DID WORDLE GET RUINED BY THE CHEATS & THE MEDIA?

As the number of Wordle Users grows to millions and the purchase of it by the New York Times for over US$1 million, so does the publishing of the game cheats. If you google “wordle game cheat”, the media including PC World, CNET and Gizmodo are all reporting. But is there an ethical consideration of publishing these game cheats and is it possible especially in the current era of the Gen-Z Woke Generation to take things too far.

Wordle is a Browser-based game developed by Software Engineer Josh Wardle and is in itself a great media story. As tech-savvy geeks quickly discovered, the entire game and its daily answers are embedded into downloadable Javascript and could be viewed. Other less sophisticated hacks included changing the clock on your computer or mobile device.

Then there is Gen-Zer, student, Medium blogger and alleged profiteer Owen Y. who published the entire Wordle Answers from 2021–2027 on Medium. Some Twitter users have asked for the removed of Owen’s blog.

So back to the original question, is Wordle ruined? PC World Senior Editor, Mark Hachman writes: “Of course not . . . If you want to play the game honestly, you can. If you don’t, you don’t . . . And let’s face it: All the developer would have to do is to randomize the solution every day to make this Wordle hack untenable.”

I am not sure I completely agree with Mark as I have enjoyed comparing scores every morning with my Family Members and FB Friends. But I would conclude it’s time for the Developer / NY Times to change the code to randomize the answers each day.