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Subject: Re: Rybka official site is here ..

Author: Eelco de Groot

Date: 07:49:36 12/08/05

Go up one level in this thread


On December 08, 2005 at 10:07:26, Steve B wrote:

>>>
>>Nothing's wrong with just announcing a new product, or giving a link to the site
>>where it can be found.
>
>
>its more then that i think
>the CCC is being used as a marketing tool
>
>a program is announced here..given away free for a short time and then made
>commercial
>
>i is quite reasonable to assume  that many of the initial sales will come from
>the member's here
>
>please explain how this is not the same thing as a commercial advertisement?
>
>it seems to me it is exactly what the charter tries to prohibit
>see also my post yesterday:
>
>http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?467905
>
>
>
>Steve

Hello Steve,

I'll go along with your opinion that we seem to be part of a brilliant publicity
campaign for Rybka, but only willingly! And if the product is not good, the
criticism in this forum will be just as ruthless as the enthusiasm! All the
posts about Rybka taken together in the past few days offer a balanced picture I
think, and that is what this forum should be about: information about this hobby
of ours, and some fun! But about Rybka being offered as freeware, this simply is
not true; Rybka Beta was offered as Beta to serious testers by the author if
they requested a copy by email. The beta was offered for download as well for a
day, as a gesture to our community, and in the hope of more testing feedback.
The same read.me was attached to it, saying this was a beta, soon to be
commercial, -the word "commercial" was not used in the read.me but clear from
the context and text- and the author would appreciate testing feedback.

From the read.me:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beta Distribution

We ask that the beta releases not be circulated except in cases where special
permission was given, as it was for example to all of the members of the CEGT
test team. Those interested in becoming beta testers are asked to please contact
us directly to get a copy.

Beta Testing

In practice, Beta testing usually means Beta using. It certainly has meant that
in my experience as a Beta tester :) Nevertheless, we are interested in all
kinds of feedback. In particular, we are interested in:

1) Testing under all sorts of different conditions - different operating
systems, different machines, different GUIs, against different opponents,
playing on ICC or playchess, etc.
2) Statistically valid game-playing results, again under all sorts of different
conditions.
3) Comments about playing style or strength or even better, annotated games,
potentially for use on our web site (which is under construction).
4) Feedback about the "search direction" option, see section below for more
details.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Never once was there mention of Rybka being freeware although not everybody will
have read the relevant messages about that. Vasik's original post about his
plans: http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?466792

I just wanted to clarify that. About ICD not getting any sales out of this, I
would not worry much: profits from selling chess software are, pity the poor
programmer, VERY MARGINAL also for ICD and Steven Schwartz has said as much in
the past.

 Just my five cents about this,
 Best regards,
 Eelco



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