Re: [XBoard-devel] Bundling WinBoard 4.4

[h.g. muller]

At 14:40 17-4-2009 +0200, Daniel Mehrmann wrote:
> Hi !
>
> I fully agree with Tim here !
>
> Xboard is a part of the large GNU-Project and that shouldn't be ignored. 
> The maintask of X-/Winboard is still playing chess over the internet and 
> viewing games.

Hi Daniel! Good to see you here!

I don't think that I denied that, but if that is the case, why include a 
chess engine at all?
The question of what engine(s) best to include only depends on the fraction 
of users
that want to use a chess engine, no matter how small that fraction is.

So the question is: what kind of users are this, and what do they typically 
want to use
the engine for. Do they want to analyze games from file or ICS with it? Do 
they want to
play it against itself or other engines and watch and learn? Do they want 
to play against
it by themselves? If so, what level would they prefer? I think these are 
very valid questions.

I think taking the stance "we are GNU, so we must push whatever other GNU 
product,
no matter what" is a good idea. Quality and service should be the guiding 
principles.


> It might be hurts X-/Winboard if people starts developing on X-/Winboard 
> with the own only focus on "computerchess" and all related topics with 
> that. You're guys losing the view, the reality, how and why Xboard is used 
> today from ten-thousands of people out there.

Still the wrong question. We should ask why it is NOT used by millions of 
people out there.
If ICS users are our principle market, we are losing big there to Dasher 
and BabasChess.
Virtually no ICS user would consider WinBoard a serious ICS interface as 
long as it
would not implement a seek graph, and you have to type "tell JohnDoe" for 
every sentence
you want to communicate.

But the main point is that nothing I proposed in any way would degrade the 
attractiveness
of X/WinBoard for ICS users. Of course the bundle would contain 
timestamp.exe and
timeseal.exe, and shortcuts to logon to ICC and FICS. The Gold Pack has 
those too.
It even provides a zippy shortcut.

> At least i like the idea of an additional installer over the net :)
>
> Best,
> Daniel