Winboard Forum

hi everyone,
not to well today.i woke up this morning to find that my
computer account on fics has been locked out.
my flagrent,hidious,and down right dasterdly crime?
i change engines,arrg!!
i have been doing this for many years,
no one has ever complained.
exept thobjo an admin on yesterday.
out of the blue,bamm,siliconc is gone.
please read my email to abuse@freechess.org posted below.
think it will help?
and please dont hate me for being an engine changer.
regards
mike

dear abuse,
my handle is minnehaha.
my computer account is siliconc.please note i have had these accounts for
several years or more.
yesterday nov 29th an admin;ThoBjo complained to me that my computer account had
changed engines and i had to reapply for a new account.
he kept refering to computer_app as his source,and authority.
this is computer_app.

If you want to have a computer account, please send an e-mail to
computers@freechess.org with ALL of the following info (please use this as
a form):

Full name:
FICS Handle:
EICS Handle: <optional>
Requested Handle: (must be available)
Engine name:
Programmer:
Hardware:
Software:
Variant suported:
Manual or Automatic operation:
Login times:
Estimated rating:
Main time control and variant:
Reason for having a computer account:

Be sure to read the "computers" help file for the guidelines of a
computer

please not this is the proccess for registering.
these are not rules for once your on.
thobjo said i had to use sos as that is the program i registered.
i believe when i registered i said i would be using
newer crafty's,yace,lg2000,anmon,pharaon etc...
just as in my fingernotes for siliconc.
so i went to fics website to check computer help file.
this posted below.
computers

Computers may register and play rated chess matches. However, computers
playing rated games are required to be registered so that users can know
whether they are playing against humans or computers. Using an unregistered
computer to play rated chess matches on this server is considered to be
abusive behavior; see etiquette.

In order to register a computer, contact Binford (the admin who handles this
procedure). Message Binford with information about the computer's software,
hardware and requested handle. The review process usually takes a few days.
You will be contacted about your request.

To see a list of computers registered on the server, type
"=computer";
details about these accounts are given in "help computerlist".
Computers are
designated on "who" lists by (C).

Special Notes:

(a) Server admins reserve the right to limit the number of computer accounts
registered on the server and may seek to ensure a wide range of playing
strength of these accounts.

(b) Computer accounts that want to be open for challenges for suicide chess
games need to do the following: have the 'f1' formula variable set to
"suicide" (with no extra spaces of any kind); you need not use 'f1' as
part of
the 'formula' setting. Computer accounts without 'f1' set to
"suicide" will
have challenges for suicide chess declined automatically.

(c) Computer accounts may not play in mamer tournaments.

(d) If computer account is not used for more than 6 months it may be removed
WITHOUT any warning. We want the computers on the server to be active.

(e) Computers should always keep information about hardware/software in
finger notes.

i also checked the abuse help file,see below.

The goal of the chess server is to provide a means for users to play
legitimate chess games on the internet. From time to time, a particular user
might intentionally act in ways to inflate or deflate ratings, or not play
games in a legitimate fashion. These users will be subject to penalties.
Penalties may include being placed on the "abuser" list, being
prevented from
playing rated games, or being banned from the server.

There are various kinds of abuse that can result in someone being penalized;
among them are ...

(a) intentionally resigning or playing poorly in order to lose a chess match
and thereby inflate another user's rating or deflate your own;
(b) allowing a user to intentionally lose or resign games with you (you are
not responsible if a user does this to you once, but don't let that user
do it to you twice);
(c) repeatedly playing a computer when that computer hangs and loses on time
within a few moves, hence inflating your own rating in the process.
(d) agreeing in advance regarding a chess match's outcome (other than abort
for training purposes);
(e) using a chess computer to play a rated match without having the account
registered as a computer;
(f) registering as a "blindfold" account but using a board while
playing
(blindfold accounts must use style 9, by the way);
(g) letting other people play rated matches using your registered account;
(h) receiving suggestions about moves from a person, book or computer while
you are playing a match;
(i) intentionally disconnecting from the server in order to analyze the game
and resume playing it later;
(j) intentionally disconnecting from the server in order to avoid losing a
match;
(k) having more than one regular, registered account (duplicate accounts are
allowed for special purposes only, such as an additional computer, team
or blindfold account);
(l) playing rated games against computer accounts one owns or controls. This
applies to all chess variants, including bughouse.
(m) repeating moves against a computer to achieve a winning or won game more
than 3 times.
all during the time i was having this disscussion with thobjo
computers and humans were challenging me and playing siliconc.
anyway i go off to bed and when i wake up this morning i find
that thobjo has locked out my siliconc account.
please note that siliconc has never to my knowledge had any complaints
lodged agianst it from human or computer accounts.
i change engines frequently as do others.
i keep my finger notes updated.
i have upgraded my computer from a 433 mhz celron to a 2.53 ghz celron D.this is
noted in my fingernotes also.

1: thinker46c
2: 2.53 ghz celeron D,533 mhz frontside bus
3: newer crafty's,yace,lg2000,anmon,pharaon etc...
4: 3/4 megtb,windowsxp
5: run by minnehaha,skoony2@juno.com
6: open to all
7: 64 to 96 mb hash,or as close as applicable.
8: old machine,433 mhz celeron,196 mb ram,66 mhz bus
9: 20 minuts or less,inc 25 sec or less please
10: craftybh compiled by b. hofmann for
\ p4,http://home.earthlink.net/~bkhofmann/
i also have been a member on c.c.c.and poster on winboard forum
for many years and i am unaware of changing engines to be a problem.
people do it all the time.
and please note agian that i have never recieved any complaints from other users
on fics.
the only one to complain was thobjo yesterday.
and he locked out siliconc.
this seams to very arbitrary.
judge,jury,and exicutioner.
is this the proper process for handling this?
please revue the status of siliconc as it has given me,and
apparently others much enjoyment over the years.
regards
michael schoonover
minnehaha on fics

It can be worse. The Baron (COMPbaron) was locked because it was improved over the years and clearly no 2000 level anymore. I didn't receive a response on my complaint and decided to turn my back on FICS.
Richard.

The main logical reason of banning an account that keeps changing engines, is that it messes up the ratings of other users:

If the computer has a very high rating (compared to the human's rating) and it just changed to a weaker engine, the chance of a weaker human beating it and getting a rating of 'Oh wheee i just beatted this' supper conputter, my ratting willl go teh up' is very high: confusion.

In the inverse case, If the computer has a very low rating (compared to the human's rating) and it just changed to a stronger engine, the chance of a strong human losing to it and getting a rating of 'It is not possible, I been working very hard the last 20 years and this low quality computer account that has lost a great amount of games has won against me! I must be having a nightmare!' is very high: More confusion.

Aside from that, and if you had your account for several years, I see no reason for locking it.

Your best bet is just opening another account, emailing computers@freechess.org with the information on your post.

"please not this is the proccess for registering.
these are not rules for once your on."

They are now, I just got the account Yenetyc(C) that way, they created it two weeks after I asked for it, so there's hope.

Though you must be patient and forget about the siliconc account (I think it is gone), and if they don't want you to have a computer account, maybe you'll say adios to your minnehaha account too. But there is hope.

I hope I helped.

hi Ulysses
ratings confusion only results with deliberate attempts
to inflate or deflate ratings by sandbagging or throwing
games,or changing engines with vastly different strengths.
usually in colluision with others.
in other words cheating.
i have always maintained my finger notes,stating hardware and engine.
one just had to look.
i always ran best of class any way.
regards
mike

Hullo skoony,

What I was trying to say is that, for example, if you are using Shredder 8 in your computer account for say, 2 years, you'd get a very high rating.

Then if you suddenly change to enter manually the moves played by old Battle Chess, it will cause confusion as n00bs can beat it and get a higher rating.

That is the main idea of the anti-changing-engine school (I think), and I didn't mean that you did it, or that you did something similar, I was just trying to make sense.

See you in the future.

The problem for many is the fact that while you may have documented in your finger file that you run engine X & Y & Z, I have no idea which engine matched me unless I am sitting at the console and finger your account. This creates a problem for folks like myself who run beta engines on line for testing and have no idea what engine they have played against. A vast majority of computer accounts are abusive by swapping engines to gain a higher rating (why is beyond me as a ratting and $2.00 will get you a cup of coffee) on FICS, I do admit your account was the only one I have seen that actually took the time to update the finger file with the engine that was running but the problem still exist of not knowing what engine was played unless the operator was sitting at the keyboard and preformed and finger on your account.

I just want to close by stating this is not an attack on you I am just pointing out a issue that arises when this happens and could be a reason for the lock out as I have seen this happen several times. Good luck with your quest with the FICS admins.


Bryan

hi brian.
i can see your point.
it is kind of a hassle.
if i get back on,drop me a message and we'll set up a match if you want to do some testing.
by the way i got your compile of crafty1917 i believe.
good work.
regards
mike

hi all, recieved a response from abue@free chess.org.
it was what was expected i suppose.
here is there respnce and my reply.
regards
mike

Please note that ThoBjo was correct in referring you to that file.
If you read it, it clearly notes that more info can be found by checking
the "Computers" helpfile.
It didn't direct you to the web (some of those files are actually needing
to be re-updated).
Regardless, to view any helpfile that you are referred to on FICS itself,
simply type: help <helpfile name>. In this case: help Computers
In that file, pay special attention to note a).
Once you read through that, you will understand the problem and you can
then follow the requirements for getting it solved.
The computer_app file itself is the end solution because in order to change
engines you MUST apply for permission to use that particular
engine. Permission MUST be granted and noted in your file. As it stands,
the only engine you have applied for and received permission to use is: "To

run SOS winboard engine - to play blitz." which was noted when you were
granted the account in the first place.
Once you familiarize yourself with the rules, you will need to contact
Computers(*) to get approved for another engine, if you so wish.

abuse(*)
please note in my application i said;newer craftys,phraons,anmons etc.. .
besides note i have not recieved any complaints by regular or computer
accounts.
i have been switching engines since day one,and i have been on fics a long
time.
the randomness of enforcment is pathetic.
all sorts of computer accounts do what they want if there friends of admins.
besides the removal process is flawed.
thobjo is the only,and i mean only one to mention anything to me ever.
and to be judge,jury and exicutioner all in a day is not the way to
go.
there should be a process involved in this.
i've been around the net and am hearing very disturbing stories about fics
admins and there dicriminatory behavior regarding what they
enforce and who they enforce it against.
this is very diturbing to me as a long time fics user never having any
complaints filed against me.
if the rules are going to enforced in anyway the admins see fit.
then enforce them against everyone.
or perhaps they should at least wait until there are complaints,and use a fair
process to arbitrate the situation.
regards
mike schoonover
minnehaha
siliconc.

hi all,
i have'nt recieved a responce to my 2nd amail so i decided to send
abuse another inquiry,posted below.
regards
mike

to:abuse@freechess.org
from:skoony2@juno.com
siliconc
minnehaha
mike schoonover

dear abuse,
having not heard anything
concerning re-instatement of siliconc i thought i would
re-contact you.
i am requesting that my case be arbertrated by someone unbiased
in the fics organasation.
certainly not by an online admin who's sole descretion
allows him to be judge,jury,and exicutioner in less than a day.

i am offering you an oppertunity and avenue for you to reconsider
a rather harsh an arbtitary decision.
quite frankly i am confused.
my research indicates there are very many comp accounts
on fics that change engines more freaquently than i fart.
they say so in there fingernotes.
having been a member in good standing for many years ,without
any standing complaints from regular users,humans,and computer,
i am dumbfouded as to how a rookie admin has the sole authority
to lock out my computer account without so much as a fair
hearing amoung my peers.
my primary concern is that the rules are not being enforced
across the board,only on the whim,and i mean whim,of online admins
who quite frankly power trip.
just check the fingernotes of the comp accounts,most of them dont realize you
have to email every time you switch engines.

also please note i have never filed a complaint against comp accounts that
abused my comp account.that is what noplay is for.

i am hoping to hear back from you soon.

respectfully submitted,
michael schoonover