results are now available.]<br />
<h3 class="date">June 2, 2017</h3> Voting for the [[2017 Advisory Board Elections]] runs from June 3 to June 30.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 24, 2017</h3><br />
NASPA's [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/images/a/ae/2016_Form_990.pdf 2016 Form 990] is now available online for review.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 4, 2017</h3> Nominations for the [[2017 Advisory Board Elections]] are open.<br />
<h3 class="date">May 4, 2017</h3> Early registration for the [[2017 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] has been extended through May 31, 2017.<br />
<h3 class="date">February 27, 2017</h3> [[Rules]] errata have been posted.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="date">May 16, 2016</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2016/cnsc/build Congratulations to 2016 Canadian National SCRABBLE Champion Adam Logan!]<br />
<h3 class="date">April 10, 2016</h3><br />
[http://event.scrabbleplayers.org/2016/nassc/build Congratulations to 2016 North American School SCRABBLE Champions Jem Burch, Cooper Komatsu, and coach Cornelia Guest] <br />
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--></div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17182NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2022-02-18T15:59:50Z<p>AA000143: update for NZM 3.3.1</p>
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<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
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== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher; 12 or higher for version 3.3.1 and later) and Android (5 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile should also run on Chromebooks that support Android apps from Google Play.<br />
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The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.1 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download|NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.1]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
; NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. <br />
<br />
Visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]] page for frequently asked questions about NASPA Zyzzyva in general.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download&diff=17181NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download2022-02-18T15:57:15Z<p>AA000143: update for NZM 3.3.1</p>
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<div>__NOTOC__<br />
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[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
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=='''Download''' the Latest Release of NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile==<br />
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The newest version of [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile! |NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] is '''3.3.1''', released '''2022-02-17'''. It includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
===iOS===<br />
* Download the [https://apps.apple.com/app/naspa-zyzzyva-mobile/id1587435725 NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for iOS] from Apple’s App Store (104 MB).<br />
<br />
===Android===<br />
* Download the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scrabbleplayers.ZyzzyvaMobile NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for Android] from the Google Play store (39–58 MB).</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_FAQ&diff=17172NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ2022-02-10T14:32:25Z<p>AA000143: link to NZM (for lack of a mobile FAQ); update some text to match NZ 3.3.0 help's FAQ content</p>
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<div>The '''NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ''', as with everything [[NASPA Zyzzyva|Zyzzyva]]-related, was originally written by [[Michael Thelen]] and then transferred to NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
Please note that this FAQ describes the desktop version of NASPA Zyzzyva. For information about the new NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app, please visit [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile|this page]].<br />
<br />
== General ==<br />
<br />
=== Why is the program called Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen writes: I wanted to pick a fun word that was somewhat unique. I knew zyzzyva was one of the most improbable words to be played in a SCRABBLE game, and I liked the sound of it. Later on, after I had picked the name, I realized that since zyzzyva was also the last word in alphabetical order (it has since been replaced by zzz), I could call Zyzzyva the last word in word study. I wish I could say I was smart enough to come up with that slogan from the start.<br />
<br />
=== Why is NASPA involved with Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
With the release of the OTCWL2014 and OSPD5 lexicons in 2014, Hasbro, Inc. began stronger enforcement of their copyrights on the word lists. This entailed a license agreement that would bind the licensee (Michael Thelen's Boshvark Software, LLC) to prevent the leakage of those lists, which had theretofore been a part of the Zyzzyva distribution. As a result, he decided to sell the product to NASPA, and the new NASPA Zyzzyva Committee began work to change the product so that it would comply with the terms of license, and to tie its availability to NASPA membership.<br />
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Beginning with version 3.1.0, NASPA Zyzzyva includes Collins lexicons under license, allowing "bilexical" players to study the current international and North American tournament lexicons and the differences between them.<br />
<br />
Version 3.2.0 removed protection from the NASPA tournament/club and school lexicons, and version 3.2.1 removed protection from the Collins lexicons. This meant that a license was no longer required for NASPA members to use these lexicons, except to perform a one-time decryption of any existing quiz statistics databases.<br />
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Version 3.3.0 removed all vestiges of these licensing and decryption features. As of August 2021, NASPA and its activities are neither endorsed by nor affiliated with Hasbro or Mattel.<br />
<br />
=== Why is Zyzzyva available for free? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen writes: I created Zyzzyva because I wanted a program for studying SCRABBLE words. There are several programs available, but all of them either lack features I wanted or do not run on Linux. I therefore took it upon myself to create the program I wanted, and Zyzzyva is the result.<br />
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NASPA adds: We appreciate Michael’s efforts in developing Zyzzyva and are committed to continuing to make it freely available to the SCRABBLE community. For licensing reasons, however, and the need to support proprietary word lists, Zyzzyva is now closed-source.<br />
<br />
=== I love Zyzzyva so much that I would like to send you giant piles of money. How can I do that? ===<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen originally wrote: That is so nice of you! I'm always very happy to receive donations of any amount.<br />
<br />
NASPA writes: You can support Zyzzyva development and our other activities by [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/join.pl joining] NASPA or [https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/cgi-bin/renew.pl keeping] your membership current.<br />
<br />
If you are feeling philanthropic, why not consider a donation to our [https://www.naspafoundationforyouthliteracy.org/ Foundation for Youth Literacy]?<br />
<br />
=== When will NASPA Zyzzyva be available for my platform? ===<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.<br />
<br />
As of version 3.3.0, there is now a version for mobile devices, too! When NASPA took over Zyzzyva development, the iOS version was already two iOS updates obsolete. We have reinvented it as an app for iOS and Android, with much the same user interface as that pre-2014 app, but built upon the same base source code as the desktop version so that it can be developed in parallel and new features added. For more information on NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile, visit http://zyzzyva.net/.<br />
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== Supported Word Lists ==<br />
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=== How do I use word lists added in the latest version of NASPA Zyzzyva?===<br />
<br />
When you install a new version of NASPA Zyzzyva, it does not change the list of lexicons to include any newly added word lists.<br />
<br />
Follow these instructions to make a word list available in NASPA Zyzzyva:<br />
<br />
* Choose Edit > Preferences > Load Lexicons > Edit... and check the lexicons that you want to use.<br />
* Rebuild databases when prompted. This step may take several minutes if you have many lexicons installed. When it completes, you’re done!<br />
** If not prompted, you can choose Tools > Rebuild Database... to start the process.<br />
<br />
=== Where can I find word lists to use with NASPA Zyzzyva? ===<br />
<br />
If the word list is not [[Zyzzyva#Current_Version | included]] in NASPA Zyzzyva, you may be able to load a text file version of the word list as a custom lexicon. <br />
<br />
It depends on the word list, but you should in general ask the copyright holder for permission to use an electronic copy of the word list. <br />
<br />
If you need help formatting it for use with Zyzzyva, please feel free to contact [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org us].<br />
<br />
== Using Zyzzyva ==<br />
<br />
=== How do I print a list of words? ===<br />
<br />
There is no print functionality built into Zyzzyva. You can, however, right-click (Control-click on a Mac) on any word list (e.g., Search results) and save it in plain text format. Then manipulate the list and print it from a text editor program, like Notepad on Windows.<br />
<br />
=== Why do I not see definitions in search results for a NASPA Word List that I just loaded? ===<br />
<br />
After you load a word list, you must build the database for that word list. Go to Tools -> Rebuild Database and choose the new word list or all word lists.<br />
<br />
Also, make sure that the Show Definitions option is checked in Word Table Preferences under the Edit menu.<br />
<br />
Note that NASPA Zyzzyva's license to Collins word lists does not include definitions.<br />
<br />
=== When viewing search results, what are the marks at the beginning or end of certain words? ===<br />
<br />
Those marks denote inner hooks - they mean that either the first or last letter of the word can be dropped to form another valid word, depending on where the mark appears. If the mark appears at the beginning of the word, then the first letter can be dropped. If the mark appears at the end of the word, then the last letter can be dropped.<br />
<br />
You can choose whether to display a hyphen or a bullet character to denote inner hooks in Word Table Preferences under the Edit menu.<br />
<br />
=== Why did Zyzzyva mark all my answers as missed when I actually got them all correct? ===<br />
<br />
Zyzzyva only marks all responses as missed if you actually entered all the correct responses, but also provided an incorrect response. The reason for marking all responses as missed is because (currently) Zyzzyva has no other way of marking the question as missed without marking at least one response as missed. So instead of picking a random response to mark as missed, it marks them all.<br />
<br />
This only happens if you have the 'Mark question as missed after an incorrect response' setting activated, but not 'End question after an incorrect response'. Technically, it could also happen if you have the 'End question after an incorrect response' setting activated, but not 'End question after all correct responses', and the incorrect response is the last one you give.<br />
<br />
== Cardboxes and Quizzes ==<br />
<br />
=== How does the Cardbox system work? ===<br />
<br />
The basic idea is that you must first tell Zyzzyva which words you'd like it to keep track of. You generally do this by performing a search, then right-clicking the search results, and choosing Add to Cardbox. Then Zyzzyva keeps track of those words and automatically quizzes you on the ones it thinks you need to see each day. When you miss a word frequently, Zyzzyva will show it to you more often.<br />
<br />
Check out the [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles to get an idea of how you can use Cardboxing for word study.<br />
<br />
Also, the Help documentation provides more detailed instructions on the use of this feature.<br />
<br />
=== How do I retain my quiz statistics and cardbox data when I want to study a different word list? ===<br />
<br />
Cardboxes are separate for each word list. You can, however, import quiz statistics and cardbox data from one word list to another.<br />
<br />
* Choose File > Cardbox.<br />
* Select the Lexicon - for example, NWL2020 - and Quiz Type - usually Anagrams.<br />
* Choose Import...<br />
* Select the lexicon from which you want to import data - for example, NWL2018 - and click OK.<br />
<br />
=== How do I remove all my cardbox data? ===<br />
<br />
Do the following:<br />
<br />
* Open a Search tab.<br />
* Do a search that will find all possible words in your cardbox. Probably something like: Length: Min 2, Max 9.<br />
* Right-click the search results and choose Remove list from Cardbox.<br />
<br/><br />
All your cardbox data will be removed from the system, but your historical quiz data will be retained.<br />
<br />
== Portability of Zyzzyva Data ==<br />
<br />
=== How can I transfer my Zyzzyva data from one computer to another? ===<br />
<br />
You can transfer all your data to a new computer by copying your data directory. You can find out where your Zyzzyva data directory is by opening the Preferences window in Zyzzyva and looking at the Data Directory setting. Make a copy of this directory, and move it to wherever you like, on the new computer. Then, after you install Zyzzyva on the new computer, open the Preferences window and change the Data Directory setting to point to wherever you put your data directory from the original computer.<br />
<br />
The transfer should work regardless of the operating systems used on the two computers. For example, you should be able to transfer your data directory from a Windows computer to a Mac, or vice versa.<br />
<br />
=== How can I change the location of my data directory? ===<br />
<br />
Here are general instructions for changing the location of your data directory. You may find it useful to move the data directory to facilitate the synchronization of data between Zyzzyva on multiple devices - for example, through Dropbox.<br />
<br />
Be sure to follow these directions closely because manually manipulating the Zyzzyva data directory can be potentially dangerous to your data if you're not careful. You should probably read the full instructions before taking any action so you're familiar with what steps are required.<br />
<br />
'''Note:''' In Zyzzyva versions before Release 2.1.0, the default data directory was a hidden folder named .Zyzzyva. You will have to enable the viewing of hidden folders to move that data directory.<br />
<br />
# Open Zyzzyva and find out what your data directory is. It can be found by clicking Edit->Preferences and looking at the Data Directory setting in the General section. Copy and paste or write down this location.<br />
# '''IMPORTANT:''' Close Zyzzyva. We don't want Zyzzyva mucking around with your data directory while you're moving it.<br />
# Find the location of your data directory in the file browser. <br />
# '''Optional but a very good idea:''' Make a copy of the data directory by right-clicking it and choosing Copy and then Paste (on Windows), or Duplicate (on macOS). This will act as a backup in case anything goes wrong.<br />
# Rename or move the data directory to whatever you like. Remember where you moved it and what you renamed it to.<br />
# Open Zyzzyva again. It will probably complain about missing databases, but tell it NO; do not create databases.<br />
# Open the Preferences window again, and click the Browse button next to the Data Directory setting. Use the file browser to find the new location of your data directory.<br />
# Restart Zyzzyva, just to be sure it is using the new data directory. If it doesn't complain about missing databases, everything should be okay. If it does complain about databases, retrace the above steps to figure out where you went wrong.<br />
<br />
=== Can I keep my Zyzzyva data on a USB thumb drive? ===<br />
<br />
Absolutely. This may be a good option for anyone wanting to use Zyzzyva on multiple computers without having to copy data directories back and forth. Simply copy your data directory onto the USB drive (using the process described to transfer Zyzzyva data from one computer to another). Then open the Preferences window and change the Data Directory setting to point to the data directory on the USB drive.<br />
<br />
== Word Probability ==<br />
<br />
=== How does Zyzzyva calculate the probability of a word? ===<br />
<br />
There isn't a handy formula, but it's basically a straight calculation of the number of possible combinations to get a particular set of letters from a full bag, including blanks. Separate combination values are calculated for drawing zero, one, or two blanks, and then the numbers of combinations are added together to get the total number of ways of drawing a word.<br />
<br />
=== Are you sure the probability calculation is accurate? It seems unintuitive to me. ===<br />
<br />
Yep, it really is correct. The calculation of probability is notorious for violating human intuition. One useful guideline to remember is that doubled or tripled letters make a particular letter combination much more improbable than you might think. That's because the number of ways to draw two identical letters out of the bag is generally much lower than the number of ways to draw two different letters out of the bag.<br />
<br />
=== Are you really sure about the probabilities? I need to see more examples. ===<br />
<br />
Consider BAILERS versus BELIERS. BAILERS is a fair amount more probable than BELIERS because of the doubled Es in BELIERS. However, it seems intuitive to say, "If BEILRS has been drawn from a full bag, then there are 9 As and 11 Es in the remaining pool. The E is the more likely draw, which means BELIERS should be more probable than BAILERS."<br />
<br />
While it is true that drawing a single E is more likely than drawing a single A, the math for calculating the probability of a word is more complicated than that. You can't just start calculating with the assumption that BEILRS has been drawn; those letters themselves factor into the calculation, and they are not independent events. In this case, we can reduce the difference between BAILERS and BELIERS to the difference between drawing AE or EE when drawing two tiles from the bag.<br />
<br />
If you draw two tiles out of a full bag, the probability of drawing two Es is much lower than the probability of drawing an A and an E. That is because there are 9 x 12 = 108 ways to draw an A and an E if you draw two tiles. But there are only (12 x 11) / 2 = 66 ways to draw two Es if you draw two tiles. This number of combinations is called "12 choose 2", and is explained in more detail in this [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination Wikipedia article] about combinations.<br />
<br />
To reduce this to a simple example where it's easy to enumerate all the possibilities, consider a 4-tile bag containing only AAEE. I'll label the tiles A1, A2, E1, E2 for convenience. There are 6 possible ways to draw two unordered tiles:<br />
<br />
A1 A2 = AA<br />
A1 E1 = AE<br />
A1 E2 = AE<br />
A2 E1 = AE<br />
A2 E2 = AE<br />
E1 E2 = EE<br />
<br />
As you can see, AE is drawn 4/6 times, while AA is drawn only 1/6, and EE is drawn only 1/6 as well. Even though A and E are equally likely to be drawn if you are only drawing one tile, if you're drawing two tiles, it is much more likely to draw one of each than to draw duplicates.<br />
<br />
As another example, consider a bag where E is more likely than A, as is the case in the full SCRABBLE bag. Consider a 6-tile bag containing AAEEEE, with tiles labeled A1, A2, E1, E2, E3, E4. There are 15 possible ways to draw two unordered tiles:<br />
<br />
A1 A2 = AA<br />
A1 E1 = AE<br />
A1 E2 = AE<br />
A1 E3 = AE<br />
A1 E4 = AE<br />
A2 E1 = AE<br />
A2 E2 = AE<br />
A2 E3 = AE<br />
A2 E4 = AE<br />
E1 E2 = EE<br />
E1 E3 = EE<br />
E1 E4 = EE<br />
E2 E3 = EE<br />
E2 E4 = EE<br />
E3 E4 = EE<br />
<br />
AA occurs 1/15 times, AE occurs 8/15 times, EE occurs 6/15 times. Even though E is twice as likely as A, AE is still more likely than EE! This is the same basic principle that also causes words with duplicate letters to be drawn with lower probability from a full SCRABBLE bag.<br />
<br />
Complicating the math even further is the fact that Zyzzyva calculates probabilities using a full 100-tile bag including two blanks. That may account for differences (usually minor) with other probabilities you may have seen calculated elsewhere, many of which use a 98-tile bag with no blanks.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=17102Cardboxing 2012022-01-01T20:24:28Z<p>AA000143: /* Frequently Asked Questions */ moving questions between cardboxes in NZ requires removing them from cardbox first; explain ''Lax'' search effect (Liz Gottlin)</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Remove list from Cardbox'', then right-clicking the list again, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000; a ''Lax'' search will return more than 1000 words if those following words are equally probable, which is what you probably want. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. You can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
<br />
=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is passively syncing (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). If your Dropbox installation is set up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory in your home directory, then you should retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move your data there. Having done that, you’re now ready to sync with other desktop and mobile devices through Dropbox. NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync with Dropbox on its own and has buttons for that purpose. If you’re firing up a new NZM installation, and already have a usable data directory waiting in the right location on Dropbox, you can start by pressing the ''Sync'' button, signing in and giving permission when prompted, and then — please! — read the prompts about conflicted items before you agree to proceed with the sync. For first-time use, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, and it will try to keep your device awake, because NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later; since iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an active app, you should let it run in the foreground. After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva&diff=17076Zyzzyva2021-12-07T21:47:16Z<p>AA000143: /* Supported Operating Systems */ mobile version released</p>
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<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva''' is a word study and word adjudication [[software|program]].<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is an application for desktop and laptop computers, currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.<br />
<br />
The new [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app is now available for iOS and Android devices. Please see that page for information about the mobile version.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]] wrote the original version of what was then Zyzzyva,<br />
and maintained it for many years as it gained worldwide popularity.<br />
Zyzzyva<br />
has been used at software self-lookup stations at most<br />
North American [[SCRABBLE]] [[tournaments]], <br />
including BAT, Oregon TILE, the Dallas Open, <br />
the [[National SCRABBLE Championship]],<br />
[[National School SCRABBLE Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
and the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]].<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and we have worked since then<br />
with our SCRABBLE partners to ensure<br />
access to all the official word lists for our members.<br />
<br />
NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] has continued development of the desktop edition of<br />
what became NASPA Zyzzyva. Their most recent work has been to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019|CSW19]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.1]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2016]], [[SSWL2016]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]] as well as older versions [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.3]]<br />
: a time-limited test release that expired in May 2015<br />
; Zyzzyva 0.9.4<br />
: released 2006-01-14, first version to include [[OTCWL2]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
The [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]], as with everything Zyzzyva-related, was originally written by Michael Thelen and then transferred to NASPA in 2014. It is now fully up to date with information about NASPA Zyzzyva.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download&diff=17016NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download2021-12-07T02:42:32Z<p>AA000143: add App Store link</p>
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<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
=='''Download''' the Latest Release of NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile==<br />
<br />
The newest version of [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile! |NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] is '''3.3.0''', released '''2021-12-03'''. It includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
===iOS===<br />
* Download the [https://apps.apple.com/app/naspa-zyzzyva-mobile/id1587435725 NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for iOS] from Apple’s App Store (104 MB).<br />
<br />
===Android===<br />
* Download the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scrabbleplayers.ZyzzyvaMobile NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for Android] from the Google Play store (39–58 MB).</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download&diff=17014NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download2021-12-05T19:35:40Z<p>AA000143: /* Download the Latest Release of NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile */ add Google Play link</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
=='''Download''' the Latest Release of NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile==<br />
<br />
The newest version of [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile! |NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] is '''3.3.0''', released '''2021-12-03'''. It includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
===iOS===<br />
* Download the [https://?| NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for iOS] from Apple’s App Store (104 MB).<br />
<br />
===Android===<br />
* Download the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scrabbleplayers.ZyzzyvaMobile |NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for Android] from the Google Play store (39–58 MB).</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17012NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-12-05T00:57:27Z<p>AA000143: /* Version History */ no version page for NZM 3.3.0 yet, so link to NZM Download page</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (5 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download|NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. <br />
<br />
Visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]] page for frequently asked questions about NASPA Zyzzyva in general.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Download&diff=17011NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download2021-12-05T00:53:55Z<p>AA000143: new page</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
=='''Download''' the Latest Release of NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile==<br />
<br />
The newest version of [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile! |NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] is '''3.3.0''', released '''2021-12-03'''. It includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
===iOS===<br />
* Download the [https://?|NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for iOS] from Apple’s App Store (104 MB).<br />
<br />
===Android===<br />
* Download the [https://?|NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app for Android] from the Google Play store (39–42 MB).</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=17010NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-12-05T00:29:59Z<p>AA000143: /* Supported Operating Systems */ Qt 5.15 requires Android 5+</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (5 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. <br />
<br />
Visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]] page for frequently asked questions about NASPA Zyzzyva in general.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva:_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study&diff=17009NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study2021-12-05T00:28:23Z<p>AA000143: remove mention of licensing; NASC -> SPC</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_Title.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva:_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
Welcome to the home page of [[Zyzzyva |NASPA Zyzzyva]], a word study program originally written by [[Michael Thelen]] and now maintained by the [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/Zyzzyva_Committee/NASPA Zyzzyva Committee]. NASPA Zyzzyva is a free download, offered for the benefit of NASPA members and all who enjoy competitive word games.<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is the word judge program of choice at major events such as [[North American SCRABBLE Championship |NASPA’s Scrabble Players Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]], and the [[National_School_SCRABBLE_Championship |North American School SCRABBLE Championship]]. Other versions of Zyzzyva are used at the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]], as well as at smaller events, clubs, and gatherings around the world. <br />
<br />
The current version of NASPA Zyzzyva is [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0 | Version '''3.3.0''']], released on '''2021-09-30'''; this version adds [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] to the list of supported lexicons.<br />
<br />
* To download the latest release for Windows, macOS, and Linux, visit the [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Download |Download]] page.<br />
* If you are interested in running NASPA Zyzzyva on iOS and Android devices, visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] page.<br />
* If you have a question, visit the [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_FAQ |Frequently Asked Questions]] page.<br />
* If your question is not answered there, please visit the [[NASPA_Zyzzyva_Contact |Contact]] page to find out where you can get further help. <br />
<br/><br />
Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy Zyzzyva, and happy studying!<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
[[File:Zyzzyva323.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva:_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_Privacy_Policy&diff=16943NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Privacy Policy2021-11-29T21:15:31Z<p>AA000143: new page</p>
<hr />
<div>===Privacy Policy===<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile includes optional support for direct synchronization of its own app data with the Dropbox cloud service. In order to manage this synchronization, the app collects a Dropbox user identifier in the form of an email address. This information is not transmitted except to Dropbox, and can be removed at any time by unlinking from the Dropbox data synchronization provider.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=16942NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2021-11-29T16:31:03Z<p>AA000143: /* What You’ll Need */ amend minimum Android version to 5 (due to Qt 5.15 build change)</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
The new '''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
<br />
While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
<br />
[[File:ZyzzyvaMobile_Zyzzyva.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br />
== What You’ll Need ==<br />
<br />
[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
<br />
* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later. If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 5 (“Lollipop”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
<br />
<br />
The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases. (For each word in a lexicon, allow 300 bytes, or 400 bytes if the lexicon source includes definitions.)<br />
<br />
== What It Can Do ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, ''Quiz'', ''Search'', and ''Judge''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
<br />
* '''''Quiz'''''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. Synchronize your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''''Search'''''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''''Judge'''''. Get an adjudication (“valid” or “not valid”) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
<br />
<br />
NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, <tt>CARDBOX</tt> is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
<br />
== Where to Get It ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. <br />
<br />
For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=16933Cardboxing 2012021-11-12T16:54:30Z<p>AA000143: /* I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? */ adjust wording in light of changes in NZM 3.3.0b8</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. You can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
<br />
=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is passively syncing (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). If your Dropbox installation is set up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory in your home directory, then you should retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move your data there. Having done that, you’re now ready to sync with other desktop and mobile devices through Dropbox. NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync with Dropbox on its own and has buttons for that purpose. If you’re firing up a new NZM installation, and already have a usable data directory waiting in the right location on Dropbox, you can start by pressing the ''Sync'' button, signing in and giving permission when prompted, and then — please! — read the prompts about conflicted items before you agree to proceed with the sync. For first-time use, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, and it will try to keep your device awake, because NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later; since iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an active app, you should let it run in the foreground. After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software&diff=16919Software2021-11-05T23:13:20Z<p>AA000143: /* Zyzzyva */ developer credit to Zyzzyva Committee</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Software''' plays a major role in organized Scrabble activities. <br />
<br />
[[NASPA]]'s [[Web Committee]] offers web hosting space to software developers <br />
and works with them to develop standards. <br />
<br />
The [[Technology Committee]] evaluates and certifies word judge software for use at tournaments and clubs. <br />
<br />
NASPA also [[Licensing |licenses]] the [[NASPA Word List]] and [[School SCRABBLE Word List 2018 | NASPA School Word List]] for use by developers. Please<br />
[[contact]] us if you would like to use our word list in your application.<br />
<br />
Certification and licensing are separate processes; software may be either, neither, or both. Uncertified, unlicensed software is listed here only for information purposes, and not as an endorsement.<br />
<br />
== Certified word judge software ==<br />
<br />
NASPA recommends that [[tournaments]] and [[clubs]] use laptops running word adjudication software to process <br />
challenges in competitive games. The following Software Self Lookup (SSL) programs were evaluated by the [[Technology Committee]] and are approved for use in club and tournament situations as noted below.<br />
<br />
=== [[Zyzzyva]] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, definitions, word judge, word study<br />
* '''Developers''': [[Michael Thelen]], [[Zyzzyva Committee]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Linux, macOS, Windows<br />
* '''Notes''': certified and licensed, used at all major events,including the [[National SCRABBLE Championship |NASPA Championship]], [[National School SCRABBLE Championship|National School Scrabble Championship]] and [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship|Canadian National Scrabble Championship]]<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.wolfberg.net/what/ WHAT] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Michael Wolfberg|Mike Wolfberg]]<br />
* '''System''': Windows<br />
* '''Notes''': Certified and licensed. Stands for "Wolfberg's Helpful Anagramming Tool".<br />
<br />
== Tournament management software ==<br />
<br />
Tournament management software assists the director in pairing players, recording game results, generating pairing reports and standings for printing, and generating final tournament data for submission to NASPA for rating of tournaments. There is not yet a certification process for this category of software.<br />
<br />
There is at least one popular software package not listed below, at the request of its publisher.<br />
<br />
=== [[tsh]] ===<br />
* '''Features''': tournament management, word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[John Chew]]<br />
* '''Systems''': DOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.<br />
* '''Notes''': used at all major events, including the [[National SCRABBLE Championship |NASPA Championship]], [[National School SCRABBLE Championship |National School Scrabble Championship]] and [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship|Canadian National Scrabble Championship]]. It has a very rich set of features, but most directors need some help at first learning to use its command-line interface.<br />
<br />
== Licensed software ==<br />
<br />
The following software contain licensed copies of NASPA word lists, but have not been certified for competitive use.<br />
<br />
=== [https://aerolith.org/ Aerolith] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word study<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Cesar Del Solar | César Del Solar]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists. Features competitive high-score lists.<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.seattlephysicstutor.com/anagrams.html Anagrams] ===<br />
* '''Features''': single- or multi-player anagramming game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Chris Grubb]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Windows, Mac OS X<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://safe-dusk-44647.herokuapp.com/ Anagrams Blitz] ===<br />
* '''Features''': single- or multi-player anagramming game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Carl Johnson]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [http://crosswordislandhopper.com Crossword Island Hopper] ===<br />
* '''Features''': multi-player crossword game with many types of boards<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Will Dumaresq]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.tylerhosting.com/hoot/ Hoot] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, word judge, word study, game timer<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Dana Bell]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Android, Windows<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed, but not certified as a competitive word judge tool or game timer.<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.quackle.org Quackle] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, game analysis, game play<br />
* '''Developers''': [[Jason Katz-Brown]], [[John O'Laughlin]], [[John Fultz]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Linux, macOS, Windows<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed. Strongest Scrabble playing program in the world. It is used by many players for training, and to analyze their games to improve their future play.<br />
<br />
=== [https://www.facebook.com/ScrabbleGO Scrabble GO] ===<br />
* '''Features''': Mobile Scrabble game<br />
* '''Developer''': [https://scopely.com/ Scopely]<br />
* '''System''': [https://scrb.ly/naspa Android, iOS, and Web]<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://smartword.io/ Smart Word] ===<br />
* '''Features''': multi-player word game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Vladimir Muzyka]]<br />
* '''System''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://spellingbeat.com/ Spelling Beat] ===<br />
* '''Features''': solver for popular spelling puzzle<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Brad Greenlee]]<br />
* '''System''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://snatch.cc/ Snatch!] ===<br />
* '''Features''': single- or multi-player anagramming game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Jay Chan]] <br />
* '''System''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ulu-ultimate-lookup-utility/id1281832323 ULU] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, game timer, word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Seth Lipkin]]<br />
* '''System''': iOS<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed, but not certified as a competitive word judge tool or game timer.<br />
<br />
=== [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dabbssolutions.ScrabbleTimer.WaliTimer&hl=en&gl=US Wali Timer] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming, game timer, word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Wali Khubaib]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Android<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed, but not certified as a competitive word judge tool or game timer.<br />
<br />
=== [https://woogles.io Woogles] ===<br />
* '''Features''': game play<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Cesar Del Solar | César Del Solar]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists. <br />
<br />
=== [http://wordbird.fun/ WordBirdFun] ===<br />
* '''Features''': multi-player word search game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Ky MacPherson | Ky MacPherson]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pisanu.scrabblechecker Word Checker by Pisanu] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Pisanu Chaloemrattanaporn]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Android<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed, but not certified as a competitive word judge tool.<br />
<br />
=== [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-checker-easy-judge/id1419607257 Word Checker: Easy Judge] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word judge<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Fabien Maurice]]<br />
* '''Systems''': [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wordchecker Android], [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-checker-easy-judge/id1419607257 iOS]<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed, but not certified as a competitive word judge tool.<br />
<br />
=== [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/word-expert-word-game-tool/id1437814395 Word Expert] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Fabien Maurice]]<br />
* '''Systems''': iOS<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pisanu.scrabbleexpert.free Word Expert by Pisanu] ===<br />
* '''Features''': anagramming<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Pisanu Chaloemrattanaporn]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Android<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [https://wordit.app/ Wordit] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Rob Johansen]]<br />
* '''Systems''': web app<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists.<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.wordupdude.com/ Word Up Dude] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word game<br />
* '''Developer''': [[Timothy Gardner|Tim Gardner]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Android, iOS<br />
* '''Notes''': Licensed to use official word lists in its own word game.<br />
<br />
== Unlicensed software ==<br />
<br />
The following software is neither certified nor licensed, but may be of interest to our<br />
members.<br />
<br />
=== [http://www.poslarchive.com/math/software/qz/ qz] ===<br />
* '''Features''': word study<br />
* '''Developer''': [[John Chew]]<br />
* '''Systems''': Linux, macOS, Windows<br />
* '''Notes''': Unlicensed. Generic flashcarding tool intended for word study, does not ship with word lists, supports bulk input of quiz text files<br />
<br />
== Legacy Software ==<br />
<br />
Software that is no longer actively supported, or has not been updated to current<br />
standards, can be found in a separate list of [[legacy software]].</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16918NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-11-05T23:11:42Z<p>AA000143: /* Version History */ for site consistency (much as I love the Oxford comma)</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (4.1 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. <br />
<br />
Visit the [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]] page for frequently asked questions about NASPA Zyzzyva in general.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva&diff=16917Zyzzyva2021-11-05T23:10:21Z<p>AA000143: /* Version History */ restore missing space; use CSWnn naming</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva''' is a word study and word adjudication [[software|program]].<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is an application for desktop and laptop computers, currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.<br />
<br />
Later in 2021, the new [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app will be made available for iOS and Android devices. Please see that page for information about the mobile version.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]] wrote the original version of what was then Zyzzyva,<br />
and maintained it for many years as it gained worldwide popularity.<br />
Zyzzyva<br />
has been used at software self-lookup stations at most<br />
North American [[SCRABBLE]] [[tournaments]], <br />
including BAT, Oregon TILE, the Dallas Open, <br />
the [[National SCRABBLE Championship]],<br />
[[National School SCRABBLE Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
and the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]].<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and we have worked since then<br />
with our SCRABBLE partners to ensure<br />
access to all the official word lists for our members.<br />
<br />
NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] has continued development of the desktop edition of<br />
what became NASPA Zyzzyva. Their most recent work has been to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]] and [[CSW2019|CSW19]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.1]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019|CSW19]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2016]], [[SSWL2016]] and [[CSW2015|CSW15]] as well as older versions [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.3]]<br />
: a time-limited test release that expired in May 2015<br />
; Zyzzyva 0.9.4<br />
: released 2006-01-14, first version to include [[OTCWL2]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
The [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]], as with everything Zyzzyva-related, was originally written by Michael Thelen and then transferred to NASPA in 2014. It is now fully up to date with information about NASPA Zyzzyva.<br />
<br />
Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NASPA Zyzzyva on desktops and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=16907NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2021-11-02T13:57:40Z<p>AA000143: add guideline for sizing of lexicon databases</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[File:Zyzzyva_LastWord.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br/><br />
<br/><br />
The new '''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
<br />
While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
<br />
[[File:ZyzzyvaMobile_Zyzzyva.png|750px|link=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_—_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!]]<br />
<br />
== What You’ll Need ==<br />
<br />
[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
<br />
* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later. If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 4.1 (“Jelly Bean”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
<br />
<br />
The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases. (For each word in a lexicon, allow 300 bytes, or 400 bytes if the lexicon source includes definitions.)<br />
<br />
== What It Can Do ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, ''Quiz'', ''Search'', and ''Judge''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
<br />
* '''''Quiz'''''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. Synchronize your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''''Search'''''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''''Judge'''''. Get an adjudication (“valid” or “not valid”) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
<br />
<br />
NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, <tt>CARDBOX</tt> is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
<br />
== Where to Get It ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. <br />
<br />
For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=16882Cardboxing 2012021-10-26T02:34:59Z<p>AA000143: /* How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? */ fix typo</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. You can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
<br />
=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is passively syncing (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). If your Dropbox installation is set up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory in your home directory, then you should retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move your data there. Having done that, you’re now ready to sync with other desktop and mobile devices through Dropbox. NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync with Dropbox on its own and has buttons for that purpose. If you’re firing up a new NZM installation, and already have a usable data directory waiting in the right location on Dropbox, you can start by pressing the ''Sync'' button, signing in and giving permission when prompted, and then — please! — read the prompts about conflicted items before you agree to proceed with the sync. For first-time use, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, so, while it runs, especially on iOS, you should keep the app active and not put it in the background or let the device go to sleep, because iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an app, and NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later! After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16880NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-10-26T01:32:10Z<p>AA000143: /* Version History */ lexicon naming</p>
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<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (4.1 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and [[CSW2019 | CSW19]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. In the meantime, please read the articles linked below. Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NZ on desktops and NZM on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva_Committee&diff=16879Zyzzyva Committee2021-10-26T01:26:03Z<p>AA000143: /* Agenda */ update status of software, add links</p>
<hr />
<div>{{#naspa:committee-data|zyzz}}<br />
<br />
== Agenda ==<br />
<br />
* Continue to develop all versions of the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for desktops and laptops<br />
* Develop the [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app for iOS and Android handheld devices<br />
[[Category:Committees]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_101&diff=16878Cardboxing 1012021-10-25T19:41:23Z<p>AA000143: formatting changes</p>
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<div><br />
So what is this “cardbox” thing, why should you care enough to give your time to cardbox study, and why do serious word players obsess about a seven-letter word that isn’t in any approved lexicon? Take a few minutes to learn about cardboxes, word-study habits, and why you too should tend a cardbox as if it were your prize garden.<br />
<br />
== Sebastian Leitner: „So lernt man lernen“ ==<br />
<br />
About 50 years ago, an Austrian-German author made a big splash with his book of scientific theory of “how to learn to learn”. In it, he described what has become known as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system Leitner Cardbox System] for acquiring and perfecting memory through spaced repetition using flashcards. In the 1970s, it was fairly common in certain places to see people with plastic boxes full of flashcards with numbered dividers, reading and reshuffling the cards as if sorting recipes.<br />
<br />
The big idea in Leitner’s system is that some facts are easy to learn but hard to remember while others are the opposite, and that adaptive repetition reinforces long-term memory. Further, he realized that concentrating one’s study only on the things that are hard to recall is discouraging, for lack of positive reinforcement, and so it helps to mix things up. Can’t remember this fact? — bring it back tomorrow for another try. Got this one cold? — great, but you probably won’t need to repeat it for a while.<br />
<br />
Herr Leitner’s system came a bit early for the personal-computer age, but computers have certainly widened its appeal, and there are now many generalized cardbox-study tools to choose from. One thing that fits exceptionally well on a flashcard is a word-anagramming question like <tt>AEINRST</tt>, with the answers on the back, and the impact of this study method has transformed how word games are played.<br />
<br />
== Cardboxing in Zyzzyva ==<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva application came along in the mid-2000s at a time of increased public interest in the game of Scrabble spurred by the publication of a number of books and DVDs and some unprecedented exposure on cable television. He constructed it in a way that suited both casual and intense users, making it an almost universal presence at clubs and tournaments. His legacy continues today in the form of [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] and [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]].<br />
<br />
One feature of Zyzzyva that favored the dedicated game player was its implementation of the Leitner Cardbox System, by which the user could build up a hoard of anagram questions for long-term study by doing anagram or pattern searches and then committing them to the cardbox. Users’ pain tolerance varied, but it became common for Zyzzyva users to amass a cardbox stuffed with many thousands of virtual flashcards, usually the ones deemed most probable to appear in gameplay, and particularly the ones of seven or eight letters that could earn the prized 50-point “bingo” bonus that often decides a game.<br />
<br />
One of the genius things about cardboxing in Zyzzyva is that you get to decide what’s a “passing grade” for remembering the answers to an anagram question. If you’re happy enough that you remembered eight of the nine answers to <tt>AEINRST</tt>, mark it correct and move on. If you’re a bit obsessive and can’t live with not remembering <tt>ANESTRI</tt> (again?!), mark it incorrect and know that you’ll get it when it comes back tomorrow.<br />
<br />
In Zyzzyva, the word “cardbox” has two meanings: Your virtual cardbox contains 16 compartments, numbered 0 to 15. Words you add to the (aggregate) cardbox normally start out in (individual) Cardbox 0 and step up from there as you answer them correctly; an incorrect answer demotes a question back to Cardbox 0. Of course, you can pluck questions out and move them around as necessary.<br />
<br />
Each question in the system has both a compartment (how “deep” in the cardbox it’s gone since you last failed to answer it correctly) and a next-review date that’s assigned when it arrives at that location. The deeper it goes, the farther out the date is set. What’s “due” on a given day, therefore, is not just the questions you recently missed, but rather a mixture of those with some less vexing ones that have come up for review after a longer wait.<br />
<br />
== Scheduling and Sizing ==<br />
<br />
One error some users make is to put too many words in the system. Zyzzyva’s scheduling settings are easily adjusted, but, by default, the questions you can answer with your eyes closed (residents of Cardbox 10 and up) are still going to reappear every 480 days or so, and it’d be tempting Fate to put them off much longer than that. This means that a perfectly familiar set of 48000 questions is still going to hit you with a daily average of 100 questions due.<br />
<br />
There are a few ways to deal with this problem:<br />
* '''Keep the count down.''' Don’t put too many words in the cardbox to begin with, especially ones you’re unlikely ever to see. Once you figure out how to do it, you can do a search for improbable or fully mastered words and remove them from the cardbox to make room for more worthy ones.<br />
* '''Subdivide the cardbox.''' NASPA Zyzzyva supports only one cardbox database per lexicon, but you can run quizzes that impose a search condition on the questions that are currently due for review. Try isolating the ones that have specific characteristics from the ones that don’t, and concentrate on one manageable subgroup for a while.<br />
* '''Up the quiz speed.''' Use a tool like NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile that is optimized for quick cardbox quizzing. Synchronize your cardbox between multiple devices so that your progress is shared between them; 50 with coffee in the morning and 50 in the bus on the way home isn’t a lot when you have a well optimized study tool.<br />
* '''Surrender.''' Life is not always a box of cards. Sometimes you won’t be able to keep up the usual pace, and it can be discouraging to see that your inattention has left you a thousand questions to answer to reach the goal of zero due. Use the available menu commands to shift the whole cardbox back, either by a number of days or so that a specific number of questions remain due.<br />
<br />
== Your Deepest Cardbox Questions, Answered ==<br />
<br />
Cardboxing isn’t everyone’s pleasure, so it doesn’t make sense to lard the NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ with too much detail about it. Please read our next article, [[Cardboxing 201]], for answers to your deepest questions about cardboxing in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=16877NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2021-10-25T19:35:55Z<p>AA000143: /* What It Can Do */ formatting changes</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
The new '''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
<br />
While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
<br />
== What You’ll Need ==<br />
<br />
[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
<br />
* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later. If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 4.1 (“Jelly Bean”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
<br />
<br />
The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases.<br />
<br />
== What It Can Do ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, ''Quiz'', ''Search'', and ''Judge''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
<br />
* '''''Quiz'''''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. Synchronize your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''''Search'''''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''''Judge'''''. Get an adjudication (“valid” or “not valid”) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
<br />
<br />
NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, <tt>CARDBOX</tt> is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
<br />
== Where to Get It ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. <br />
<br />
For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva&diff=16876Zyzzyva2021-10-25T19:24:22Z<p>AA000143: /* Current Version */ version 3.3.0 history</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva''' is a word study and word adjudication [[software|program]].<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is an application for desktop and laptop computers, currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.<br />
<br />
Later in 2021, the new [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app will be made available for iOS and Android devices. Please see that page for information about the mobile version.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]] wrote the original version of what was then Zyzzyva,<br />
and maintained it for many years as it gained worldwide popularity.<br />
Zyzzyva<br />
has been used at software self-lookup stations at most<br />
North American [[SCRABBLE]] [[tournaments]], <br />
including BAT, Oregon TILE, the Dallas Open, <br />
the [[National SCRABBLE Championship]],<br />
[[National School SCRABBLE Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
and the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]].<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and we have worked since then<br />
with our SCRABBLE partners to ensure<br />
access to all the official word lists for our members.<br />
<br />
NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] has continued development of the desktop edition of<br />
what became NASPA Zyzzyva. Their most recent work has been to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and[[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2015]] and [[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.1]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2015]] and [[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]] and [[CSW2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2016]], [[SSWL2016]] and [[CSW2015]] as well as older versions [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.3]]<br />
: a time-limited test release that expired in May 2015<br />
; Zyzzyva 0.9.4<br />
: released 2006-01-14, first version to include [[OTCWL2]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
The [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]], as with everything Zyzzyva-related, was originally written by Michael Thelen and then transferred to NASPA in 2014. It is now fully up to date with information about NASPA Zyzzyva.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16875NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-10-25T19:23:28Z<p>AA000143: /* Current Version */ version 3.3.0 history</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (4.1 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 includes the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS | CSW21]], [[CSW2019 | CSW19]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and [[CSW2019]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. In the meantime, please read the articles linked below. Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NZ on desktops and NZM on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16874NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-10-25T19:20:22Z<p>AA000143: /* Supported Operating Systems */ add supported OS versions</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS (11 or higher) and Android (4.1 or higher) operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and [[CSW2019]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. In the meantime, please read the articles linked below. Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NZ on desktops and NZM on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_201&diff=16873Cardboxing 2012021-10-25T19:14:44Z<p>AA000143: new page (linked from Cardboxing 201)</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
If you’ve read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article and are eager to learn more about the subject, great! Here are some tips and tricks to help you build and maintain your cardbox with the best of them. This article focuses on cardboxing in the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application or [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) mobile app.<br />
<br />
It’s best to start building your cardbox on a system where you’ve already built up a quiz history, because NZ and NZM will give you credit for words that you seem to know well, planting them deeper in the cardbox. If you’ve never done quizzes before, everything you add to the cardbox is going to land in Cardbox 0 and be due immediately. If you’re just starting out with NZM, be sure to sync your data with your habitual NZ setup first, to bring that quiz history up to date in both places, and, for the love of all that is good and holy, please be careful not to sync a new and virtually empty mobile cardbox/quiz-stats database over any older desktop database that you wanted to keep — read the warnings in the mobile app! For information about data synchronization, see the help text in NZM’s ''Quiz'' tab.<br />
<br />
== Where to Start? ==<br />
<br />
As we pointed out in the introductory article, with cardboxing as with any abstruse study, discouragement is the enemy. With that in mind, it’s almost always best to start small.<br />
<br />
Maybe we should start with that word, <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt>. Looks like a good word to know, and one that most expert players wouldn’t easily see in their rack of <tt>AEUBRST</tt> as they fixate on finding a place for <tt>ARBUTES</tt> or <tt>BURSATE</tt> (or <tt>SURBATE#</tt>, if they play the International English lexicon). NASPA Zyzzyva tells us that <tt>ABSTRUSE</tt> is middlingly probable as eight-letter words go, #12184 out of 31523, but, with its two <tt>S</tt>’s and its familiar meaning, it seems more worth knowing than, say, <tt>FROMENTY</tt> (#12126). So, we have to make a decision: Do we populate our cardbox by raw probability or by pattern, and how big do we go?<br />
<br />
We recommend that you start by pattern, using defined groups of words that many word players have come to recognize as worth studying. (You definitely won’t enjoy the result if you populate your cardbox with the 12184 most probable eight-letter words.) You may have heard people talk about “stem” groups like <tt>TISANE?</tt> and <tt>SATIRE?</tt>, and these are definitely the ones to go with if you want to cardbox with seven-letter words and don’t know where to start. Or, maybe you’re not so concerned with long words and just want to know the “high fives” (words beginning or ending with four- or five-point letters) that can easily score 30 or 40 points when played in the right spot. Either way, a pattern search is where you should start.<br />
<br />
If you’re using NZ on a desktop computer, you can do these searches quickly using the ''Search'' tab’s many predefined search specifications (e.g., ''Load Search…'' &rarr; [up a level] ''predefined'' &rarr; ''Top 7s By Stem'' &rarr; ''001 TISANE.zzs'') and its ''Belongs to Group'' condition. Run a search, see how many words it finds, then decide if this is a group worth studying. If so, right-click the list of found words and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' The NZM app can do basic pattern searches, like <tt>TISANE?</tt>, but for more complex searches you may want to consider populating the cardbox in NZ and then syncing it to NZM.<br />
<br />
== Surviving the Early Days of Cardboxing ==<br />
<br />
Even a small cardbox of 200 words or so can be a bit overwhelming to start, especially if you’re intent on keeping at it every day until there are no more questions due. It can be like a new baby to start. Here are some anti-infanticide tips:<br />
* '''Prioritize small wins over completeness.''' Rather than spending minutes on a difficult question, mark it incorrect and move on to the next one. The backlog remains the same when you do this, because the question goes to Cardbox 0 and you’ll see it again within a day, and you give yourself the chance to dispatch the next one quickly, which will push it up a level and out of the current logjam. It may seem counterintuitive to give up easily, but it’s actually better for your study habit, both short- and long-term.<br />
* '''Resist the urge to expand.''' Until you’ve figured out how to divide your cardbox into subgroups, keep all of the questions circulating and don’t add more words until you see that the daily due count is down to something manageable, between 20 and 100 questions, depending on your style and availability. Later on, when you do add more words, seeing those more familiar questions interspersed with the new ones will give you those small wins, and keep you on your toes, too.<br />
* '''Turn on the sprinkler.''' A trick that some people use to break up big clods of cardbox questions is to designate Cardbox 15 as a “sprinkler” box. Since it would normally take many years for any question to reach Cardbox 15 “naturally”, you should feel free to change the cardbox schedule settings for that box to have a short ''Schedule'' value and a long ''Window'' value; then, as needed, you can tell NZ or NZM to move a clod of due questions to Cardbox 15, and they’ll magically reschedule themselves over a wider period of days. Having solved them correctly a few times, and when things are more under control, you can revisit the sprinkler box (where all of the correctly answered questions will still be, since there’s no higher box to advance to) and move the questions somewhere more fitting, like Cardbox 5, which will spread them out over a seven-day window.<br />
* '''Phone a Friend.''' Maybe you know someone who’s cardboxing and wants to help you. There’s no shame in sharing! Any cardbox they’ve built is one you can copy and use. If they’re a NZ user, the database files are in their data directory under '''<tt>quiz/data</tt>'''. If they’re strictly a NZM user and use data synchronization, they’re in their Dropbox cloud storage under '''<tt>Apps/Zyzzyva/quiz/data</tt>'''. (If you’re strictly a NZM user, then you’ll have to run that process in reverse to sync the copied database back into your mobile device.) After that, you’ll have a gently used cardbox that might conform to your solving abilities better than a brand-new one would.<br />
<br />
== When It’s Time to Go Pro ==<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to review the points in [[Cardboxing 101]] about scheduling and sizing, now that you have mastered the controls.<br />
<br />
How far can you go with cardboxing in NZ and NZM? That depends only on your availability and your patience. There are people who study tens of thousands of words this way, short ones and long ones, and the benefits are huge. One thing you’ll notice is that you’ve gained both inclusive and exclusive knowledge of anagrams: It’s valuable to know the nine words to be found in <tt>AEINRST</tt>, and even more valuable to know that there aren’t more than those, so you can instantly challenge <tt>RESTAIN*</tt>.<br />
<br />
The next step, for those who care about agility in game situations, is to drill by speed of recognition, which is something your cardbox won’t do (unless you enable NZ’s timer option on your cardbox quiz). For that, we recommend Aerolith’s [https://www.aerolith.org/wordwalls/ WordWalls], an online tool with nearly infinite depth for everyone from intermediate players to world champions.<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions ==<br />
<br />
=== What’s the difference between a “Standard” quiz and a “Cardbox” quiz? ===<br />
<br />
A standard quiz is one you create (in NZ or NZM) without selecting the cardbox option, and it doesn’t require a cardbox to work. You just tell it how to search for the words to quiz on, and the program will shuffle the questions in random order and track your progress over time. If you leave it and come back to it later, it will remember where you were, so all of the “state” is built into the saved quiz itself. A cardbox quiz is only useful if you’ve already built up a number of words from earlier searches that you want to study repeatedly, and this type of quiz is never actually saved, because all of the progress “state” is in the cardbox database, as it tracks your successes and failures and the due dates for each question. You may open your regular cardbox quiz and find that there are no questions due, or a hundred. Then, it’s up to you to decide how to tweak the settings and the number of words in the cardbox to suit your style.<br />
<br />
=== I goofed a question, so now it’s back in Cardbox 0, but I really do know it. How do I correct this? ===<br />
<br />
If you mark a question incorrect by mistake, you have an opportunity to fix that in the moment by clicking ''Mark as Correct'' (NZ) or the ''Check'' button (NZM), but, once you’ve moved on to the next question, you’ll need to make the repair manually. One way is to run a search for that word you missed, then move the resulting words to a specific cardbox. On NZ, that means right-clicking the list, choosing ''Add list to Cardbox…'', clicking ''Specify cardbox'', and telling it where to put the question. On NZM, press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question. On NZM, there is another way, which is to use the ''Manage'' tab to locate the question in Cardbox 0, select it, then press ''Action'', choose ''Move to Cardbox'', then tell it where to put the question.<br />
<br />
=== I’m ready to move beyond patterns, and I want to study by probability by putting the top thousand seven-letter words in my cardbox. What should I do? ===<br />
<br />
Searching by probability is something you won’t see in the streamlined NZM interface, so for this you’ll need NZ. Open a ''Search'' tab, choose a ''Length'' condition to limit the search to seven-letter words, and add a ''Probability Order'' condition with minimum 1 and maximum 1000. Click ''Search'', then right-click the list and choose ''Add list to Cardbox…'' with the default option to ''Estimate cardbox based on past performance''. (A lot of the listed words will end up in Cardbox 0, but some may be higher if you’ve solved those quiz questions correctly before; any question that was already in your cardbox will stay where it was.) If you want to quiz in NZM with your newly expanded cardbox, you’ll need to sync out from NZ and back in to NZM.<br />
<br />
=== How do I divide my cardbox so that I can study just a subgroup of them for a while? ===<br />
<br />
A lexicon’s ''Anagrams'' cardbox is never actually subdivided, so what you are wanting is to run a search-restricted cardbox quiz. You’ll find the option to impose a search restriction in the ''New Quiz'' dialog in both NZ and NZM. You can save that quiz as you would any other quiz, then load it when you feel like quizzing on just the <tt>-ING</tt> words, or whatever. Since the NZM interface’s selection of search options is limited, only NZ can create a cardbox quiz that is restricted by probability or various other conditions, but (aha!) once you’ve saved that quiz and synced it to your mobile device, the quiz engine in NZM will respect the search restriction when you load that saved quiz.<br />
<br />
=== Is there an “In Cardbox” condition that I can add to a search? ===<br />
<br />
Sadly, no. The word engine that does searches is aware only of the lexicon files in the installation and any lexicon-database files that you may have created from them, not the contents of your cardbox. You can run a cardbox quiz with a search restriction, though. If your purpose is to extract the list of questions in your cardbox, we recommend you (carefully) open the quiz-statistics/cardbox database in an application such as DB Browser for SQLite.<br />
<br />
=== My cardbox seems uneven — it hits me with too many questions at once. How can I fix that? ===<br />
<br />
That’s probably because you’re too good at this! Both NZ’s and NZM’s cardbox settings have a default ''Schedule'' value and a ''Window'' value for each cardbox from 0 to 15. When a question is placed in a box, it’s given a random due date that is up to ''Window'' days more or less than ''Schedule'' days, as the ''Window'' value controls how widely to spread them. The default settings are fairly good at smoothing out the curve of questions due per day, which you can see in NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab and NZM’s ''Manage'' tab (under ''By Schedule''), but you’re welcome to increase those ''Window'' values if it helps even out the lumps.<br />
<br />
=== What do the various rescheduling commands do? ===<br />
<br />
The cardbox system keeps track of each question’s due date even after they come due, so you can always see how many days past due your questions are. Rather than moving individual questions between cardboxes as a way to reschedule them, you should get to know the ''Shift by Days'' and ''Shift by Questions Due'' actions in NZM’s ''Manage'' tab; in NZ, choose ''Tools'' &rarr; ''Reschedule Cardbox Contents…'' and look for the similarly named buttons. Both of these rescheduling commands have the same effect, which is to shift all questions forward or back by the same amount of time, the only difference being how that amount of time is calculated. The ''Reschedule by Cardbox'' command is stronger; it scrubs all existing due dates, maintaining each question in its current box but with a new due date based on the ''Schedule'' and ''Window'' values — almost the same as what would happen if you deleted them all from the cardbox and then added them back. This latter command is useful after you’ve been studying just a subgroup of words in your cardbox for a while, when you switch back to the full cardbox, and find to your horror that the words you stopped studying are now way past due and want to be done before all the rest.<br />
<br />
=== I want to cardbox on multiple devices. How should I go about it? ===<br />
<br />
Both NZ and NZM can operate on cardboxes that are synced with Dropbox cloud storage, and in that way, multiple devices can sync their cardbox/quiz-statistics databases with each other. In the case of NZ up to version 3.3.0, you won’t see any mention of syncing in the application interface, but you can use the ''Preferences'' dialog to make it look for its data directory in a location that Dropbox is passively syncing (though NZ doesn’t actually move the data for you, so you’ll have to do that yourself). If your Dropbox installation is set up for automatic syncing of the '''<tt>Dropbox</tt>''' directory in your home directory, then you should retarget NZ’s data directory to '''<tt>Dropbox/Apps/Zyzzyva</tt>''' and move your data there. Having done that, you’re now ready to sync with other desktop and mobile devices through Dropbox. NZM, on the other hand, is programmed to sync with Dropbox on its own and has buttons for that purpose. If you’re firing up a new NZM installation, and already have a usable data directory waiting in the right location on Dropbox, you can start by pressing the ''Sync'' button, signing in and giving permission when prompted, and then — please! — read the prompts about conflicted items before you agree to proceed with the sync. For first-time use, you should tell it to sync in one direction only, from Dropbox to your mobile device, by answering ''Yes'' to the first question and ''No'' to the second before answering ''Yes'' to start syncing. It will take a while, so, while it runs, especially on iOS, you should keep the app active and not put it in the background or let the device go to sleep, because iOS tolerates only short periods of background activity before killing an app, and NZM isn’t programmed to pause a sync and finish it later! After one or more tries, having completed this initial sync, NZM will only sync files that have changed, so it’ll be very quick. The one thing to remember, to avoid disappointment, is to sync when you start cardboxing and again when you stop, because otherwise you could end up with two or more devices that both think they have newer cardbox data, and this will be flagged as a sync conflict later on.<br />
<br />
=== How do I move cardbox data forward when moving to a new lexicon? ===<br />
<br />
There is one ''Anagrams'' cardbox for each lexicon, and the contents won’t automatically be brought forward when you begin to study a new one. Currently, NZM has no mechanism for importing cardbox/quiz-statistics data, so, here are a couple of ways to do it, both involving Dropbox sync. One is to use NZ’s ''Cardbox'' tab to target the new lexicon and use the ''Import…'' button to merge the old lexicon’s data into the new lexicon’s database, then sync everything back to your mobile device. The other, which doesn’t require NZ, is to go to '''<tt>dropbox.com</tt>''' and copy the '''<tt>Anagrams.db</tt>''' file from one lexicon’s subdirectory under '''<tt>Apps/Dropbox/quiz/data</tt>''' to the other, then go back to NZM, sync, and create a new cardbox quiz that targets the new lexicon.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Cardboxing_101&diff=16872Cardboxing 1012021-10-25T18:44:26Z<p>AA000143: new page (linked from NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile! page</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
So what is this “cardbox” thing, why should you care enough to give your time to cardbox study, and why do serious word players obsess about a seven-letter word that isn’t in any approved lexicon? Take a few minutes to learn about cardboxes, word-study habits, and why you too should tend a cardbox as if it were your prize garden.<br />
<br />
== Sebastian Leitner: „So lernt man lernen“ ==<br />
<br />
About 50 years ago, an Austrian-German author made a big splash with his book of scientific theory of “how to learn to learn”. In it, he described what has become known as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system Leitner Cardbox System] for acquiring and perfecting memory through spaced repetition using flashcards. In the 1970s, it was fairly common in certain places to see people with plastic boxes full of flashcards with numbered dividers, reading and reshuffling the cards as if sorting recipes.<br />
<br />
The big idea in Leitner’s system is that some facts are easy to learn but hard to remember while others are the opposite, and that adaptive repetition reinforces long-term memory. Further, he realized that concentrating one’s study only on the things that are hard to recall is discouraging, for lack of positive reinforcement, and so it helps to mix things up. Can’t remember this fact? — bring it back tomorrow for another try. Got this one cold? — great, but you probably won’t need to repeat it for a while.<br />
<br />
Herr Leitner’s system came a bit early for the personal-computer age, but computers have certainly widened its appeal, and there are now many generalized cardbox-study tools to choose from. One thing that fits exceptionally well on a flashcard is a word-anagramming question like '''AEINRST''', with the answers on the back, and the impact of this study method has transformed how word games are played.<br />
<br />
== Cardboxing in Zyzzyva ==<br />
<br />
Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva application came along in the mid-2000s at a time of increased public interest in the game of Scrabble spurred by the publication of a number of books and DVDs and some unprecedented exposure on cable television. He constructed it in a way that suited both casual and intense users, making it an almost universal presence at clubs and tournaments. His legacy continues today in the form of [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] and [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]].<br />
<br />
One feature of Zyzzyva that favored the dedicated game player was its implementation of the Leitner Cardbox System, by which the user could build up a hoard of anagram questions for long-term study by doing anagram or pattern searches and then committing them to the cardbox. Users’ pain tolerance varied, but it became common for Zyzzyva users to amass a cardbox stuffed with many thousands of virtual flashcards, usually the ones deemed most probable to appear in gameplay, and particularly the ones of seven or eight letters that could earn the prized 50-point “bingo” bonus that often decides a game.<br />
<br />
One of the genius things about cardboxing in Zyzzyva is that you get to decide what’s a “passing grade” for remembering the answers to an anagram question. If you’re happy enough that you remembered eight of the nine answers to '''AEINRST''', mark it correct and move on. If you’re a bit obsessive and can’t live with not remembering '''ANESTRI''' (again?!), mark it incorrect and know that you’ll get it when it comes back tomorrow.<br />
<br />
In Zyzzyva, the word “cardbox” has two meanings: Your virtual cardbox contains 16 compartments, numbered 0 to 15. Words you add to the (aggregate) cardbox normally start out in (individual) Cardbox 0 and step up from there as you answer them correctly; an incorrect answer demotes a question back to Cardbox 0. Of course, you can pluck questions out and move them around as necessary.<br />
<br />
Each question in the system has both a compartment (how “deep” in the cardbox it’s gone since you last failed to answer it correctly) and a next-review date that’s assigned when it arrives at that location. The deeper it goes, the farther out the date is set. What’s “due” on a given day, therefore, is not just the questions you recently missed, but rather a mixture of those with some less vexing ones that have come up for review after a longer wait.<br />
<br />
== Scheduling and Sizing ==<br />
<br />
One error some users make is to put too many words in the system. Zyzzyva’s scheduling settings are easily adjusted, but, by default, the questions you can answer with your eyes closed (residents of Cardbox 10 and up) are still going to reappear every 480 days or so, and it’d be tempting Fate to put them off much longer than that. This means that a perfectly familiar set of 48000 questions is still going to hit you with a daily average of 100 questions due.<br />
<br />
There are a few ways to deal with this problem:<br />
* '''Keep the count down.''' Don’t put too many words in the cardbox to begin with, especially ones you’re unlikely ever to see. Once you figure out how to do it, you can do a search for improbable or fully mastered words and remove them from the cardbox to make room for more worthy ones.<br />
* '''Subdivide the cardbox.''' NASPA Zyzzyva supports only one cardbox database per lexicon, but you can run quizzes that impose a search condition on the questions that are currently due for review. Try isolating the ones that have specific characteristics from the ones that don’t, and concentrate on one manageable subgroup for a while.<br />
* '''Up the quiz speed.''' Use a tool like NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile that is optimized for quick cardbox quizzing. Synchronize your cardbox between multiple devices so that your progress is shared between them; 50 with coffee in the morning and 50 in the bus on the way home isn’t a lot when you have a well optimized study tool.<br />
* '''Surrender.''' Life is not always a box of cards. Sometimes you won’t be able to keep up the usual pace, and it can be discouraging to see that your inattention has left you a thousand questions to answer to reach the goal of zero due. Use the available menu commands to shift the whole cardbox back, either by a number of days or so that a specific number of questions remain due.<br />
<br />
== Your Deepest Cardbox Questions, Answered ==<br />
<br />
Cardboxing isn’t everyone’s pleasure, so it doesn’t make sense to lard the NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ with too much detail about it. Please read our next article, [[Cardboxing 201]], for answers to your deepest questions about cardboxing in NASPA Zyzzyva and NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile_%E2%80%94_The_Last_Word_in_Word_Study,_now_on_mobile!&diff=16871NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!2021-10-25T18:35:53Z<p>AA000143: new page (linked from NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile page)</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
The new '''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' app is an updated version of Michael Thelen’s pre–iOS 7 Zyzzyva app for today’s iOS and Android handheld devices, both smartphones and tablets. A lot of kind people crowdfunded that app and were disappointed when it went “out of print” in 2014, so NASPA is pleased to be able to bring it back and thank them for their support.<br />
<br />
While the user interface is almost the same as the old iOS app’s, under the hood it’s completely new code, fitted onto a common NASPA Zyzzyva multi-platform code-base. This means that the mobile app and desktop app will be updated in sync from now on, and later desktop releases will benefit from improvements introduced in this mobile release.<br />
<br />
== What You’ll Need ==<br />
<br />
[[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] (NZM) is a scaled-down version of the familiar [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] (NZ) desktop application, and it’s optimized for small screens so that you can study on the go. (It also works on larger tablet devices, though the print can seem a bit small!)<br />
<br />
* '''iOS'''. You’ll need an iPhone or iPad device running iOS 11.0 or later. If your device was released in 2013 or later, it should be able to run that OS; that includes the iPhone 5S or later, iPad (2017) or later, iPad Mini 2 or later, and all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, along with the last (sixth-generation) iPod Touch. These are all devices with a 64-bit A- or M-series processor.<br />
* '''Android'''. You’ll need a phone or tablet running Android 4.1 (“Jelly Bean”) or later with a 64-bit processor or a 32-bit ARMv7 or later processor. That includes almost any device that you’d still find usable.<br />
<br />
<br />
The app itself occupies 100 MB or less of space, but, like the desktop version, it manages databases that can consume significant amounts of space, especially if you turn on the option to create lexicon databases or synchronize its data with another desktop or mobile installation that maintains lexicon databases.<br />
<br />
== What It Can Do ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile has three main functions, '''Quiz''', '''Search''', and '''Judge'''. There are lots of “word tools” for iOS and Android (some also licensed by NASPA) that can do one or more of those things with specific focus, and some of them include a timer, which NZM does not. Its primary audience is people who are committed to word study and are familiar with the NASPA Zyzzyva desktop application; the main advantage of NZM for you as a NZ user is that you can trust it to work just like NZ and share data with it through cloud data synchronization as you move back and forth between devices.<br />
<br />
* '''Quiz'''. Quiz yourself on anagrams in flashcard style, moving from question to question with one click. Quiz yourself on the ones you missed. Build a cardbox full of study words, automatically scheduled to appear based on your past ability to solve them. Synchronize your saved quizzes, quiz statistics, and cardbox data with your other mobile and desktop devices, so you can study words whenever you like and wherever you are.<br />
* '''Search'''. Quickly find all words that match an anagram or pattern, or find all words you can build from a set of letters. Compare search results between one lexicon and another.<br />
* '''Judge'''. Get an adjudication (valid or not valid) for any combination of words according to a lexicon. The result is exactly what you’d see if you’d done it at a club or tournament using a NZ word-judge station.<br />
<br />
<br />
NZM is especially well suited for cardbox study. For more information on the Leitner Cardbox System and how cardboxing can boost your gameplay abilities, please read our [[Cardboxing 101]] article. (By the way, in case you were wondering, '''CARDBOX''' is not a valid word in any lexicon!)<br />
<br />
== Where to Get It ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is produced by NASPA for the benefit of its members and all who are interested in competitive game play. It is offered free of charge on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. <br />
<br />
For now, it’s a near-exact replica of the pre-2014 app and looks more functional than whizzy, but the NASPA [[Zyzzyva Committee]] welcomes your suggestions for improvement, and we especially want to know what features of the NZ desktop application are worth adding to NZM’s streamlined interface, given that the underlying engine is common between the two and those capabilities are “just hiding” beneath the surface.</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16870NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-10-25T17:35:23Z<p>AA000143: fix some link strings</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS and Android operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and [[CSW2019]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. In the meantime, please read the articles linked below. Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NZ on desktops and NZM on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=NASPA_Zyzzyva_Mobile&diff=16869NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile2021-10-25T17:32:37Z<p>AA000143: new landing page for NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile, linked to Zyzzyva page</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile''' is a new word study and word adjudication [[software|app]] for handheld devices (smartphones and tablets) running iOS or Android. It is based on the same code base as [[NASPA Zyzzyva|Zyzzyva]] for desktop and laptop computers, but with a smaller, streamlined interface. That interface is closely patterned on Michael Thelen’s Zyzzyva app for iOS, introduced in 2011 and acquired by NASPA in 2014.<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile is an app for mobile devices, currently available for the iOS and Android operating systems. It is optimized for small screens, but can also be used on tablets.<br />
<br />
The app interoperates with, and is functionally equivalent to, the [[NASPA Zyzzyva|Zyzzyva]] program for computers. This allows users to study words at home and on the go.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]], author of the original Zyzzyva,<br />
launched a crowdfunding campaign around 2010<br />
to develop a miniature version for iPhones, which were then taking off in popularity.<br />
With the support of about 100 subscribers, he brought his app to the iTunes Store in 2011.<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and while the desktop version carried on, mobile app development stopped, due to a lack of volunteer developers with relevant skills and the difficulty of working under the licensing restrictions imposed by the owners of the lexicons.<br />
<br />
In 2019, after NASPA began to publish lexicons under its own copyright, NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] began work to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel, and the resulting NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile app was released in late 2021.<br />
<br />
We chose to stick with the “look and feel” of the old iOS app as a starting point, partly to acknowledge the financial support that made that work possible. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile 3.3.0]]<br />
: includes [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and [[CSW2019]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
We will be compiling a list of answers to frequently asked questions as we collect feedback from users of this new app. In the meantime, please read the articles linked below. Dedicated students should enjoy our new [[Cardboxing 101]] and [[Cardboxing 201]] articles, to get an idea of how you can power up your word study using NZ on desktops and NZM on mobile devices.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile — The Last Word in Word Study, now on mobile!]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Zyzzyva&diff=16868Zyzzyva2021-10-25T16:56:46Z<p>AA000143: reworked to refer to new NZM page; credit Zyzzyva Committee</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
'''NASPA Zyzzyva''' is a word study and word adjudication [[software|program]].<br />
<br />
== Supported Operating Systems ==<br />
<br />
NASPA Zyzzyva is an application for desktop and laptop computers, currently available for the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.<br />
<br />
Later in 2021, the new [[NASPA Zyzzyva Mobile]] app will be made available for iOS and Android devices. Please see that page for information about the mobile version.<br />
<br />
== Current Version ==<br />
<br />
Version 3.3.0 introduces the [[SOWPODS | CSW21]] lexicon. It continues to include the [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2019]], and Volost lexicons.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
<br />
[[Michael Thelen]] wrote the original version of what was then Zyzzyva,<br />
and maintained it for many years as it gained worldwide popularity.<br />
Zyzzyva<br />
has been used at software self-lookup stations at most<br />
North American [[SCRABBLE]] [[tournaments]], <br />
including BAT, Oregon TILE, the Dallas Open, <br />
the [[National SCRABBLE Championship]],<br />
[[National School SCRABBLE Championship]], the [[Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship]]<br />
and the [[World SCRABBLE Championship]].<br />
<br />
In September 2014, NASPA bought all rights to Zyzzyva, <br />
and we have worked since then<br />
with our SCRABBLE partners to ensure<br />
access to all the official word lists for our members.<br />
<br />
NASPA’s [[Zyzzyva Committee]] has continued development of the desktop edition of<br />
what became NASPA Zyzzyva. Their most recent work has been to factor off a common code base for all NASPA Zyzzyva platforms, desktop and mobile, so that they can be maintained in parallel. The Committee welcomes suggestions about improvements to the software.<br />
<br />
== Version History ==<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.3.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[SOWPODS |CSW21]], and[[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2020]], [[NSWL2020]], [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2015]] and [[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.1]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]], [[CSW2015]] and [[CSW2019]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.2.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[NWL2018]], [[SSWL2018 | NSWL2018]] and [[CSW2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.1.0]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2016]], [[SSWL2016]] and [[CSW2015]] as well as older versions [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.4]]<br />
: the official source for [[OTCWL2014]] and [[SSWL2015]]<br />
; [[NASPA Zyzzyva 3.0.3]]<br />
: a time-limited test release that expired in May 2015<br />
; Zyzzyva 0.9.4<br />
: released 2006-01-14, first version to include [[OTCWL2]]<br />
<br />
== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==<br />
The [[NASPA Zyzzyva FAQ]], as with everything Zyzzyva-related, was originally written by Michael Thelen and then transferred to NASPA in 2014. It is now fully up to date with information about NASPA Zyzzyva.<br />
<br />
NASPA will be updating this page as time permits; we welcome specific questions or suggestions at [mailto:zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org zyzzyva@scrabbleplayers.org].<br />
<br />
== Links ==<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva: The Last Word in Word Study]]<br />
* [[NASPA Zyzzyva Download]]</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Test&diff=16866Test2021-10-25T16:44:31Z<p>AA000143: Test edit</p>
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<div>[[Image:Ph-nsc2013-rd4-room.jpg|500px]]<br />
<script type="text/javascript"><br />
document.getElementById('content').className += ' wide';<br />
</script><br />
<br />
<a href="/w/John_Chew">foo</a><br />
<br />
test edit</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=Test&diff=16865Test2021-10-24T20:31:23Z<p>AA000143: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Ph-nsc2013-rd4-room.jpg|500px]]<br />
<script type="text/javascript"><br />
document.getElementById('content').className += ' wide';<br />
</script><br />
<br />
<a href="/w/John_Chew">foo</a><br />
<br />
Edited as Ross Brown</div>AA000143https://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=User:AA000143&diff=16857User:AA0001432021-10-22T16:50:44Z<p>AA000143: Redirected page to Ross Brown</p>
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<div>#REDIRECT:[[Ross Brown]]</div>AA000143