# The Top 99 Things All Cubers Should Know



## waffle=ijm (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm trying to compile the top 99 things that all cubers should know. As much as we advanced in terms of communication and discussion, we still get some pretty ignorant cubers within the community that are, well, lacking in knowledge. And so I come to you fellow cubers! What would you like every cuber (at least on this forum) to know?

It can be
-Specific Cubers
-Fun facts
-Notable Solves
-Notable Official Competitions
-Methods
-Algorithms
-Specific Hardware
-Advancements in modding 
- AND MORE!

It can't be
-anything about forum etiquette.
-memes

I will request that if your topic contains a wiki article, youtube video, another thread, to please post a link with your content. 

I'll update this post once I get some responses. And note that these 99 things don't really come in any particular order.


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## JyH (Sep 9, 2011)

-Don't listen to Jorghi
-There is no best cube
-There is no best method
-Algorithms are personal preference
-FAZ IS DA BEST


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## BC1997 (Sep 9, 2011)

Its the cuber not the cube.


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## HelpCube (Sep 9, 2011)

Lookahead is more important than turning fast.


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## Hershey (Sep 9, 2011)

Feliks Zemdegs might be fast, but there are many other great cubers too.


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## unirox13 (Sep 9, 2011)

- Go slow, Look ahead!

After browsing the forum for a few days it seemed almost cliché because I'd seen it so much. But the statement is a helpful one. After only 2 days of practicing slow controlled solving and serious look-ahead I had dropped 1 second from my times and they've continued dropping since. 

- Use the search function.

Chances are you aren't the first person to have an issue with the cube you're using, infact, 'tis likely someone may have had and already been helped to solve the exact same problem. Searching both google, and the forum using a couple of different phrases or techniques for saying what you're looking for will help reduce forum clutter and increase your sanity.


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## blackzabbathfan (Sep 9, 2011)

the key to getting faster is practice


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## EnterPseudonym (Sep 9, 2011)

Don't mod your cubes with a hacksaw.


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## Ezy Ryder (Sep 9, 2011)

Don't go SLOW! Go fast and look ahead.
Ps.: I often hear people say the opposite, but I actually get better times while going as fast as I can.


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## 5BLD (Sep 9, 2011)

Efficiency is good, and so are muffins.
Also, there are many more methods than just CFOP (for some of the newer speedcubers)


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## ben1996123 (Sep 9, 2011)

Ignore V-cubes when they decide that a cube infringes their patent.


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## Sa967St (Sep 9, 2011)

Algorithmic F2L is GOOD.


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## DavidWoner (Sep 9, 2011)

How to do freaking commutators. Seriously.

Thibaut Jacquinot had the first official sub-10 solve, with 9.86. Most people don't know this for some reason.

Anssi used to be super good at 3x3x3 2H, he beat Macky's 1.5 year old WR twice in one comp, eventually besting it by 1.3 seconds.

All the stuff that happened with Matyas that I am too lazy to type out.
Same for all the stuff with Haiyan and Sebastian PC.

3x3 no inspection and a few other things used to be official events. Someone who's been around since the early days might know better than me.

Chris Hardwick used to be number 1 at OH and 4x4x4 speed.

FRANK MORRIS

Brief history of 2x2 CLL- Thom Barlow held the UWR 2x2 average some years ago, using only layer+CMLLs that he knew from Roux. Łukasz Ciałoń was the first to get an unofficial sub3 2x2 avg12, also the first to do so on video. He was the first person to get really fast with CLL, people used to think he had to know hundreds of algs to solve as fast as he did. For a while, Łukasz and Edouard Chambon fought each other for the WR avg, both with CLL (Edouard used white layer only!) Later, Rowe learned CLL and went about destroying the current UWRs, eventually getting WR and greatly popularizing the method.

Moar later perhaps.


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## Kirjava (Sep 9, 2011)

22.95, 16.71, 16.53, 12.11


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## Kirjava (Sep 9, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> 3x3 no inspection and a few other things used to be official events. Someone who's been around since the early days might know better than me.


 
Click


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## cmhardw (Sep 9, 2011)

Definitely something to clear up the recurring confusion about parity when speedsolving a 4x4x4 or larger cube (really any puzzle with parity).

"Parity" is a poorly chosen term that we're stuck with to describe an odd permutation parity (often of the wing pieces on a 4x4x4 or larger cube).

Also, OLL parity in the reduction method (an odd permutation of the 24 individual wing pieces after the centers have been solved) is *not* caused by the centers. It occurs from one of two scenarios happening:

1) The scramble uses an odd number of inner layer quarter turns to scramble the cube (giving wings odd parity). Your solution to the centers uses an even number of inner layer quarter turns (leaving the wing parity odd).

2) The scramble uses an even number of inner layer quarter turns to scramble the cube (giving wings even parity). Your solution to the centers uses an odd number of inner layer quarter turns (changing the wing parity to odd).

Lastly:
PLL parity (having the permutation parity of the corners not match that of the 12 dedge groups) is not strictly a "parity" for the 4x4, 5x5, etc.. Having two dedge groups swapped is actually two double-swaps of the individual wings that make up those dedge groups (an even permutation).

PLL parity is only a "parity error" when you "view" the reduced cube as a 3x3x3. PLL parity occurs during the dedge reduction step. When pairing up the 24 wings into the 12 dedge groups, no care is taken to make sure that the 12 dedge permutation parity will match the corner parity. Exactly half the time the parity of the dedges will match that of the corners, and exactly half the time the parity of the dedges will not match that of the corners.


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## cubernya (Sep 9, 2011)

Technically OLL parity is PLL parity, you're just swapping 2 pieces


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## cmhardw (Sep 9, 2011)

theZcuber said:


> Technically OLL parity is PLL parity, you're just swapping 2 pieces


 
If you're referring to OLL parity technically being a "parity error" relating to the permutations of the 24 wings, then yes I agree  In this sense, yes "OLL Parity" would be more aptly described as a "permutation parity" than as an "orientation parity". Sadly we're stuck with the names we have, and I feel those misnomer names lead to the confusion about parity.


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## Godmil (Sep 9, 2011)

-What Sledgehammer and Sexy Move are.
That multicoloured cubes like the dayan 6 colour ones can't be used in competition.
How Ao5 and Ao12 are calculated.
Leaning a new method/technique will make you slower at first until you get used to it.
That petroleum based lubes will melt the cube plastic.


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## Sa967St (Sep 9, 2011)

Godmil said:


> What Sledgehammer and Sexy Move are.


...and Hedgeslammer, Hamsledger and Slamhedger.


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## cubernya (Sep 9, 2011)

And sexyhammer (the OLL alg)


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## Cubenovice (Sep 9, 2011)

Gaetan Guimond was the first one to solve BLD on TV
The Corners are the heart of the Cube
The runner-up and 4th place at the 1982 world championship are still competing


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## cmhardw (Sep 9, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> How to do freaking commutators. Seriously.



:tu 



DavidWoner said:


> Thibaut Jacquinot had the first official sub-10 solve, with 9.86. Most people don't know this for some reason.



:tu



DavidWoner said:


> Chris Hardwick used to be number 1 at OH and 4x4x4 speed.



Man, that feels like such a long time ago too  I think it's amazing how fast people are in both events now!


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## Kirjava (Sep 9, 2011)

Cubenovice said:


> Gaetan Guimond was the first one to solve BLD on TV


 
Unverified.

Reminds me though, John White was the first one to solve blindfolded officially in 1981.


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## James Cavanauh (Sep 9, 2011)

vaseline=cube cyanide


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## irontwig (Sep 9, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> Brief history of 2x2 CLL- Thom Barlow held the UWR 2x2 average some years ago, using only layer+CMLLs that he knew from Roux. Łukasz Ciałoń was the first to get an unofficial sub3 2x2 avg12, also the first to do so on video. He was the first person to get really fast with CLL, people used to think he had to know hundreds of algs to solve as fast as he did. For a while, Łukasz and Edouard Chambon fought each other for the WR avg, both with CLL (Edouard used white layer only!) Later, Rowe learned CLL and went about destroying the current UWRs, eventually getting WR and greatly popularizing the method.


 
Akimoto also used CLL and became the first world champion in not only 2x2, but also 4x4 and 5x5.


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## waffle=ijm (Sep 9, 2011)

Remember guys, if you have link (ANY LINK) to these things, post them too. It would make compiling the stuff easier and makes it more worthwhile since it does have some backing.


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## cubernya (Sep 9, 2011)

http://alg.garron.us


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## Kirjava (Sep 9, 2011)

Really? I find this more useful and wasn't even going to post it.


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## somerandomkidmike (Sep 9, 2011)

Sometimes you need to work with a cube for a while for it to be good. Don`t expect all cubes to be great right away.


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## cmhardw (Sep 9, 2011)

Kirjava said:


> Really? I find this more useful and wasn't even going to post it.


 
This is quite a handy resource! However, I think that with minimal practice that doing this is way faster


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## qqwref (Sep 9, 2011)

That computer cubes are actually really fun once you learn them, and let you play with complex/rare puzzles without worrying about pops or lockups or turning issues or money... I feel like this is a well-kept secret, but it shouldn't be.

Also: Florian Presslaber's 50/50 multi.


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## Kirjava (Sep 9, 2011)

cmhardw said:


> However, I think that with minimal practice that doing this is way faster


 
Don't get me wrong, knowing how to do it yourself is important - but there's no way you can manipulate algorithms as fast as this.

Have you tried clicking on moves where it says 'manipulate' yet?


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## cubersmith (Sep 9, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> How to do freaking commutators. Seriously.
> 
> Thibaut Jacquinot had the first official sub-10 solve, with 9.86. Most people don't know this for some reason.
> 
> ...


 
no memes.


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## cmhardw (Sep 9, 2011)

Kirjava said:


> Don't get me wrong, knowing how to do it yourself is important - but there's no way you can manipulate algorithms as fast as this.
> 
> *Have you tried clicking on moves where it says 'manipulate' yet?*


 
No I hadn't before, but I did just now. Yeah that is pretty quick. Also, I'm aware that we both agree that it's a good thing to know how to do a simpler conversion in your head (RL reflection for example).

What I said in my first post was part in jest and only part serious 



cubersmith said:


> no memes.


 
I'm pretty sure David is referring to what Frank Morris did that led to the point that he became a meme. Frank was awesome well before that meme ever started.


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## qqwref (Sep 9, 2011)

More like "CFOP is not the only good method". That would be useful.


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## Phlippieskezer (Sep 9, 2011)

Everything already mentioned in this thread, and 
CFOP is called CFOP, not Fridrich. It is not the "Fridrich method," as she did not invent, but just popularised it. Calling it the Fridrich method is like calling Roux the Waffle method. >.> 



Spoiler



(As cool as "The Waffle Method" may sound, I admit, it's still not technically right) 



Only linky I have as of right now


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## JonnyWhoopes (Sep 9, 2011)

All cubers should "know"

CFOP
Petrus
Roux (Although I learned Roux)
ZZ


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## somerandomkidmike (Sep 9, 2011)

Just because you can sub-20 with a method, that doesn't make it good. Also, just because a method has a low move count, that doesn't make it good.


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## Phlippieskezer (Sep 9, 2011)

somerandomkidmike said:


> Also, just because a method has a low move count, that doesn't make it good.


 
**For speedsolving.


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## teller (Sep 9, 2011)

Low movecount + Sexycution = Win. A lot of optimal algs are terrible, but with some effort and persistence...

+1 for Conrad's alg rotator. I use it TO DEATH when I'm mining and designing.


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## qqwref (Sep 9, 2011)

Phlippieskezer said:


> Everything already mentioned in this thread, and
> CFOP is called CFOP, not Fridrich. It is not the "Fridrich method," as she did not invent, but just popularised it. Calling it the Fridrich method is like calling Roux the Waffle method. >.>


Yeah? It wasn't invented by Mr./Mrs. Cfop either. I kind of like calling it Fridrich, because I think her website was an amazing service to the early cubing community.


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## Lucas Garron (Sep 9, 2011)

- It used to be impolite not to clap at a sub-15 solve.

- I think the 7.08 is slowly being forgotten due to Feliks. It beat 8.72 as the world record, and stood for two years. The rest of the world caught up, but no one actually beat it for the longest time.

- Newcomers also don't realize how long the V-Cubes took to arrive. We were promised "Olympicubes" for years, and they *did* arrive eventually. People who are dismissive of V-Cubes forget how hard and long Verdes had to try to bring us those designs (from Greece, no less).

- This one from Clancy: New cubers come and go – just because someone is fast at the moment doesn't necessarily mean they're the best cuber ever. That said, you should know who Macky, Frank Morris, Kuti, Nakajima, and Feliks are. * Also, you should understand that Feliks is quite deserving of his recognition because he became good at many events long after it was thought possible.
(Yeah, yeah. Rowe, Breandan, etc. You have to draw the line somewhere. I think those are the ones that pushed boundaries the most and showed the cubing world how much more could be achieved.)

- Harris Chan is the most deserving person never to have had a world record.

- On that note, I've never even had a continental record, nor have I ever won a championship title (though I did get a first place at US Nationals 2006). People often seem to get the impression that I have.

- Competitions are being held at staggering rates. There were 9 competitions on August 27, 2011. It used to be that it was uncommon for competitions to on *adjacent* weekends, let alone the same.

- The front page of speedcubing.com actually used to have news. Getting into the top 10 UWR was a big deal.

- Tyson Mao started writing the WCA regulations on a couch at EPGY. We used to have no idea how to run tournaments, and the current system has sort of delicately fallen into place.

- Know about cube lovers, Singmaster, Thistlethwaite, Rokicki, Korf, Kociemba, and Randelshofer.

- Know who is and has been on the WCA board. Know the WCA mission.

- Our current scramblers are still terrible. Square-1 and Megaminx scrambles are not random (though in the latter case we consider it okay).



Kirjava said:


> Really? I find this more useful and wasn't even going to post it.


Yeah, but you know how to do algs already. In any case, that reminds me to ask Conrad about merging his algtrans capabilities into alg.cubing.net .


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## Forte (Sep 10, 2011)

aCube and Cube Explorer let you generate your own algs.


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## Phlippieskezer (Sep 10, 2011)

qqwref said:


> Yeah? It wasn't invented by Mr./Mrs. Cfop either. I kind of like calling it Fridrich, because I think her website was an amazing service to the early cubing community.


 
I know where you're coming from, and it's not a really big deal, but it's still not equally as accurate. The method's actual "inventor" isn't defined (unlike Roux, for example), so rather making an acronym of what it actually is the "better" alternative (hence, CFOP). Equally, AFAIK (please don't call me out on this >.<), it could be called the "Singmaster Method" and it would be just as correct as calling it Fridrich. One gave excellent services to the cubing community, the other made the foundation of what would essentially become the most popular method. 
I'm not saying "DON'T EVER SAY FRIDRICH RATHER THAN CFOP OR ELSE YOU WILL BE DAMNED;" I'm merely saying understand that Fridrich did not invent it, and CFOP is more _technically_ correct. It's rather annoying engaging in conversation about methods and the person you're talking to has no idea of the actual origins about his/her main, and sometimes are even zealous with believing Fridrich flat-out 'invented' it. Don't others deserve equal recognition? 
So, more a message to newbies, but whatever.

Case in point: I think it's important knowing what's its appropriate name and why, even if you don't call it that in colloquial conversation.


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## insane569 (Sep 10, 2011)

BLD is blindfolded and MBLD in multi blindfolded
and a list of current world records along with their times
and basic knowledge about methods and abreviations along with notations for more than 3x3 like sq-1 and commutators


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## cmhardw (Sep 10, 2011)

I guess this may be debatable, but I would argue very strongly that Rubik's Games was the main catalyst to bring cubing out of the "dark ages" period from the 80s death of the fad to beginning of the modern era in the late 90s. The online portion where we could compete against each other's times, as well as the hall of fame list that showed those who had completed the game in its entirety brought many 1st and 2nd generation cubers together for the first time.


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## Rpotts (Sep 10, 2011)

The total number of possible permutations of the 3x3x3 cube is a prime number.

Lars Petrus.

Pretty much any method that you think you invented falls under the blanket term "FreeFOP."

Kir has probably sub20'd with it.

Read the regulations before your first competition.

There's no such thing as a bad PLL if you practice it enough.

You will get faster. Posting about how you've hit a wall, or how your times increased when you learned a more difficult method won't make you faster, practice will.

might come back n add more.


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## Anthony (Sep 10, 2011)

DavidWoner said:


> For a while, Łukasz and Edouard Chambon fought each other for the WR avg, both with CLL (Edouard used white layer only!)


 
I know Edouard was restricting himself to white/yellow at WC09 where he came in 2nd (and was adamant about it not being a major hindrance), but was he really doing ONLY white before that?


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## RyanReese09 (Sep 10, 2011)

Asking fast people questions on how to get faster annoys them, and most of the time, you won't be told anything that isn't publically available and preached about already.


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## umyeahhi (Sep 10, 2011)

Ortega(3x3) is cool.


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## Andreaillest (Sep 10, 2011)

Sometimes taking a break from cubing will do you a lot of good.


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## RNewms27 (Sep 10, 2011)

You do not require more and more cubes. Restricting yourself from certain moves on a 3x3 (such as 2-gen scramble/solves or like a square-1 that has cube rotations and its own parities) can be just as fun/interesting.


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## Hershey (Sep 10, 2011)

http://cyoubx.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-cuber-not-cube.html


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## Tao Yu (Sep 10, 2011)

Rpotts said:


> The total number of possible *unsolved* permutations of the 3x3x3 cube is a prime number.


 
Fix'd


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## Kirjava (Sep 10, 2011)

The developments are interesting.


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## Stefan (Sep 10, 2011)

And a suggestion for the list (not that serious):
- No, nobody wants to repair your magic.


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## antoineccantin (Sep 10, 2011)

Stefan said:


> And a suggestion for the list:
> - No, nobody wants to repair your magic.



My brother actually does


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## Ranzha (Sep 11, 2011)

@Jorghi: 'Flamed' and 'flammed' are two very different things.

To add to the list:
- There are many puzzles out there that you just won't be good at. Everyone has a niche--if you don't think you have one, you haven't looked far enough.
- Don't be afraid to explore and experiment with your puzzles for cool ways to do things. It more often than not furthers your understanding of a puzzle.
- Don't be afraid to turn the timer off and just solve casually.


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## Weston (Sep 11, 2011)

Slow cubes are good for OH


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## tx789 (Sep 11, 2011)

3x3 records


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## Erik (Sep 11, 2011)

ppl should know:
- 12.11 =macky = legend
- 14.40 is the holy time it always wins in a race
- cfop is the only right name (sinmaster is as bad as fridrich)
- jessica still helped the community a lot py publishing this method
- minh thai still cubes and owns a cosmetics in-export company (srsly nobody knows this)
- RON is god and should be worshipped :-D
- joel van noort
- lars vandenbergh
- gods algo is 20 moves
- breandan vallance and mats valk for their skillz and colour blindness
- dan harris without him many ppl wouldnt have learned cfop
- speedcubing.com used to document all uwrs
- guus razoux schultz 
- winners of all WCs
- patrick jameson


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## David Zemdegs (Sep 11, 2011)

RyanReese09 said:


> Asking fast people questions on how to get faster annoys them, and most of the time, you won't be told anything that isn't publically available and preached about already.



And if you are one of the many that have studied and practiced the many "methods" until they become "intuitive" how on earth do you teach intuitive?


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## vcuber13 (Sep 11, 2011)

Erik said:


> ppl should know:
> ...
> - breandan vallance and mats valk for their skillz and colour blindness
> ...


 dont forget harris


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## waffle=ijm (Sep 11, 2011)

Stefan said:


> And a suggestion for the list (not that serious):
> - No, nobody wants to repair your magic.



I like this very much so.


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## Ranzha (Sep 11, 2011)

fazdad said:


> And if you are one of the many that have studied and practiced the many "methods" until they become "intuitive" how on earth do you teach intuitive?


 
It's crazy hard to teach intuitive. Crazy hard, but not impossible. Unless you sit down with someone and give them insight on how the cube works, how the pieces interact with each other, and how to fashion an method based on intuition (and comms, if necessary), then they'll never know.

Also idr if it's been posted yet, but http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/
It'd be cool to take a story or two for history's sake.


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## blah (Sep 11, 2011)

cmhardw said:


> Also, I'm aware that we both agree that it's a good thing to know how to do a simpler conversion in your head (RL reflection for example).


Chris, I've read this advertisement from you countless times. Why do you feel like this is a "skill" one has to acquire? My point is, who *can't* mirror/rotate algs in his/her head? Are people really that stupid that they have to read a tutorial to learn how to mirror/rotate algs?


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## Stefan (Sep 11, 2011)

blah said:


> My point is, who *can't* mirror/rotate algs in his/her head?


 
Ooh, that reminds me...

- You can set up the case for an alg by doing it backwards from solved state.


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## Hershey (Sep 11, 2011)

Stefan's Cube Corner, Chris Hardwick's cube page, speedcubing.com.


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## macky (Sep 11, 2011)

Waffo, please decide on and clarify this list's purpose. As I see it, it's to be stickied and read by new forum members as the very basic facts today's speedcuber should know. It's the page aspiring speedcubers should read after [wiki]Introduction to Speedcubing for Beginners[/wiki]. That means, in particular, that there should be nothing remotely obscure, and in particular *nothing that may be called trivia* (so no "fun facts"). In that case, right at this moment I can only think of three types of items that would belong.
* Basic cubing history (with links to the wiki as appropriate)
* Basic cubing resources
* Basic knowledge about cubing proper
In general, it's best to write a good wiki article and link to it with at most a short summary.

Memes belong to [wiki]List of Cubing Memes[/wiki].
Trivia more or less relating to the cube itself belong to http://cubefreak.net/other/curiosities.php

As for trivia from early cubing history or more frivolous but amusing trivia and anecdotes, please submit longer ones to http://uncletyson.wordpress.com/ . I am compiling a list of shorter ones and will call for submissions. But that's for another thread.



For example, to pick on Mr. Woner,


DavidWoner said:


> How to do freaking commutators. Seriously.
> 
> Thibaut Jacquinot had the first official sub-10 solve, with 9.86. Most people don't know this for some reason.
> 
> Anssi used to be super good at 3x3x3 2H, he beat Macky's 1.5 year old WR twice in one comp, eventually besting it by 1.3 seconds.


contains two items:
* Basic knowledge about cubing proper: How to do commutators (with appropriate link...should at least improve the wiki page)
* Basic cubing history: Progression of 3x3 2H world records



DavidWoner said:


> All the stuff that happened with Matyas that I am too lazy to type out.
> Same for all the stuff with Haiyan and Sebastian PC.


These are important events. If I had a lot more time to work on the wiki, I would devote a page to each. But one short item would suffice on this list:
* Basic cubing history: Major cubing scandals: [several links to the above wiki articles]



DavidWoner said:


> 3x3 no inspection and a few other things used to be official events. Someone who's been around since the early days might know better than me.
> Chris Hardwick used to be number 1 at OH and 4x4x4 speed.


These are less important. They should certainly be mentioned on wiki pages, and they would make great entries on the trivia thread I'm planning, but not on this list. There are hundreds of other such facts.



DavidWoner said:


> Brief history of 2x2 CLL- Thom Barlow held the UWR 2x2 average some years ago, using only layer+CMLLs that he knew from Roux. Łukasz Ciałoń was the first to get an unofficial sub3 2x2 avg12, also the first to do so on video. He was the first person to get really fast with CLL, people used to think he had to know hundreds of algs to solve as fast as he did. For a while, Łukasz and Edouard Chambon fought each other for the WR avg, both with CLL (Edouard used white layer only!) Later, Rowe learned CLL and went about destroying the current UWRs, eventually getting WR and greatly popularizing the method.


Same. But please write a new section on [wiki]2x2[/wiki]. I'd written [wiki]Łukasz Ciałoń[/wiki], but didn't know all of this.


As an aside, I'm a big advocate of documentations in cubing history, and a huge believer in the wiki for this purpose. I've put in a lot of work myself, but there need to be a lot more people contributing if we're ever to have decent historical accounts on every important topic. And if you have trivia, add those to the wiki, too. See for example [wiki]Bob Burton[/wiki] (which, by the way, I still find lacking).


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## lucarubik (Sep 11, 2011)

how commutators work, I'm sub7 after two weeks on pyraminx with my own method thanks to commutators


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## JLarsen (Sep 12, 2011)

Turn off the camera and go actually solve cubes. Your opinion of how well a cube functions is meaningless to me if you have little to no experience solving one.


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## pjk (Sep 12, 2011)

This is a great thread and a great idea. Why not make it into a wiki article so we can all contribute to it?


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## DavidWoner (Sep 12, 2011)

pjk said:


> This is a great thread and a great idea. Why not make it into a wiki article so we can all contribute to it?


 
Because so far I've deleted at least 20 posts that were off-topic or just terrible suggestions. I don't think everyone should be able to automatically contribute to something like this.


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## buelercuber (Sep 12, 2011)

seriously don't get ahead of yourself, you'll catch yourself falling, backwards.


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## cubeslayer (Sep 12, 2011)

Don't get so engulfed in the speed solving aspect of cubing that you no longer enjoy it ( there is FMC and Blind, if you're bored with the speed-bit)


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## Escher (Sep 12, 2011)

There is value in knowing some history about any discipline. It gives you a context to place where you/your generation sits in the community and also an insight into just how much certain people have affected you and your cubing, without you even realising it. I don't see how it wouldn't increase your respect for the community and motivate you to improve it - cubing is still at the size where pretty much anyone can innovate and make a noticeable difference.

Also to be honest there is practically nothing you *need* to know about cubing so inclusion of anything in this list (and the list itself) is pretty arbitrary and subjective. Personally, I'd rather history was put in than some of the suggestions ITT.

Also plugging my thread as one of the 99 things.


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## Kirjava (Sep 12, 2011)

Escher said:


> Also plugging my thread as one of the 99 things.


 
Reminds me, this thread has some perfect things for this list.


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## Kirjava (Sep 17, 2011)

http://www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/


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## DaijoCube (Oct 26, 2011)

My advice to get better at cubes : think outside the box! Learn new methods for 3x3x3 if you wanna get better at it. Try and find your own solutions to *other puzzles* to get better at 3x3x3.


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## onlyleftname (Oct 26, 2011)

You don't have to be the next Feliks, learn at your own pace. Everybody progresses differently.


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## cuberkid10 (Oct 31, 2011)

Building off of what ^^ said, 

There's no correct amount of time that you should progress. I see many people ask, "I've been cubing for x amount of months, how fast should I be." People progress at their own speeds. Some cubers have all of CFOP done in a year, some others take more than 3 years. (Yea.. I've cubed for 3 years and don't know OLL yet). 

Another misconception is that if you know alot of algorithms, you are fast. I met a person at competition who knew all of F2L, PLL, and OLL (even had them on flashcards and had his father quiz him on them), yet he was around 26 seconds. You can do well with minimal amount algorithms, you just need to improve other areas. I didn't know full PLL, much less Oll, and I could manage 16-17 averages. Same for 2x2, people assume because I have a 3.60 average, I know an extensive amount of algorithms. (CLL, EG, anti-CLL). To be truthful, all I know is the standard Ortega. Just takes practice to make do with what you have.


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## Owen (Oct 31, 2011)

WHY 99?! Would it kill you to just add one more and make it 100, a nice round number!? Are you TRYING to get on people's nerves!? I can't take it!


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## TimMc (Oct 31, 2011)

*See below*


Learn the Fridrich Method
Practice
Learn some more.
Go to 2.

Tim.


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## irontwig (Oct 31, 2011)

TimMc said:


> Learn the Fridrich Method
> Practice
> Learn some more.
> Go to 2.
> ...


 
Why should everyone know CFOP?


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## CRO (Oct 31, 2011)

Badmephisto.


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## AvGalen (Oct 31, 2011)

* Centers don't move (although they do turn, and on bigger, even cubes they DO move)
* All you need, is the sexy move
* Going to a WCA-competition is awesome no matter what your level is. You will learn more in a weekend than you could have imagined and you will probably end up with new friends
* It is equally impressive to solve a 3x3x3 in under 10 seconds as it is to solve a random puzzle that you have never seen before in 1 day, but the first option requires a lot more time!
* Being a female cuber is a great way to meet guys


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## Gaétan Guimond (Oct 31, 2011)

Hershey said:


> Feliks Zemdegs might be fast, but there are many other great cubers too.



Absolutly and ...

Speed ​​is popular but there are other skills fmc bld cretor method and more


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## Ressiol (Nov 1, 2011)

If you are timing your solves with a desktop and with a damn large flat-screen whatever-it-is monitor while using cubetimer.com or qqtimer with 204823423 font size, stop looking at the time while solving. The less you care about the time and the more you do about your look-ahead, the faster you'll get the solve over with.


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## Lucas Garron (Nov 1, 2011)

Ressiol said:


> If you are timing your solves with a desktop and with a damn large flat-screen whatever-it-is monitor while using cubetimer.com or qqtimer with 204823423 font size, stop looking at the time while solving. The less you care about the time and the more you do about your look-ahead, the faster you'll get the solve over with.



Trivia: qqtimer didn't use to have updating fractions of a second, and you can still turn them off. They were just added by extremely popular demand.


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## MostEd (Nov 1, 2011)

Ressiol said:


> If you are timing your solves with a desktop and with a damn large flat-screen whatever-it-is monitor while using cubetimer.com or qqtimer with 204823423 font size, stop looking at the time while solving. The less you care about the time and the more you do about your look-ahead, the faster you'll get the solve over with.


 
Just cuz you said that!
I made mine the smaaaallleeest avaliable size, and not showing time while solving


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## jaywong88 (Nov 1, 2011)

Practice make Perfect...


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## rubiksnerd246 (Nov 3, 2011)

1.) There is no difference between white and black cubes (except for spacial recognition)
2.) Go slow and look ahead, better than going fast then stop then go fast etc. 
3.) In speedcube center turn as fast as you can but on edges be careful because one mistake can mess everything up.
4.) Whenever people say practice, people don't take it seriously but it actually does help. For ex: like 2 months ago i averaged like 33 secs on the 3x3x3, and i practiced a LOT and got my average down to like 27-26 secs.


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## IanTheCuber (Nov 3, 2011)

This is the order of methods I reccomend starting with:

Start with Petrus or Tyson Mao
Learn how to make basic F2L Slots
Work your way to learning 2-Look OLL
Then start on 2-Look PLL
Learn Full PLL
And then Full OLL...

After that, try and learn ZB or ZZ, or maybe full F2L...


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## ben1996123 (Nov 3, 2011)

Q. were do u get d algos for dis case?

A. Cube explorer, aCube, figure them out yourself


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## Julian (Nov 3, 2011)

And wiki.


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## Cool Frog (Nov 3, 2011)

TimMc said:


> Learn a Method
> Practice
> Learn some more.
> Go to 2.
> ...


 
fixed


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## TheAwesomeAlex (Nov 23, 2011)

dont spend too much time and effort into cubing


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## Hershey (Nov 23, 2011)

TheAwesomeAlex said:


> *dont spend too much time* and effort into cubing


 
Yes.



TheAwesomeAlex said:


> dont spend too much time *and effort into cubing*



No.


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## Weston (Nov 23, 2011)

Hershey said:


> Yes.
> 
> 
> 
> No.


 Nah, don't spend too much time or effort.
Just spend a **** ton of time and effort.


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## SoupFlies (Nov 24, 2011)

I have never seen documentation otherwise, so correct me if I am wrong.

Donovan (Lubix Owner) popularized lubing the core, and hardware of cubes.
I know people suggested it before, but I don't think it became popular until Donovan.


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## ernie722 (Nov 24, 2011)

"It doesn't matter how fast you can turn if you don't know how to use look-a-head." - ernie722, ArcStorm722, watver u know him by......


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## zmikecuber (Nov 24, 2011)

Roux can be as fast as Fridrich. Likewise, Fridrich can be as fast as Roux.

Also its "cuber", not "cubist".  (haha Ive been called a cubist before xD)


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## AvidCuber (Nov 24, 2011)

zmikecuber said:


> Roux can be as fast as Fridrich. Likewise, Fridrich can be as fast as Roux.
> 
> Also its "cuber", not "cubist".  (haha Ive been called a cubist before xD)


I think this can just be rephrased to: No method is faster or better than any other method.

Also, I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the term used to be "cubist".


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## userman (Nov 24, 2011)

Good job. Now scramble it and see if you can solve it just a bit faster. Good job.


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## Jostle (Nov 24, 2011)

AvidCuber said:


> I think this can just be rephrased to: *No method is faster or better than any other method.
> *
> Also, I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the term used to be "cubist".


 
...Wat


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## collinbxyz (Nov 24, 2011)

zmikecuber said:


> Also its "cuber", not "cubist".  (haha Ive been called a cubist before xD)


 
off topic: I have a "cubists.org" domain... lol. It's the best cubing-named-domain that was available at the time


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## AvidCuber (Nov 24, 2011)

Jostle said:


> ...Wat


 Oops, I guess I meant that no method is better than any other method, not necessarily faster.


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## Ranzha (Nov 25, 2011)

AvidCuber said:


> Oops, I guess I meant that no method is better than any other method, not necessarily faster.


 
False.
Big Four vs. LBL.


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## Phlippieskezer (Nov 25, 2011)

AvidCuber said:


> Oops, I guess I meant that no method is better than any other method, not necessarily faster.


 
I prefer "Methods don't have speeds." (I believe Kirjava said this. Don't remember.)



Ranzha V. Emodrach said:


> False.
> Big Four vs. LBL.


 
LBL is no slower than any other method. It simply has a very high movecount and isn't very ergonomic relative to most.

I personally think chit-chat about which method is "best" or "fastest" is stupid. It's more about the cuber and his/her solving style than anything else.


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## Ranzha (Nov 25, 2011)

I would say that LBL is slower than the Big Four, actually, but everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.


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## irontwig (Nov 25, 2011)

Phlippieskezer said:


> LBL is no slower than any other method. It simply has a very high movecount and isn't very ergonomic relative to most.


 
Just blockbuild and solve two E-edges at a time and your movecount should be about the same as cross, 4 slots. Or you can do the E-slice F3L style and have nice ergonomy.


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## onlyleftname (Dec 8, 2011)

I'm pretty sure that cubist/cubism was an art movement in the 20th century pioneered by Picasso and Braque that basically revolutionized arts and humanities in Europe. Something as large as that overwhelms using cubist as a name for us, cuber is probably more accurate.


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## EpiCuber7 (Mar 11, 2015)

Sa967St said:


> Hedgeslammer, Hamsledger and Slamhedger.



WHAT????


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## Berd (Mar 11, 2015)

EpiCuber7 said:


> WHAT????



How did you even think to bump this!?


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## waffle=ijm (Mar 11, 2015)

Berd said:


> How did you even think to bump this!?



actually this is a nice bump. I completely forgot about this. I'll try to compile everything soon-ish


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## Carbon (Mar 11, 2015)

Everyone was a noob once (yes even faz)
you can sub 20 with beginners
you can sub 15 with 4lll
unless you are a collector (like myself) you dont need all the cubes.
the guhong is still a good cube (my main)
bj does not mean what you think it does
chris is a nub


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## TDM (Mar 11, 2015)

Yau5 is not Yau on a 5x5
Hoya5 is not Hoya on a 5x5
that 'new' method you just 'invented' has probably been invented before quite a few times


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## lerenard (Mar 11, 2015)

TDM said:


> that 'new' method you just 'invented' has probably been invented before quite a few times



If only people realized that.

Also: If it hasn't been invented yet, maybe there's a reason for that.


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## Ranzha (Mar 11, 2015)

"A good cube is nothing without a great cuber." -Jules Manalang


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## Chree (Mar 11, 2015)

"Being able to solve Rubik's cube very fast is a near useless skill, that takes a lot of time to acquire, and does not typically impress the opposite sex. If you think you have better things to do, I can only agree. You probably have." -Lars Petrus


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## Berd (Mar 11, 2015)

Chree said:


> "Being able to solve Rubik's cube very fast is a near useless skill, that takes a lot of time to acquire, and does not typically impress the opposite sex. If you think you have better things to do, I can only agree. You probably have." -Lars Petrus


Actually a really cool quote.


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## AlexTheEmperor (Mar 11, 2015)

That this is not true:



> But somewhere out there, for each 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible combinations, there is a way to finish the cube in only 29 moves, since there is 29 squares on a cube.



Website: http://fftech.net/tag/mats-valk/


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## Chree (Mar 11, 2015)

Berd said:


> Actually a really cool quote.



http://lar5.com/cube/menthol.html


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## martinss (Mar 11, 2015)

AlexTheEmperor said:


> That this is not true:



It is as true as a move means taking off a sticker and replacing it somewhere else...


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## Leo123 (Mar 11, 2015)

What a sexy move is.


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## ~Adam~ (Mar 12, 2015)

Lubing the core can reduce spring noise but won't reduce total friction significantly.

Stickerless cubes are not 'better' than the same cube in black or white, despite what you might've heard from popular youtubers.


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## Seanliu (Mar 13, 2015)

These are good ideas, but who is going to compile them? Should I do it? Or should we get waffo to do it?

Ideas:

Moyu isn't god
Feliks isn't god
Maru Lube is god.


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## guysensei1 (Mar 13, 2015)

An Aolong V2/Weilong/Whatever cubes are considered 'pro' as a first cube won't 'ruin your turning style'.


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## ottozing (Mar 13, 2015)

Posting a lot on the forum doesn't automatically make you one of the cool kids.


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## SpeedCubeReview (Mar 13, 2015)

ottozing said:


> Posting a lot on the forum doesn't automatically make you one of the cool kids.



yes it does!


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## Randomno (Mar 14, 2015)

ottozing said:


> Posting a lot on the forum doesn't automatically make you one of the cool kids.



What do you mean?  8) #sweg


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## Ollie (Mar 14, 2015)

ottozing said:


> Idea for a drinking game: Every time Berd posts "Gj!" we all take a shot :^)



If there isn't a cubing drinking game, there should be one!


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## DeeDubb (Mar 14, 2015)

Solving a Rubik's Cube blindfolded is easier than it looks, but only because it looks impossible.


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## Berd (Mar 14, 2015)

Ollie said:


> If there isn't a cubing drinking game, there should be one!


Hahahaa I'm so done.


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## SpeedCubeReview (Mar 14, 2015)

Never compare yourself to your best times. You will always feel like you are struggling. 

*Solve for fun not for records*


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## guysensei1 (Mar 14, 2015)

Go for competitions. Just go. Now. If you can.


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## PJKCuber (Mar 16, 2015)

DeeDubb said:


> Solving a Rubik's Cube blindfolded is easier than it looks, but only because it looks impossible.



What about people who can't see?


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## EpiCuber7 (Mar 21, 2015)

guysensei1 said:


> Go for competitions. Just go. Now. If you can.



THAT'S THE BIG ONE!


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## DGCubes (Mar 21, 2015)

Watch reviews before buying a cube; there's a reason the QJ Super Square-1 is still being bought.
Don't assume the most popular event/method/cube is the best one for you.
I know it has been said already, but GO TO A COMPETITION NO MATTER WHAT YOU AVERAGE!! You will meet some of your future best friends at them, and they greatly increase your cubing lifespan!


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## Blabber333 (Mar 21, 2015)

Thecubicle.us sells aolong v1 in white


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## Berd (Mar 21, 2015)

Blindsolving is not as hard as it seems.


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## Deleted member 19792 (Mar 21, 2015)

Blindsolving isn't photographic memory


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## Berd (Mar 21, 2015)

strakerak said:


> Blindsolving isn't photographic memory


What!? I've been wrong all this time!


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## PenguinsDontFly (Mar 21, 2015)

Berd said:


> What!? I've been wrong all this time!



Quick question... isnt this now more than 99 things?


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## stoic (Mar 21, 2015)

*Getting lucky isn't a crime
*There's more to cubing than speed


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## pdilla (Mar 22, 2015)

Berd said:


> What!? I've been wrong all this time!



9-11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB!



Spoiler



Being satirical here. Put your pants back on.


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## pjk (Sep 12, 2018)

Pretty funny thread to read through, though this thread hasn't been updated in 3 years. 

In 2018, what are the top 99 things all cubers should know?


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## AvGalen (Sep 12, 2018)

pjk said:


> Pretty funny thread to read through, though this thread hasn't been updated in 3 years.
> 
> In 2018, what are the top 99 things all cubers should know?


AvG means Arnaud van Galen, avg means average


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## FluxDigital01 (Sep 12, 2018)

-what WCA stands for


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## Bandamo (Sep 12, 2018)

-Popping is not a problem anymore


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