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Here is a video of the crossword puzzle Tyler Hinman finished in 2 minutes 6 seconds. Because my goal in life is to impress these people http://www.TylerHinman.com Written by Tyler Hinman Thursday, 20 March 2008 So the current tally on my YouTube video is 377,737. That's a cool number. Anyway, after the jump, I wish to address the concerns the intelligent YouTube community has raised, ending with the most popular grievance. * The iPhone. First of all, some people have taken this opportunity to blast the iPhone because it failed to respond to my touch when I was done. Since the iPhone belonged to Chris and not me, I cannot comment. Others have accused me of looking at the answer grid on there, and at least one person accused me of cheating by using the Calculator feature. (Yes, really.) Well, no, I was using the stopwatch and nothing more. * Usefulness. I've read some comments decrying the uselessness of this hobby, saying that it won't save the world or get me a job. They're actually sort of wrong about that last bit; while it may not be enough by itself, it's a nice thing to make me stand out. As for the rest of it...well, yeah. People, I'm not trying to stop the war or end hunger here. I'm solving a bloody crossword. Take it for what it is. * Boring video. I suffer from no illusions about this. I know this can't compare to watching an androgynous blond scream about Britney. It's only two and a half minutes, and you can determine pretty early on whether or not you want to watch the whole thing. Maybe we'll do another one of these things and I'll come up with something more exciting for everyone. (I particularly enjoyed the suggestion that I be set on fire before I solve.) * My social/love life. Not surprisingly, many comments have spoken to my probable lack of friends, virginity, and residence in my parents' basement. Speaking to one part of this...sorry, but you're not getting the juicy stuff from me that easily. As to the rest of it, I don't even live in the same time zone as my parents, and the world of puzzling itself has brought me a large, diverse, and truly excellent group of friends, in addition to my other comrades. And they all can spell. * Memorization. I didn't do this, although I admit I can't prove it. The puzzle was the Monday, March 19, 2001 New York Times crossword. So I probably HAD seen it before, but not for nearly seven years. I'm up to nine crosswords every weekday, with that figure varying only slightly on weekends, and that doesn't even take books and magazines into account. The number of crosswords I've done since that day very easily reaches five digits. I wouldn't remember a puzzle I did one year ago, let alone seven years. * Writing gibberish/miscellaneous cheating. The real reason for this entry. People have accused me of scrawling in random letters, or speeding up the video somehow. Well, Chris actually kept the puzzle I solved on camera, and he has scanned it for the benefit of the community. Presenting my actual sheet (click to load it separately and zoom in:) Look, I certainly don't feel I have to defend myself. There are always going to be haters. And really, every accusation of cheating is a compliment. It's nice to be able to do something so fast that so many people claim it's impossible. I don't think I've allayed all doubt here, but I hope this has been enlightening.