DenisO

I've started to edit the .lin files for the Australian Spring Nationals to include the bidding in the Closed Room which was not broadcast. I also added the other room bidding,using ob command, which is a nice feature and allows you to see the bidding in both rooms simultaneously. However this feature no longer works in v3.9.3. I'm not sure when it disappeared but it was working up to quite recently. Would it be possible to resore this feature? Below is an extract from a typical file which shows the command in use. "qx|o17|md|3S8742HJ953DKQT94C,SA65H74D3CAKQT972,SKQJTH6DA85CJ8653,S93HAKQT82DJ762C4|sv|0|ob|1C|ob|1H|ob|1S|ob|3N|ob|p|ob|p|ob|p|mb|1C|mb|2H|mb|d|mb|4H|mb|4S|mb|p|mb|p|mb|d|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg|| pc|hA|pc|h3|pc|h4|pc|h6|pg|| pc|hK|pc|h5|pc|h7|pc|sJ|pg|| pc|d8|pc|d2|pc|dK|pc|d3|pg|| pc|s2|pc|s5|pc|sK|pc|s3|pg|| pc|dA|pc|d7|pc|d4|pc|s6|pg|| pc|cK|pc|c3|pc|c4|pc|s4|pg|| pc|h9|mc|9|pg|| qx|c17|md|3S8742HJ953DKQT94C,SA65H74D3CAKQT972,SKQJTH6DA85CJ8653,S93HAKQT82DJ762C4|sv|0|ob|1C|ob|2H|ob|d|ob|4H|ob|4S|ob|p|ob|p|ob|d|ob|p|ob|p|ob|p|mb|1C|mb|1H|mb|1S|mb|3N|mb|p|mb|p|mb|p|pg|| " Denis

That will make a nice Christmas present :) I understand that Paul Marston collaborated with the Jack team. In a recent rgb post he indicated that Jack would be using the modern version which is "similar, but not the same as Richard Willey's notes" Have you seen a pre-release version? I just wonder if the Moscito documentation will be adequate as Paul Marston's modern version doesn't seem to be available anywhere. You were doing a major re-write of your system notes - how is that progressing? It could be useful to define differences between Jack's version and your own.

I think fiasco may be somewhat OTT but I agree with the general sentiments. The Olympiad should be a showcase event but the coverage on many sessions, especially the KO stages has been second rate. It is totally unforgiveable to lose all internet connection for 6000 odd specs especially when we can see that e-bridge with its 50 or so kibbers is still up and running! And what has happened to the promises about coverage of six tables at every session - seems to have been totally forgotten. Denis

Hi Herve Very many thanks - even better than you said - Ireland were shown on Sat and then twice on Sun - but they sure are putting on a great show B) Denis

Hi Uday Zmud promised this : "the "scoreboard" feature ( with complete line-ups ) will appear from the first board for every matches of the KO phase....and you will aprecciate it for sure" That would really be appreciated but I haven't seen it happen during the Rd of 16 - maybe we'll get there this week. I can appreciate it can't be easy if the WBF can't afford to supply full sets of boards and caddies get muddled as to which boards they should be providing but hopefully these probs should disappear as the week goes on ;) However as always please don't think I'm being too critical - I'm really enjoying the show B) and only offering observations as a member to try to get these great new features right - it will probably take a few big tournaments to get over teething problems.

I was watching Ireland v Netherlands in Open Room. We were at bd28 - the goulash. Prooijen had just bid 5♦ (to show a club void) when Presto! I was kicked out - couldn't get back in for about 5 mins but luckily managed to get back to see Hanlon play in 7♣ doubled - a good sac! There might be an appeal on that as he is reported to have bid 7C after loud cheering in the Vugraph room when Brink bid 6H - which apparently is quite close to the players ;) I wonder what was said to Director?

Navigating from match to match at the Olypiad is getting VERY sluggish and it's even worse to try to access the latest results. We were promised so much for the KO stages but we seem to be getting very little. We are still only at Rd of 16 stage so what will it be like later in the week? Is it due to ISP problems or are the Vugraphs getting too popular? Denis

Hi Uday Whoever does this, can I suggest they look at the RAMA results service for the recent European Teams Championships at Malmo. This would make a good template. The only thing I could criticise was the absence of player names in the match data pages; the URL is: http://www.swangames.com/rama/eventinfo.php?eventid=200159 Denis

Thanks Herve That's a good reason to follow Italy - and generous of the Italian Bridge Fed, when sponsors are hard to find. I look forward to watching as many of the forthcoming matches as I can - but especially Ireland (what a great achievement for a small country!) , having lived there for my first 22 years. Denis :)

Well we have completed an exciting Round Robin stage in the Olympiad, with 16 teams qualifying for the next stage. Well done BBO for a great week's coverage. However I think that two of the qualifiers, Ireland (2nd in Group C) and Pakistan (3rd in Group C) have not been seen on BBO Vugraph - not even once! It seems a bit unfair to their supporters to ignore them like this as Ireland were never below 8th in their group and Pakistan made a great dash to the finish, lying only 10th after 9 rounds. I just wonder who decides the schedule and who arranges that Italy get shown in every round - when we know that many of their matches will be walkovers effectively. For me it's much more interesting to watch good close matches rather one-sided affairs. Denis

Problems in Rd9 also - Rd9 Italy v Netherlands starts off with commentary from Greece v France - at some stage correct commentary appears - there may be other probs but I give up on these commented lin files until the programmers get it right :(

Hi Dean Lots of very valid comment here - As you say the new features were probably developed with a live audience in mind but to date I think I've seen upwards of 2000 BBO specs - which will surely increase so it would be nice to cater for them too. It's early days for these new features and I hope Fred/Uday and the other programmers take all our comments as genuinely constructive to eventually make the BBO results service second to none at major events - just like the rest of BBO :P Denis

We are now into Rd6 of the Olympiad and if you look at the auto logged index there is nothing to tell which countries are playing in a match. Surely someone in BBO can get these operators to give more descriptive titles with short versions of the country names. Denis

This is a better thread for my comments than where I posted originally - apologies for duplication Some comments now that the new features are up and running at the Olympiad 1. I can't access the new Results feature when I am kibbitzing a match - I have to leave the match and return to Vugraph theatre; is this the way it's supposed to work? 2. In standings I can only see the current round - it would be nice to be able to access earlier rounds and (more important) the latest positions on overall group standings - this will be more important as we get to the later stages of the event. 3. In Matches also, I can only access the current round and many matches are missing. Again I would like to be able to access matches from previous rounds - hopefully all matches 4. It would be great if we could save the match results to hard disk 5. The new features are a great step forward - however I think they fall well short of the RAMA results service which we got at the European Team Championships at Malmo - for me that is the sort of results service that BBO should strive to attain for these major WBF competitions. Denis

Some comments now that the features are up and running at the Olympiad 1. I can't access the new Results feature when I am kibbitzing a match - I have to leave the match and return to Vugraph theatre; is this the way it's supposed to work? 2. In standings I can only see the current round - it would be nice to be able to access earlier rounds and (more important) the latest positions on overall group standings - this will be more important as we get to the later stages of the event. 3. In Matches also, I can only access the current round and many matches are missing. Again I would like to be able to access matches from previous rounds - hopefully all matches 4. It would be great if we could save the match results to hard disk 5. The new features are a great step forward - however I think they fall well short of the RAMA results service which we got at the European Team Championships at Malmo - for me that is the sort of results service that BBO should strive to attain for these major WBF competitions. Denis

Thanks again for your intervention ack - lets hope the operators don't forget ;) Denis

Yes this is a great pity :) - the same thing is going to happen in Round 2 and we are going to lose the benefits of automatic logging. The matches of Guadelope v Italy and Germany v India have exactly the same name: "12th World Bridge Olympiad-Segm.2/17-Open/Closed Room" The operators are obviously unaware of the problem so need to be told to distinguish between matches eg they could give Country names as in: "12th Olympiad-Segm.2/17-GUAvITA -Open/Closed Room" "12th Olympiad-Segm.2/17-GERvIND -Open/Closed Room" This way the recorded lins have different (and more meanigful) file names and all matches are recorded. Denis

I hadn't picked up on this before I saw some of the commentary at the Lederer yesterday but in case anyone else is unaware, Sheri is Captain and Fred is coach of the USA team at the Olympiad in Istanbul. Congratulations! - a great honour and well deserved. I wish you both and your team lots of success but not too much B) as I shall be rooting for a European victory this time. Denis :P

Hi Fred As a big Vugraph fan, I think this is a great step forward. Well done and a big thanks to the BBO team again. I hope the addition of commentary works well and doesn't constrain the live chat among the commentators. Denis

It might be worth looking at the simple system played by world class players in the Generali Masters. Denis

I also see padlocks - no change from previously Denis

You could try Richard Pavlicek's DOS program,RP Dealer - see : http://www.rpbridge.net/rpbr.htm#11 and best of all it's FREE :) Denis

Hi Mauro You could try Keith Sheppard's program at: http://www.bracknellbridge.com/links.htm I think you will have to use the "Buy licence" version to get X-imp. However you get a 30 day free trial before you have to part with any cash and even then I don't think it's very expensive for a club. Denis

Hi Fred "Being the official vugraph software of the WBF is a real feather in our caps. Thanks to Zmud99 for taking the initiative to make this possible and for all of his help with the design and testing. Patapon is another BBO member that has been instrumental in making this happen. Mr. Jose Damiani, the President of the WBF also deserves our thanks for his ongoing support of BBO. A big CONGRATULATIONS to you and all at BBO (including Roland & his team of commentators) for this accolade. I think it is richly deserved and due recognition of the quality of BBO's superb broadcasts. Hopefully this will make it easier to attract sponsors. I am really looking forward to seeing the new features at the Olympiad. Denis

Thanks to Forum member Ang, I now have the missing names and hope to put the completed files on Nikos Sarantakos' site either tomorrow or Sun . Lots of Vugraphs + other bridge articles at the site : http://www.sarantakos.com/bridge/vugraph.html It's well worth a visit - it seems to be down at the moment but that is just temporary . Denis