Justaminute:
actually it would be quite easy to program, but there are other easy-to-program things that are not implemented on this site :(

Hrqls:
a draw cannot be claimed on this site, it can only be offered.
you have to agree on the draw to be performed

just decline the draw and continue the game while having a cheerful chat about the rules of a draw?

Actually not correct. Where normal rules of chess apply the game is draw when there is a three fold repetition of a position and a player claims it. The issue is that Brainking does not automatically recognise it (it would be very complex to programme I imagine) but the rules on the site advise you can appeal for arbitration. Ideally of course this is settled between the players.

Hrqls: I was the opponent in question. I actually think this is a matter for the chess board not the brainking board but no matter. The fact is that I offered a draw at the time we repeated the move for the third time (fourth actually). I didn't write a message saying that it was a three move repetition, I just assumed thisbeme was aware of the fact we had repeated three times and the game was a draw. My opponent then played on with a different move. I then repeated the draw offer advising acceptance was not optional and I would appeal to the arbitrator if he did not accept. I can only assume thisbeme did not notice the offer I made on the third repetition. I now realise brainking does not record draw offers on the moves visable to the players so I was unable to prove I had made the offer on the third repetition of position. My advise is write a message when are claiming a draw when you make a three move repetition so there is an audit trail in the event if a situation like this.

thisbeme: maybe your opponent didnt understand the rules of chess in detail and he wasnt trying to exploit you?

a draw cannot be claimed on this site, it can only be offered.
you have to agree on the draw to be performed

just decline the draw and continue the game while having a cheerful chat about the rules of a draw?

thisbeme: game number?

A draw was incorrectly claimed by my opponent.
According to fide laws a player must claim a draw at the time. At the time the draw was adjudicated the claimed of repetition wasn't valid as I had deviated from the repetition prior to the claim.
Also poor form from my opponent as I explained that it was an invalid claim and they are exploiting someone who doesn't understand the rules of chess!!!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's been nothing since shortly after I signed up initially last October - it probably was at Christmas time I saw them, as beach suggested. Maybe I'll renew for 6 months and see if any come up again - might be wise anyway if traffic really is slowing down. Although I'm not noticing it that much, and still enjoy it here, so if the right incentive showing up now or at the end of the year will probably bring me back for a while.

There was nothing at Easter time as usually has been

Carpe Diem: probably won't see one here until maybe Christmas time, they usually only happen twice a year

Have I been missing these, or has there not been one in a long time? I'm up for renewal soon, and was hoping I'd see a code at some point...

if anyone thinks they are modded unfairly on this board, please contact me

i allow a lot more than the previous mod on this board, and hope to be fair and honest to everyone

this post is not to start a discussion, just to ask you to send me a pm if you think you are being modded unfairly on this board

Carpe Diem: I am speaking from personal experience. I was frustrated with this site when it was not working some time ago Fencer deemed me as a complainer when I posted on here.

crosseyed: I'm not sure what you mean - I've seen dozens of complaints on this board, so I would say there definitely is some tolerance of criticism.

JerNYC: Ahem tolerant . There are enough moderators on these boards that would have removed any unacceptable complains.

ellieoop: No idea

The most involved owner that I've seen on any of the sites would have to be 'Badger' on GT. It's not just a business venture for her, but more of a labor of love. Very active on the discussion boards and always working with the main programmer to develop new games. She's on a personal basis with many of the members. After her, I would say that Fencer is the second most involved owner. The rest of the sites (including IYT) seem to have no input or presence whatsoever from their owners.

I will say this of Fencer, though, he does seem to be very tolerant of criticism. There are very public complaints on here that would be moderated elsewhere.

The Col: is Pat Chu still running IYT?

crosseyed: This reminds me of Chu and IYT
Maybe the owners eventually feel all the bs isn't worth the return

crosseyed: did anyone ever seriously approach Fencer about giving control of the site to someone else? Selling the site, or even just having someone else administer it? If he doesn't care too much, he might be ok with either?

crosseyed:

blackviper55: That is a pity, for as games site go in my opinion this is the best site to play in. I just wish the owner would take more interest in his game site. I know he thinks I am complainer, but in the past I have been frustrated when the site was playing up. Players should be allowed to speak up (so to speak) if they are not happy with the service they get, without being a accused of complaining. I still think this is the best site to play in regarding layout, graphics etc.

yes i am going once all my games are done

ketchuplover: I think 200 of those hail from Tennessee lol

pawns active just on Sept 13 2013 so far.

ketchuplover: What about the number of active pawns?

ketchuplover: yeah I think people are getting sick of this site and arent renewing any longer :(

377 paying members active after Sept 5 2013

Fencer: Yes they were in a Spam folder, funny it should start doing that after 3 years, all ok now.

_Road Runner___: The server log says that 6469 emails were sent in last 2 days. Are you sure that yours are not blocked by an anti spam filter or something?
Anyway, BrainKing just sends emails, it cannot guarantee that they are actually delivered.

I haven't been getting emails when people move when im offline since the recent problem

hmmmmmmmm....see what happens when you dont pay the bills - All my "events" messages have dissapeared -

JerNYC: bots and software is always a problem on a game site ... not just for new players .. for example i could start using some chess software as well, and just claim i got more time to think about my moves to clarify my raise in ranking (if i would ever raise :))

for new players something else might happen: some people tend to finish winning games first, beore they finish the games in which they seem to lose .. this tends to a higher ranking for new players and a high win/loss ratio at first

(also games which you are winning usually require less effort and will be finished faster from your side, than games which you might be losing in which you have to think about every move several times)

JerNYC: I just don't see the benefit. Do people actually turn down a lot of games with higher rated players? It's not like you can get hurt too badly by playing players rated much higher than you - it's usually to your benefit to do so. If you lose, you lose very little (or nothing) in rating points, and if you win, the gain can be huge. 

crosseyed: I'm a skeptical person. I don't take everything at face value. I've just seen this happen a few times already where a new handle appears out of nowhere and wipes everyone off the board without so much as a loss. Yes, I find that a little weird. I tend to think it's an advanced player who has concealed their known handle and their abilities in order to attract fresh meat. As far as cheating, it's already known that people do use software. I know on one site where there are bots that are programmed to play games.

crosseyed: agreed :)

Bernice: Sounds like sour grapes to me.

JerNYC: If there was a farm or a million dollars etc on the game I would worry, but I could care less - if they have to use special software to be good - good luck to them :)

when a new player shows up and absolutely demolishes the competition? Especially when you don't recognize their name from any other sites. I always wonder if it's a previously top ranked player who created a new handle because it was probably hard for them to get new games. Then, you also have to question if they're possibly using a special software. Just wondering if there are other suspicious minds out there. (Elvis song pun intended :D)

ketchuplover:

Dano

rabbitoid: Dano has probably been around more than any of you have been aware of. I don't see him to be that much of a bother on the boards.. although, I haven't had time to read the boards.. 

Walter Montego: Thank's a lot for your follow up Walter. Nice to know. I think I can live with it.

speachless: The history of auto-pass on this site is a turbulent one, to say the least. Even Backgammon itself has had much troubles. As for admins, you mean Fencer, whose name is Filip, but goes by Fencer. I believe quite some time ago after Backgammon had been added to the site there was much discussion about adding an auto-pass feature. Somehow the members that oppose using it persuaded Fencer to allow them to turn it off even if they joined a game created with it. I do not follow their arguments for being against auto-pass in the first place, but this compromise such as it is is something I think is a major flaw in the playing of Backgammon. But it is as it is. There was once a time when Fencer stated emphatically that there would never be an auto-pass feature. This was when I stopped playing Backgammon completely about seven years ago. I started again a couple of years ago as there is now a auto-pass, flawed it may be and quite useless for the most part in matches with the double cube, but there it is.

Bernice: yes, to the web-administrators... if there are any.

speachless: admins??

Walter Montego: i agree with you, if the creator of a game turns autopass on it shouldn't be possible to turn it off. but this wasn't my issue actually, opponent and me as well had both autopass turned on for the affected games. but the problem seamed to be a temporary problem, it didn't happen again today... so everything is fine.

did you already propose your idea to the admins?

speachless: I have had problems with auto-pass on occasion. It would just stop working in a game that both players had used it in earlier. As I play many more games in matches using the double cube, it is something that doesn't come up very often as the opponent, even with three pieces on the bar, still get sent a option to offer a double. It does come up very rarely in the Crawford Round, and in some cases where I have the double cube and my opponent still has to click the enter move button.

I would still like to have the auto-pass feature as one the cannot be shut off by your opponent or yourself if the game was created with it in use. If you don't like the auto-pass, then don't join a game that has it.

hi all
the last 24 hours i'm having auto pass issues on different games against different players, it means even if the opponent can't make a move, he has to confirm the pass... is there anyone else that has the same issue on games with active auto pass? there is no doubling in the affected games...

Pedro Martínez: he is not banned or hidden on this board

rabbitoid: Dano is around, but I think he was banned from all DBs.