Not a good climate for chess

Dear RHP

I consider myself to be generally balanced sort of fella. I had meant an earlier post to be my last but a couple of nice PMs have prompted me to write again.
With regards to the banning of Exy (Tirau Dan this does relate to the site and how it runs.. fairly important to most people who pay money to the people that run it... so if you're not interested don't read further).
Presently the site appears to be deterioating into a climate of mistrust and accusation, particularly at the more competitive level. I came to the site to relax and play a few games and enjoy myself. The present feeling about the site is not one I can say I enjoy. I have no problem with people being banned for breaking the rules of the site. We all agreed to them on signing up. However, I would like to know how people are being banned, the processes used, and the fail-safes to avoid errors by the game moderators. We are supposed to be adults here. The present approach by the moderators appears to be something of "in our opinion". I could say that about many games I've lost in as a better player has gone about beating my chessless. If the methods for banning people where published, or at least details such as the supposed engine used where given, then people might be a little more accepting.
I dont own any engines but I ran a game I had with my brother through my dads old Kasparov chess comp (the silver and black one from years ago). We drew the game. A very good one. We matched with the comp move for move for 35 moves after the initial opening 8 moves. What does this prove.
The present atmosphere of mistrust and distaste left by such unaccountable descisions as Exy's banning is not conducive to enjoying a game of chess. I never used to bother much with the forums because of the random accusations but it appears this is the only avenue to voice concern. My email to the site admin is unanswered. I understand that it is your site and your decisions are final but people come here to enjoy themselves in a good atmosphere. This is not one you are helping to create. There are other sites that are free to play in were decisions are far more transparent.
I hope you see sense and give a little more detail of ytour decision making processes.
A disappointed GMG
PS. To the players I've had great games with (Trains, Hubris, Extrememedium, Dr Geoff... Thanks)
PPS. For continuity sake... Toodle-pip.

Some fair points. Personally I found my rating went up when I got to play some of the high rated players who were protectionists about their ratings and wouldn't play newbies. The Clan leagues got my rating up after I played a few there. If I stay I would still play anyone above 1200 given time.

Toodle-pip

Originally posted by Grand Master Gav
Some fair points. Personally I found my rating went up when I got to play some of the high rated players who were protectionists about their ratings and wouldn't play newbies. The Clan leagues got my rating up after I played a few there. If I stay I would still play anyone above 1200 given time.

Toodle-pip

Originally posted by Grand Master Gav
Presently the site appears to be deterioating into a climate of mistrust and accusation

Originally posted by pineapple42
With that attitude, I think you should explain to me, how you have had a rating of 1900, and of the two games we had, we have a win for me, and a draw.

Edit: i'm shite at this game, and I know it.

Originally posted by Umalakas
Well, if you feel you must leave in fear of being caught of cheating due to improvement, then chances are, in my experiences, that cast shadows upon you of your credibility.

Problem is, convicting a cheater takes time. Even the obvious ones, by looking at their graphs, the mods need to analyze game after game after game to get FORENSIC evidence. They nee ...[text shortened]... e removed by itself from this human phycological technique rather then what the mods do/convict.

Originally posted by Grand Master Gav
I don't feel I need to leave due to fear of discovery... My subscription is up in 5 days and I just like a more pleasant atmosphere to play chess in.

Toodle-pip

Count the number of posts accusing players...then compare and contrast the number of posts accusing the mods of banning without evidence (and simultaneously demanding to see the evidence they claim is non-existent): I suspect you will find that you will be viewing an eerily similar pair of figures.

Originally posted by bbarr
If it is the atmosphere that bothers you, why don't you play chess and stay out of the forums? Does the atmosphere magically bleed over into your actual games? Is it difficult for you to "relax and play a few games" when the forums are turbulent?

There's no difference in kind at all. Pre-IM31's ban the forum was full of anal-retentive paranoiacs, and post-IM31-ban it's full of paranoid anal-retentives. Always remember to accentuate the positive: the glass is always half-full.

Originally posted by Grand Master Gav
Please read whole thread it'll make sense a bit more. Since simply asking for a little more transparency with the descision making and stating the climate on the competitive side of the site had gone down a bit I have also been somewhat accused. Please forbid anyone should simply ask a question or two. However the thread now proves my point. Didn' ...[text shortened]... ums were so... erm teenage.

Bye all.. Good luck and enjoy

And for the last time Toodle-pip

~NOTE TO THE GAME MODS~

You think your mission is to find cheaters and bust them... NO! That is NOT your mission! YOUR MISSION is to PROTECT THE MEMBERSHIP FROM CHEATERS!

Regardless of what you know, what kind of tools you may have, or what you are trying to do... you have never been trained at what you are trying to do. Maybe you've been trained at using some of the "tools", but the responsibility you carry goes far beyond that.

It's a little late in the game for me to try to pass on some knowledge about busting computer cheaters, but for what it's worth maybe you can still learn some of the more important aspects?

And that's why:
Rule #xx "Since the majority of the members will be surprised at finding one of their fellow members accused of cheating, the group should first of all establish their credibility with the membership. In short, BUST the people who are suspected of cheating and not well liked!"

Because nobody explained this simple rule to you: All the members of Exy's clan have joined him at www.chessknights.com. And many of Exy's supporters won't continue their membership here. Other members are losing trust in your judgment. Many suddenly find the site "unstable".

Get smart. You didn't do it right the first time, but maybe you can redeem yourselves? BUST the A-holes here who are preying on the membership and who are not well liked! Once you've established your credibility you can go after the "nice guys".

Originally posted by bbarr
These forums have been shut down due to rampant accusations. People have left the site because they were tired of there being no system in place for dealing with cheats.