Author: Robert Hyatt
Date: 17:34:29 02/23/03
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On February 23, 2003 at 18:17:02, Rolf Tueschen wrote: >As usual I research the more general problems, since I am not a born programmer. > >When I see that many people in CC support around 200 amateurs - that's how they >are called- who created FREE programs, and certain spin doctors who write about >"difficulties" for the "professional" experts, I see several questions. > > >1) Who created the many features say of the ChessBase database program? FREE >amateurs or professionals? > >2) Could someone tell me what feature, just 1 example because I don't know any, >was at first created by amateurs? The chess programs themselves. Endgame databases. Opening books. Graphical displays. game annotation features ECO opening classification by the computer. The ability to search thru large opening databases, citing win/lose/draw percentages, who played the game, etc. I can't think of _much_ that was _not_ created by "amateurs"... > >3) I read that people adore FREE programs like ARENA. They are proud that ARENA >has all the features, or almost all, ChessBase also has; I ask if ARENA is a >clone of ChessBase8? Impossible. Chessbase doesn't publish their source. > >4) As a more technical question: Is a smart amateur programmer able to program a >clone of professional products? Or is cloning impossible if the code is secret? > >5) Could someone show - perhaps for other fields - what results out of the so >called copying of professional ideas and products? Isn't it the consequence that >the professional creative people become exhausted? > >6) Then, is't it a consequence that then also the amateurs have no longer >something to copy? [NB I do NOT say that amateurs only copy all day long. See >point 4 where I ask if copying is possible.] > >7) Who could tell me how the development in a field continues in case of >amateurs cloning? Amateurs exist in _all_ fields and all disciplines. So I don't get your point... > >8) In short: I see the danger of less progress and NOT- what the supporters and >fans are doing - a higher coloring of a scene. Makes no sense to me. In the beginning there were _nothing_ but amateur chess programs around. They started it all. > > >What do you think? > >Rolf Tueschen
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