"An Open Letter to Cock de Gorter and the CSVN Board"

[Harvey Williamson]

You do amuse me and if you had bothered to look you would realise I did not cross post anything here your forum Admin did.

[Jeremy Bernstein]

You do amuse me and if you had bothered to look you would realise I did not cross post anything here your forum Admin did.

Indeed. I hope that we get to hear Cock's side of the story, but as I wrote on the HIARCS forum, I think that you ultimately are in the right here. Whether a stolen or cracked copy of software was worth creating a "major" (within the micro-scope of computer chess software politics) incident and losing a friend, that's your call.

I give occasional workshops and classes for the software I write and am often approached by participants who mention over lunch that they've been using various cracks for the last 10 years or so, while they were students, or whatever. But that they're going to buy a real copy as soon as they can swing it. I tend to think that cracks are good advertising, and that software developers need to consider means beyond increasingly inconvenient and draconian protections to convince potential users to part with their money. Such as excellent support, access to supplementary materials, regular updates and bugfixes, communities, etc. So, when a student or amateur (potential) user confesses this, I really don't care.

On the other hand, when someone tells me that they've been running installations in galleries or museums, or giving concerts using a crack of our software (e.g. they are working professionally using our software as an integral tool to their work), that bugs me. The professional should own his tools, and as soon as there's enough money in the coffers to pay for the software you use regularly, you should pony up.

None of this is particularly deep, but I think that this isn't a black or white issue. Professionals are held to a higher standard, though, and I tend to think that's appropriate.

[Kevin Frayer]

I can not tell everyone how saddened I am upon hearing that Harvey Williamson has been banned from any future participation in events held by the Dutch Computer Chess Association. (For using a Clone engine) I am sure it is all just some kind of mix up. Hope you get this all straightened out Harvey.

While we are on the subject of sharing open letters I thought everyone may wish to see the letter I received from Mr. Williamson yesterday.

From: <sysop@chessbase.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 3:02 PM
To: <Kevin@frayerchess.com>; <Harvey@Hiarcs.net>; <info@chessbase.com>;
<gaby.assmann@chessbase.com>

Subject: Account sandspider locked on playchess.com

Hello sandspider,

Your account has been locked until 26.2.2011.

Reason:
Locked by HarveyWilliamson constant clone user and renamer telling all on
Rybka form

Best Regards, HarveyWilliamson, Administrator on playchess.com


It seems that Mr. Williamson did not like my comedic stylings on a post made over at the Rybka forum.


By Frayer Date 2010-12-28 19:46 (Rybka Forum)

A report from the clone war front:

Hello everyone, this is your clone war corespondent embedded with Imperial forces in the engine room.

An all out offensive continues this week in blitz play. Many top players have had their positions overrun by Rebel forces using an insidious new weapon, renamed engines.

Within the last 12 days the Rebels have deployed the newest escape artist into the field. This new engine was simultaneously released in three different camouflage motifs Rybka 4, Stockfish, and Critter, it has been devastating traditional Imperil forces.

Intelligence from from the Imperil Clone Police tell me it is now impossible to distinguish a renamed engine from a genuine one.

The sophistication of these new renames is extraordinary. One intelligence officer told me “Well, what do you expect, you have a guy that got a four year degree from MIT 10 years ago going up against prominent PHDs from Moscow University and Cal Tech.”

But in this reporters eyes the real question is, will imperial SYSOPs round up large numbers of players and send them to the detention camps, or will they see the futility of their present course and go back to free and open engine play.

More later from your embedded reporter here in the PlayChess Engine Room:


http://rybkaforum.net/cgi-bin/rybkaforu ... ?tid=20019


Now you see I just thought that was funny; however here was Harvey response.

By Harvey Williamson Date 2010-12-28 19:56

But we do know your new nick say goodbye to it

Within 10 min. of posting on the rybka forum my paid account was banned for 63 days.

Well Harvey, I guess I have some time on my hands with out my computer chess hobby. Perhaps I will spend more time talking with you on the chess forums.

To all my good friends at OpenChess, its good to be back.

[Jeremy Bernstein]

While we are on the subject of sharing open letters I thought everyone may wish to see the letter I received from Mr. Williamson yesterday.
...

Within 10 min. of posting on the rybka forum my paid account was banned for 63 days.

Well Harvey, I guess I have some time on my hands with out my computer chess hobby. Perhaps I will spend more time talking with you on the chess forums.

To all my good friends at OpenChess, its good to be back.

This is a whole other issue, but related to the draconian and inconvenient protections put in place by developers and industries. That a single person is granted the power to adjudicate what's allowed in the Engine Room is absurd, and Harvey is clearly guilty of abusing his position in this regard. He's probably "just doing his job", but there's such a thing as too much zeal, and banning a user for making fun of you on another forum is certainly not in the rulebook.

I've never understood why intelligent people spend their hard-earned money to run engine matches online, though.

jb

[Kevin Frayer]

O wait a minute, I'm sorry Harvey, I have just been told you where not Banned from Dutch Computer Chess Association events for using a cloned engine, you where banned for accusing others of using cloned engines. Please except the apology of an old man in his dotage.

You will have to admit that post about your ban was somewhat convoluted. With all that point counterpoint stuff. Somewhat like it was be spun to a particular point of view. (Made my head spin)

But anyway, I do apologize and if you want me to write some character references for you all you need to do is ask.

[stvs]

While we are on the subject of sharing open letters I thought everyone may wish to see the letter I received from Mr. Williamson yesterday.
...

Within 10 min. of posting on the rybka forum my paid account was banned for 63 days.

Well Harvey, I guess I have some time on my hands with out my computer chess hobby. Perhaps I will spend more time talking with you on the chess forums.

To all my good friends at OpenChess, its good to be back.

This is a whole other issue, but related to the draconian and inconvenient protections put in place by developers and industries. That a single person is granted the power to adjudicate what's allowed in the Engine Room is absurd, and Harvey is clearly guilty of abusing his position in this regard. He's probably "just doing his job", but there's such a thing as too much zeal, and banning a user for making fun of you on another forum is certainly not in the rulebook.

I've never understood why intelligent people spend their hard-earned money to run engine matches online, though.

jb

+1. also he will never learn what democracy human rights etc means. these kind of ppl are dangerous unless to keep them inside to chess "forums", especialy chessbase """""forums"""""

[Harvey Williamson]

O wait a minute, I'm sorry Harvey, I have just been told you where not Banned from Dutch Computer Chess Association events for using a cloned engine, you where banned for accusing others of using cloned engines. Please except the apology of an old man in his dotage.

No one used a cloned engine you should probably read it again

[thorstenczub]

You do amuse me and if you had bothered to look you would realise I did not cross post anything here your forum Admin did.

instead of beeing happy that somebody allows junior, although beeing a weak program, to participate in a championship, you complain and behave like a girl.

it would have been your and amirs job to deliver a licence or a version for the dutch computerchess organisation.

instead of doing so, you attack cock, who tried to make it possible that junior can participate.

you should be happy that somebody allowed the software to participate.

i would NOT have allowed a software to participate that has in its licence agreement the sentence that customers are not allowed to use it in the thueringer tournament. IMO such a software is bullshit and i would not support such a shit.

what comes next, a chess program that does not allow the customers to find out how weak it is ?

[thorstenczub]

That a single person is granted the power to adjudicate what's allowed in the Engine Room is absurd, and Harvey is clearly guilty of abusing his position in this regard. He's probably "just doing his job", but there's such a thing as too much zeal, and banning a user for making fun of you on another forum is certainly not in the rulebook.

I've never understood why intelligent people spend their hard-earned money to run engine matches online, though.

jb

that all fits together.

the single person who is tournament director and behaves in despotism
with the single person who is sysop and behaves in despotism,
with the single person who is programmer and writes in the licence agreement:
don't use my program in thueringen tournament.

they are all little dictators and computerchess is their area to hit on each other.

would a man behave like this, i mean: a real man, not a helpless drunken tournament director ?
would a real man as sysop behave like this, or would any normal programmer demand that a crippled operator should carry his PC during the blitz tournament from one desk to the others ?

no. real man would behave cool, without bitching each other.
but girls of course feel the need to wash dirty laundry all day long.

we call those girls mothersons.
they had no father.

and don't know how a real man behaves.

thanks to god that cock is a completely different calibre.

[Harvey Williamson]

You do amuse me and if you had bothered to look you would realise I did not cross post anything here your forum Admin did.

instead of beeing happy that somebody allows junior, although beeing a weak program, to participate in a championship, you complain and behave like a girl.

it would have been your and amirs job to deliver a licence or a version for the dutch computerchess organisation.

instead of doing so, you attack cock, who tried to make it possible that junior can participate.

you should be happy that somebody allowed the software to participate.

i would NOT have allowed a software to participate that has in its licence agreement the sentence that customers are not allowed to use it in the thueringer tournament. IMO such a software is bullshit and i would not support such a shit.

what comes next, a chess program that does not allow the customers to find out how weak it is ?

You are a bitter and twisted sad little man. I feel sorry for you. We have always been happy to supply free licences to respected people we even used to send them to you. What do you think the CSVN TD would do if someone was found to be using a cracked version in one of their tournaments? They would boot it out and ban the person who entered it. I have not banned Cock from Playchess I just asked him not to use the engine again. The CSS masters was held there.