Automatic timeout

I wouldn't advocate Automatic timeouts being implemented unless at the same time the Vacation Flag was modified to stop the clock. The two things come hand in hand or not at all, in my opinion.

so who decides what a reasonable length of 'vacation' per year is? 30 days? 90, as my collegues here get? Should it be expanded to allow for business trips? There are people here who work on ships or oil rigs so are off shore for 6 months of the year, so should we allow people 183 days vacation clock stopages per year? If not then you are slamming the door on some players who have legitimate reason for prolonged absence, an absence that is allowed because their opponents chose to allow it not because they are forced to or forced not to.

I know your trying to make things better, and I'm not trying to be dificult, but I am trying to show you that these proposed fixes will make things worse if not from your perspective then from another persons.

I think you're taking the word "vacation" too literally. I think if anyone is unable to get onto the site for an entire month then they deserve to be timed out.

An alternative idea would be to only allow the vacation flag to be turned on once a month, once it's on you can leave it on for as long as you like, but it must stop you from moving whilst it's on.

no, no one deserves to be timed out because they can't get on line for 30 days. You have the right to time them out.

Let's look at this from the other side. Why do things need to be changed at all? If I understand you correctly you have 2 reasons:

1) vacation flag doesn't protect from T/O so what? it was never meant to. Time bank is there for this reason. As you have said many times yourself, if a person cannot keep up with the rate of play they have signed up to then they have put themselves at the mercy of their oppenents and have no right to complain if Timed Out.

2) people abuse vacation flag so what? the very reason VF doesn't prevent T/O is so that obvious abuses can't occur. If your oppo is using VF too often for your liking then T/O. Use some judgement and some balls, just don't go trying to change the site to th exclusion of others because you can't handle people whinging "I had my vacation icon on"

Again I agree with you - and as the system stands at the moment I will time people out the second the skull appears regardless of vacation flag and I say so on my profile.

Yet, people still complain in the forums that they've been timed out whilst on holiday when they had their vacation flag on. Now this is either because they have taken on a game with a short timebank or because they believe that the flag protects their games.

Originally posted by Exy
Now this is either because they have taken on a game with a [b]short timebank or because they believe that the flag protects their games.[/b]

Well then, they should have thought more 😛

Originally posted by mrmist
Well then, they should have thought more 😛

this may be true, but that doesn't mean that you have to be ruthless. All I would advocate is giving your oppo a chance to continue the game if you are still enjoying it.

WHat do you lose by not taking T/O? maybe a few points.
What do you gain by delaying T/O? maybe an enjoyable game of chess, which is why we are here isn't it?

An alternative idea would be to only allow the vacation flag to be turned on once a month, once it's on you can leave it on for as long as you like, but it must stop you from moving whilst it's on.[/b]

what if I'm away for a week on business, back for 1 week, then away for another week. Sould I be unable to move in the middle week because if I remove my VF I won't beable to reuse it for the 3rd week?

It sued to be the case that you couldn't move while VF was on. This was changed for 2 reasons. Firstly, people who are away occasionally find themselves in a position to make a few moves; why shoul dthey be prevented from doing this. Secondly, when a person suddenly removes his VF people tend to rush to TO because they forget they have just come back from being away. Being able to move with the VF on allows people some soace in which to catch up with their games first.

Originally posted by belgianfreak
this may be true, but that doesn't mean that you have to be ruthless. All I would advocate is giving your oppo a chance to continue the game if you are still enjoying it.

WHat do you lose by not taking T/O? maybe a few points.
What do you gain by delaying T/O? maybe an enjoyable game of chess, which is why we are here isn't it?

No No, you misunderstand, I agree with you :p

Firstly, why would you want to time anybody out? Surely you don't want to win with a time-out!

Having snooped around a little, there seems to be a few people who are a little too eager to time-out their opponent when they know they are losing. Maybe they should just consider resigning rather than bitching about their competition being too busy to move!!!! Now that's interesting!

I would imagine there is usually a legitimate reason for not making a move.

In summary, I think the controls are adequate and we should show some patience to those that do have commitments. Surely we are here to enjoy a game of chess.