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Subject: Re: Sever Clutter with Clones of GnuChess/Crafty

Author: KarinsDad

Date: 11:28:02 01/27/99

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On January 27, 1999 at 13:41:55, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On January 27, 1999 at 13:11:17, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>
>>
>>This message poses the question of whether the (F)ICS
>>servers are being damaged by clutter of clone after clone
>>of GNU Chess, Crafty, any others...
>>
>>More and more people seem to have "!computer" in their formula
>>or are declining to play.
>>
>>What are your thoughts?
>If you don't want to play a computer, then noplay them.
>
>If there were a billion computer players connected and one hundred human
>players, I don't see how there could be a problem, because you still have the
>right to pick and choose.
>
>I think that cheating is a problem, and probably cannot be eliminated.
>
>I feel sorry for the cheaters, mostly.  What sort of low self-esteem must these
>people have to cause them to lie and cheat to gain the hollowest sort of
>victory?

Not to defend cheaters or anything, but I can understand when a 10 or 12 year
old gets a program and a fics account and uses the computer to help win games. I
do not condone this type of behavior, but I can understand it. I do not feel
that low self esteem is necessarily (and probably not often) the motivating
factor. To many people, the internet is a playground where you can do just about
anything (this from an anonymous user).

There are two problems I can perceive with server computer program clutter:

1) It may one day get to the point that you cannot find the human players (and I
do not know, you may be able to filter one or the other out of the list right
now, so this may be moot for experienced users).

2) The bandwidth one day may be such that there are too many users (it sometimes
gets that way now). In this case, I feel that the order of preference for use
should be:

a) individual human players (members)
b) individual human players (guests)
c) the computer programs written by individuals (sorry Will, but people take
priority over programs)
d) the "clone" programs
e) individual human players using programs (i.e. cheaters)

My reasoning is that if you have a computer and can connect to the internet, you
can also play that program against other programs on your own computer. You may
not always be able to get the type of statistical computer vs. opponent
information you want, but then again, a computer can automatically log in at
random times of the day when the bandwidth is low and can stay on for longer
periods of time. Also, if a human uses a computer to get onto the internet just
to play programs in chess, there are a bunch of freeware, shareware, and
commercial programs that s/he can play on that same computer.

I agree with the rest of your points Dann.

KarinsDad

>
>Personally, I like to play against computers.  But I have never actually used
>FICS or ICC to play a chess game.  I'd rather just play them on my PC.
>
>While the thought of 1000 gnuchess machines playing against 1000 gnuchess
>machines seems kind of silly to me, if that is what people want to do, why not
>let them do so?



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