I didn't get the cryptex today though many players have reported that they got one mailed from California. However, I just got an email from Sony Pictures saying that I am among the 10,000 finalists of the Da Vinci Code Quest game. Many other players also got this email. So finally we know the results. I am very happy that I can enjoy the next round of the quest :-) The following is a screen shot of the email:

By the way, the email says:"As for your previous accomplishments, your skill and perseverance will be rewarded with a limited edition replica cryptex arriving in your mailbox in the coming days." It seems that I am still very likely to get the cryptex. Maybe it is just on the way and the USPS guys in Illinois are rather slow. At least, no one from Illinois reported that they got the cryptex. Hope I can get it tomorrow :-)

update1:

All the confirmation emails were sent out. If one completed all the 24 puzzles but were not among the 10,000 finalists, an email titled NOT A FINALIST - The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google will be received.

Up to now, for the Da Vinci Code Quest game, no confirmation email of the finalist was sent out by Google or Sony Pictures. However, to everyone's surprise, the CRYPTEX is being sent out. Several players have already got it, ranging from Florida to Ohio to Montana. The package was mailed via USPS mail from Burbank, California. Since there are 10,000 finalists, some of them may get the cryptex a bit later. So just be patient and wait for the good news!

jayshree's photo

states where players reported that they got the cryptex:

• Florida
• Ohio
• Montana
• Virginia
• New York
• California
• Michigan
• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania
• Alabama
• New York
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• Washington

update1:
Here are more views of the cryptex and the message inside: cryptex,cryptex,message,box, cryptex and message.

And the message inside says:

Congratulations,

you have proven worth of the Da Vinci Code Quest on Google, visit www.Google.com/DaVinciCode to see if your journey continues.

update2:
A debate is going on regarding what this cryptex means. One side believes that this cryptex indicates the status as a finalist. Google just changed the rule of the game without notifying the community of players. The other side believes that the cryptex is the "surprise" mentioned in the email sent out by Sony Pictures last Friday. That is to say, those who received the cryptex are not finalists but guys who completed the quest and thus are rewarded a gift.

Nobody knows which side is right. But it seems that the cryptex is not like the one mentioned in the Official Rules. Moreover, Google haven't sent out any email yet.

update3:

The Finalist Confirmation Email was sent out!

继续关于Drupal主题设计的讨论，讲一讲Drupal的Header部分的三个元素（Logo, Site-Name 和Site-Slogan）的摆放。如果你对CSS不是很熟悉，希望这对你有所帮助；如果你是CSS的高手，希望你能提出改进的意见：）

通常，我们会需要Logo, Site-Name 和 Site-Slogan 按照左图的结构摆放：把Logo放在最左边，然后Site-Name与Site-Slogan并列。在过去，这个通常使用table来实现，只要定义一个类似形状的table，把元素放进去就可以了，但是根据现在网站设计的标准，我们需要使用CSS来控制完成。首先需要将Logo图片放在左边，这个可以通过以下CSS定义实现：

.logo { display:inline; float:left}

当然你还可以放入其他的定义，譬如logo图片的长宽定义，以及border属性等等。对于SITE-NAME与SITE-SLOGAN，按照如下定义即可：

.site-name {position: abosolute; top: 20px}
.site-slogan {position:absolute; top: 50px}

通过绝对位置来控制site-name与site-slogan的显示，top 定义的px的多少可以根据你的具体主题来调整，另外在使用中，你还需要用 font-size 来定义它们的字体的大小。这样就完成了，Header部分三个元素的设置，其实很简单的。

同时Foundation Theme也为我们提供了模板文件的构造，可以按照它方便更改其他的模版文件，譬如我在 http://www.dogbreedsweb.com 使用的模版，默认是不显示logo的，参照Foundation Theme，可以很方便的加入Logo显示的支持，只需要加入插入 $logo 的那段语法即可。下图是一个按照上述方法完成的Header部分的示例：

以及相关的CSS定义：

.site-name {position:absolute;top:15px;padding-left: 15px;display:inline;font-size: 2em;}
.site-slogan {position:absolute;top:55px;padding-left:15px;display:inline;font-size:1.2em;}
.site-logo{margin:0;display:inline;float:left;}

使用Drupal以来尝试着用Drupal搭建过blog（譬如我的blog）以及社区网站（譬如Drupal China），但是还没有搭建过组织或是中小型公司的网站，所以一直想试一下。正好刚刚在Drupal China开设了Drupal应用讨论区，而原来也答应过一个朋友帮他搭建一个关于宠物狗的网站（其实我也想过为我家蛋花搭建一个宠物猫的网站，这样蛋花就可以向胖胖吹嘘了），一直也没有来得及做，所以现在正好从头开始做这个网站，同时留下搭建的笔记，可以和诸位Drupal的fans们交流一下经验，我努力写的详细些，顺便介绍一下Drupal 4.7的新的特点。

Drupal的安装过程先略去不讲了。直接从安装过后开始创建第一个用户开始。这个用户将会是网站的管理员。Drupal 4.7更改了重设密码的方法，所以现在不用担心有人会恶作剧不定的发送重设密码的请求了。设置完管理员以后，通常为了安全起见，可以再设定一个平常使用的用户名，这与Linux下尽量避免直接使用root登入系统类似，主要是防止无意对系统的破坏。如果打算设置这样一个用户，可以直接以管理员身份登入，在管理->用户 中添加新的用户，譬如这里我新建了一个叫做 dog lover 的用户，你可以直接指定邮箱与密码。然后再给这个用户相应的权限。

通常我们通过用户角色来控制用户的权限。Drupal默认的用户角色有两个，一个是"匿名用户"，一个是"注册用户"。dog lover应该有更大的权限（譬如发布新闻），所以我们给他新建一个角色，譬如 "管理员"。进入 管理->访问控制，点击"角色"标签，添加这个新的角色。并在"权限（permission）"标签下为这个角色设定权限。这样一个新的用户的设置就完成了。同时通过角色的创建与设置，你还可以给不同的用户以不同的权限，譬如你的网站有论坛，那么可以在这里设置论坛的版主，但是这样设置的是超级版主因为他对任意一个讨论区的帖子都有更改删除的权限，如果想具体设置某个讨论区的版主，那么我们需要使用 Taxonom Access 模块，这个以后我们会讲到。

继续聊聊中国与朝鲜的关系。呵呵，因为朝鲜（韩国）不断推出"惊世骇俗"的历史地图，所以通过历史地图说说近一千年来中朝边界的变更以及原因。

故事从唐末开始，先看元和十五年（820年）中朝边境的大致地图：

点击看大图

新罗与渤海以及唐的边境是以后1000多年中朝边境的基础。我们可以把这段边境分作东西两部分。东部的边界大致到朝鲜的铁岭一带（参见上篇blog），也就是今天朝鲜的咸兴与元山之间的区域，东临东朝鲜湾（参见这里的现代朝鲜地图），直道明朝，这一直是中朝的东端边界。西部的边界此时是以流经平壤的大同江为界的。历史上中朝的西部边界经常在大同江与稍北的清川江之间滚动（当然也有中国占领朝鲜大部分的时候，此时谈边界也没什么意义了），譬如战国时燕国的辽东郡就是以清川江为界的。

公元926年（辽太宗天显元年），辽征渤海，围忽汉城，渤海降，遂亡国。渤海世子大光显出奔高丽，辽在东部大致继承了渤海与高丽的边境。但是在西部，高丽却伺机不断侵蚀，不仅越过了大同江，甚至开始在清川江两岸构筑城堡（见下面的鸭绿江、清川江、大同江示意图）：

点击看大图

此时辽正忙着在东北与华北作战，暂时无暇顾及，甚至还送了50峰骆驼给高丽，以示修好，结果高丽不领情，认为契丹是禽兽之国，饿死了辽送来的骆驼。不久，公元960年北宋建立，高丽与北宋有结盟攻辽的倾向，所以辽与高丽进一步交恶。公元993年，辽开始第一次以80万军队征伐高丽，高丽求和，而辽军也不敢深入，所以准和，高丽向辽称臣，建立朝贡关系，奉辽正朔。而辽同时也允许高丽在鸭绿江下游以东，清川江下游以北的江东六州（沿上图西朝鲜湾一带）筑城开发，这是高丽第一次正式在西部边界跨过清川江，将势力拓展到鸭绿江东岸附近地区。

由于高丽在对辽朝贡的同时还与北宋以及女真有着往来，所以公元1009年，辽趁高丽内乱，第二次伐高丽，攻入江东六州，先攻西京（今平壤）未下，又转攻高丽的都城开京，不久攻克。高丽王逃入罗州，遣使求和。辽退兵，但是高丽王拒不履行和约，辽怒，遂索要江东六州，高丽自然不愿轻易偿还，于是1018年辽开始对高丽的第三次大规模的进攻，因为粮草不济，第一次远征失败，辽圣宗不甘心，又集结兵马准备再战。此时的高丽因为辽的三次大规模进攻，国力大衰，又遣使赴辽，"请称藩，纳贡如故"。辽圣宗接受高丽之情，但是作为和约的条件却只提出了（高）丽（北）宋断交，未再索还江东六州。从此辽与高丽开始长达近一个世纪的和平交往，而中国与朝鲜的西段边境至此也基本尘埃落定，但是此时辽仍然控制着鸭绿江东岸的来远、保州等城（现在朝鲜的新义州一带），并掌握着鸭绿江上的浮桥，这两座城直到金时才被高丽骗去--这是后话，下次再说。下图是辽天庆元年（公元1111年）辽与高丽和平以后的边界图，东部边界相对稳定，仍然在咸兴与元山之间，西部边境以鸭绿江东岸地区为界：

点击看大图

Word 2007发布Blog示意图

从 Office 2007 开发者 Joe Friend 的blog上看到的消息，Word 2007 的最新测试版 Beta2 新添加了blog桌面发布功能，呵呵，这个功能挺实用的，有了Word的强大的编辑功能的支持，blog 的发布肯定会变得更方便。不过Word编辑过的XHTML文件总是留下很多冗余的编码，比较讨厌，不知道Word 2007有没有改善。同时，根据微软OneNote开发者Chris的消息，OneNote 2007也将支持这项功能。

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p>

OK，我们继续研究Drupal的Theme。各位同学手上都有Foundation Theme了，现在我们要解剖这个Theme：把它的CSS Class的脉络搞清楚，这对主题的设计非常有用处，所以我们从page.tpl.php的Header部分开始，page.tpl.php主要由三个div组成，下面是 Header部分的结构图（见下图），"."表示是class 名称，"#" 表示是ID 名称，你可能注意到了这个神秘的$layout变量，它对于纯粹的div 主题设计非常有用处，它的用处我们会在随后的几讲中阐述。

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p>

First of all, although the rules state that it officially ended today at 1 pm EST, the game actually ended much earlier. Some friends of mine got the following screen after they completed the game before 1 pm EST today. Maybe there are just too many players.

Second, if you successfuly registered after you completed the game, now in your Google personalized home page, you will get the following message:

Furthermore, if you successfully registed, please check this page. You will get the following message: ( Please look at the url, it says: final_puzzle_too_early.html )

If you didn't register successfully, you will only get a message saying:

Thank you for participating in The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google.

We're sorry, but in order to compete in the Final Challenge you must have completed the previous 24 puzzles correctly and registered prior to 1pm (EST) on May 11th.

The Da Vinci Code is in theaters worldwide May 19th.

Let's continue to wait and see what will happen :-)

[adsense:468x60:1:1]

Update1: Google sent out the following email around 8:40 pm (central time) today:

Thank you for participating in "The Da Vinci Code" Quest on Google.

This email is to confirm that you have completed all 24 puzzles within the quest and successfully registered for a chance to participate in the final challenge. Well done!

We will be contacting the 10,000 finalists on Monday 5/15 via email regarding their cryptex shipment. Within that email the 10,000 finalists will also receive instructions on how to participate in the final challenge.

All remaining players who finished the quest will also receive a surprise message via email.

Thank you all for participating in "The Da Vinci Code" Quest on Google and making it such a success. We hope you enjoyed playing.

The Da Vinci Code In Theaters 5/19
Link

------------------------------------------------------------

You are receiving this email as part of your participation in THE DA VINCI CODE QUEST ON GOOGLE.

This newsletter may contain links to, or advertisements concerning, various Web sites. Other sites may also reference, advertise, or link to Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Web sites. SPE is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of other sites and encourages you to read the privacy policy statement and terms of service of any site that you visit. To learn how we handle your personal information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service statements.

Privacy Policy:
Link

Terms of Service:
Link

Copyright 2006 Sony Pictures Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sony Pictures Webmaster C/O Sony Pictures Digital
9050 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232-2518

update 2: THE CRYPTEX IS BEING SENT OUT!

本教程突出两个特点：1）超级；2）简明。所谓超级，就是说你不需要任何关于PHP或是Drupal编程的知识；所谓简明，从这一句起我不再说废话：）使用本教程之前，请准备三样东西：

1. 空白的Drupal主题，也就是Foundation Theme，可以在这里下载zip文件。这个主题定义了所有的CSS式样，但是它Style.css是空白的，方便你填补。
2. Firefox 浏览器；
   

   <script type="text/javascript">

   </script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
   </script>

3. Firefox的Web Developer插件；

第一步，把空白的Foundation Theme的zip文件解压，放在一个名字叫做example的文件夹中（文件夹可以任意命名），然后上传到你的Drupal的Themes目录下，用安装了Web Developer插件的Firefox浏览器打开你的网站（最好是测试网站），在管理-〉主题中启用这个叫做example的主题，如果是你的正式网站，那么在你的个人账户中把主题设置为example，这样并不影响访客正常访问的你的网站。保存设置后你可以看到下图：

这个主题是不是苍白得可爱？现在开始动手美化它。ctrl+shift+e 打开Web Developer的CSS编辑侧边栏，选择编辑 style.css 文件，现在你可以任意的添加CSS属性并立即看到效果。使用Web Developer 工具栏（这个工具栏默认是显示的，如果没有显示，在Firefox的工具栏上点击右键选择显示）中Information中的 Display Div Order，可以清楚的看到各个Div的class与摆放，现通过float属性把 Header, Container（包括sidebar与page，利用float属性调整）, Footer三个主要div摆顺（见下图）：

其实如果不显示div的信息，这个主题已经初具雏形了。再往下只需要再稍微改动一下，一个新鲜的主题就出炉了。至于改动的一般经验（譬如一些常用的CSS设置，将在后面的进阶教程中讲到，但是如果你熟悉CSS，到这里已经足够用了）最后要注意改完 style.css 以后一定要保存下来，替换你上传到 /themes/example/ 路径下的style.css 文件。

So all of us finished the 24 puzzles. By and large, the puzzles didn't test your knowledge or intelligence but your time and patience. For today's puzzle, you have to get up before 12 pm if you're at Midwest. It's really painful for me because I usually go to bed very late. ( I guess all the doctoral students throughout the country have to stay up late. At least all my classmates do so.) Anyway, I managed to get up at 11:00 am thanking for a FedEx guy who delivered a parcel for me. Then I sat before the computer and waited for today's puzzle. It was boring to wait so I finished reading two papers on Cheap-Talk games. And then the quest started and was solved. So what to do next?

First, if you answered the last puzzle, you will be directed to page where you need to enter your Google ID. And then you need to submit your information such as email address, name, mailing address and so on. After submitting the information, you will see the screen below:

If you see the above screen, that means you're done for today. Then the next thing is to wait.

According to the rule of the game, the quest will end tomorrow at 1:00 pm EST. After that, they will find the first 10,000 people who completed the quest. Email notification for the finalist will be sent out by May 15, 2006. And then, "Finalists will be mailed via U.S. postal service, for scheduled delivery by May 18, 2006, a limited edition Cryptex replica and a screen shot of 4 codes (the "Finalist Prize"). One of the included codes will open the Cryptex. Inside will be a scroll with instructions on how to access the Final Puzzle Challenge online. Prior to May 18, 2006, Finalists will also be e-mailed instructions at the email address provided by each Finalist on his/her Official Contest Entry on how to access the Final Puzzle Challenge."

Let's wait and see :-)