droppers & other jerks

Peter Fankhauser

unread,

Jul 21, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/21/97

to

yabot has been on fibs for about a month now. The number of
bad sports, while clearly a minority, has been amazing.
Appart from ordinary droppers (see attached positions), quite
a few players have created separate low rate accounts to play yabot,
repeatedly tried to overwrite lost games by inviting to new ones,
or tried to make yabot resign, etc. This is a bit sad, as are
the flames I get from soure losers occasionally.

funk

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: s. - score: 0
| O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| 9 | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-6 X-12 Cube: 1 turn: yabot

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: g. - score: 0
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-13 X-14 Cube: 1 You rolled 3 2.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: G. - score: 0
| O O O O | | |
| O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| X O X X X | | X X X |
| X X O X X X | | X X X |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-0 Cube: 1 G. rolled 3 2.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: B. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | |
| O O O | | |
| O O O | | |
| O | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
| X X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-3 X-11 Cube: 1 B. rolled 1 3.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: n. - score: 0
| O O O O | O | O |
| O O O O | O | O |
| O | O | O |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X X X X X X | | |
| X X X X X X | | X X |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-3 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-0 Cube: 1 turn: n.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: b. - score: 0
| O O O O | | O |
| O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| 6 | | |
| X X | | |
| X X | | |
| X X O | | |
| X X O O | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-5 Cube: 1 b. rolled 5 5.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: I. - score: 0
| O O O O O | O | |
| O O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X X | | |
| X X X X | | |
| X X X X O | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-1 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-5 Cube: 1 I. rolled 3 2.

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-3 Cube: 1 m. rolled 6 5.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: c. - score: 0
| O O O O O O | | O |
| O O O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
| X X X X | | |
| X X X X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-5 Cube: 1 turn: yabot

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: s. - score: 0
| O O | O | |
| O O | | |
| O O | | |
| O | | |
|10 | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| X | | |
| X | | |
| X X | | |
| X X X | | |
| X X X | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-1 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-5 Cube: 1 s. rolled 6 2.

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-1 X-11 Cube: 1 c. rolled 3 3.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: d. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | |
| O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| O | | |
| 7 | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-13 Cube: 1 d. rolled 3 3.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: i. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | X |
| O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| O | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | X |
| | | X |
| X | | X |
| O O X X X | | X X |
| O O X X X | | X X |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-0 Cube: 1 i. rolled 4 3.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: g. - score: 0
| O O O O | | O O |
| O O O O | | O |
| O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X O | | |
| X X O | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-11 Cube: 1 g. rolled 6 1.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: j. - score: 0
| O | O | O |
| O | O | O |
| O | | O |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | O |
| | | O |
| X | | O |
| X X X X X X | | O |
| X X X X X X | | X X O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-2 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-0 Cube: 1 turn: j.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: w. - score: 0
| O O | | |
| O O | | |
| O O | | |
| O O | | |
| 9 | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-2 X-12 Cube: 1 You rolled 1 1.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: p. - score: 0
| O O O O | O | |
| O O O | | |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| 8 | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-1 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-14 Cube: 1 p. rolled 5 2.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: Y. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | |
| O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| X X | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-5 X-13 Cube: 1 turn: yabot

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: m. - score: 0
| O O | O | O O |
| O O | | O O |
| O | | O |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | O |
| X X X | | O |
| X X O X | | O |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-1 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-7 Cube: 1 turn: m.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: s. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | O X |
| O O O O O | | X |
| O | | |
| O | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| | | |
| X | | |
| O X X X X | | X X |
| O X X X X | | X X |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-0 Cube: 1 s. rolled 3 1.

> +-1--2--3--4--5--6--------7--8--9-10-11-12-+ O: M. - score: 0
| O O O O O | | O |
| O O O O O | | |
| O O | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |BAR| |v 1-point match
| | | |
| X | | |
| X | | |
| X X O | | |
| X X O | | |
+24-23-22-21-20-19-------18-17-16-15-14-13-+ X: yabot - score: 0

BAR: O-0 X-0 OFF: O-0 X-9 Cube: 1 M. rolled 6 1.

Tom Keith

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Jul 21, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/21/97

to Peter Fankhauser

Peter Fankhauser wrote:
>
> yabot has been on fibs for about a month now. The number of
> bad sports, while clearly a minority, has been amazing.
> Appart from ordinary droppers (see attached positions), quite
> a few players have created separate low rate accounts to play yabot,
> repeatedly tried to overwrite lost games by inviting to new ones,
> or tried to make yabot resign, etc. This is a bit sad, as are
> the flames I get from soure losers occasionally.

I don't have as dim a view of the situation as you do, Peter.
It is understandable that people's behavior playing a computer
is different than when playing human opponents. They assume
their opponent won't care if they make rude remarks or leave
an unfinished match.

That's not to say dropping is ok. Even against a computer it
is cheating. But is it really that big a deal?

FIBS has a wonderful feature for dealing with droppers. It
automatically remembers your unfinished games and reminds you
if the same person invites you to a new match. This gives you
a chance to finish your old match (which many droppers who
reinvite *will* do) or at least avoid being dropped on again.

As for flames, don't be too quick to dismiss them. They can be
a great source of feedback. Ignore the flame itself -- it's
just the result of temporary frustration. Send a short, polite
e-mail reply. The followup message you get will likely have a
completely different tone and may contain some useful ideas.

Tom (& motif)

Matthew J. Reklaitis

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Jul 21, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/21/97

to

Hi,

It's my opinion that the names of these players shouldn't be posted. I
don't think it follows that someone who drops against a computer is
someone who will drop against a human opponent, and it would be unfair
to label a person that way.

As the author of MonteCarlo, I've experienced a number of incidents of
peope trying to abuse the ratings. There are several ways of doing
this:

1. Dropping when you are about to lose. This method isn't very
effective because you should only be able to get away with it once. The
computer player should know not to start a new match when there is a
saved one. To enforce this, MonteCarlo refuses to issue a 'join'
command when there is a saved match. Even when a player invites
MonteCarlo to resume an old match, MonteCarlo responds by inviting that
player to resume, forcing them to issue the 'join' command. This
prevents the user from tricking the computer player into starting a new
match by quickly issuing 2 commands, the first an invitation to resume,
the second an invitation to start a new match. The way this works is
that the computer player sees the invitation to resume and then sends
the 'join' command, but if the invitation for a new match is sent at the
right time, then FIBS will apply the join to the new match request.

2. Getting a computer player that only knows how to play 1 pointers to
play a longer match. This is accomplished using the same trick as
above. Quickly issue 2 commands, the first an invitation to a 1 point
match, the second an invitaion to a longer match. If the timing is
right, you will start a longer match, and then you are almost quaranteed
of winning by using the cube. A 1 point player always accepts a double,
so playing a longer match gives you a huge advantage. MonteCarlo
prevents this by immediately leaving the match if the matchlength is not
1. Players trying this on MonteCarlo will find that they will not be
able to play MonteCarlo until their multi-point match is finally deleted
(seems like a fair punishment).

3. Using 2 accounts. The idea here is to use one account to lose games
against the computer (causing the computer's rating to increase) and
then use a second account to gain some rating by playing a now overrated
player. This method isn't very efficient, and isnt always effective.
Its similar to just using 2 accounts to play against yourself, with the
benefit that its not as obvious that you are doing it, except it takes
much longer to increase your rating.

I also see alot of people playing extreme back games against the
computer because MonteCarlo does not handle those positions well at
all. These are easy points for the player, but they have to spend a
long time to get them since back games take a long time to play. So if
it matters that much to you to get the points, there's nothing stopping
you.

It really is surprising the number of saved matches MonteCarlo has
accumulated, but there's really not much to be done about it, and I dont
think it matters that much. MonteCarlo plays enough games that the
points it loses from someone dropping don't have an effect for very
long. The things I worry about are situations where a player can
continually effect a change in the ratings, and dropping doesnt work
because you can only do it once.

---Matt Reklaitis

David desJardins

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Jul 21, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/21/97

to

Matthew J. Reklaitis (invalid address) writes:
> It's my opinion that the names of these players shouldn't be posted. I
> don't think it follows that someone who drops against a computer is
> someone who will drop against a human opponent, and it would be unfair
> to label a person that way.

Why? If I know that a player is one who would drop against a computer,
then I can use that information however I choose. Personally I would
avoid playing against someone like that. Not because I would be afraid
that they would drop against me, but just because I think they are
jerks. Apparently you wouldn't mind playing against them, which is
entirely up to you. Why would it be "unfair" to just publish the truth,
and let people draw their own conclusions?

David desJardins

Peter Nau

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Jul 21, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/21/97

to

Thanks to Matt Reklaitis (Mr. MonteCarlo) for his rational, level-headed
response to the "crisis" of droppers with 'bots. (And thanks for explaining
why MonteCarlo always asks to resume after one has already invited it. I
always wondered what the reason was for that.)

Mr. Fankhauser (of yabot fame) seems to think that all "lost" games that
have been terminated are the result of droppers. My computer crashed when I
tried to resign against yabot, but I immediately rejoined (and promptly
resigned) when yabot asked to resume a few days later. (Unlike a human
opponent, a 'bot will not wait for you to log back in before accepting
another match from somebody else, so one cannot always finish right away.)
That appears to have been too late for Mr. Fankhauser, however, because I
now seem to have been banned from playing yabot (it will no longer accept
my invites). Oh well, I'll get over it.

Roc

In article <33D3AB...@lucent.com>, "Matthew J. Reklaitis"
<nos...@lucent.com> wrote:

>Hi,

>
>It's my opinion that the names of these players shouldn't be posted. I
>don't think it follows that someone who drops against a computer is
>someone who will drop against a human opponent, and it would be unfair
>to label a person that way.
>

helmet

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Jul 22, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/22/97

to

In article <33d524bf...@netnews.worldnet.att.net> nyc...@NOTworldnet.att.net (NYCGuy) writes:
>Path: ihug.co.nz!feeder.chicago.cic.net!newsrelay.netins.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!news.kei.com!news.texas.net!news.stealth.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!europa.clark.net!worldnet.att.net!newsadm
>From: nyc...@NOTworldnet.att.net (NYCGuy)
>Newsgroups: rec.games.backgammon
>Subject: Re: droppers & other jerks
>Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 08:59:56 GMT
>Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services
>Lines: 20
>Message-ID: <33d524bf...@netnews.worldnet.att.net>
>References: <33D32187...@darmstadt.gmd.de>
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>NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.116.53.79
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>Xref: ihug.co.nz rec.games.backgammon:8492

>Peter Fankhauser <fank...@darmstadt.gmd.de> felt inclined to declare:

>>yabot has been on fibs for about a month now. The number of
>>bad sports, while clearly a minority, has been amazing.
>>Appart from ordinary droppers (see attached positions), quite
>>a few players have created separate low rate accounts to play yabot,
>>repeatedly tried to overwrite lost games by inviting to new ones,
>>or tried to make yabot resign, etc. This is a bit sad, as are
>>the flames I get from soure losers occasionally.

dosent suprise me since going on net iv been amazed at how people will cheat.i
play a lot on chess server and lots cheat by using computers to help choose
move. on bg people drop and then invite u to new game hoping to
overwrite saved game . just played in golf tournament where someone
gets double boggie dissapears comes back saying cut off.
all cheats cheats cheats. notice how they only dissapear
when they losing. notice also how most are americans .is it
the win ast all costs mentality why cant they lose
gracefully
helmet>>>>funk>>>Names, where are the names. These are players that I
would certainly not>want to waste my time playing against.>-->Marty (to reply
via email, remove "NOT" from address)

>"to be yourself, in a world that tries, night and day, to make you just
>like everybody else - is to fight the greatest battle there ever is to
>fight, and never stop fighting" -- e.e. cummings

Phil Shulkind

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Jul 22, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/22/97

to

NYCGuy <nyc...@NOTworldnet.att.net> writes

>Names, where are the names. These are players that I would certainly not
>want to waste my time playing against.

It is possible for your internet connection to lock up and give the
appearance of dropping. I know as it happened to me yesterday when I was
4-3 up in a 5 point match. Must have looked to the other player as if
I'd just dropped, but it was outside of my control.

Phil Shulkind
PHILDEE ENTERPRISES
Professional Play By Mail since 1990
*NEW* web site : http://www.phildee.demon.co.uk

Peter Fankhauser

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Jul 22, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/22/97

to Tom Keith

Tom Keith wrote:

> That's not to say dropping is ok. Even against a computer it
> is cheating. But is it really that big a deal?
>

True, for the bot it isn't a big deal; in the long run every
drop is distributed to all players finishing games properly.

But appart from the general nuisance, the cheaters create
additional effort for implementing the fibs-interface (and
there's little less boring than implementing interfaces
between systems...). It took me quite a while until I had
checked out most of the holes - before that yabot had stabilized
around 1620, after that, with identical "brain" yabot ranges, between
1730 and 1860. From the detailed analysis of cheating possibilities
by Matt Reklaitis I infer that others have gone thru a similar process.

funk

MPlog

unread,

Jul 23, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/23/97

to

I'm glad I read about the problem with droppers and the robots. I have
a problem with my keyboard freezing, and have to re-boot my entire system,
re-contact internet, re-contact fibs. It looks to my opponent as if I
just dropped.
I was testing some alternatives, and wanted to play against a robot
instead of a human. That way, the human would not get tired and leave,
and a robot cannot get pissed off (but the software author can, I now
realize!!). I also planned to re-connect then ask the robot to continue a
saved match. Did not realize that bot may have left me to join someone
else.
Anyway, now I won't use that technique to test ways to keep my keyboard
from freezing. But, two observations. When someone drops, it is
sometimes unintentional. Also, other players may be as ignorant of how
the robot players work as I was. It might help to have the master of the
robot explain some details to us.

Thanks,
Michael Plog
mp...@aol.com
plog on FIBS

Kate McCollough

unread,

Jul 23, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/23/97

to

I really don't agree that there is anything unethical about exploiting an
opponent's weaknesses. To include this in a list of methods of
"cheating" seems inappropriate to me. Example: If I don't know how to
use the cube, I expect a player who is stronger with the cube to use that
weakness against me. When s/he is successful, I don't feel cheated, I am
simply reminded that I need to work on learning more.

Kate

In article <33D3AB...@lucent.com>,
"Matthew J. Reklaitis" <nos...@lucent.com> wrote:

> (snip)

> I also see alot of people playing extreme back games against the
> computer because MonteCarlo does not handle those positions well at
> all. These are easy points for the player, but they have to spend a
> long time to get them since back games take a long time to play. So if
> it matters that much to you to get the points, there's nothing stopping
> you.

>(snip)

-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet

Phil Shulkind

unread,

Jul 23, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/23/97

to

MPlog <mp...@aol.com> writes

>I was testing some alternatives, and wanted to play against a robot
>instead of a human.

How do you play against robots, and which players are they?

Terry-Lynn

unread,

Jul 24, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/24/97

to

Hey come over to the grid and play with me.
Like your signature file.

> Peter Fankhauser <fank...@darmstadt.gmd.de> felt inclined to declare:
>

> >yabot has been on fibs for about a month now. The number of
> >bad sports, while clearly a minority, has been amazing.
> >Appart from ordinary droppers (see attached positions), quite
> >a few players have created separate low rate accounts to play yabot,
> >repeatedly tried to overwrite lost games by inviting to new ones,
> >or tried to make yabot resign, etc. This is a bit sad, as are
> >the flames I get from soure losers occasionally.
> >
> >funk
> >

> Names, where are the names. These are players that I would certainly
> not
> want to waste my time playing against.

John Quinnelly

unread,

Jul 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/25/97

to

Martin B. Jespersen wrote:
> Lots and lots clipped.

> Funk: wake up and start acting like a human and not a little piece of
> screwed up code!
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------

I was wondering. There was a vcard (I assume it's a calling card or something, I don't
follow that type of stuff) attached to this message. Now, I didn't mind it but I was
wondering about the etiquette involved. Are things like that okay but not big
binary files?

John

Martin B. Jespersen

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Jul 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/25/97

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helmet wrote:

> In article <33d524bf...@netnews.worldnet.att.net>
> nyc...@NOTworldnet.att.net (NYCGuy) writes:
> >Path:
ihug.co.nz!feeder.chicago.cic.net!newsrelay.netins.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!news.kei.com!news.texas.net!news.stealth.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!europa.clark.net!worldnet.att.net!newsa
>

> >From: nyc...@NOTworldnet.att.net (NYCGuy)
> >Newsgroups: rec.games.backgammon
> >Subject: Re: droppers & other jerks
> >Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 08:59:56 GMT
> >Organization: AT&T WorldNet Services
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> >Xref: ihug.co.nz rec.games.backgammon:8492
>

> >Peter Fankhauser <fank...@darmstadt.gmd.de> felt inclined to
> declare:
>

> >>yabot has been on fibs for about a month now. The number of
> >>bad sports, while clearly a minority, has been amazing.
> >>Appart from ordinary droppers (see attached positions), quite
> >>a few players have created separate low rate accounts to play yabot,
>
> >>repeatedly tried to overwrite lost games by inviting to new ones,
> >>or tried to make yabot resign, etc. This is a bit sad, as are
> >>the flames I get from soure losers occasionally.
>

> dosent suprise me since going on net iv been amazed at how people will
> cheat.i
> play a lot on chess server and lots cheat by using computers to help
> choose
> move. on bg people drop and then invite u to new game hoping to
> overwrite saved game . just played in golf tournament where someone
> gets double boggie dissapears comes back saying cut off.
> all cheats cheats cheats. notice how they only dissapear
> when they losing. notice also how most are americans .is it
> the win ast all costs mentality why cant they lose
> gracefully

> helmet>>>>funk>>>Names, where are the names. These are players

> that I
> would certainly not>want to waste my time playing against.>-->Marty
> (to reply
> via email, remove "NOT" from address)
>
> >"to be yourself, in a world that tries, night and day, to make you
> just
> >like everybody else - is to fight the greatest battle there ever is
> to
> >fight, and never stop fighting" -- e.e. cummings

now i didn't see funks original posting but from what i can read of
it i can't help but laugh.

Yabot is half the time run with funk looking over it's shoulder...

if that is not irritating enough, yabot talks to you and acts
offensive... or rather funk do through yabot..

i am not sure what funk expected when he created this bot but he should
not use it as an excuse to insult other players.

i like to play bots and i never drop a game, but one day when i was
playing yabot and it had dropped on me 5 times during the day to start
other games, and the resume with me later, i got pissed and started
shouting that yabot was a dropper.

i did this maybe 3 times in frustration. i also during day did what i
could to keep playing it, which means fast reinvites after a game.. i
like to play the same bot maybe 10 times in a row to rate myself against
them but all of a sudden it dropped on me again and i got this message:

Yabot tells you: You are now on the block list.

this was ofcause funk... since then yabot has not accepted my invites.

Now... funk is clearly intitled to decide who can and cannot play his
bot, but i'll be damned if i can take this guy serious when he starts
to whine about droppers...

Funk: wake up and start acting like a human and not a little piece of
screwed up code!

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Peter Fankhauser

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Jul 26, 1997, 3:00:00 AM7/26/97

to Martin B. Jespersen

Oh well, you chose to post your rather subjective version of this story,
so
allow me some clarification...

The repetitive drops you were so concerned about were due to bug I was
correcting at that time. Yabot simply crashed. On returning, it was
sometimes invited too quickly by some other player (it automatically
accepts invitations) - so you maybe got the impression of being avoided.
"Looking over yabot's shoulder", I apologized to you, tried to explain
the reason, and tried to invite you as soon as the other game had ended.
This did not hinder you to titulate yabot a dropper, and leave me (as
funk)
some rather demanding, not to say insulting messages.

A little later, you hogged on yabot, giving other players who were
explicitly asking
you to give yabot a break no chance to play (this was before I
implemented
some anti-hog mechanism - giving new players a better chance to catch
yabot).
Not only you hogged, but you also gave pretty rude responses to the
waiting
players. As I was still around, I took the liberty to intervene, left
the game
(in an early stage), and invited one of the waiting players. You went
on to shout about yabot's dropping and fire truely insulting tells at
me.
You claim that I insulted you - but I'm not aware of any insulting
response
to your insults. Putting you on the blocklist for this behaviour may
seem petty,
but it shouldn't come totally out of the blue for you. Your crusade
against
me on fibs and r.g.bg isn't going to put you off.

funk