Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 17:29:03 06/07/01
Go up one level in this thread
On June 07, 2001 at 14:37:27, Fernando Villegas wrote:
>On June 07, 2001 at 14:20:46, Christophe Theron wrote:
>
>>On June 06, 2001 at 21:27:48, Fernando Villegas wrote:
>>
>>>Chris:
>>>Yes, of course, some info too, but the degree of it depends of the issue, the
>>>importance it has, etc. Clearly Burgess does not think computer chess deserves
>>>some much attention and care with technical aspects of any kind more than that
>>>he offered. Besides he must think in what readers want to read. The journalist
>>>is not writting for an specific public, but for a mass public where all kind of
>>>expertisse or lack of it pay the cent to get the newspaper. Average reader gives
>>> a shit about chess computers and so if you ever are going to interest him about
>>>something of this field, it will be trough the sort of thing Burgess wrote. I
>>>would consider Burgess not a talented man, as clearly he is, but a pedant and an
>>>idiot if he ever was going to write about hash tables to that public.
>>
>>
>>
>>I wouldn't be surprised that you assume, as I am deep into the technical areas
>>of computer chess, that I am blaming the journalist for not giving technical
>>details such as processor, hash tables, search algorithms, and so on...
>
>
>No, no and no. I know you are not a dude.
>
>>
>>But it's not the case.
>>
>>Listen, when I participate in human tournaments here, with Chess Tiger for Palm
>>for example, I have to face a hundred times per day the same basic questions. In
>>this case I'm able to answer to the people without saying any technical word.
>>
>>You can say a lot of interesting things without boring the readers with
>>technical words.
>>
>>You could for example answer the most basic questions people ask over and over
>>again.
>
>
>Yes, but perhaps you miss a point: Burgess was not trying to explain how
>computer chess is, with or without techical words, but just talking of his game
>againts a chess program. Rhat is the core of his story.
>
>>
>>Here is the most frequently asked question I have to answer 20 times a day when
>>my program makes a public appearance: "so you have programmed all the possible
>>chess positions into your computer?".
>>
>>I also believe that the general audience is not computer-illiterate any more,
>>and a few explanation related to what people already know cannot hurt.
>
>Right, It could have been done. But the fact he chose not to does not makes of
>his article a shit, as many people here say it is.
>
> For
>>example the guy could have said that this Fritz was much more powerful than a PC
>>because it was using a computer which is composed of 8 PCs working together.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>In fact, that's the kind of mistakes beginners journalist makes: they try to
>>>"teach"; they try to deliver too much. So they bore everybody but himself and
>>>two geeks.
>>
>>
>>
>>I think another basic mistake is to disgust the audience from a topic. That's
>>what this article does. The bottom line is: "computers are unbeatable at chess,
>>so who cares about this game anymore".
>
>
>I am sure people was not disgusted. I was not, Tim F. was not and other guys
>here were not. And we are, in a degree, part of this community of savvy people.
>You can bet the article liked, outside this place, a lot more of people.
>>
>>It would have been more constructive to mention that while the computer programs
>>are strong when they run on fast computers, they still have some major
>>weaknesses. And that on slow computers they are not that strong.
>>
>>I guess this is too technical?
>
>No, no. Even I can understand that.
>>
>>>So a last point: journalism is not about writting about what you really know,
>>>but to write to people that does not know and have no reasons to know. So you
>>>give them the little drop you can and you have.
>>>What else?
>>
>>
>>
>>Give some accurate informations maybe?
>>
>>
>>
>> Christophe
>
>Well, at last he have had our yearly fight. Soft, but good for stretching the
>arms...:-)
>Fernando
I think we need that from time to time. :)
Christophe
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