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Subject: Re: Programmers and lab Rats

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 17:18:16 06/06/02

Go up one level in this thread


On June 06, 2002 at 13:15:51, Joseph Merolle wrote:

>On June 06, 2002 at 10:10:12, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On June 06, 2002 at 00:57:19, Joseph Merolle wrote:
>>
>>>Do you think these programmers have a genuine interest in giving us the best
>>>possible program for our money with all these upgrades ? Or do you think we are
>>>being used as lab rats and programmers are just experimenting (at our expense)
>>>evaluating how ratings move on playchess.com and tournament postings that we put
>>>up. Or do you think its both aiming to hit new highs (seeing what works and what
>>>not) for Fritz 8. Mean while we think we are getting  some awesome cutting edge
>>>engine up grade and its just a trial run version. Really what I am asking when a
>>>programmer puts an engine up grade out do you think they create it with the
>>>intentions of being the final up grade?
>>>
>>>
>>>Regards Joseph
>>
>>
>>I think the term "finished chess program" is a classic oxymoron.  A chess
>>program will never be finished, at least in any time-frame that could be
>>considered "finite".
>>
>>It will continue to evolve, exactly like the author evolves.  Slowly and
>>over time...
>>
>>Do you really think someone could write a chess engine, and then one day
>>announce "that is it, I have no more ideas on how to make it better, period"??
>>
>>From experience, almost 35 years (in my case) has not come even close to
>>reaching this point yet.
>
>What I mean by finshed I mean Finshed as far was the version (Fritz 7) of the
>program goes. I am not talking about Fritz 8,9 and so on. Dont get me wroung I
>like the idea of upgrading programs. I was just wondering if programmers ever
>put out a program to test a new idea/concept or is their intention every time is
>to put out the strougest engine. Thanks for your responce Dr.H
>
>Regards Joseh


What most of us do is work on the new version until we think there are enough
new features or old bug fixes to make a new release worthwhile.  The commercial
guys then go into beta testing to eliminate more bugs that have worked into the
new version.  After a few beta cycles, things are ready and the new version is
released.  however, the programmer probably started on the _next_ version just
as soon as the previous version was frozen and put into beta test.  :)



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