Instigator / Pro
25
1518
rating
15
debates
40.0%
won
Topic
#3430

Wordle is better than the New York Times Crossword

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
6
18
Better sources
10
12
Better legibility
5
6
Better conduct
4
4

After 6 votes and with 15 points ahead, the winner is...

oromagi
Tags
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
Two weeks
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
Two weeks
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
40
1922
rating
117
debates
97.44%
won
Description

--DEFINITIONS--

Wordle: a web-based word game created and developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle, and owned and published by The New York Times Company since 2022. (Wikipedia)
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Crossword: The New York Times crossword puzzle is a daily crossword puzzle published in The New York Times, online on the newspaper's website, syndicated to more than 300 other newspapers and journals, and on mobile apps. (Wikipedia)
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New York Times: The New York Times is an American daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership. (Wikipedia)
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Better: more desirable, satisfactory, or effective.
==Rules==

1. No trolling
2. No toxicity
3. No arguments in the comments
4. All definitions are to be accepted
5. No forfeiting
6. No Kritiks
7. No ad hominem
8. Breaking rules 1-7 should result in a conduct point deducted

Other than that, pretty simple to understand.

Round 1
Pro
#1
Thank you oromagi,

BOP is equal

DEFINITIONS:

Wordle: a web-based word game created and developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle, and owned and published by The New York Times Company since 2022. (Wikipedia)
------------------
Crossword: The New York Times crossword puzzle is a daily crossword puzzle published in The New York Times, online on the newspaper's website, syndicated to more than 300 other newspapers and journals, and on mobile apps. (Wikipedia)
------------------
New York Times: The New York Times is an American daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership. (Wikipedia)
------------------
Better: more desirable, satisfactory, or effective.


                                                                                                                                       Game Layout:

Wordle

Accessible via the official website, the Wordle game is very simple and intuitive. Given six attempts, solvers attempt to input words. After they have entered it, the game shows back either green, yellow or grey tiles. 
Green = In that spot
Yellow = In the word, but wrong spot
Grey = Not in the word

The New York Times Crossword:

Accessible via the website or in it's daily newspaper, the New York Times crossword is a acclaimed word puzzle known for its difficulty and charm. There is a set of clues, Across and Down. The solver must solve the clues and fill in the grid of spaces. 

  Arguments:

  • Wordle is much simpler and intuitive
Wordle is a very simple game, enter words and get the answer. Simple. Because of it's simplicity, people all over the world solve it every day. According to screenrant.com:
Similar brain-stimulating games are popular among all ages, but Wordle has outclasses many, a popularity is due, in part, to its easy gameplay, appeal to a wide audience, and the ease of sharing and comparing scores on social media.
I will get on the other points later, but it's easy gameplay and fun layout is the reason 300,000 people play it daily.

Now, compare this simple game to the Crossword. I admit it has it's qualities, but I believe that the crossword is a much more difficult puzzle, and so, much more likely for people to quit midway.

As an example of the difficulty crosswords can reach, here's a clue:

Apply some simple mentoring (9)
Look! There is no clear objective on where to look! I can guarantee you, unless they're trained veterans in crosswords, people would not know that ALL you have to do is:

Simple Mentoring
SImple mentoring
Implement
Answer = Implement

The difficulty of the crossword is a reason why the rate of growth for it is so much slower. So, Wordle is the better puzzle here.

  • Free and Easy to Find
Wordle is a free platform that only requires an internet connection and a device. However, the crossword, which is a fairly old puzzle, requires a subscription to play. Although this may not deter veterans and professional solvers, the newcomer will be hesitant to pay for something they may not enjoy.

  • Popularity
The NY Times has stated:

“This quarter, our Crossword product passed the 500,000 total subscription mark, which makes it, in its own right, the 5th largest digital subscription product from a U.S. news provider." [Source]
Note that this figure is after almost a DECADE of reconfiguration and refinement. 

Now, let's look at Wordle:

Created by Brooklyn software engineer Josh Wardle, the puzzle first launched in October 2021. Only 90 people were playing it as of November 1st, 2021. But in two months, Wordle had grown to 300,000 users. Today, it has millions of players.
Millions. MILLIONS. And in less than a year?! From this it is clear to see Wordle is much more widespread and popular than the Crossword has ever been. 

  • It appeals to a more upbeat and savvy generation
No hate to millennials of course, there are plenty of people who play this game older than 22. However, due to Wordle's new and fun style of gameplay, with fun little animations and comments to keep on playing, this game is clearly designed for a younger generation of puzzle solvers. 

I read a book recently by John Halpern, a crossword setter for The Guardian, and he said something close to this:

People who solve the crossword are typically people on their commute, in the car, in the train, just to fill in that empty time. 
I will provide photos if doubted, but due to the amount of people who are shifting from boring office time jobs to new start-uppy entrepreneurial jobs means that that commute will most likely be spent on social media or on your phone, rather than working on a dire old puzzle you'll never finish anyways.

CON, the floor is yours
-CN

PS: I don't expect to win this debate, so don't have your expectations too high.
Con
#2
Thank you ComputerNerd, for a puzzle debate

WORDLE is BETTER than the NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

DEFINITIONS:

All DEFINITIONS are accepted per rule #4.

Let's note that our standard of proof BETTER includes many unfalsifiable conditions which we'll be required to disregard.  BETTER is defined as "more desirable, satisfactory, or effective" but individual desire or personal satisfaction are impossible to measure in relation to the satisfaction and desire of others and therefore not falsifiable.  'Effective' is often a measurable standard depending on the objective so we should endeavor to define those objectives when claiming superior effectiveness.

NOTE:  The "New York Times Crossword Puzzle" shall be abbreviated to NYTCP

BURDEN of PROOF:

Wikipedia advises:

"When two parties are in a discussion and one makes a claim that the other disputes, the one who makes the claim typically has a burden of proof to justify or substantiate that claim especially when it challenges a perceived status quo. This is also stated in Hitchens's razor, which declares that "what may be asserted without evidence, may be dismissed without evidence."

As the instigator of this debate, PRO bears the entire burden of proof in this debate.  PRO must present evidence establishing that Wordle is not merely more desirable or satisfactory than NYTCP on an individual basis but provably more effective, useful, or valuable to subscribers.  If CON can show that NYTCP is objectively more useful, valuable, effective and therefore, BETTER, in some respects, then CON disproves PRO's argument and wins this debate.

Let's agree that Wordle and NYTCP are both word games and any of the qualities worth comparing to determine which is BETTER should be benefits to be discovered in common with most word games.   For example,

CON1: Improved Vocabulary

  • Word games test the extent of one's vocabulary, the range of words in a language available to a speaker's ready use.  Word games often also increase the extent of one's vocabulary by referencing uncommon words and their meanings, as well as improving the correct spelling of that vocabulary.
      • Initially, the game used all 13,000 possible five letter words in the English language, but [Josh Wardle] found that his partner Palak Shah had difficulty recognizing some of the less common words and made the guessing as haphazard as it was in Mastermind. He then used Shah as a simple filter to trim down the word list to around 2,000 words that were more recognizable - roughly five years of puzzles on a daily basis.  After finishing the prototype around 2014, Wardle had lost interest and set the prototype aside.
      • That is, Wordle has been substantially dumbed down in terms of vocabulary.
      • By comparison, one NYTCP solving app pulls from a list of 660,101 words that excludes proper nouns, phrases, abbreviations, foreign words, wordplay, etc. 
        • As a test of one's vocabulary or a means of improving vocabulary, the NYTCP pulls from a vocabulary that is at least 330 times the size of Wordle's.
CON2: Improved Concentration

  • When sifting through our minds in hopes of finding a word that can be made with the given letters,  we are actively concentrating on the task at hand.
      • "As such, word games can serve as a training ground to practice one’s concentration skills. The more they play, the more players are able to ignore external distractions and control any sense of restlessness."
      • Since Wordle takes an average of 3 word guesses (assuming pre-selected starter word) over 15 minutes and only the very best crossword puzzle experts can solve a Sunday NYTCP in 15 mins with 140 guesses, we can presume that the NYTCP requires more concentration for a longer period of time, resulting in a substantially improved training opportunity.
CON3:   Improved Cognition and Memory

  • As with the first two benefits, the NYTCP tests and strengthens memory capacity to a far more substantial degree than Wordle.
    • For Wordle, you only have to recall from a list of 2000 five letter words while NYTCP pulls from a much larger set of possible answers, while also testing your memory on a host of subjects like geography, history, math, etc.  The NYTCP also exercises your cumulative memory of prior puzzles because many short answers have a limited number of good clues that get repeated often.
  • The heightened scale and training time associated with NYTCP gives a similar advantage in cognition, as well as NYTCP's higher lever of difficulty.
    • We have all heard the saying that your brain is just like any other muscle. The more you use it, the healthier it will be. A healthier brain helps you become better at carrying out various functions. For example, you can process information faster and remember things more easily. These functions are all part of your cognitive ability.  Your cognitive ability essentially measures your brain’s ability to think abstractly, reason, learn and solve problems.  Word games can help improve your cognitive ability, as they are exercising your brain.
      • Just as training with heavier weights for longer intervals improves physical strength sooner, training with more complex puzzles for more time improves mental strength.
CON4:  Superior Bragging Rights

  • Wordle is to NYTCP as Wheel of Fortune is to Jeopardy: 
    • Wheel of Fortune may earn the better ratings but Wheel of Fortune winners don't get National reputations.  Wheel of Fortune winners don't get invited to the White House.
CNTRPRO1:  Wordle is much simpler and intuitive

  • Yes, Wordle is simple and intuitive but why is that better?
    • A simple program can be written that can solve half of 2000 potential answers in 3 guesses and 95% of all answers in the requisite 6 guesses.
      • A NYTCP program can only remember and re-use answers from prior puzzles.  New clues easily stump any programs.
    • Is a game necessarily better just because it is easy to win?
      • A 10m dash is much easier to completer than a 100m dash but would anybody say that a 10m dash is therefore an objectively BETTER sport?
        • Find-a-word is easier than sudoku, is find-a-word therefore BETTER?
Now, compare this simple game to the Crossword. I admit it has it's qualities, but I believe that the crossword is a much more difficult puzzle, and so, much more likely for people to quit midway.
  • NYTCP editor WIll Shortz estimates that fewer than half of people who attempt any given NYTCP succeed. 
    • Doesn't that make success at NYTCP a higher honor (and therefore BETTER)?
    • Doesn't your argument suggest that more people are really testing their brains attempting NYTCP than Wordle?
the rate of growth for it is so much slower.
  • Redwoods grow slower than weeds.  Are weeds therefore BETTER?
CNTRPRO2: Free and Easy to Find

Wordle is a free....[NYTCP] requires a subscription to play.
  • I like free stuff but I very seldom like free stuff because it is objectively BETTER than the stuff you pay for.  Free is an undeniable advantageous quality in a thing but that very state of pro gratis usually argues against BETTER, right?   
    • Is eating for free always BETTER than eating you pay for? 
    • Are the places where you can sleep for free always BETTER than a place you pay to sleep?
    • Often, when a commodity is offered for free, that's a warning flag.  Cui Bono?

CNTRPRO3: Popularity

From this it is clear to see Wordle is much more widespread and popular than the Crossword
  • But popular in not necessarily BETTER:
    • According to Wardle, the sudden attention he and his partner had gotten over the previous few months had made them uncomfortable, and also did not feel like spending the effort to fight against clones of Wordle that were appearing. Wardle said that "It felt really complicated to me, really unpleasant", and that being able to sell the rights to Wordle made it easy "to walk away from all of that."
    • Popular was not BETTER for Wardle or OG fans:
        • The Times stated the game would initially remain free to new and existing users
          •  Fans expressed worries that the acquisition meant the game would eventually be put behind a paywall.

CNTRPRO4: It appeals to a more upbeat and savvy generation

this game is clearly designed for a younger generation of puzzle solvers. 
  • Please show evidence proving that Gen Z is more "upbeat and savvy"
  • We've established that Wordle is a significantly dumbed down revision from older generations of games- Wheel of Fortune, Mastermind.
    • That's not good.  We want each generation to enjoy smarter, more complex games than prior generations- as proof of improving cognition, memory, concentration rather than preferring a game where most of the competition is between people who can guess it 3 vs people who can guess it 4.  The challenges of succeeding on Earth are increasing we need a younger generation that's savvy enough to resolve more complex problems than their parents could, not making it so easy everyone wins and then  merely claiming upbeat, savvy, BETTER.  We need a Gen Z that likes the harder puzzles and calls that BETTER>
I look forward to PRO's R2!

SOURCES:


Round 2
Pro
#3
Thx Oromagi,

Notes
  • The New York Times Crossword will be abbreviated to NYTCP (as per CON)
  • PRO accepts full BOP
Rebuttals:

CON: 1

Word games test the extent of one's vocabulary, the range of words in a language available to a speaker's ready use.  Word games often also increase the extent of one's vocabulary by referencing uncommon words and their meanings, as well as improving the correct spelling of that vocabulary.

By comparison, one NYTCP solving app pulls from a list of 660,101 words that excludes proper nouns, phrases, abbreviations, foreign words, wordplay, etc.
Crossword Setters are notorious for disguising their words in complicated, difficult and hidden definitions. As I stated in R1:
Look! There is no clear objective on where to look! I can guarantee you, unless they're trained veterans in crosswords, people would not know that ALL you have to do is:

Simple Mentoring
SImple mentoring
Implement
Answer = Implement
The phrase Simple Mentoring could be associated with "assistance" or "teaching". The fact that the NYTCP has such difficult clues means that new players will easily become confused with definitions and not learn much at all.

As for "General" crosswords, I doubt that many of those words would actually be useful. While CON says:

  • Initially, the game used all 13,000 possible five letter words in the English language, but [Josh Wardle] found that his partner Palak Shah had difficulty recognizing some of the less common words and made the guessing as haphazard as it was in Mastermind. He then used Shah as a simple filter to trim down the word list to around 2,000 words that were more recognizable - roughly five years of puzzles on a daily basis.  After finishing the prototype around 2014, Wardle had lost interest and set the prototype aside.

However, the reason Wordle removed the majority of it's words was due to it's obscurity. As any self-respecting debater must know, using obscure words in speeches/talks is not a good way to achieve a social status, which is due to it's removal of those words. 

If I may quote the description:
better = more desirable, satisfactory, or effective.
CON has raised a point on this:
BETTER is defined as "more desirable, satisfactory, or effective" but individual desire or personal satisfaction are impossible to measure in relation to the satisfaction and desire of others and therefore not falsifiable.  'Effective' is often a measurable standard depending on the objective so we should endeavor to define those objectives when claiming superior effectiveness.
However, I believe that the term "better" should not ignore the factor of satisfaction and desire. A good way of measuring how desirable your product is, is measuring how many people want to use your product. So, not only effectiveness should be measured, but desire and satisfaction too.

CON:2
Since Wordle takes an average of 3 word guesses (assuming pre-selected starter word) over 15 minutes and only the very best crossword puzzle experts can solve a Sunday NYTCP in 15 mins with 140 guesses, we can presume that the NYTCP requires more concentration for a longer period of time, resulting in a substantially improved training opportunity.
CON admits that only "the very best crossword puzzle experts" can solve it in 15min, which is time some people just don't have! Wordle is much faster, and so requires less time allowing the player to finish, share and leave in a matter of minutes.

CON:3
  • As with the first two benefits, the NYTCP tests and strengthens memory capacity to a far more substantial degree than Wordle.
    • For Wordle, you only have to recall from a list of 2000 five letter words while NYTCP pulls from a much larger set of possible answers, while also testing your memory on a host of subjects like geography, history, math, etc.  The NYTCP also exercises your cumulative memory of prior puzzles because many short answers have a limited number of good clues that get repeated often.
I will drop the point, as it is hard to argue that it is not true. However, I would like to point out that this difficulty leads to a much less desirable puzzle, at least for the common people. 

CON:4
Wordle is to NYTCP as Wheel of Fortune is to Jeopardy: 
    • Wheel of Fortune may earn the better ratings but Wheel of Fortune winners don't get National reputations.  Wheel of Fortune winners don't get invited to the White House.
Jeopardy has reached 9.2 million views for the 2021-2022 season. So, approximately 9.2 million people are satisfied with the Jeopardy Series.
Wheel of Fortune reaches 8 million views NIGHTLY, meaning approximately 8 million people are satisfied every DAY

The desire and satisfaction of a game should be rooted in it's daily returners, meaning that people are happier with Wheel of Fortune than Jeopardy, making it better.

CON's own words relate the relationship between Wordle and NYTCP to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, so this relationship works in favor of me.
CON:5
  • Yes, Wordle is simple and intuitive but why is that better?
    • simple program can be written that can solve half of 2000 potential answers in 3 guesses and 95% of all answers in the requisite 6 guesses.
      • NYTCP program can only remember and re-use answers from prior puzzles.  New clues easily stump any programs.
The reason being simple and intuitive is a quality worth considering is because people like to have something simple and down to Earth. The NYTCP is a colossal puzzle that will take up hours of your time at best, so it's a good change of pace to have such a simple game, hence the popularity. 

CON:6
Doesn't that make success at NYTCP a higher honor (and therefore BETTER)?
  • Doesn't your argument suggest that more people are really testing their brains attempting NYTCP than Wordle?
The satisfaction and appeal of a few thousand, or the satisfaction and appeal of millions.

AGAIN, I have shown that better is not just the effectiveness.

CON:7
  • I like free stuff but I very seldom like free stuff because it is objectively BETTER than the stuff you pay for.  Free is an undeniable advantageous quality in a thing but that very state of pro gratis usually argues against BETTER, right?   
    • Is eating for free always BETTER than eating you pay for? 
    • Are the places where you can sleep for free always BETTER than a place you pay to sleep?
    • Often, when a commodity is offered for free, that's a warning flag.  Cui Bono?
This debate is whether Wordle matches up to the NYTCP, so it being free gives me an advantage in that area. 

CON uses objective examples of free stuff being worse than paid stuff. However, if my arguments are correct, this notion is irrelevant to the debate.

CON:8
But popular in not necessarily BETTER:
    • According to Wardle, the sudden attention he and his partner had gotten over the previous few months had made them uncomfortable, and also did not feel like spending the effort to fight against clones of Wordle that were appearing. Wardle said that "It felt really complicated to me, really unpleasant", and that being able to sell the rights to Wordle made it easy "to walk away from all of that."
    • Popular was not BETTER for Wardle or OG fans:
        • The Times stated the game would initially remain free to new and existing users
          •  Fans expressed worries that the acquisition meant the game would eventually be put behind a paywall.
But.... it wasn't, put behind a pay wall?

And also the quote from Wardle is from one person, in comparison to millions.

CON:9
That's not good.  We want each generation to enjoy smarter, more complex games than prior generations- as proof of improving cognition, memory, concentration rather than preferring a game where most of the competition is between people who can guess it 3 vs people who can guess it 4.  The challenges of succeeding on Earth are increasing we need a younger generation that's savvy enough to resolve more complex problems than their parents could, not making it so easy everyone wins and then  merely claiming upbeat, savvy, BETTER.  We need a Gen Z that likes the harder puzzles and calls that BETTER>
While I agree the next generation needs to be smarter, the Crossword is not necessarily the best form of doing that. The next generation should spend their time doing something they enjoy whether it be 3D-Based Puzzles or the new found world of adventure and wit that is RPG-Games.

Gen Z needs a different type of intelligence, a mix between old-school and new technology. We need Gen Z to be more social, and outgoing, more lively and looking towards the future. And as I hope I have shown, a crossword, is not the way to go.

oro, the floor is yours.
Con
#4
Thank You, ComputerNerd-

  • PRO accepts full BOP
    • agreed
CON1:  Improved Vocabulary

Look! There is no clear objective on where to look!
  • That's right, you have to try many different possible contexts until you discover one that works.  
    • The answer is written out in order within the clue
    • The adjective "simple" is a hint to not overthink it
    • The solver would be aided by knowing the number of letters in the word
    • The solver would be increasingly aided as cross clues are solved, filling in more and more letters
      • In fact, some might solve the clue by cross clues alone, never realizing the answer was right before them
unless they're trained veterans in crosswords
  • NYTCP builds in training by increasing difficulty from Monday to Saturday
      • Start With the Monday Puzzles
        • The Monday New York Times Crosswords are the easiest, and the puzzles get harder as the week goes on. Solve as many of the Mondays as you can before pushing yourself to Tuesday puzzles. You can thank us later.
        • A typical Monday clue will be very straightforward and drive you almost directly to the answer. Don’t believe us?....let’s take a look at the difference between a Monday clue and a late-week clue for a popular crossword entry. 
          • The Monday Clue: “Nabisco cookie,” “Cookie with creme filling” or “‘Twist, Lick, Dunk’ cookie”
          • The Saturday Clue: “Snack since 1912,” “It has 12 flowers on each side” or “Sandwich often given a twist”
        • The answer to all of these clues is the same: “OREO.”  There is a big difference between a Monday puzzle clue and a Saturday puzzle one.
        • If you’re just getting started, make your life easy and solve as many Monday puzzles as you can. Eventually, you’ll be ready for more of a challenge, and that’s when you move on to the Tuesday puzzles.
  • One becomes a trained veteran by starting easy and increasing difficulty as skill improves.
    • Chess is so complicated that a first time player almost never wins.  Would you advise someone interested in chess to give up after losing a game and try Hungry Hippos or would you advise that practice and persistence will eventually pay off in improved chess skills?
    • Nobody plays a video game like Mario Bros. or Zelda without getting stuck and stumped and dead a bunch of times.  Would a video game that let's you kill the final boss with 15 minutes of effort necessarily be a preferable game or is  the practice and persistence  necessary to overcome a series of obstacles part of the fun of those games?
However, the reason Wordle removed the majority of it's words was due to it's obscurity.
  • Precisely my point.  One doesn't expand one's vocabulary by sticking to commonplace and familiar words.
As any self-respecting debater must know, using obscure words in speeches/talks is not a good way to achieve a social status, which is due to it's removal of those words. 
  • Since a self-respecting debater must be prepared to argue unpopular positions, I'd say social consideration is less important to the quality of argument then a precise and evocative vocabulary tailored to the audience's interests.
    • Once, I deliberately employed the obscurity of a couple words as arguments themselves. In the hard fought debate, "The negating philosophy of "IF"" I offered ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM and  FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION as example of words that often prove less useful than the word IF.
CON2:  Improved Concentration

Wordle is much faster, and so requires less time allowing the player to finish, share and leave in a matter of minutes.
  • CON's argument is that longer times of concentration practiced results in increased capacity for effective concentration.
    • CON concedes Wordle is shorter, but that's not an argument in favor of improved concentration.
    • A tweet is more convenient that a book but a book will improve your concentration more effectively.
    • Likewise, a longer more demanding word game like NYTCP is superior to Wordle.
CON3: Improved Cognition and Memory

I will drop the point, as it is hard to argue that it is not true. However, I would like to point out that this difficulty leads to a much less desirable puzzle, at least for the common people. 
  • Concession accepted.
CON4: Superior Bragging Rights

Jeopardy has reached 9.2 million views for the 2021-2022 season. So, approximately 9.2 million people are satisfied with the Jeopardy Series.  Wheel of Fortune reaches 8 million views NIGHTLY, meaning approximately 8 million people are satisfied every DAY.  CON's own words relate the relationship between Wordle and NYTCP to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, so this relationship works in favor of me.
  • Both statistics refer to estimated average daily viewership.
  • The fact that Jeopardy! has recently surpassed Wheel of Fortune in ratings does not refute superior bragging rights.
    • TV Guide lists Jeopardy! as the greatest game show because it " never insulted its audience's intelligence. "
CON5&6: Wordle is much simpler and intuitive

people like to have something simple and down to Earth.... it's a good change of pace to have such a simple game, hence the popularity. The satisfaction and appeal of a few thousand, or the satisfaction and appeal of millions.  "better" should not ignore the factor of satisfaction and desire. A good way of measuring how desirable your product is, is measuring how many people want to use your product.
  • Increased complexity in a word game provides superior exercise of vocabulary, concentration, memory, and cognition.  
    • A game so simple that most people solve it in three or four guesses provides little in the way of exercise.
      • Lifting 10lbs of weight is easier than lifting 50lbs and therefore more popular.  But lifting 50lbs will keep you stronger longer.
CON7:  Free and Easy to Find

CON uses objective examples of free stuff being worse than paid stuff. However, if my arguments are correct, this notion is irrelevant to the debate.
  • Let's recall the NY Times describes Wordle as "initially" free.  That is, Wordle is only temporarily free.
  • Let's assume that the NY Times is not offering Wordle free out of generosity of spirit.  More likely, Wordle is being used as a loss leader to hook and habituate a maximum number of players before shifting Wordle behind the $40/year NYT Games subscription service.
But.... it wasn't, put behind a pay wall?  And also the quote from Wardle is from one person, in comparison to millions.
  • CON can't predict the future any more than PRO but the assumption that Wordle will move behind a paywall in the near term is
    • consistent with NY Times subscription practices.
      • The NY TImes launched online free to all in 2007
      • In 2011, a paywall was introduced but non-subscribers could enjoy 20 free articles per month,
      • then 10 per month in 2012, 
      • then 5 per month in 2017
    • supported by the opinion of industry experts
      •  Shutting down Wordle-adjacent projects suggests to many that The New York Times hopes to capitalize on its acquisition, possibly to the extent of installing a paywall
CON8: Popularity

 A good way of measuring how desirable your product is, is measuring how many people want to use your product. So, not only effectiveness should be measured, but desire and satisfaction too.

  • NYTCP has been popular for 75 years.  Wordle has had a popular first year but since Wordle is so basic a solver can do no better than repeat the same 2000 solutions every 5 years, that game is not likely to match NYTCP popular appeal over time.
    • Wordle popularity peaked in late January and has been in steep decline since the NY Times buyout
    • Google trends documents a 35% decline in searches for "Wordle" since the NY Times buyout
  • Big Macs and Snickers bars are more popular then blueberries and spinach but that short term popularity does not mean that Big Macs and Snickers bars are therefore "better," especially in the longer term.  In the long term, empty calories are a less sustainable diet: a consistent diet of Big Macs and Snickers gets less desirable and less satisfying pretty quickly but blueberries and spinach can be more sustainably satisfying over time.
    • Practices that improve human health, like NYTCP, are more sustainable super simple pastimes like Wordle
CON9:  It appeals to a more upbeat and savvy generation

While I agree the next generation needs to be smarter, the Crossword is not necessarily the best form of doing that.
  • CON does not argue "best" exercise of vocabulary, concentration, memory, and cognition, just BETTER than Wordle because its challenging and requires some investment in time and effort.
Gen Z needs a different type of intelligence, a mix between old-school and new technology. We need Gen Z to be more social, and outgoing, more lively and looking towards the future. And as I hope I have shown, a crossword, is not the way to go.
  • Quite the opposite.  Wordle is a flash-in-the-pan super dumbed down re-hash of smarter games like Mastermind or Wheel of Fortune.  Nothing about Wordle is going to help GenZ prepare for future challenges but a more sophisticated, enduring word game like NYTCP offers the brain a work out and so can sharpen the reasoning and intellect of that upcoming generation.
  • CON drops "more upbeat and savvy" claims.
I look forward to PRO's R3!

SOURCES







Round 3
Pro
#5
PRO resigns this debate, due to a lack of counter-arguments combined with the full BOP laid on, making it impossible to fulfill my BOP without flaws.

+1 win for you ig

-CN
Con
#6
Thanks for your concession,  ComputerNerd.  

I consider that excellent conduct and appreciate the gesture.

Thanks again for an excellent topic, and

Thanks to all VOTERS for their kind consideration.

Please VOTE CON!