Deanrover Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 I hope you all agree that the ACBL events have overall been good for BBO. They have provided members with generally nicely run tournaments, a chance for masterpoints, well deserved $ for Fred, Sheri, Uday and Magic + for the ACBL which will hopefully benefit bridge. They have also helped attract lots of new members onto BBO. I would very like for EBU tournaments to be run on BBO. Your can currently earn EBU masterpoints via playing on Bridge Club Live. Bridge Club Live has 10% of BBO users, charges a fixed subsription per year and has inferior software. However, the EBU appear reticent about expanding their approval to BBO. So what I would like you to do is to phone/email/contact the EBU telling them about BBO and about how you would like to be able to win Masterpoints through it. Hopefully they will understand that BBO=popular and popular=££££££s and ££££££s = good for the EBU. Also, I have noticed that BBO still has rather low recognition in the UK, so please try spreading the gospel to your bridge playing acquaintances. For example, if you have a friend distraught at not being able to make it down to Earls Court next weekend for the Lederer, console them with the news that they can watch the show from the comfort of their leather chair through BBO. Cheers, D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke warm Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 hey dean, what's the ebu's reticence to recognize bbo based on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 hey dean, what's the ebu's reticence to recognize bbo based on? Bungs, is my guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulg Posted October 10, 2004 Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 ... Also, I have noticed that BBO still has rather low recognition in the UK, ...I would expect that this is the more likely reason for the lack of official support. Originally the EBU initiated its own online service run by Bridge Club Live but independent of BCL's own service. It was my impression that they decided to "merge" the operation with BCL's to get greater numbers playing. In order to get EBU backing I would expect that EBU qualified directors will be needed plus confidence that they will get more monies from the BBO site without disrupting their current income from BCL (as I presume they get some monies from the masterpoints as they do from f2f club games). The EBU appears to actively promotes Bridge Club Live giving them a page in the bi-monthly magazine, but it may well be the case that they pay for this privilege. BCL also attends the Summer Meeting at Brighton promoting itself and the EBU. Dean is right that BBO's profile needs to get higher within the EBU. However any proposal that would increase the number of EBU members would probably be warmly received. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 At the time that the EBU got into bed with BCL I was on OKB, before BBO got off the ground, and felt heartily pissed off that they would go with an inferior and less popular software, the only thing going for it at the time apparently being a marginally lower subscription rate. I guess the importance of subscription rate is a subjective thing, but for me it did not outweigh the other factors. As EBU subscribers we appoint officers to look after our interests, and having made that appointment we have to let them get on with it and trust them in developing policy. Nevertheless there appeared to be a degree of secrecy and underhandedness behind this decision that was rather unnecessary. There was no announcement to the members (that I can discover, reading back issues of the bi-monthly) of an intent to review the available sources of on-line bridge prior to, but with a view to, committing exclusively to one source. There was no consultation with the members soliciting their own opinion of a preferred source (which would not have helped a non-existent-at-the-time BBO). There was no explanation of why one source is preferable to the exclusion of others. There was no explanation of why BCL was chosen from amongst the alternatives. I have to conclude it was more for short-term financial considerations than a long-term desire to develop the EBU on-line game (all of which factors point to alternative choices). Indeed, with the emergence of BBO I imagine that even the short-term financial advantages have disappeared. And having made the choice, they devote two pages of the bi-monthly magazine as a blatant advertisement for BCL under the superficial guise of an "article". I fail to see how this is acting in the interests of the EBU subscribers. Not that I am interested in playing on-line for masterpoints, but when I see members (of which I am one) treated in such a cavalier manner it does rather gall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulg Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Personally I do not feel that the EBU did such a poor job. At a time when there was really only one successful online service available their choices were definitely restricted. Going for a service that had a UK presence, cheaper subs, promoted Acol and small enough for them to influence would appear to be a reasonable one (remember that Internet connections to the US were not as reliable as today's). They were also targeting non-expert players and a US-centric service, with everyone playing unfamiliar systems, would have appeared intimidating. In addition it is unlikely that OKB would have afforded them any real attention given their focus on the ACBL, so I don't really see any conspiracy angle and they appear to have been reasonable in their selection at that time. There have been a lot of changes in personnel at the EBU over the past few months. I would expect if BBO's utilisation/reputation in the UK improved, especially by non-expert players, then they would consider authorising tournaments. However, it would be interesting to know how many people play regularly in ACBL tourneys. As the UK is only a tenth of the size, is there a critical mass that wants these events? We seem to be two who are well qualified to play but have no interest ... not a good start! Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanrover Posted October 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 I am not sure what the EBUs reticence is based on, but I suspect that the natural conservatism of such organisations is a contributing factor. The EBU chairman has never played bridge, and as such is unlikely to know much about BBO. These organisations are not by their nature revolutionary, so the best way to get the EBU to adopt BBO is to persistently remind them of its benefits and of the demands of its members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 The EBU chairman has never played bridge. Never knew that. I find it amazing. Not sure why, but it reminds me of a conversation I had at a Xmas party many years ago with someone I had never met. She (with mouth full of marbles): "Do you hunt?"Me: "No"She: "Oh!"She: "Umm"She: "So you don't hunt"She: "Umm"She: "Well, then, what on earth DO you do?" Heh! I guess she will find that there are pursuits now (in light of statutory abolishion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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