Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: IBM would risk 37 billion dollar

Author: Bruce Moreland

Date: 10:58:06 04/01/01

Go up one level in this thread


On April 01, 2001 at 11:05:57, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>What IBM got out of the match was _lots_ of free publicity on every TV/Radio/
>newspaper/magazine/etc in the world.  It was simply "good exposure".  There is
>no way to "take that exposure back".  The previous result could be "tainted" by
>a loss of course.  But I agree that all that would be lost is a bit of mystical
>aura...  not part of the company.  People buy (today) from IBM because they are
>IBM with a strong service and support reputation.  Not because they beat Deep
>Blue.  Deep Blue just got their name in front of a _lot_ more people.
>
>They decided to "quit while they were ahead".  There is little we can do about
>it except to wish it had not happened...  I would almost be willing to bet that
>if they played a 3rd match, that just playing the match would generate enough
>publicity to offset any possible negative impression should they lose that
>match.

I'm ready to agree with this, I think.  They could do a series of matches, one
every few years, and if they lost a match they could just take it graciously and
promise that IBM will try harder next time.

Instead, they went for the lasting impression -- DB is better than the best
human.

bruce




This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.