Cicada3301 - countdown

Hi ATS!

Cicada is having a countdown on their site!
cicada3301 countdown

To those of you who dont know who or what Cicada is, well I dont know either - and no ones know.

"How do you know this then?!" You might ask.
Once in a while, Cicada3301 sends out a message telling people its time again.

"Time for what?! Tell us?!" Well I dont know, all we know is that its a test, to find the best code-breakers out in the world(maybe). It always starts with a picture, and then you have to break these codes. Try it out - you have to be a genius.

But ATS, what is this countdown for? Another enigma we need to break? Or will they tell us something?

And btw, what is your time on the countdown? I've heard it shows different times.

check this out if you want to know more.

17 hours 48 minutes 4 seconds

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Okay, thanks.
It says 10 hours for me.

Oh and just a side note - they pick the first person who cracks their codes. If I remember correctly, they have chosen three(?) over the past years.

10 hours 44 minutes approx

Yeah, that ASCII art surely is modern. It must be something very sophisticated.

a reply to: schuyler

It is friend.

Try go check it up.
You think fancy graphics means "sophisticated"?

a reply to: schuyler

If you are into puzzles and stuff cicada is legend really.

cicada3301 wiki

Hmm. I wonder why it's 7 hours longer for me?

,+++77777++=:, += ,,++=7++=,, 7~?7 +7I77 :,I777 I 77 7+77 7: ,?777777??~,=+=~I7?,=77 I =7I7I~7 ,77: ++:~+7 77=7777 7 +77=7 =7I7 ,I777= 77,:~7 +?7, ~7 ~ 777? 77+7I 777~,,=7~ ,::7=7: 7 77 77: 7 7 +77,7 I777~+777I= =:,77,77 77 7,777, = 7 ?7 , 7~,~ + 77 ?: :?777 +~77 77? I7777I7I7 777+77 =:, ?7 +7 777? 77 ~I == ~77= +777 777~: I,+77? 7 7:?7? ?7 7 7 77 ~I 7I,,?7 I77~ I 7=77~+77+?=:I+~77? , I 7? 77 7 777~ +7 I+?7 +7~?777,77I =77 77= +7 7777 ,7 7?7:,??7 +7 7 77??+ 7777, =I, I 7+:77? +7I7?7777 : :7 7 7I7I?77 ~ +7:77, ~ +7,::7 7 ,7~77?7? ?: 7+:77777, 77 :7777= ?77 +I7+,7 7~ 7,+7 ,? ?7?~?777: I777=7777 ~ 77 : 77 =7+, I77 777 + ~? , + 7 ,, ~I, = ? , 77:I+ ,7 :77 :

,+++77777++=:, += ,,++=7++=,,
7~?7 +7I77 :,I777 I 77 7+77 7: ,?777777??~,=+=~I7?,=77 I
=7I7I~7 ,77: ++:~+7 77=7777 7 +77=7 =7I7 ,I777= 77,:~7 +?7, ~7 ~ 777?
77+7I 777~,,=7~ ,::7=7: 7 77 77: 7 7 +77,7 I777~+777I= =:,77,77 77 7,777,
= 7 ?7 , 7~,~ + 77 ?: :?777 +~77 77? I7777I7I7 777+77 =:, ?7 +7 777?
77 ~I == ~77= +777 777~: I,+77? 7 7:?7? ?7 7 7 77 ~I 7I,,?7 I77~
I 7=77~+77+?=:I+~77? , I 7? 77 7 777~ +7 I+?7 +7~?777,77I
=77 77= +7 7777 ,7 7?7:,??7 +7 7 77??+ 7777,
=I, I 7+:77? +7I7?7777 : :7 7
7I7I?77 ~ +7:77, ~ +7,::7 7
,7~77?7? ?: 7+:77777, 77 :7777=
?77 +I7+,7 7~ 7,+7 ,? ?7?~?777:
I777=7777 ~ 77 : 77 =7+, I77 777
+ ~? , + 7 ,, ~I, = ? ,
77:I+
,7
:77
:
10 hours, 38 minutes and 10 seconds

a reply to: Jonjonj

If Ciscada is a hoax, then its ome of the best hoaxes/bait I've ever seen.

I wish I was able to crack the code, but maybe another lifetime.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Lol I have no clue, location maybe?
I am in UK personally. Either way I imagine the countdown is for first clue reveal. The clues may be location specific, they have been in the past.

a reply to: ypperst

I know, I have never found any ARG or internet puzzle that is as hard, I have never solved it nor even come close.

a reply to: Jonjonj

Could be. What time zone is everyone in? I'm in the US, mountain time (UTC -7).

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

UK British summer time here. there is a 7 hour time difference to you I think, it is 00:01 right now

a reply to: Jonjonj

Guess that explains the differences in the countdown time then lol.

a reply to: Jonjonj

Well people says they are in the same time zone, and their countdown is two different times.

So I dont think the location has anything to say? (Not sure tho)

Edit: it is time location.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

BST

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Yes, however it might also mean that your reveal will not happen until you come to the specific time, which is related to the clock...I wonder if someone further east has a lower time? It may already have been revealed in Japan lol

nonjudgementalist and I are both on BST and both have 10 hour countdowns so, maybe it is related.
First mystery lol.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Lol I can't believe that I just noticed that the number 7 is in the cicada image. Ahem.

(embarrassed)