[kthorpe]

I've been with you since the beginning more or less. I really believe these changes (below) are needed ASAP.
>
> (1) get rid of anonymous logins.
>
> (2) require BBO ID's to include a name (a REAL name) and find a way
> to validate that the person creating the account is a real person.
>
> (3) work out delayed broadcasts (with commentary) for events so that
> kibitzers can watch as if "real" time.
>
> Cheers,
> Katie Thorpe
> (BBO IDs: kthorpe, ibpa)

[mycroft]

Hello Katie:

Why? (okay, except 3. That seems sensible. Although the disadvantages of "delayed, but real time" kibitzing were obvious after 4 boards of the U20 match were screamingly obvious. A much worse experience for the kibitzers that I'm not sure how to get back). And why now and not the last 17 years?

What are you going to do about my club player (from a club years ago, don't go looking for them) who is being RL stalked, and can't have their real name online at all?

What are we going to do about people (like me, at least a few years ago, when the chance of moving jobs before retirement was high) who are google-checked as part of the hiring process, and are "less worthy" if they don't code for fun as well as for work?

What are we going to do about people (like me, again, well, 20 years ago now, but still) who have several people in their lives who actively wish them harm?

What about the bridge players who get upset at something, and go hunt people's real work and go after them there? Or maybe SWAT them, at least in the States? Sure, there's not many of those, but it happens all the time online and in online gaming. "Not many" guaranteed > 0.

What are we going to do about people (like me, to an extent, but you know, not really, I'm white and male and look innocuous) who have opinions that don't match those of CBP, and yet would still like to enter the United States for tourism, once it's safe again?

What about all the people who are better known by "not their drivers license name", especially now online? I guarantee you my online reputation is much broader as 'Mycroft' (or Mycroft W) than in my legal name. I don't think Skud plays bridge, but I guarantee they're still better known by that name than any name that has appeared on their business card. Or Katrina Kendrick. Or Eva X. And I certainly know some people who are known in the bridge world differently from their RL persona (no, I'm *not* going to give any examples online, I'm not stupid).

What about all the people whose "real name" doesn't match the name on their official papers? Maybe they're not allowed to change it by law? Maybe they're in the process, but there's a requirement to live as the new gender for a year before paperwork changes can happen? Or are in the throes of a messy divorce, so have given up their married name, but the paperwork won't come through for a while?

Every time a real name requirement has been put in place, it's been used to abuse or silence someone. I can't imagine it not happening here.

I guess it's all to "protect" the very few games on BBO where a large amount of money is changing hands (legally, I'm sure, totally legally and would never be seen as online gambling or working without permit at all, even by the CBP that we already know have issues with some of the ways international bridge pros' contracts work) from people who, it seems, won't play fair if it means not getting quite as much of that money, but also can't cheat well enough to even fool their partner, never mind their opponents, or Josh, or the new Standards Councils, even knowing the likely outcome when they get caught. For that, we're going to sacrifice the joy of sitting in and randomly watching or playing for everybody else? What's next, banning married couples from playing together from the same house, in case somebody might double-login from the same ISP and self-kibitz or play both hands?

And all just because *now*, unlike "since the beginning more or less", it's affecting "real bridge"? For values of "real" meaning maybe 1000 or the million or so duplicate bridge players, 50 000 or so who are on at any time day or night?

I have a prolific history in the forums on this site, but on another, almost none. It's partly because of some general attitudes displayed there, but mostly because I would have to use my real name. As I said, my reputation online is almost zero in my real name, there are many good reasons for that, and it's not going to change for your benefit.

Note, however, that I don't have any concerns with *you* having my name - and since you're a BBO member, it's trivial to get. Please don't out me online. But if I did have concerns, it would look just the same - and I deeply resent the implication that I would cheat if it said Mycroft Watson or Jim Peters (or even Ariella Gondal) instead of what it does say. And I have real issues with making the game less welcoming to all the players who would be harmed by this policy. Require confirmation of your teammates and opponents, block kibitzing at your table, report anything unusual to abuse@, and enjoy your games - and allow me and those even more vulnerable than me to enjoy ours.

[pilowsky]

Although there is something to what Mycroft says, in that we do not want to prevent Bill Gates or Brenda Hale from enjoying themselves on BBO without being pestered by adoring fans, perhaps there is a case for sweeping away the debris of login names that people may have captured in a moment of whimsy and never used.

Perhaps if a name is not used for a certain period it could be removed. Or if there is no fluctuation in the account or some other parameter.

For example, I am now following 'ace' ace's real name is 'forgen'. Forgen comes from Other and created their entry on the 1st of March 2005. They have no Masterpoints. It's not surprising because they have never logged in.

Neither has king whose name is chin huang-mien from Taiwan. This name was - you guessed it created on the 1st of March 2005. It roughly translates into eat my yellow noodle. - this one you can keep.

Very funny.

[pescetom]

 mycroft, on 2020-July-25, 13:58, said:

okay, except 3. That seems sensible. Although the disadvantages of "delayed, but real time" kibitzing were obvious after 4 boards of the U20 match were screamingly obvious. A much worse experience for the kibitzers that I'm not sure how to get back.

Could you clarify please?
What disadvantages were obvious?

The idea is clearly good.
I tried watching one delayed match on vugraph, but my hopes were dashed as it was all on twitch and wasn't streaming properly.

[mycroft]

• Could only see one side's results (they kept it on "other"). Being able to walk through it and get both, so I wouldn't have to remember which hand was which was annoying.
  
• This one is more "online play vs vugraph copying of actual cards", but I am assuming that this "delayed vugraph" is going to continue into RL. Frequently there are mistakes, or there are questions from the commentators that the VG operator could fix on the fly or either get answered or see the answer (on the papers) on the fly. If it has to be half an hour later, it's less possible to fix or understand.

I know I had thought of others while watching, but I can't think of them now, sorry.