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Well I finished the puzzle without the instructions in the preamble - fortunately, because I can't understand them. Still, I think the Grauniad should give a prize to all those who submitted their solution before the instructions were published, although I'm not sure that all my answers are correct......

I completely agree, tho' I'm sure they won't do that of course: they don't even answer complaints directly.

At least one doesn't have to pay a subscription for the puzzles, so we shouldn't complain too much........otherwise they might reinstate the charge.

I wasn't aware there ever was one for the Guardian puzzles, as when I did them in the past in other countries without computer I either bought the paper at the shop or not. Is that true?

Yes - you used to have to pay an annual fee to access the crosswords. I can't remember when this practice ceased, but they probably decided that the cost of collecting the money amounted to more than the actual fees themselves.

'Quite honestly this recurrent technical nightmare is making me wonder whether it's worth doing Genius at all: it was a great puzzle, but the consistently bad service provided by the paper continues to frustrate rather than to satisfy.'

Couldn't agree more, GK! The Genius has lost its sparkle for me too. I resigned myself to never being able to enter the competition due to Java problems; being able to access the print version, do the puzzle and join in the discussion was enough for me.

But the Grauniad has whittled away at that, too: the print version became unavailable (until someone here worked out that if you added any number to the URL, it would appear - how bad is that for a national newspaper's website?)

Then the Genius appeared with bits missing: clue lengths, black squares, instructions. How can they get it wrong so often?

This month I printed it out and got a few clues but was at a loss as to the theme (there obviously was one, from the answers I had). I decided to wait and see if the Grauniad managed to cobble together the correct crossword - sounds like they have. I might give it a go.

I feel sorry for the chap who said he took time off to do the Genius: I recognise that enthusiasm (I used to set aside the first Monday, too), but mine's been depleted by the uselessness of the service.

Glad you managed to submit it, GK. Good luck, you shouldn't have too many competitors to worry about!

One possible solution to the technical difficulties is to install an older version of your browser. I'm running Firefox 19.2 and was able to access Java and submit a solution with no difficulty. The core problem is that Java is inherently unsafe and the latest versions of most if not all browsers have raised their game with regard to imposing security constraints on usage of Java in any context.

I really know how everybody feels. Having already submitted my solution (or rather, A solution), I just cannot be bothered to check my answers against the numbers in the special instructions,

Just read the instructions - blimey. If I'd seen those yesterday I think I'd have given up before I started.

To Livs - it's me who takes the day off and boy was I glad I did yesterday.

Horrendous flooding in the city centre (Cork) meant my colleagues had desperate journeys to work. So Genius kept me nice and dry!!!! (and subject to some abuse from said colleagues)

Oh, well done cmk!

Glad to know the Genius was good for something! I still haven't gone back to it yet. And here in the south of England, I got blown about and soaked every time I got out of my car today (5 or 6 times), though there's no local flooding. Too tired to cook, so I'm sending my poor husband out for fish & chips!