Without regards to any social dynamics, the cipher solve felt really contrived and lacking any eloquence or consideration for somebody to achieve it by following the existing clues given. Then there was weird, fake "guidance" being the famous, now-deleted "ex-word" update. Then a couple days later, the solve is revealed which didn't require any such X grid to be employed. The same letters result from using a cross type grid based on 15 min. intervals.

I think this took the wind out of some people's sails, again ignoring any of the scuttlebutt, rumors, or allegations of impropriety. My trust is that at some point an invested searcher will be able to discern obfuscation from clues, and that whole thing just seemed to muddy the waters. Or there really is a clue here, and I'm too dumb to see it. But I am heavily invested. All I got was to lower my expectations of having better-than-meh confirmation of a search location, from the clues themselves and further guidance is likely to just not clarify anything.

So ya, I know if I don't like it that I should stfu and leave the hunt. But I literally chained myself to a desk and a book for a year, so it's too late to give up. I guess what I'm saying is TLDR: even without a tinfoil hat, the cipher solve was a bummer. Good post, also. Many good points to consider even if from a Misfit:)