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Subject: Re: And the real winner is...

Author: Adam Oellermann

Date: 06:55:25 08/30/01

Go up one level in this thread


On August 29, 2001 at 10:53:36, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On August 28, 2001 at 14:02:47, Roy Eassa wrote:
>
>>On August 28, 2001 at 13:41:29, Gian-Carlo Pascutto wrote:
>>
>>>>My program (Ferret) isn't professional, nor is Crafty.  My program may be
>>>>professional at some point.  I doubt that Crafty will be.
>>>
>>>Crafty is a professional because Robert is of the opinion it is.
>>>
>>
>>
>>As I recall, Robert didn't say that the program, Crafty, is professional, but
>>the the programmer, himself, is NOT an amateur chess programmer.  (I think he
>>also indicated that he's not a 'professional" chess programmer exactly either,
>>and that there's an in-between category like "academic" that would best fit
>>him.)
>>
>>
>
>I don't believe in the concept of professional _program_ or amateur _program_.
>A program can't get paid, period.  I am talking about the _author_.  And I
>simply believe that I have been doing this too long to be called an "amateur"
>unless that is very tightly defined to say "an amateur author is someone that
>has never written a game program and sold it."  But we have never had such a
>precise definition...
>
>Perhaps "hobbyist" would be a better category.  I don't fit that very well
>as I have written papers about what I have done, I have done funded research
>on components of Cray Blitz (parallel search, etc).  But the term "amateur" is
>too imprecise and ought to be dropped...
>
>Otherwise we get into the "quest can't be bought, it is amateur" nonsense.  Or
>"XXXXXXX  can be bought on a CD even if the author doesn't get a dime, so it is
>professional."
>
>Neither of those leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling about the definition.
>
>
>
>
>>
>>>Someone alerted me on CSS that you were of the same opinion, but
>>>if that is incorrect, then you are the 2001 Amateur World Champion.
>>>
>>>>Also, IsiChess has been sold.  I know this to be true because I bought it.
>>>
>>>Then it falls under the pro's.
>>>
>>>--
>>>GCP

I like the idea of just forgetting about the difference between amateur and
professional. Don't have any categories; just have the programs. If those of us
who are amateurs would like to organise a separate tournament with entry
restricted to amateurs, it would be easy enough to do via a CCT-type medium.

- Adam
(thinking about entering next year if the politics gets smoothed out first)



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