From: rbrown@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Gozilla [2k])
Subject: Some thoughts on IGS, go, and life
Originator: rbrown@troon.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:58:48 GMT

My info field used to say "I won't play you if your 'Address:' and 'Info:'
fields are set to 'None'."  Why?  I thought it was rude for my opponents to
hide behind anonymity, to reveal nothing of themselves, to avoid accountability
for their actions.  (Having discovered that some folks don't even know they
_have_ 'Info:' and 'Address:' fields I have since relaxed that restriction. :-)
[Hint:  Type 'help address' and 'help info'.]

One of the things go has taught me is to accept responsibility for my actions.
I try to do this in my life as well as on the board.  So, my 'Address:' field
has my e-mail address in it, and it is not phony.  If someone has a beef with
me, they know how to contact me.  If you care to read it, my 'Info:' field will
also tell you a little about me.  Does yours tell me anything about you?

I once taught a guy to play go, and after several games where he would make
30-kyu mistakes like putting his own groups in atari or filling his own eyes,
I told him, "It's not my fault you're losing -- You need to learn to accept
responsibility for your own actions!"

He complained, "You didn't tell me that when we started!"  (As if I were
making up the rules as we went along.  :-)

So, I think registration, and enforced filling of the 'Address:' field
(whether or not the information is public), are very good ideas.  I realize
that this puts an even greater workload on the server administrators, and it
is to be regretted that some immature dolts have made this necessary.

It's somewhat surprising to me that folks who have learned the game of go
can't see that their actions have consequences.  Maybe to them, it's merely
a game.  For my part, go has taught me more than I can easily express here.
It is as if the board and stones embody fundamental principles of life:  That
each of us alone is responsible for the results of choices we make; that it's
better to be safe than sorry; that it's not a good idea to rush headlong into
a stone wall; that slow and steady wins the race... urgent moves before big
moves... and on, and on, and on.  I guess I should write a book.

I suppose it's entirely possible I'm deluded, hallucinating...  Winning could
be more important than seeing, more important than learning.  Maybe when
I lose a game, I should type 'adjourn' and then 'quit', without a word to my
opponent.  That way, my wins will always outnumber my losses.  Yeah!  And then
I can mutter to myself about what jerks those people are, always shouting...
[Hint:  'Toggle shout off']  My opponent tricked me!  It's all his fault... or,
Netlag!  Yeah, that's the ticket, I lost because I ran out of time.  I'll bet
there was somebody at IGS deliberately slowing down my moves.  What a jerk!
It's someone else's fault that I lost.  

NOT!

C'mon guys, grow up!

A big net.thank.you to tim, tweet, the various client writers, and all others
who have contributed to making IGS possible.  It's a damn shame some of you
don't appreciate their efforts as much as I do.  And you know who you are.