Author: Dirk Frickenschmidt
Date: 04:08:26 09/20/98
When I read the present CSTal debate I get the impression that as customer of the program you will probably need some humor not to be irritated. So here some advice to other customers: 1. Enjoy your program. It contains some really interesting chess programming ideas and is well able to play beautiful chess. Although it may be somewhat behind in overall playing strength compared to the top programs, it is well able to beat any of them in single games. And its unique playing style is worth it alone. 2. Do not worry about some minor problems concerning program versions Up to now there are three more or less public versions of the program. - a) One on CD is available all the time. But it was updated and is no longer regarded as the best version by the programmer since quite a while. - b) One called 284 was offered as Paris update version on the Oxford softworks server and was recommended by the programmer over a longer period. But Thorsten Czub tells us that it is a "broken" version. It has disappeared from the server now suddenly, though texts and link still tell the customers that it is available and should be used as update. Unfortunately you can't get this officially recommended update any longer - c) One called 289 consists of two versions, "CSTal White" and "CSTal Black". CSTal Black was built because CSTal had an unusually big negative score with black against other programs, with the very speculative parameters it used (more successfully) with white. Now don't get mistaken from this background and from the names of the versions. As we now learned, this does not mean that you have to use different program versions playing with white and black (which most customers just like me would not appreciate because it would simply be inconvenient to switch manually between them all the time). Instead we now learn that CSTal Black should be used for games with computers, while CSTal White suits games with humans. Perhaps proper names for both versions could make that clearer even to the customers. So CSTal Black would be the choice recommended by Thorsten Czub for games against computers. He is probably right, being the most experienced tester of the program over many years. But unfortunately you can't get this version either, neither by public download nor by buying an update disk or CD. It once was on the Oxford softworks server, but isn't any longer. Some people received it by email, others downloaded it in the short period when it was available, but probably most of CSTal owners don't have it and don't know they should use it for computer games. Thorsten Czub tells us the reason for taking it away were some from his and Chris Whittington's view inappropriate questions concerning the inconvenient switching between CStal white and black games supposed by one or two customer(s): >We put 289 from the server because harald faber complained about it in rgcc. d) One newer version, CSTal Win95 is announced to be released soon (on the Oxford Softworks server). But Thorsten Czub tells us, that it may never be released, again due to some from his view inappropriate critisism from some people concerning the way CSTal versions are published. The ongoing existence of customers of a program even after having bought it can be really annoying! :-))) 3. Some customers are probably quite irritated by tone and content of Thorsten Czubs way of promoting the program and giving advice to its customers. In any case don't worry. He is not yet CSTal, even if it might occur like that sometimes. :-) He has contributed a lot to testing and developing the program, but he is not the author and probably will not write any updates, although he preferably says "we" and "our program" when speaking of Chris Whittington's program. So it may be prudent to assume that neither the program nor Oxford softworks nor the programmer are responsible for everything Thorsten says, or agree to it in every case. So if you for example you might read from Thorsten Czub - a) to a customer of CSTal: >we don't want to sell the program to idiots. Why should we. WE choose which >people we want to adress. People like you, i don't think we want to adress. then don't wonder about this new form of customer support. Don't worry: you don't have to prove to Thorsten or Oxford Softworks that your intelligence is sufficient for getting CSTal or an upgrade. Be sure: *nobody* is able to get a reasonable public udate right now. So don't feel too stupid even after being adressed by Thorsten. - b) Or if you are surprised to read as customer advice: >Its the best you delete cstal from your harddisc. >The best for us. The best for you. Then don't be shocked. You signed no contract when buying CSTal saying you have to delete CSTal from your harddisk as soon as the programmer or one of his testers doesn't like your questions concerning the program any longer. You are allowed to leave it on the harddisk and be happy to have at least an outdated version of the program. This is more than nothing, is it? ;-) Of course you will receive some heavy critisism if you use this version for computer tournaments. Why weren't you smart enough to get it during the short period it was available? So better play silent with your old version and don't publish games of it anywhere, but on the other hand you shouldn't dare to complain about not getting a new version from a public server or not even on a buyable disk or CD: complaints would only make things worse for you and all the other customers as well... You have to understand one thing really now, namely that nasty complaints have to be punished: >as i said. we deleted it. Now you get nothing. IMO exactly what you deserve. But as I said, don't worry about these minor drawbacks. You still have the outdated version, and this is more than nothing for your money, is it? - c) Also don't worry if your personal customer punishment by Thorsten Czub is getting a bit irrational, like it happened versus Moritz. When someone asked: >>I understood that Moritz got the better version by email but does not want to >>test a version that is not now on the server Thorsten answered. >now he cannot test anything because there is NOTHING on the server anymore. >AETSCH ! You have to understand this sentence properly: the expression "Aetsch" is a German children's expression, meaning something like "boo, now you got it". This may be a signal to understand the whole sentence in a proper way. Anything else would be difficult, because if Moritz just is testing the old server update *and* the new one (sent by Thorsten to him by email) as well, he is obviously using both and cannot be punished by taking anything from the server. ;-) So the sentence >now he cannot test anything because there is NOTHING on the server anymore. may have some weird kind of logic, but then rather like else children use it, claiming they cannot be seen anymore soon as they have their hands on their eyes. But anyway you as customer shouldn't worry, your program CSTal, however unusual, is *not* based on this kind of logic :-) d) Even if you as an inappropriate CSTal customer read from Thorsten about another inappropriate CSTal customer: >Maybe i should better send him a nice virus. He would deserve it... :-) Don't worry again. Even if you deserve it (and you certainly deserve it after any form of CSTal critisism) Thorsten will probably not send you a virus. This means some relief, does it? e) As a customer you should first of all memorize the main rule and always keep it in mind: > Pah - chess system tal was never made for the customers. This would not only explain some things concerning the user interface. ;-) Mainly it reminds you: in a way you are a happy man still having got it! Because, as you learn: >we have made cstal mainly for us. >And than we shared it with others. >Because we do the same in normal life, >sharing the things we love/like together. I am always happy remembering I was one of those who were allowed to share this program for some more bucks than the now official price (Oxford softworks page) of 29.99 English pound, around 50 $ or some more than 80 German Mark, with Thorsten Czub and Chris Whittington. This idelistic way of not keeping the program for themselves and not dwelling alone in its richness, but "sharing the things we love/like" with us less idealistic mortals, are exactly the roots of our post-modern, human forms of capitalism. We don't just spend money for products we want to use. Oh no! Next time I buy some bread and butter I will remember that this is rather a way of "sharing beloved things together" :-) *** What can we learn from all this? 1. As I said above: enjoy CSTal in whatever version you have. 2. Don't take it too serious how you are treated as CStal customer. Not taking it too serious is the only way of not feeling disappointed or even offended. 3. Enjoy computer chess: fine with CSTal, if unavailable without it... There are still two or three other interesting programs. Or even more? 4. Even after severe punishment threats there suddenly might occur a new version, either a server update or a new selling version sharing more of the "things they love to share with others" at a fair prize. And even the critics might get it. You never know, because they even happen to surprise themselves sometimes. So last not least finally here we got something sympathetic, do we? :-) Kind regards from Dirk
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