BIG BAD WOLF: I had a game the other day where I was unrated and my opponent was in the 1100 to 1200 range. After I won the game my rating went up 0 points to 1700+ and theres went down 0 points! How does this happen? I dont really car much about ratings either, but when I win I like them to go up. Is there any way to find out before a game starts or to not play in games where your score for winning has no chance to go up, or go up by less than a point? It doesnt make much sense to play a game where your rating can only go down or remain the same. I would still play with somepeople who are friends or whatever, but I could make the games unrated at least.

Stevie: ....and I thought you were a mod/do gooder!

red dragon: He asked for help from Fencer about him being banned on a board where you are moderator. You felt the need to pipe in and tell him that changing his name might help his situation. Just doesnt sound right to me, thats all.

If you dont think that moderators, including yourself, dont allow any personal opinions to influence your moderating decisions, then you need to rethink your capacity to be a moderator in the first place. IMHO.

red dragon: As a moderator of general chat, your personal opinion can have a great deal of influence over your moderating decisions. It sounded like you were telling antichrist that a name change might help in his situation of being banned on general chat board. I dont think moderating decisions should be influenced by a name that a person chooses to use, especially since the names are already approved by Fencer and/or his staff. And even though you stated it was your 'personal' opinion, it is still advice from a moderator of a board he is banned from. You cannot respond to a person looking for advice about a moderating decision on a board in which you are a moderator and claim that your advice was purley 'personal'. IMHO.

wayney: Pretty good for a newbie LJ

sLaMdAnCe: I dont think moderators are allowed to moderate Fencers posts? Besides, even if they can, I dont think any of them would, as he is the site owner, and it might not go over too well. Plus I think Fencer could just over ride anything they did anyway, so I dont think they want to waste their time :)

Finally!!!! A moderator.... just when I was thinking about making Sundays my day to wreck havok! Oh well :(

pauloaguia: Yeah, and your point is?

sLaMdAnCe: You may have never personally paid for your membership, but you are still a paying member, and deserve the same rights as all other paying members

Pedro Martínez: WOW! Brutal! Does it really matter where the money comes from to pay our memberships? A paid member is a paid member.... have had people pay my membership from winning a bet, had I lost I would have paid for theirs. It shouldnt diminish my membership status because the actual money didnt come from my address, how do you know that someone might owe me money when they send a check in to pay for a membership?

Purple: r u saying that it was easier for god to create the universe than to fix a fellowship bug? ;)~

Stevie: Just a comment to Purple, nothing for you to get your panties in a bunch over....

Purple: It has been 3 days now...

red dragon: As a moderator of general chat, your personal opinion can have a great deal of influence over your moderating decisions. It sounded like you were telling antichrist that a name change might help in his situation of being banned on general chat board. I dont think moderating decisions should be influenced by a name that a person chooses to use, especially since the names are already approved by Fencer and/or his staff. And even though you stated it was your 'personal' opinion, it is still advice from a moderator of a board he is banned from. You cannot respond to a person looking for advice about a moderating decision on a board in which you are a moderator and claim that your advice was purley 'personal'. IMHO.

red dragon: I thought that IDs were approved by the brainking staff? Why would your personal opinion of an ID get someone banned if that ID was already approved by Fencer et al.?

ANTICHRIST: Why are you speaking English on a Czech site?

ANTICHRIST: All the locomotion, since you asked, is it is a Czech tournament created by a Czech for Czech players only..... why then promote it on the English speaking version of brainking news? Of what importance is it to anyone who is not Czech?????

Not to worry, I have taken the server news off of my main page for now, so not to be bothered by it anymore :)

Luisifer: I see there are 3 people in the tournament without zech flags? Is that acceptable?

ughaibu: :)

Tulip: uhhhhh.... see below where I updated it to ask for all countrys ;)

Tulip: Sure the percentage of all different countrys represented on this site please?

What is the percentage of members (paying and non paying) who are Czech and those who are American? Does anybody know or know how to find out easily?

pauloaguia: Thanks! I guess I was more curious as to why nobody was bothered by it, as I have seen far less sensative subject matter get tons of complaints and comments....

BIG BAD WOLF: My opinion is that it doesnt matter what Fencer does on this site, weather it is racist or not, I dont care. But it still doesnt make it not racist and I was curious of others opinions of this action. I am just pointing this out for discussion, you know, that freedom of speach thingy ? I mean how is pointing out facts causing trouble???? Just cause it isnt pleasant for everyone to think about? Or just because it happens to be our fearless leader? You Libs out there dont mind bashing the president of our country, but make one comment deemed negative about the owner of a web site... and look out!

BuilderQ: It does mention them with a link to their names, does that really matter?

baddessi: It is not the tournament which I am propossing as racist..... I am pointing out for discussion the possibility that the recognition of 13 Czech members for their contribution of $45.00 in the server news at the exclusion of many others who have contributed more, and to promote in the server news a tournament which has limited membership appeal, is at least inappropriate, and at its worst an act of racism.

(this is just an attempt to stimulate discussion, and not my personal opinion :)

Of course I am only playing the 'devils advocate' here. As many know who have discussions with me in politics boards, I disagree with political correctness and all its trimmings. I am for individual freedoms. But it surprises me that the many good liberals on this site who champion socialism and equality among all above all else, have not come forward with your own complaints..... your views would be far more compelling if you werent so afraid to voice them in all circumstances!

Also curious that it was a tournament for only Czech members yet it was worthy for all on brainking to be informed. It could have easily been posted to the Czech version without bothering those of us who are not Czech.

Bry.... atleast you were able to find one good example, you only had to go back a year or two :) At least that example it was actually an issue for all of Brainking and not just one particular race.

Purple: I understand that. I am sure those Czech players did not donate for the public gratitude either. It just seems curious that because they all are Czech and the site creator is Czech, that they should recieve public gratitude that others who have donated more have not recieved.

Obviously the quick brush off by Fencer gives some credit to this charge of 'racism'

Bry: I dont think of it as racist..... but my beef is that by the site creator making a public comment of 'endless gratitude' for those Czech players who donated $44.00 U.S. to Brainking, yet we have never seen such public gratitude for others, many who have surly given far more than that sum, that appears to me as a bit racist.

Niki: Ohhhh thanks! That is hardly $13,000 dollars now is it! Actually it is less than $45 dollars donation per person. I wonder who has given the most money to Brainking for memberships? I am sure there must be many more people who deserve "endless gratitude" if all it takes is a $45 dollar donation?

Dont get me wrong.... it is far more than I will likely ever give, but what about all the other people who have given their hard earned money in donation to Brainking and never recieved any recognition in the server news for 'endless gratitude'? I may be wrong (again) but it seems like there are probably many people who deserve such an honor wo have pledged far more money to Brainking?

Now I see it says $13,000 not $15,000 and it is "membership value" whatever that means... It still sounds like you got $13,000 though... maybe you will clairify this for me/us?

Fencer: Whoops! My bad! I thought the server news said that $15,000 had been given to Brainking in exchange for a membership! That would certainly help buy that new server..... I guess I just misread the news or something, sorry :)

WOW! $15,000! Thats a lot of cash!

Sounds like that new server should not be a problem to obtain now! Woooo Whoooo!

Tulip: I dont think anybody disagrees with autovacation to kick in when we are not online here. But Stevies point is ( and many agree) that if you are online here autovacation option should not be kicked in for you. Now if you should have a day set as a vacation day and happen to still get online, then your vacation day should still be used if needed.

Fencer: I guess that is your way of saying something weird is going on? Take your time, only curious :)

Is something weird going on? A pond game was due to be ready for a new turn 1 hour and 40 minutes ago, and for some reason wont go into the games waiting to be played ?

Daniel Snyder: Thanks. Does the size matter?

Will someone help me to get this picture into my fellowship please?

http://www.crossstitchkeepsakes.com/images/ED-CS01_Bee_Hive.jpg

you would be wrong ;)

ughaibu: LOL, nothing is impossible Ug!

hy do always get doubles in anti backgammon and hardly ever in regular gammon?

Right thats the crux of the problem. Even if you make it ok to use a program as long as you tell people, what is to keep someone from using them without telling???? The only solution is to allow them and assume they are being used in every game, and plaY OTB ELSWHERE IF YOU WANT A GAME that doesnt use programs.

ughaibu: I hope they wouldnt waste their time, I was just pointing out tha it is possible thats all :)

reza: Well, like Stevie said, we may as well just trash the whole user agreement, as what kind of site would it be if some of the rules are enforced and others are not? The only people who are likely to play against a cheater are other cheaters. I think it would probably be good in this case to amend the user agreement to allow programs since they are obviously being used anyway, and the only people who are going to be hurt right now are those that admit to it, and it seems like you and others think it is the person who admits it swho should stay anyway!

Harley, you also said something the other day about the dice not being rigged at all on this site or possible either. I know on a gambling site for real money hackers had figured out how to see the hands of all the other players. If thety canj do that on a secure site where real money changes hands, then dont know how you can be so posative that nobody could hack this site to rig the dice?

harley: I am sure Ed has said he doesnt use programs here because of fear he will not be allowed on this site, as it is against the user agreement to do so. But it seems that the common concesious is that on any turn based site, there are people who are going to use programs and since you never know who is and isnt, it is safer just to use them yourself, and if there are people using programs I am sure that Ed would not have an unblemished record playing against a program without any help himself.

reza: It is used to define terms and condition of use for that site. Although a site owner can keep anyone from using their site for any reason or no reason at all, this gives some guidelines to help be consistant in restricting the use to certain users.

reza: Im not sure if that is a trick question? The user agreement is a contract between the site and the user of the site that the user agrees to certain terms and conditions or forfiets their right to use of that site.

reza: Whoops! Sorry Ed! Maybe it is worth 500 bucks for him to find out who has the 2nd best cheating machine on this site?