1 edit
Originally posted by mwmillerMW, incredible that you joined 24 February 2001. Three questions, if I may: (1) How did you discover this site?
This link might give you a look into the past.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.redhotpawn.com
(2) What was it like eight plus years ago? (3) In what ways have things changed? Congrats to you and thanks.
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby1. I was using a search engine to find chess information and somehow came across RHP. Russ would have to verify this, but I think I'm the first foreigner to join the site, as the first 15 members were either "test dummy accounts" for beta testing the site, or local (England) friends of Russ and Chris. (They were Ruzzman and Chrismo back then)
[b]MW, incredible that you joined 24 February 2001. Three questions, if I may: (1) How did you discover this site?
(2) What was it like eight plus years ago? (3) In what ways have things changed? Congrats to you and thanks.[/b]
2. The site is totally different now. There have been too many changes and improvements to even mention. In some of our first games here we didn't even have all the standard moves such as castling available. (my first game was #18).
3. Probably the major thing that has changed is that I am no longer the best player on the site. I did have that distinction for a day or two, but was quickly unseated by Bessyboo. Seriously, the site just gets better each year. It's nothing like the early site.
Originally posted by mwmiller"Probably the major thing that has changed is that I am no longer the best player on the site." - mwmiller
1. I was using a search engine to find chess information and somehow came across RHP. Russ would have to verify this, but I think I'm the first foreigner to join the site, as the first 15 members were either "test dummy accounts" for beta testing the site, or local (England) friends of Russ and Chris. (They were Ruzzman and Chrismo back then)
2. The ...[text shortened]... syboo. Seriously, the site just gets better each year. It's nothing like the early site.
😀
.........................
Wow... how fascinating. Wondering if the public forums were available
in those early days, if you posted and in what ways they've changed.
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyGood old days ended when users like RN whinged about people speaking their mind... and this one other user started using the general forum as his personal platform to spew mindless crap threads by the tens on page one. That guy even bumped his own dead threads.
RHP Good Old Days
Believe many of us, who have become members and subscribers recently, would thoroughly enjoy
reading your reminiscences of the Red Hot Pawn Site in its infancy, toddlerhood and teenage years.
Tell us what it was like to be here before the site's enhancements, growth, change, coming of age.
Thanks.
"bumped for (such and such a user)".
Pure crap.
P-
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyBeing the top-rated player wasn't as hard then, when there were only a few hundred players....lol. It didn't last very long and that's for sure. There were some changes being made with the player rating system at the time too, which helped. But yes, I did have that spot briefly.
"Probably the major thing that has changed is that [b]I am no longer the best player on the site." - mwmiller
😀
.........................
Wow... how fascinating. Wondering if the public forums were available
in those early days, if you posted and in what ways they've changed.[/b]
The forums were not always available. I think the site was up for two or three months before the forum was added. It may not have been that long. (Rhymester might know for sure, as he was around at that time also.)
We also did not have in-game messaging or private messages at first. We were able to send a feedback to site admin, but that was about it. Chris or Russ would make announcements of interest on the front page.
If you follow the link I provided earlier in the thread (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.redhotpawn.com) and browse your way around that you can see a little of what it was like back then. When you get to the earlier pages you can still see the player tables and see the original forum on most of them. Much different for sure.
The original forum had a totally different format. We didn't need moderators at first, but it didn't take long for that to change.
Originally posted by mwmiller[2001-02-22 23:58:07] Castling Enabled
Being the top-rated player wasn't as hard then, when there were only a few hundred players....lol. It didn't last very long and that's for sure. There were some changes being made with the player rating system at the time too, which helped. But yes, I did have that spot briefly.
The forums were not always available. I think the site was up for two ...[text shortened]... t format. We didn't need moderators at first, but it didn't take long for that to change.
"As from today, castling is enabled."
lol
I think the furthest back I remember is when you played en passent it wouldn't show up on the board.