On March 9, 2022, Karl Geiger gave a talk to the IEEE Buenaventura Section – Computer Society Chapter. (Video, Slides)

Josh Wardle’s free, online game Wordle is a 2022 viral phenomenon. Wordle challenges players to figure out a five-letter English word within six guesses. Wrong guesses give players clues to help figure out the answer. Wordle has one game, one word per day. It’s a simple, wake-me-up-during-coffee puzzle.

Word-gamers, linguists, and computer nerds all discuss best strategies. A Computer Science degree isn’t necessary to up one’s game, however. Basic tools found or readily installable on most modern desktops can improve guessing and enhance the fun. This presentation looks at solving Wordle with just these basic tools, a little know-how, and a little creativity. Come play!

About the Speaker
Karl Geiger has been one of the most impactful Section Chairs of the Buenaventura Section and very active with IEEE from 2009 to 2013, chaired the IEEE Los Angeles Council from 2012-2013, and most recently acted as Section Treasurer (2020-2021). He retired in 2009 to work volunteer with the IEEE, local start-up companies Cure Pharmaceutical, InClinical, MCI START, lectured at local colleges, supported the Moorpark College Engineering Club, Ventura County schools competitions and the national champion Moorpark High School Academic Decathlon team in which his three children competed state-wide and nationally.

Karl founded Convergent Informatics, Inc., with three Amgen colleagues in 2008. Customers included biotech companies such as Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, an eCommerce businesses, and other start-up businesses along the 101 corridor in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Karl also worked with the local venture communities, reviewed pitches and coached entrepreneurs. Prior to Convergent, Karl was the Director of Enterprise Architecture at Amgen, Inc., where his teams designed and documented several enterprise-wide information systems. From 2013-2015 he was chief architect at Neural ID in Redwood City, CA, more recently product manager at NovaStor in Agoura, CA, and is currently retired again. Past presentations to the Buenaventura Section have been “Putting the ‘Data’ into ‘Big Data'” and “Are the Machines Learning?”

His technical interests include machine intelligence, information retrieval, database systems, human factors engineering, software test and development to support regulatory compliance, and making fun toys for the web.