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Subject: Re: question about definition of clones

Author: rasjid chan

Date: 22:40:34 08/20/05

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On August 20, 2005 at 22:06:24, Uri Blass wrote:

>Suppose that somebody look at some public source code and decide to write code
>that does the same algorithm but with different data structure so he cannot use
>copy and paste for chess tasks.
>
>Do you think that the program is a clone or use code of another programmer?

It is a legal clone. It DOES NOT use the code of another program as this
strictly means "cut and paste".

>Do you think that the programmer should not be allowed to participate in
>tournaments?

I believe this part is difficult to decide. Even with different basic data
structures, a program that closely emulates the search and evaluations of that
of another (well known program) may play too many similar moves to the comfort
of any tournament administrator. So it raises the question of whether it is
an original program. A simple example is someone who attempts to enter a
clone of TSCP in a tournament. This clone can have nothing much that can be said
to be original as it can easily be a near 100% clone. Besides the fact that it
would suffer a TKO, it is not meaningful  to allow such a program to
participate.

On the other hand, the world must run on SOME clearly defined rules besides the
contingencies of human arbitration in some cases. For this it would probably
make things simple to disqualify only cut-and-paste prgograms. To set any other
type of criterion on the originality of a program would make it very difficult
to administer unless it is never called into question.

Besides, someone who has the ability to clone the method of that of another
program would most probably have many good ideas of his own to make his program
sufficiently original to participate in any tournament.

Rasjid

>
>Note that my opinion is that the programmer should be allowed to participate
>because copying ideas unlike copying code is allowed but before even considering
>to try this idea(I am not sure if I will try it even if it is allowed) I prefer
>to ask this question.
>
>Uri



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