[uday]

Quote

I guess that makes us tourists. But why should we pay?

No reason at all. This is why BBO exists, to make sure that people like us can come and play and watch vugraph for free.

Yes, some clubs charge more, and believe they deliver value for the dollar (jokes via email, pls). More power to them; if they make money, we (bbo) make money.

We hope we're not pressuring anyone to buy bbo$.

[Walddk]

It looks like everyone who has contributed to this thread is supportive of vugraph broadcasts - as many as possible even. Well, hardly a surprise when you look at how many spectators we get.

In this context I would like to draw your attention to our new look vugraph schedule page at

http://online.bridge...ph/schedule.php?

All times are local for you now, and you can also choose to get the list by event. I like the design very much. Full credit to Gerardo who is the man behind all this. Great job Gerardo!

The other day I got an e-mail from one of our members. It read:

"I think this is such a great improvement. As a token of my appreciation I have just bought 50 BBO$".

That's one way of paying for vugraph. Wayne (sceptic) has a similar way of doing it (playing pay tourneys). I have a 3rd: selling Fred's software at my bridge centre. This is all we can do for the time being, since Fred and Uday want to keep this site, vugraph included, 100% free for all who want it that way.

Speaking of sceptic: You may have seen how he, in another thread, volunteered to become a vugraph operator in his country (England). So this is a 4th way of helping BBO. I am sure there are many other ways.

Finally, all volunteers are unpaid. We all do it gladly with great enthusiasm. No dollars involved at all. An e-mail from Fred last night was enough to tell me how much our work is appreciated:

"Hi Roland. Nice to hear you are going to be in Tenerife. Look forward to seeing you there and I will buy you all the cokes you can drink for the extent of the tournament! Probably take you out for a nice dinner or two also - Regards, Fred".

Cokes!! Cheers, Fred!


Roland

[joker_gib]

Walddk, on Mar 25 2005, 04:33 AM, said:

In this context I would like to draw your attention to our new look vugraph schedule page at

http://online.bridge...ph/schedule.php?

Yes, great job indeed !

Thanks a lot to Gerardo and of course to you Roland

Alain

[doofik]

Whenever the Vugraph is on, and I have an interest in the players, I join in. Some transmissions don't mean a whole lot to me as I'm not familiar with the players' names even. It is my feeling that Vugraphs do more for BBO's membership than any other event. It is a tremendous marketing tool, I am a prime example of a player who came to take a look at a transmission and never left

Keep up the great work,

Jola

P.S. If there is a diminished attendance in tourneys during transmissions, I think it all equals out shortly after Vugraph ends. No numbers to prove it, just what I've observed. jb

[Abadaba]

Dear Roland etal,

There are bridge sites and there are bridge sites. I have now been hanging around BBO for about 3 years. I originally came out of curiosity (free??) and have not left since.

There are three secrets I hope to find the answer to before I die - 1. What is Jerry Lewis's real reason for his lifelong work on Muscular Dystrophy? 2. How and why in the Hell do Fred and Uday do it? and 3. Why did the chicken cross the road?

As I have watched the incredible contribution FG and UI make daily to the bridge and BBO community change and grow - I have observed us moving from "BBO - free but really bad players" to "BBO - everyone is there - Great site!"

One of the remarkable things that has helped to bring them here, has been Vugraph and the absolutely beyond reproach way you have run the program. Thank you for every single one (that has English commentators at least) :-)

In another string (just catching up on Forum today - I read about the possibility of BBO splitting into segments. Personally I hope that does not happen, but respect whatever anyone decides. Last year I sat and watched one of the most exciting Reisingers imaginable. I did not have to wait for the online Bulletin to maybe come out with results. It sat in awe and actually was there. It was incredible. I am sure there are players all over the World who appreciate their major events being broadcast as well.

Hat's off to you and all your volunteers - and thank for all you bring into my home through this silly machine.

Aba

[DenisO]

Abadaba, on Mar 29 2005, 12:07 AM, said:

Dear Roland etal,
snipped

One of the remarkable things that has helped to bring them here, has been  Vugraph and the absolutely beyond reproach way you have run the program.  Thank you for every single one (that has English commentators at least)  :-)


Hat's off to you and all your volunteers - and thank for all you bring into my home through this silly machine.

Aba

Couldn't have put it better - exactly my sentiments

Denis

[cherdano]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 24 2005, 03:01 PM, said:

I'm not sure I understand your point.
Neither my husband nor I play on BBO, but we both watch the vugraph sometimes (usually only for the really big events). I guess that makes us tourists. But why should we pay?

Of course there is no reason for payment. But I think people who have appeared on vugraph as players don't count as tourists anyway

Arend

[Walddk]

Abadaba, on Mar 28 2005, 07:07 PM, said:

Hat's off to you and all your volunteers - and thank for all you bring into my home through this silly machine.

Aba

Thanks Aba. We enjoy what we are doing; otherwise we couldn't have put all this enthusiasm into it.

I respect Fred and Uday's decision not to charge a fee for watching vugraph, although I think it would be fair if they did. Not a big amount, but just enough to sometimes let one or two of our operators be physically present at the venue. That would also ensure high quality broadcasts, because we have a few who are very good at operating.

As it is now, we have to give up on a couple of events for financial reasons. Hopefully that will change some day, first of all because we hope to get corporate sponsors. If we do, we may even be able to pay the volunteers a symbolic salary.

So the (perhaps controversial and academic) question is: How much would it change spectator-wise if we were to charge a little for watching? My guess is: not a lot, but it's only a guess - and as I said: it may be a pure academic question. At least it is at the moment.

Roland

[joker_gib]

Walddk, on Mar 29 2005, 09:12 AM, said:

So the (perhaps controversial and academic) question is: How much would it change spectator-wise if we were to charge a little for watching? My guess is: not a lot, but it's only a guess - and as I said: it may be a pure academic question. At least it is at the moment.

Hello Roland,

OK if you can stay watching for the whole or a big part of the event.

It is not always possible and I like the fact that I can log in BBO and watch vu-graph when I have half an hour !


Alain

[Walddk]

joker_gib, on Mar 29 2005, 09:20 AM, said:

It is not always possible and I like the fact that I can log in BBO and watch vu-graph when I have half an hour !


Alain

I understand that, but where else in this world can you be entertained for up to 14-16 hours a day for free? My idea is more like that you buy a "ticket" per event and that you come and go as you please.

Is that a big obstacle if the entry fee is say 50 cents? Even less will add up in the long run.

Roland

[joker_gib]

Is it possible to invoice the time passed at the vu-graph, lol