I don’t know about you, but I think a computer that causes this much confusion is very cool indeed.

Since I seem to get a lot of search requests for it, here’s my official Bejeweled Strategy Guide:

1. Always play on Level 2. It’s impossible to get a decent score on Level 1, and Level 3 is just too darn fast.
2. Getting a high score is less about making single matches and more about making combination moves. Always go for the combo-setup as opposed to the easy score.
3. Make vertical matches whenever possible. This allows for more pieces to fall and gives more opportunities for combo-scores. Matching a horizontal row means that the three rows fall together, and your chances of making another match are smaller.
4. Try working in only one area of the screen at a time, as opposed to jumping all over the place. I find I do better when I concentrate on a smaller area and get every possible match before moving on.
5. The time of day that you play can have a huge impact. If I play in the morning or after lunch when I’m “fresh”, my scores are much higher than when I play at the end of the day (with my brain fried from ten hours of work). Find the time that’s best for you.

I have to warn you though, my personal strategy seems to have a built-in score cap. While I have occasionally broken 10,000 points, 9 times out of 10 my score will hover in the 7000-9000 range. If that’s an improvement for you, go for it.

Hooray! Blogger gets some assistance, finally.

Ironminds points out some rather dodgy dealings at Plastic.com. I was a big fan of Plastic for exactly one month. I joined, I started posting, and I got hooked. Then they introduced their “Karma Contest.” I thought I might actually stand a chance at winning, what with all the posts I was already making. In fact, I was in the lead for a few days. Then I started getting e-mails from people asking me to trade moderator points with them (i.e. cheat). When I refused, my posts started getting mysteriously modded down. Eventually, I decided that I wasn’t getting out of the service what I put into it. Their discussions were less like back-and-forth conversations and more like a group of screaming, ass-kissing karma whores. The partners that edited the categories unfairly slanted the postings to their own site. And it all started to get way, way too commercial. I don’t need to deal with that. I hope they are doomed.