BBO Web-client Comments Thread 4

[fred]

- Good feature to add would be table lit that show list of tables where my friends are playing. In old bbo client I'm using table filter to show only friends and star tables to choose where to kibitz.

In flash bbo it could be possible to combine tables for different clubs also. Inteface could be done so that tables from a club would be grouped under header line telling the name of club where this list of tables is coming from.

 

- Also huge problem is that special characters like äöå£ and others special characters are converted to wrong values. output is (in same order): ä ö Ã¥ £ and Alt gr outputs:

I'm using firefox 3.0.5 with Flash 10.0 r15 in linux. My default locale is utf-8 but I changed my locale to iso-8859-1 (latin 1) but that didn't help.

 

- Also if there is plans to enable possibility to use flash version for vugraph operation it would be nice to enable features that speed up entering info.

Play from keyboard with configureable keys would be nice. I would like to have keyboard entries configured about like: numbers for cards between 2-9, Q=♣, W=♦, E=♥, R=♠, U=J,I=Q,O=K,P=A. Or possible drop everything one row down so I can use F and J buttons to keep my fingers in correct locations. Playing from keyboard helps following fast game because eyes can be kept looking at table instead of switching between screen and table.

Make entering bids and plays asynchronous. I mean that operator can enter multiple event that aren't yet transfered to server and client has send queue for these events and transfers them to server as fast as connection allows. This would help operating when using high latency Internet connection.

Thanks for your suggestions, suokko.

 

All of these changes are already on the radar screen. They will all be done - it is only a matter of when. There is a good chance that at least some will be done in the next major version. The special characters thing could happen at any time since this will be done on the server (so will not require a new client version).

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[Gerardo]

Flash has an issue with Unicode keyboard input in Linux, see FP-40.

[zman102]

I really like BBO's web-based client. Have been playing there since about the first of the month, and have wandered around and answered most of my questions (at least those I am aware of).

 

I bought a new computer in December with a 22 inch monitor and it is great to have large cards that I can see well. Also like being able to drag to make the areas bigger or smaller. I have experienced no real problems with the web BBO.

 

I do have one question. On 1-2-09 I purchased the GIBs for one month for $3.00. I can play with them on the BBO version on my computer, but I can't figure out how to do it on the web-based version.

 

Thought maybe playing with GIBs had not been activated on the web version (other than in robot races), until I saw someone playing with GIBs in the main bridge room the other night. So I am missing something.

 

My $3.00 payment shows up on both BBO on the computer and the web-based versions. Any instructions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks for working to improve my bridge experience on BBO. Like I said I really like the web-based version.

[fred]

I really like BBO's web-based client.  Have been playing there since about the first of the month, and have wandered around and answered most of my questions (at least those I am aware of).

 

I bought a new computer in December with a 22 inch monitor and it is great to have large cards that I can see well.  Also like being able to drag to make the areas bigger or smaller.  I have experienced no real problems with the web BBO.

 

I do have one question.  On 1-2-09 I purchased the GIBs for one month for $3.00.  I can play with them on the BBO version on my computer, but I can't figure out how to do it on the web-based version.

 

Thought maybe playing with GIBs had not been activated on the web version (other than in robot races), until I saw someone playing with GIBs in the main bridge room the other night.  So I am missing something.

 

My $3.00 payment shows up on both BBO on the computer and the web-based versions.  Any instructions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks for working to improve my bridge experience on BBO.  Like I said I really like the web-based version.

Hi Zman,

 

Nice to read such a positive post! I am glad you like the web-based client so much :(

 

Sorry but at this point in time we do not have the ability to offer GIB rentals through the web-based client (actually we do have the ability but we need to figure out how to make it affordable).

 

Most likely we will figure this out with the next couple of months. When that happens it will be announced in various places. If you send me an e-mail at that time (fred@bridgebase.com) and remind me, I will be happy to give you a few free months of GIB access as an attempt to make up for the current inconvenience.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[zman102]

Hi Fred,I did have something strange go on (with the web-based version) during an ACBL speedball game on Monday evening (January 19th).

 

I played in two ACBL games and when we started the second one two strange things occurred.  We finished the first hand and the score for this hand was placed on line 3 of my results.  The second hand was scored on line two and the third hand was scored on line one.

 

We moved to the next table and the 4th hand was scored on line 4 (where it should be).  My opps were thinking about their bids (on hand 5) and I glanced at our score from the first round and I couldn't see the score as I had made my playing window too large.  So I drug the interface to make the my results area larger.  Then when it was my time to bid I didn't have anywhere to bid.  The numbers and the suits that show up in the right hand bottom corner wasn't there.

 

Of course, it was speedball and everyone paniced (lol).  The director came and told me to log off and come back and I could get back in.  So I did and everything was normal after that.I wish that I had had my wits about me and just made my window larger again as maybe I covered the bidding area when I made the window smaller.  Suspect I may have caused my own problem.

 

It wasn't a big deal.  Logging off and coming back worked.  My left hand opponent, Chris (I think that was his name) said this had happened to him before too (not the way the score showed, but losing the place to bid).  I didn't mention the funny way the score showed up as, well, this was speedball and no time.

 

I am still a fan of the web-based version.

[1eyedjack]

I'm sorry, no doubt this is a really stupid question, but how do I get to read the tournament rules posted for a particular tourney, if I am logged on via the web client?

[1eyedjack]

I'm sorry, no doubt this is a really stupid question, but how do I get to read the tournament rules posted for a particular tourney, if I am logged on via the web client?

OK sort of sussed it I think. Option to access tourney rules and description appears to be denied once tourney starts. Not optimal, I feel.

[fred]

I'm sorry, no doubt this is a really stupid question, but how do I get to read the tournament rules posted for a particular tourney, if I am logged on via the web client?

OK sort of sussed it I think. Option to access tourney rules and description appears to be denied once tourney starts. Not optimal, I feel.

The button is also dimmed out before the tournament starts (and after it is finished as well). Doing something about this is on our list of things to do, but the list is long and there are other items that are closer to the top.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[1eyedjack]

I'm sorry, no doubt this is a really stupid question, but how do I get to read the tournament rules posted for a particular tourney, if I am logged on via the web client?

OK sort of sussed it I think. Option to access tourney rules and description appears to be denied once tourney starts. Not optimal, I feel.

The button is also dimmed out before the tournament starts (and after it is finished as well). Doing something about this is on our list of things to do, but the list is long and there are other items that are closer to the top.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

I agree. I just needed to know it wasn't something I was missing at my end.

[barmar]

I'm sorry, no doubt this is a really stupid question, but how do I get to read the tournament rules posted for a particular tourney, if I am logged on via the web client?

OK sort of sussed it I think. Option to access tourney rules and description appears to be denied once tourney starts. Not optimal, I feel.

The button is also dimmed out before the tournament starts (and after it is finished as well). Doing something about this is on our list of things to do, but the list is long and there are other items that are closer to the top.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

I agree. I just needed to know it wasn't something I was missing at my end.

I must still be missing it. I see the "MORE" button that displays a brief summary of the tournament. But BBO Win lets you view a multi-page document with all the tourney rules, and I couldn't find that in BBO Flash.

 

Admittedly, most tourneys don't bother to write this document. Maybe I couldn't find it because the tourneys I looked at didn't. But I looked at an ACBL tourney, and I thought they used to have this.

[1eyedjack]

But I looked at an ACBL tourney, and I thought they used to have this.

Are you looking at the tourney after it has commenced, or before?

[barmar]

But I looked at an ACBL tourney, and I thought they used to have this.

Are you looking at the tourney after it has commenced, or before?

Before.

 

I just looked again at an ACBL tourney that starts in 26 minutes, and there's a "Rules" button below the "More" button. I didn't notice it before because it's dimmed out and almost impossible to read.

 

I can't find any tourney where the button isn't dimmed. I guess no one, not even ACBL, bothers to post rules.

[fred]

But I looked at an ACBL tourney, and I thought they used to have this.

Are you looking at the tourney after it has commenced, or before?

Before.

 

I just looked again at an ACBL tourney that starts in 26 minutes, and there's a "Rules" button below the "More" button. I didn't notice it before because it's dimmed out and almost impossible to read.

 

I can't find any tourney where the button isn't dimmed. I guess no one, not even ACBL, bothers to post rules.

Many groups who run tournaments (including ACBL) post rules, but they do so using a file format that is currently supported only by the Windows client.

 

You don't rate to see the Rules button in the web client enabled until either:

 

1) We get around to writing a program that can convert from that file format to one that the web client can support.

 

or

 

2) Enough people start using the web client that it becomes the platform of choice for tournament organizers to post their rules.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[1eyedjack]

2) Enough people start using the web client that it becomes the platform of choice for tournament organizers to post their rules.

It could be a case of chickens and eggs. Perhaps they are waiting for the functionality before switching to the web client.

 

Anyway, the web client is coming on great guns, so it won't be long now. No complaints from me.

[fred]

Anyway, the web client is coming on great guns, so it won't be long now. No complaints from me.

Thanks!

 

There will be another new version coming out soon (maybe today) that attempts to address one of the major complaints we receive: that the cards are hard to see on small monitors.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[fred]

We released a new version earlier today that was mostly meant to fix some problems, including:

 

- We have received complaints that the cards were hard to see, especially on small monitors. The new version offers improvement in this area.

 

- There were some rare but serious problems involving claims. We think these problems have now been fixed.

 

- Previously if a Windows user and a web-client user chatted in a language that contained characters that are not a part of the Windows default character, garbage would appear in the chat area. This has now been fixed.

 

- Previously if a tournament filled up to the maximum number of registrants and a TD subsequently increased that number, it would remain impossible to register. This has now been fixed.

 

I think the only new feature is that it is now possible to filter a list of tables so that only tables in which your friends are playing are displayed.

 

Keep those comments and suggestions coming!

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[Ant590]

I think the only new feature is that it is now possible to filter a list of tables so that only tables in which your friends are playing are displayed.

Brilliant, this was on my wish-list. What would be even better would be a mix-and-match system like the Win client has, i.e. can select a combination of full, open, friends, stars.

 

Also, I don't suppose there's a ETA for p-ship bidding yet is there?

 

Thanks for all the hard work :rolleyes:

[fred]

Also, I don't suppose there's a ETA for p-ship bidding yet is there?

All I can tell you is that support for Partnership Bidding Tables and supporting Teaching Tables are now at the top of our list of priorities.

 

Working on it...

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[ppek]

First of all I would like to say that the Web-client is great and I really like it altough I am missing partnership bidding, but we all know BBO-team is working on it. Good job!

 

I would like to report possible bug and I hope this is the proper thread. This happened to me twice yesterday during the Robot Reward tournament.

 

I asked for keycards, robot jumped to sixth level showing void and some number of the keycards, but when I moved mouse over the bid the explanation was to long and I could see only the end as the beginning was out of the screen. Interesting is that in the little diagram in "My Results" the explanation was correctly wrapped into more lines.

 

Edit: Started own thread as noone noticed it here.

[bb79]

Hi, I like the web client, it is especially useful for me when I work on linux machines. I'm not sure if these are suggested but I have two features I would like to see in the web client. First is, an option to make south the declarer, I think it is really useful in both kibitzing and playing, and I am used to that from windows client . Second is, in team matches, the display of the result of the other table in the left bottom corner (if available). I think it is implemented in vugraph presentations but it seems missing in team matches.

Thanks, Burak.

[babalu1997]

hello

 

i keep getting messages== error cannot join table

 

this happens any time i click on a seat at the main bridge club, and it is NOT dependent on table permission settings.

 

when i use the **help me find a table** option, i am seated but, if a click on free (no permission required) seat at the mainclub, i get the error message.

 

this has never happned with the windows version, and i have tried it immediately after logging off the web server.

 

how can i fix this?

 

thanks

[fred]

I think what is happening is that you are trying to sit on seats that have become taken since the list first appeared.

 

On web-client does not automatically update the list of tables the way the Windows client does. You can click the "Refresh" button at the top of the list in order to update its contents.

 

Sorry the message you get is not more meaningful. Eventually we will do something about this.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[TrialBid]

I've been a slow adopter of the web client for a number of reasons. Yet it is something that I really do want to see succeed because of the technical superiority of what goes on under the hood. Whenever there was even a slight hiccup in connectivity, the Windows version (requiring full TCP/IP sync of all state information even at the expense of keeping actual play going) cost a lot in bandwidth and user frustration.

 

Here's a grab bag of items that seem problematic to me still:

 

- I can no longer see the set of online players of interest to me listed together. I prefer to select Hosts, Stars, and Friends. Now I must choose to see one group at a time.

 

- The single screen doesn't allow viewing disparate things together that I previously could. Because you accommodate the smallest screens in use, those of us with abundant screen real estate (like my dual 1680x1050 monitors) can no longer have the Movie view and the Convention card parked elsewhere while we still see who's online or what tourneys are coming, etc. How about making many if not all of the view panes detachable?

 

- I value a permanent, automatic record of all hands I have played--including MBTs and Robot Races. There is always a security concern when remote software gets to write locally, but, perhaps a small optional client to install locally could handle this. Are you aware, by the way, that this function is now broken in the Windows client when playing a MBT that goes over 16 hands? The remaining hands are not recorded--or rather perhaps they overlay the hands starting from 1 again. It's confusing to look at one of these corrupt files.

 

- Convention cards do not go seamlessly from one environment to another. The web client allows more space, but the "..." drill-down information that the Windows client shows does not transfer. I'm sure this has been an issue from time to time in real tournaments as to who had declared what for their agreements.

 

- The web-client profile truncates the name of a tournament someone is playing in or kibitzing. Learning that a player is "Playing Tourney #1382 (mag" isn't as helpful knowing the full tournament name and table number. This is even more confusing because the #nnn doesn't always match the number as given by the Tournaments in progress. Currently someone is "Playing Tourney #326 (BBO" while the actual tournament is listed as "#9 BBOLAND 19 - 28 FEBRUARY WEEK - 100 $ tournament"

 

- Why is there a time-out on the profile information that is raised via a hover-over? The instant feedback you get in the Windows program never goes away until the mouse is moved away and that is the way I think it ought to be.

 

- I cannot see via a hover-over how many people are registered for a tournament I might be interested in playing in. This is a pain, because I rarely play the Robot Race, for example, unless I see 10 or more signed up--which doesn't happen often. Offering expanded status information that would show number signed up as well as minutes to start might be close enough--especially if the list were updated every 10 seconds or so instead of the longer interval that appears to be the case now.

 

- Note that in the existing web client, a user is virtually certain to be shut out of Free MBTs. It appears to me that new tournaments are not added to the list in the refresh the client does. You must take a positive action to reload the list. So unless you load the list at exactly the right moment you will find 10 people will have signed up already.

 

- I have recorded the following link http://www.bridgebase.com/client/client.php as the way to start the client because I do not like having software open windows unless I want them to. Because I want to work this way and you have specifically asked that people use the link on http://www.bridgebase.com/ that opens a new window, I must check there periodically to make sure you are invoking the client in the same way. At least pledge that the link as I have recorded it will stop working if it becomes out of date.

 

- EDIT: I'm adding this a few minutes later than the original post to note an oddity. While composing this note. I had the web client open. I never went to anywhere to play. I just looked at lists of tournaments and players. Somehow, I appear to have been timed out--even though my previous interaction had been only 3-5 minutes earlier. Is there an inadequate list of actions taken while using the client that actually cause the timeout logic to reset? I cannot otherwise explain how I was bounced so soon after interacting.

 

I don't know whether any of this is new to you. And I'm sure that I will never abandon BBO because it is the greatest Bridge place on earth. But I want you to know how I'm experiencing your new efforts.

[barmar]

TrialBid's suggestion of adding an optional local client reminded me about Adobe AIR (which recently came up in a discussion in another forum I read). This is an application environment that allows for creation of standalone applications using Flash technology. These applications are not restricted the way browser-based Flash applications are.

 

Have you considered using this for BBO Flash?

[fred]

TrialBid's suggestion of adding an optional local client reminded me about Adobe AIR (which recently came up in a discussion in another forum I read). This is an application environment that allows for creation of standalone applications using Flash technology. These applications are not restricted the way browser-based Flash applications are.

 

Have you considered using this for BBO Flash?

Yes we have considered it and I think it is likely that we will eventually offer an AIR client as an alternative.

 

That being said, our first priority remains getting the web-client to do most of the important things that the Windows client can do. I doubt we will get involved in AIR until we believe we have reached that point.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com