[mycroft]

I have played rated. I have tried to mentor in a world where:
- there was almost no unrated matches, and if you tried to start one, you'd never get opponents
- everyone would complain when we were doing mentoring in a rated game (for any of the several reasons, even if there wasn't discussion at the table)
- all the matches said "ratings X to X+2 only" (which, of course, meant that nothing ever changed, and if your rating was 55 and partner's was 45, you were totally out of luck)

Eventually I was mentoring 3 people because that was the only way to reliably get a table.

I see "option to rate" becoming "no game if it's not rated" PDQ (because in my experience it was), and the two obvious differences between chess and bridge, as far as that is concerned, should be obvious (sorry for the LOLcat reference).

Which would bother me if I want to **** around with my friends [good player who likes to play games when drinking], [good player who will be great player in time], and [great player now] on a Friday night, where the bridge itself is at most third on the reasons we're there. It would bother me if I wanted to practise, or play with a new partner, or play a "system we need to understand so we can play against it", or if I wanted to play against [local experts who like me as TD], who given the rating difference, would have to pound out a 65+% game against us to keep from dropping (and is that fun for anybody?)

I can see lots of reasons why we would want ratings; the only one that would satisfy me would be the one that came up the last long discussion - ratings used to match "find me a game", *and kept secret from everybody*. In fact, I don't even want to know that it's happening, thank you, never mind knowing what my (or anyone else's) rating is.

[the hog]

quiddity, on 2012-July-20, 10:28, said:

You don't have the right to make suggestions about Fred's website? Crikey that's rough! Maybe you can move to New Zealand or something.

No you don't. It is not yours. If you don't like it, don't play on it and play on another site that does have ratings.

[mgoetze]

helene_t, on 2012-July-20, 09:11, said:

Depends how the categories are definied. The breakpoints could be defined as the 20th, 40th, 60th and 80th percentile.

Sure but then the claim is that someone in the top 1% would enjoy a game against someone around the 19th percentile. Somehow I have my doubts....

[dwar0123]

the hog, on 2012-July-20, 17:44, said:

No you don't. It is not yours. If you don't like it, don't play on it and play on another site that does have ratings.

How absurd, of course he has the right to make suggestions, there is even a forum for it, making it an explicit right granted by Fred. This isn't the right forum of course, you could whine about that if you want.

[advanced]

quiddity, on 2012-July-20, 10:28, said:

You don't have the right to make suggestions about Fred's website? Crikey that's rough! Maybe you can move to New Zealand or something.

To New Zealand? You are way off base: to the USA, thats where you want to be if you want no freedom of speech and bookburners

[advanced]

the hog, on 2012-July-20, 17:44, said:

No you don't. It is not yours. If you don't like it, don't play on it and play on another site that does have ratings.

And our homework for this week is to read: Mein Kampf?

[the hog]

advanced, on 2012-July-21, 17:35, said:

And our homework for this week is to read: Mein Kampf?

What a moron you are. An entrepreneur sets up a free web site and you want to tell him how he can run it? Sheesh! By the way the forum for suggestions is suggestions for the software, not for a whole change in philosophy. Play on other sites with ratings!

[jjbrr]

the hog, on 2012-July-21, 20:48, said:

What a moron you are. An entrepreneur sets up a free web site and you want to tell him how he can run it? Sheesh! By the way the forum for suggestions is suggestions for the software, not for a whole change in philosophy. Play on other sites with ratings!

Given that said entrepreneur has an entire subforum dedicated to "suggestions for the software" i'd say yes, he is very interested in people suggesting ways to improve how he runs it.

trolls gonna troll i guess.

[Vampyr]

phall230, on 2012-July-12, 16:04, said:

The EBU (English Bridge Union) has introduced it's NGS (National Grading Scheme) and this is having a similarly good effect on bridge in England.

Peter Hall

I am glad to hear it, and would love to know the nature of your information and your source.

[barmar]

Of course we're willing to accept suggestions. But they should be polite, constructive requests. Rants, whining, demands, and derogatory comments are not likely to be received well, and will probably weaken your case.

And just because we don't implement your suggestion it doesn't mean we're not listening. BBO is a tiny company. There are lots of things we'd like to do, but only so much can get done.

[Antrax]

barmar, you seriously saw the posts above yours and didn't axe them?

[mgoetze]

Antrax, on 2012-July-21, 21:56, said:

barmar, you seriously saw the posts above yours and didn't axe them?

Americans consider Nazi references a normal mode of communication.

[the hog]

Antrax, so you are now the arbiter of what appears in forums?

[Antrax]

I'm sure you can make the inference to figure that out on your own.

mgoetze, on 2012-July-22, 02:59, said:

Americans consider Nazi references a normal mode of communication.

Huh, I was blissfully unaware of that - I thought it also fell under PC.

[shintaro]

Vampyr, on 2012-July-21, 20:57, said:

I am glad to hear it, and would love to know the nature of your information and your source.

THe EBU Stephanie

[advanced]

the hog, on 2012-July-21, 20:48, said:

What a moron you are. An entrepreneur sets up a free web site and you want to tell him how he can run it? Sheesh! By the way the forum for suggestions is suggestions for the software, not for a whole change in philosophy. Play on other sites with ratings!

Your words give me an indication where you are from and what your IQ is.

You are the type that will/would have said:
It is my slave, I do with him whatever I want
OR
It is my ball, you can only play with it if you choose me in your team
OR
It is my house, I can burn it if I feel like

It is sad for you you live in a country without freedom of speech and opinion. The country of book burners.

The others feel that the forum is here for a reason.

[dwar0123]

the hog, on 2012-July-22, 03:02, said:

Antrax, so you are now the arbiter of what appears in forums?

The irony here is so thick I can't imagine anyone could accomplish it accidentally.

[Vampyr]

shintaro, on 2012-July-22, 09:33, said:

THe EBU Stephanie

Where, the website? I should have thought it was too early to judge what effects the NGS has had on bridge in England, I would appreciate if you who are in the know could point me towards the relevant data.

[the hog]

advanced, on 2012-July-22, 14:02, said:

Your words give me an indication where you are from and what your IQ is.

You are the type that will/would have said:
It is my slave, I do with him whatever I want
OR
It is my ball, you can only play with it if you choose me in your team
OR
It is my house, I can burn it if I feel like

It is sad for you you live in a country without freedom of speech and opinion. The country of book burners.

The others feel that the forum is here for a reason.

You have again proved that you are a moron. "The country of book burners." What an idiotic comment.
Yes, Fred DOES have the right to do what he wants with his site.

[blackshoe]

"Data? We don't need no steenking data!"