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Subject: "Busting" computer engines and other pointless activities

Author: Adrien Regimbald

Date: 23:04:34 05/10/00


Hello,

I hope that someone can shed some light on this for me, because I can't think of
anything..

What could possibly possess to do any of the following:

1. Spend hours and hours of their life hunting down an engine's weak points so
that they can pull of a cheap vicotory
2. Criticize an engine's playing strength
3. Cheat on an online chess server with a computer
4. Be a "computer-cheat-hunter" .. someone who spends hours and hours trying to
nail people for computer cheating
5. Being paranoid about computer cheating.


I really don't get it .. they all seem completely pointless to me:
1 - ok, great, so they've found one line in a few million that the computer will
absolutely screw up, great job, I mean, do they want a medal for this?  Do they
think this makes them a strong player for beating a strong computer with a cheap
trick?
2 - engine authors put a lot of effort into their programs, it almost becomes
like a child to them .. and just blatantly criticizing them (especially free
programs) is just rude and heartless
3 - good lord, don't people have anything better to do than get a high rating on
a chess server by using a computer program?
4 - what is the point of this, really?  I just don't get it .. being in charge
of computer accounts on FICS, I can tell you that lots of people spend a LOT of
time doing this, it's mind boggling!
5 - I really don't think there is much cause for concern here .. I have played
over 3,000 game of chess on FICS, and I have only once encountered a computer
cheat trying to play against me.  Some people are really paranoid about this ..
they'll be accusing someone with a rating of 1200 being a computer .. I mean,
give me a break..


I know that human beings are fallible .. but all of these activities seem
extremely pointless, unthinking, and in general nothing more than a waste of
time for all parties involved in the stupidities..

If anyone is wondering what this was brought on by - last night (at like 3am), I
got over 10 such comlaints/accusations/etc during a 3 minute game I was playing,
and to be honest, I'm starting to get extremely frustrated with it all!


Regards,
Adrien.



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