An ambitious plan by a daily newspaper in the UK to save thousands of pounds a year by switching to computer-generated crosswords has been abandoned after a revolt by readers and the crossword compilers. Under the proposals by the Daily Telegraph, a computer would have designed a grid, filled in each word and then searched a vast database to set appropriate clues. It worked perfectly. But the plan lacked just one crucial element – common sense. What the technocrats missed was something obvious to the thousands who scratch their heads daily over the crossword – a style. Each day of the week the crossword is compiled by an individual contributor. So each crossword bears the idiosyncrasies of its author, something that readers can spot instantly. A database, alas, lacks such subtleties. Roger Squires, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most prolific crossword compiler with 50,000 to his name, dismisses computer-generated efforts. It’s like combining the musical styles of Beethoven and Mozart in the same musical movement. I think each crossword solver knows a certain style for certain days of the week. You need the human element. After many cross words on the subject, the paper’s editor over-ruled the technocrats. They sulk, defeated behind their computer screens – waiting for someone who can build style into database search routines.
