Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 12:21:44 05/04/98
Go up one level in this thread
On May 04, 1998 at 08:12:23, Jouni Uski wrote: >From different SSDF posts I get the feeling, that probably SSDF will >stop their ratinglist service soon! And persons like Ossi Weiner and Ed >Schröder are speeding up this by their childish attacks against SSDF! >Additionally also some SSDF person have lost their computer chess >interest (I am myself as interested as 15 years ago!). >Let's hope that SSDF still manages at least two additional years! And >they need our all support... My program isn't on the Swedish list. I have mixed feelings about ever letting it be on the Swedish list. And just to clarify, I don't do any laboratory testing of any type, let along automatic testing. Even though my program isn't on the list, I think the guys who compile the Swedish list deserve, first and foremost, thanks for providing this service, free of charge, to everyone. That's where it has to start. The Swedish guys have built an organization that provides a service. The might make mistakes, but they are doing something constructive. Those who call for the destruction of established volunteer organizations need to understand that they might get what they call for, since volunteers are less likely to do free stuff if a group of people are violently crapping on them. I am certain that the Swedish list people aren't trying to manipulate the list for anyone's benefit. They may have made a few mistakes. They might make fewer mistakes if they charged $5000 per year per program for testing. Absent the soft rustling sound of cash pouring out of the sky on these guys I would stop giving them any sort of hell for mistakes they might make. Now, there is still the matter of arguing that people are annoying each other with tricky little intrigues. Please remember that this has nothing to do with the Swedish list guys, it has to do with people who have money and ego at stake. Nothing wrong with having money and ego at stake, by the way. Trickly little intrigues are a different story. I think it's wrong to call Ed and Ossi childish because they want fair testing procedures. Perhaps it is possible to rumble about Ossi being hypocritical, but the rumbling shouldn't be terribly loud, and in any case it doesn't change the fact that at least part of his complaint is on the money. If you guys are going to offer autoplayers, so the Swedish guys can use them, it is probably best to offer them to the public, in my opinion. I don't think the Fritz autoplayer cheats, but a team gains an advantage if it can do lab testing of other programs, while the other teams can't do this. The alternative would be to distribute autoplayer versions to the Swedish guys, but I think this would be bad because it would only take one leak and suddenly one team is at a disadvantage, because one or more other teams have their autoplay version. I think that if anyone has an idea about thinking up a new trickly little intrigue, they should stop immediately, because A) it's unfair, and B) it brings down heat upon the Swedish list guys, who are doing you the favor of giving you free testing and free effective advertising. I think the Swedish list people should have a big discussion, try to figure out how to address some of these issues while figuring out how they can still have fun, announce any new policies that might result, then listen with satisfaction to the sound of everyone else shutting up. bruce
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