The fact of the matter is no matter how sophisticated the methods of detecting cheats becomes, when you build a better mousetrap the mice get smarter too!
The one best deterrent I can think of which would cost Russ nothing and actually radically improve the site would be to raise the costs of subscription. I know this will be criticised and deemed unpopular, but think about it, how many people are really prepared to pay say $100 a year to run an engine here?
I think it would at once deter a lot of people, the existing cheats would think twice about signing up for another year and it would encourage those that want to play against real people to sign up.
I suppose it would depend how seriously you take your chess, as to how much you'd be willing to pay.
I've just had my first top3 in a OTB tournament in over 20 years (mind you I stopped playing tournaments for 18 of those!) and I put that down to sharpening my game by playing more games here, but I do often find it hard to make the time and chess is not my only vice.
How about organising meets from time to time in regional areas? I know it would be immensly difficult but surely with such a huge user base a few hardy individuals could turn up - something I think could make for quite a fun weekend.
Somehow I cannot see many wanting to pay $100 though and a much cheaper way would be to go down the 'what dll's are running on your PC' route. Or as I have said in another forum, webcams.
Originally posted by derek9037 I suppose it would depend how seriously you take your chess, as to how much you'd be willing to pay.
I've just had my first top3 in a OTB tournament in over 20 years (mind you I stopped playing tournaments for 18 of those!) and I put that down to sharpening my game by playing more games here, but I do often find it hard to make the time and chess is ...[text shortened]... n the 'what dll's are running on your PC' route. Or as I have said in another forum, webcams.
That's a really interesting, though mostly unrelated idea. I think it'd be really cool to have RHP OTB tournaments in various regions. We'd get to meet one another, and play some chess in a friendly environment. It would be open to everyone, not just RHP players, but it would be heavily advertised here.
Originally posted by ark13 That's a really interesting, though mostly unrelated idea. I think it'd be really cool to have RHP OTB tournaments in various regions. We'd get to meet one another, and play some chess in a friendly environment. It would be open to everyone, not just RHP players, but it would be heavily advertised here.
I actually think this OTB idea deserves a thread of its own. Not a bad idea actually. Still use Corsican Scoring as on RHP?
I can see the point of a high subscription fee, but I also see myself no longer being a subscriber for simply economic reasons. But as mentioned the idea would meet with much debate and such.
Originally posted by Exy The BEST cheat deterrent...
A BIG stick should do the trick 😛
In serious response to your post. People will pay much more than $100 p/a to have their egos stroked. It'd not be good business sense for Russ to price this site out of the market.
It's not a huge amount of money for someone in employment in Europe or the USA, no, but there are a lot of students, retired people and people from poor countries on this site. It would almost certainly greatly reduce the number of subscribers, but it just speculative to assume that relatively fewer (percentage wise) of the remaining subscribers would be computer cheats.
Originally posted by Exy $100 = £55 - is that really too much to ask to play unlimited chess online for a year? The increase would cover the drop in subscription overall.
$100 = 55 over there (how do you do that Pound symbol?).. but..
CAD=130..
I think most would just go to another chess site if it costs that much.
Quite frankly I couldn't afford it at all, and there are other sites far more affordable.
While I know cheating is a big problem. It is quite evident (from the amount of 1400 and under players) that not everyone cheats. To send a price tag that high to play a game online (or several, point is that it is still a game) would be asking to much. The best solution I have seen is the game mods, and for those that have the knowledge of how the engines work and detecting cheaters, to handle the situation. Keep the members informed of what progress has been made, Not necessarily with public naming, but a basic stats sheet. I am certain that who has been banned will get figured out without a public naming.
I still appreciate the efforts getting done by the game mods, and some sort of proof given that something is getting done. I just can't see the point of punishing those who can't afford a price increase that high to play the game, just to discourage cheaters.
Originally posted by Exy The fact of the matter is no matter how sophisticated the methods of detecting cheats becomes, when you build a better mousetrap the mice get smarter too!
The one best deterrent I can think of which would cost Russ nothing and actually radically improve the site would be to raise the costs of subscription. I know this will be criticised and deemed unpopular, ...[text shortened]... and it would encourage those that want to play against real people to sign up.
Any thoughts?
It might even encourage cheats. If the site cost $100 and anyone still played here, there would be very few subscribers and everyone would just get illegal multiple non-sub accounts. These wouldnt cost anything and most of them wouldnt even have a reputation to uphold, so there would be no consequences. Plenty of people will pay $30 for all the chess they want, but triple that and suddenly it isn't worth the money, most people would either move to another site, or break the rules and make multiple accounts. It would increase the overall % of dishonest users.
Originally posted by derek9037 Somehow I cannot see many wanting to pay $100 though and a much cheaper way would be to go down the 'what dll's are running on your PC' route. Or as I have said in another forum, webcams.
I've heard this argument a few times but there are a couple things wrong with it that immediately spring to mind. Firstly, I myself, don't have any dll's on my machine and there are a significant number of people who also don't have any.
Secondly, any form of "spyware" running on your PC is going to have no effect if you happen to be running your engine on a laptop sitting next to your PC.
The BEST cheat deterrent...
03 Sep '05 12:341 edit
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