Author: Micheal Cummings
Date: 20:24:19 10/31/99
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On October 31, 1999 at 21:58:16, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On October 31, 1999 at 20:17:56, Micheal Cummings wrote: > >>On October 31, 1999 at 15:15:39, Robert Hyatt wrote: >> >>>On October 31, 1999 at 14:54:12, Pillsbury wrote: >Here's a trivia question for you: How many _different_ internet hosts have >downloaded a copy of crafty source or a crafty executable? This does not >include book downloads or EGTB downloads. How many would you guess? I'll >delay giving you the current stat. But start your guessing at 6 digits. >At least. > >And I am talking about direct anonymous ftp from _my_ web site where we log >every transfer. Gambitsoft and others are not counted. I am sure their are stacks of people, like you said. >>When I hear people want to know about freeware chess, it is cause they do not >>have enough money to buy a commercial product. And they want the strongest >>Freeware they can get their hands on. > > >The freeware programs can, I'll bet, beat you easily. Because they can beat >me. So 'strongest' is meaningless unless you use one to play on a chess >server, which is not so common for commercial programs (no auto interface >except for the CSTal two-computer lash-up). When you are splitting firewood, >is an 8 pound sledge heavy enough? Or will a 16 pounder help even more? >After a while, more pounds does _not_ equate to better splitting. About 8/10 freeware chess programs can beat me easily. And as for strength, As shown when Hiarcs topped the SSDF and other programs, Alot of people buy for the pure strength of the engine. How many people would have gone out and bought CM6K simply because it was top of the SSDF. Everyone agrees for serious chess the interface and features have alot left to be desired for CM6K. People even if they are crap at chess, still feel good knowing that at least they have the strongest program and if one day they beat it, which is what most aim for. Then they know they have done something special. Beating the strongest program on the SSDF means alot more to people that beating most freeware engines. (there are a few which are strong; Crafty, comet, Lambchop, etc) which people consider might compete with some commercials. It comes down to the simple male thought patterns of my penis is bigger than your penis. The bigger the better, the stronger the better, the better looking the better. The more expensive the Better. even though not always true, human conditioning had made this so. You can argue against it, but there are a million more for each person who would follow this rule. Like CM6K, and the debate that raged on here, how can a cheap program with amature features beat the cream of the crop serious chess programs. >>I take your point of good freeware, and those can take up a very large part of >>computer program usage by people in certain areas (like the internet). But they >>are also a very small percentage of the whole market. Which is the point I an >>trying to make. 3% good, 97% crap. > > >I think your numbers are way off. I think that commercial and freeware programs have an _equal_ number of good examples and flops. On average most freeware are smaller programs with very unattractive interfaces. When you talk about your day and what freeware you use. I work as a chemist, send email from work and home, surf the net. You do alot more than most people on the net and program. But for the average user, Families, teenagers, people who just chat and surf. Freeware is games and utilities to them, most, including me, never use nor touch some of the things you get up too. You are looking at the net from your point of view which is not ordinary, you lead a more extrordinary computer and net life, to say the normal surfer and computer user. Freeware on average is more ungly to look at and has lesser features than commercial comparatives. Commercials are not all perfect, but there is a high percentage that they are. They need it to be to make money (usually for a living) wheras freeware do it for a Hobbby, Interest, Love, to further the advancement in specific fields. I will leave it at this, I have used many Commercial, Freeware and shareware, Freeware is USUALLY (but not always) unaaceptable, shareware is a step better, and fully commercial in-store programs are another step ahead. There is crap in all, but on AVERAGE from my experience this is the case. There was a time when I would try every freeware thing that looked interesting, and 99% are now off my system. I think we will have to agree is disagree on this, yes there are good and bad on both sides, but more bad on freeware IMHO :) I have a question for you, if you had the top ten programs on the SSDF and the top 10 freeware programs. And were told to get rid of 10 of the 20. What percentage would be commercial and what percentage would be freeware. If you can give me 5 freeware programs that you would seriously keep over commercial programs in the final 10 programs and give me a good reason, then I will declare you KING !!!!
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