Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 19:39:12 12/03/00
Go up one level in this thread
On December 03, 2000 at 13:03:59, Stefan Meyer-Kahlen wrote:
>On December 03, 2000 at 12:14:56, Christophe Theron wrote:
>
>>On December 03, 2000 at 06:22:37, Stefan Meyer-Kahlen wrote:
>>
>>>On December 02, 2000 at 21:10:25, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>
>>>>On December 02, 2000 at 14:11:54, Stefan Meyer-Kahlen wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On December 02, 2000 at 12:20:41, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>>>
(snip)
>>>>>>I don't think you can compare Chess Tiger 13.0 + Gambit Tiger 1.0 with Shredder
>>>>>>5 + Kamikaze Shredder.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Gambit Tiger 1.0 is a genuine and honest attempt to improve both the engine and
>>>>>>the playing strength, while Kamikaze Shredder is obviously a commercial attempt
>>>>>>to jump on the bandwagon.
>>>>>
>>>>>Is it?
>>>>>
>>>>>Stefan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I wonder whose idea it is. Is it yours, or Weiner's?
>>>
>>>It was my idea.
>>>
>>>>BTW when I was looking for a name for what is now "Gambit Tiger", the name
>>>>"Kamikaze" came to my mind. I rejected it because Gambit Tiger is NOT a
>>>>kamikaze. It can play quietly when needed.
>>>
>>>You might be surprised, but there is also a Gambit Shredder on the Shredder5 CD,
>>
>>
>>
>>I'm not surprised. I already knew you have copied the name "Gambit".
>
>
>There was a "Kasparov Gambit" a couple of years ago :-)
Kasparov Gambit is an old DOS program from 1993. It was not playing gambits BTW.
>>>as well as a Shredder Bean Counter, a Shredder Brute Force, a Solid Shredder.
>>>All have different playing styles but have a similiar strength. You can use all
>>>simultaneously for analysis to get different view for a certain positions or use
>>>them together in the triple brain.
>>>
>>>What's your problem?
>>
>>
>>
>>I'm a little bit disappointed.
>
>
>You shouldn't be! Your Gambit is pretty good and successful.
Probably the reason why the name "Gambit" is becoming more and more popular
nowadays? ;)
>>After winning the W(M)CCC several times, I thought you would position yourself
>>as a leader and defend your own ideas, your own flag, your own name.
>
>
>Yes, the name of my program is Shredder.
>
>
>>Jumping in the bandwagon and sticking the name "Gambit" on one of your engines,
>>after Gambit Tiger won both the French and Dutch championship is not what I was
>>expecting from a leader.
>>
>>By doing so you position yourself as a follower.
>
>
>Please don't interpret do much into this story.
It's just that I was telling to myself: "well... Stefan is in computer chess
since... how many years? Five? Six? Seven? What names has he been using for his
programs? Only one, as far as I know: Shredder. What's the probability that he
decides like that, out of the blue, to name one of his engines 'Gambit'???".
And one thought leads to another, and you know, it's hard to find another
explanation than "after the way users have welcomed Gambit Tiger, he has decided
to be part of it and to stick the name Gambit to his program's name".
No big deal. Maybe it's a kind of... tribute to Gambit Tiger??? ;)
>>I know this is common commercial practice to play on the name confusion in order
>>to fool the customer. "Gambit Tiger" and "Gambit Shredder" sound so close that
>>it is indeed possible that some people buy your product thinking they are buying
>>mine. How many of them? 1%? 2%? Is it worth selling your soul?
>
>
>Come on Christophe. Do you really think that anybody will nix up our programs?
>
>There is no advertisement for a Gambit Shredder anywhere. After you have bought
>Shredder you can load an engine called Gambit Shredder. I chose the name because
>Gambit Shredder is more willing to sacrifice material than Shredder5, so he is
>more willing to play gambits. I found that's this is the perfect name for it.
>Kamikaze will do the same but sometimes too much, that's why I choose Kamikaze
>as a name. The same story for the other engines Solid Shredder, Shredder Bean
>Counter etc.
>
>My thing is just called Shredder5, there is no Gambit anywhere.
OK, OK, you don't need to justify yourself like that. I'm not going to bring a
lawsuit against you...
I just wanted to tell you frankly what I think about this issue.
>>But in this case you could simply have produced an engine named "Deep Flu" or
>>something similar, and would probably attract more people. At least there are
>>several engines that are prefixed with "Deep" nowadays, so it sounds like
>>somebody else already jumped in this bandwagon.
>>
>>
>>What would you say if my colleague Ed produced an engine named "Shroeder" and
>>played on the confusion with the name of the engine that has won the last WMCCC?
>
>
>Do you believe that anybody would buy Rebel because of this? I don't.
Maybe because you are not familiar with these nasty commercial practices?
Playing on the confusion of names is a common practice, which has unfortunately
some efficiency, and that's why companies are so keen in defending their names
ot trademarks. They bring lawsuits as soon as they feel a competitor is trying
to eat the slighest percent from their market with names confusion.
Try to register the name Coca Coia, or Nicrosoft for example. Or a chess program
called Flitz? Or try to sell products with these names without registering
them...
Christophe
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