[hrothgar]

Silly question:

Are any of the new owners of BBO actual bridge players?
Do any of them actually use the service?
Are any of them software developers?

Or, alternatively, are they a bunch of people with some money who re trying to generate a return on their investment?

FWIW, I don't see anything wrong with wanting to make a good ROI, but it feels as if they may have overpaid and it feels as if they goal is trying to turn bridge / BBO into some kinda of lifestyle brand

[cherdano]

I think the video on the homepage should answer your question...

[hrothgar]

cherdano, on 2020-May-17, 17:11, said:

I think the video on the homepage should answer your question...

I agree that the video and the pictures of the "bridge players" are nuts (and very much consistent with my thoughts that BBO management is trying to create some kind of high end lifestyle brand)

I'm just wondering if actual bridge players perpetrated this nonsense or if it is some misguided MBA aping the National Rifle Association or some such...

[shyams]

Until I saw this thread, I was under the false impression that BBO had acquired Funbridge and not the other way around. And that Uday + previous mgmt. are leading the show.

A bit of googling revealed to me that the new CEO "owns" Funbridge, BBO and Le Bridgeur (source: click here).

Here's the creepy bit. When we were discussing the "Support your Game" thread, I had discovered (link) that the chosen organisation for the 'support' was Le Bridgeur!. I had no idea at the time that Le Bridgeur and BBO are under the same management.

I must say I am shocked that BBO's 'charity' efforts are aimed at supporting its own sister company.

[hrothgar]

shyams, on 2020-May-18, 00:44, said:

Until I saw this thread, I was under the false impression that BBO had acquired Funbridge and not the other way around. And that Uday + previous mgmt. are leading the show.

A bit of googling revealed to me that the new CEO "owns" Funbridge, BBO and Le Bridgeur (source: click here).

Here's the creepy bit. When we were discussing the "Support your Game" thread, I had discovered (link) that the chosen organisation for the 'support' was Le Bridgeur!. I had no idea at the time that Le Bridgeur and BBO are under the same management.

I must say I am shocked that BBO's 'charity' efforts are aimed at supporting its own sister company.

Oh good grief...

This sort of double dealing is illegal in many locations.

[cherdano]

shyams, on 2020-May-18, 00:44, said:

When we were discussing the "Support your Game" thread, I had discovered (link) that the chosen organisation for the 'support' was Le Bridgeur!.

Well, but you gave no source for your claim there. Where had you seen that?

Edit: here the CEO is saying that an English charity was chosen as the first recipient:

https://mobile.twitt...035826180771841

[shyams]

cherdano, on 2020-May-18, 02:19, said:

Well, but you gave no source for your claim there. Where had you seen that?

Edit: here the CEO is saying that an English charity was chosen as the first recipient:

https://mobile.twitt...035826180771841

https://blog.bridgeb...r-game-daylong/ was the generic notification about SYG which first appeared on BBO.

https://blog.bridgeb...port-your-game/ is the blog post on the following day which stated (in the last paragraph "Who I support? Bridge organisations who will be supported by this game will regularly change. This week: Le Bridgeur")

I tried to take a screenshot and post it here but for some unknown reason my PC has not been cooperative today.

A clarification: I read the tweet in the previous post and it does lead me to believe that the reference to Le Bridgeur in the BBO blog of 22nd April may have been wrong. However, as I said previously, I was not aware of the new BBO mgmt. nor was I aware of the tweet.

This post has been edited by shyams: 2020-May-18, 07:00

[cherdano]

To say something more positive: @EBEDcharity is probably a well-chosen recipient - I don't know them at all, but they support bridge in various ways, and are transparent about their finances. Anyone tempted to play a SYG daylong can just donate to them directly and choose a cheap or free BBO game instead: http://www.ebedcio.org.uk/donate

[barmar]

Most of the people at Funbridge are not experienced bridge players. But upper management does include Jérome Rombaut, who is a world champion.