Author: Guido Schimmels
Date: 03:26:51 06/05/98
Go up one level in this thread
On June 04, 1998 at 18:29:13, Bruce Moreland wrote: >I wish folks would use the titles they win, without embellishing them, >and I wish they would state they year that they win them, unless they >won them this year. > >The most recent example is the inside last page of the USCF magazine, >"Chess Life". > >This is a Virtual Chess 64 ad that claims that the program was "1996 & >1997 world microcomputer chess champion". > >Let's say that you participate in a sport, and that you are good enough >to win a world championship title. Then you do the same thing the next >year. What does this imply about you and about your competition? It >implies that there is a gap between you and the competition. > >So the ad leaves the reader with the idea that Virtual Chess is better >than the competition. > >But the problem here is that Virtual Chess was not the "world >microcomputer chess champion" in either of those years. > >The 1996 world microcomputer chess champion was Shredder, and the 1997 >world microcomputer chess champion was Junior. > >The reason that they can say "champion" is that there was a title given >in both of those years to the highest finishing *professional* chess >program, this was the "world professional microcomputer chess champion". > This is an extremely important distinction. > >In 1997 the highest finishing professional program was Virtual Chess, >who finished second overall, and in 1996 it was also Virtual Chess, who >finished in a tie for 5th through 7th. Fritz was 7th on tie break >points, there was a playoff, and Virtual Chess won. > >But the ad does not say "world professional microcomputer chess >champion" in one very prominent place, it says "world microcomputer >chess champion". This is misleading, and I have to believe damaging to >those who really won these titles in those years, and damaging to others >who have programs that are in the same league with Virtual Chess, and in >fact may have finished higher than Virtual Chess in at least one of >these tournaments. > >I ask that people who win titles please make use of the titles >responsibly and accurately. Those who have won less restrictive titles >do not need to have their reputation eroded by others who conveniently >forget to insert the appropriate restrictive adjective. > >bruce I've an idea how to solve this problem for the future. Give those titles completely different names: "ICCA Amateur Award 1998" "ICCA Microcomputer Champion 1998" Tools sometimes work better than rules ! May help, I don't know. What do you think ? ... but I'm surprised Americans are so sensitive about ads. Didn't lots of chess programs in the US sell with "The best chess program in the world" claims one the cover (Colossus ! ROTFL) all the time ? In Germany this is simply illegal by now, as comparisons with competitors (don't know the judical term in English) are not allowed unless they are simply facts (like official titles, best buy's from magazines...). In German ads it would have to be: "Probably one of the best chess programs in the world" (Bruce don't laugh, they really do it here, not with chess programs, but with every day products !) By the way, the ads Weiner spreads in German magazines don't look kosher to me as well, but no judge no executioner, as we say here. But that would be a different thread which I'm not going to start up. PS: The EU has ruled and so we will have the same laws concerning ads and commercials as in the US within the next 30 month all over Europe ! - Guido
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.