Vacation status - posting in threads

Originally posted by c99ux
Why should I update my profile? It hasn't changed since I joined nearly 2 years ago; I still play for fun but according to the specific time limits of each game. I still take skulls and think that holiday flags (and the current system for using them) get abused.

BUT you can't ignore the flag... you are forced to wait for vacation to end.

P-

Originally posted by c99ux
Why should I update my profile? It hasn't changed since I joined nearly 2 years ago; I still play for fun but according to the specific time limits of each game. I still take skulls and think that holiday flags (and the current system for using them) get abused.

It doesn't sound like you play for fun, considering you are peeved because you can't take skulls of people who have just lost a loved one, and you want to ban them from sharing their troubles with the community.

Doesn't sound like much fun considering you don't want to play out your games, but finish them by TO instead. Change your profile to "Play chess for imaginary rating points. Would prefer a temperary increase in imaginary points to playing out a closely contested chess game."

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
It doesn't sound like you play for fun, considering you are peeved because you can't take skulls of people who have just lost a loved one, and you want to ban them from sharing their troubles with the community.

Doesn't sound like much fun considering you don't want to play out your games, but finish them by TO instead. Change your profile to "Play ch ...[text shortened]... emperary increase in imaginary points to playing out a closely contested chess game."

D

Lulz@!

just noticed some dweeb called GVARD has a couple of open invites up, while hes on VACATION.
now thats what i call taking the piss !

Originally posted by eamon o
just noticed some dweeb called GVARD has a couple of open invites up, while hes on VACATION.
now thats what i call taking the piss !

I hope you brought enough pitch-forks and torches for everyone.

P-

Originally posted by Ragnorak
It doesn't sound like you play for fun, considering you are peeved because you can't take skulls of people who have just lost a loved one, and you want to ban them from sharing their troubles with the community.

Doesn't sound like much fun considering you don't want to play out your games, but finish them by TO instead. Change your profile to "Play ch ...[text shortened]... emperary increase in imaginary points to playing out a closely contested chess game."

D

Oh, I'm not that bad, really. If someone tells me a really good reason why they can't play, then of course I'll not take the skull.

But if someone puts up a vacation flag, then moves in other games and posts drivel in the forums, it's not the same as the situation you've described.

Before taking skulls, I usually have a look to see when they last moved, and what they've recently posted in the forums. If I think that they're ignoring my game without a good reason, I'll take the skull.

Originally posted by c99ux
Oh, I'm not that bad, really. If someone tells me a really good reason why they can't play, then of course I'll not take the skull.

But if someone puts up a vacation flag, then moves in other games and posts drivel in the forums, it's not the same as the situation you've described.

Before taking skulls, I usually have a look to see when they last moved, ...[text shortened]... ms. If I think that they're ignoring my game without a good reason, I'll take the skull.

s99ux
Oh, I'm not that bad, really. If someone tells me a really good reason why they can't play, then of course I'll not take the skull.
"Err, excuse me Mr Random internet stranger, would you mind terribly not timing me out in our game, as you see, err, sorry to be bothering you like this, but I just lost both hands in a knitting accident. I typed this with my nose in case you think I'm simply abusing the vacation flag."

s99ux
But if someone puts up a vacation flag, then moves in other games and posts drivel in the forums
Replace the above with a more serious scenario, and I think a couple of easy moves, and drunken shyte in the forums could be very therapeutic . But maybe the person isn't in the right frame of mind to move in your excellently close game.

You want to be able to compound this man's troubles, prevent him from venting and stop a fun chess game?

35 days is perfect to cover any personal time requirements. If some want to use their time up when they don't really need it, well, that's their risk.

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
s99ux
[b]Oh, I'm not that bad, really. If someone tells me a really good reason why they can't play, then of course I'll not take the skull.
"Err, excuse me Mr Random internet stranger, would you mind terribly not timing me out in our game, as you see, err, sorry to be bothering you like this, but I just lost both hands in a knitting accident. I typ ...[text shortened]... ant to use their time up when they don't really need it, well, that's their risk.

D[/b]

Ragnorak, you've got some good points there. But...

If someone can click his mouse to put up his vacation flag, or to add a post with his nose, and type it with his nose, he can make a move in my game with his nose. And if he's got such troubles that he can't think about my game, then I'm doing him a favour by giving him less games to think about. But that's besides the point: as someone else mentioned, I can't do anything about a vacation flag now, because it means that those games are protected.

I usually start a conversation with my opponents on my first move (unless they start one on their first move); you know, simple stuff like "How's the weather where you are, and is everything OK?" Sometimes I don't get any response, but I will often make further comments when something unusual or spectacular happens (like losing a queen, or a storm in their location). And if they go outside the set time limits, and they move in other games but not in mine, I'll sometimes PM them, just to ask why they don't move in my game.

I don't usually want to claim skulls, and don't usually do it unless I don't get a response from the player in question. In fact, I just checked all the skulled games in my "Skulled" folder, and this is what I saw:

Out of over 1,000 games, I've had 115 timed-out games: there were 68 Clan games (which I should claim); and 29 Tournament games (which are skulled automatically). That means I've only skulled 19 non-competitive games in 2 years.

You, however, have a much better time-out record than I have. From nearly 500 games, you've only won (claimed) 13 Clan timeouts, 23 Tourneys and 4 others, and you've only lost a handful of timed-out games in over 3 years. You can probably claim a couple more skulls in about 13 minutes, but you probably won't.

Yes, you're right, 35 days of vacation can be spent anyhow they like. My point was just that if they say they're "on vacation", they shouldn't be popping into the office to chat up the secretary and drink the coffee.

Originally posted by c99ux
Ragnorak, you've got some good points there. But...

If someone can click his mouse to put up his vacation flag, or to add a post with his nose, and type it with his nose, he can make a move in my game with his nose. And if he's got such troubles that he can't think about my game, then I'm doing him a favour by giving him less games to think about. But that' ...[text shortened]... opping into the office to chat up the secretary and drink the coffee.

You seem to have missed my point somewhat, which was: why should somebody who may have just lost a loved one, come begging to you, laying out their entire sorry tale for you to decide if their case is worth waiting for a few days or not?

As you state in your profile, you take (took) TOs when vacation flag was flying, meaning that if somebody didn't feel like spilling their guts to a random stranger, you would have timed them out, (minutely) adding to their miseries. Now, they can just put up their vacation flag and keep their personal issues private, as it should be.

I find it a lot easier to post drivel in the forums, than moving in some of my games at the best of times. Why do you assume that somebody who is capable of posting crap is in the right state of mind for chess?

I don't see how it could make any sense whatsoever for Russ to ban somebody from his site, because they need protection from TO for a few days. It's just plain ridiculous.

Our current system is good, but I agree with others that for short time control tournaments, clan games and leisure games, the players should be able to agree on that vacation will not be available in that game. As far as I can see, that would make the vacation system totally fair. Of course, vacation should be kept sub only, but at least give non-subs the chance to play an opponent without it.

As for your closing analogy. You've basically hit my nail on the head. My point all along is that this isn't work, it's supposed to be a way we spend our leisure time, and thus all the restrictions you and others want to place on people's usage of the site are total overkill and unnecessary.

D

Last week I put myself on vacation (working away). I was away but had limited access to the internet.

I moved in as many games as I could, but could not move in every game. So as I moved in some, to keep some happy.

I should be taken off vacation, because of that.

Yeah right!!!

Sometimes people put themselves on vacation, because they know that they can't complete their required moves in every game for that period.

Leave as it is.

Originally posted by Ragnorak


"Err, excuse me Mr Random internet stranger, would you mind terribly not timing me out in our game, as you see, err, sorry to be bothering you like this, but I just lost both hands in a knitting accident. I typed this with my nose in case you think I'm simply abusing the vacation flag."
D[/b]

If it was that serious I don't think 35 days would help him much. 😉