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Subject: Re: definition of clones: Danchess an Crafty

Author: Bob Durrett

Date: 12:06:20 02/15/04

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On February 15, 2004 at 14:50:26, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On February 15, 2004 at 14:48:29, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On February 15, 2004 at 14:43:06, Bob Durrett wrote:
>>
>>>On February 15, 2004 at 14:29:52, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>In view of the size and complexity of Crafty I wonder whether or not cloning
>>>Crafty is really a good idea for the newbie chess programmer to get started.
>>>
>>>On the other hand, maybe there are parts of crafty which could be used in the
>>>beginning so that the newbie programmer could concentrate on creating his/her
>>>own code for the really important parts.
>>
>>I don't disagree.  The parts that always cause me the most concern center around
>>the evaluation and search.  I didn't look at his search carefully at all, but I
>>did look at the evaluation, and that has too much copied code...  There may be
>>significant search code copied or not.  But copying either is really copying the
>>"personality" of the program...
>>
>>Several have started with gnuchess, for example, but by the time they claim it
>>as their own and distribute something, the important stuff has been re-done by
>>the person doing the work, rather than just copied...
>
>This (in my view) is a far worse offense than what has happened with the
>DanChess case.  If you use someone's entire program and then slowly modify it,
>that is a simple crime to me.  And one with no excuses.

Unless, of course, it is done with the blessing, encouragement, and consent of
the owner of the copyrighted code.  I can see a teacher encouraging his students
to do just that using the teacher's program.  The program, such as Crafty, could
serve as a "test bed" for testing new position evaluation, search and other
ideas.  The use of "test beds" is a well-known and accepted practice.

Bob D.



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