chess programs should not be free or too cheap

[kgburcham]

I think one of the worst things to happen to chess programs is the fact that we can buy the top programs for a very cheap price or get it free.
I paid 39 dollars for Komodo and I think this was way to cheap for the amount of work that goes in to these program improvements.
I think that the free Stockfish is not good for computer chess.
I think if all chess programs are free, it causes future programmers to put their energy in other software.
Why would a motivated young programmer spend any time improving a chess program if we get to the point that everyone thinks a program should be free or extremely cheap ($39).
When I buy something, I want to feel like I am getting something of high quality and something dependable, no crashes, no lock ups, free of most bugs, and I want to pay for it and I don't want it free and I don't want it cheap.

MP Junior, MP Shredder, MP Fritz, MP Houdini, MP Rybka, cost more than twice as much as Komodo 6---that's economically irresponsible, financially unprofessional, and bad for the future of computer chess.

The next time a programmer offers a program for sale, please bill me $125 at least for the program purchase, I prefer the program to be on a DVD, minimum bugs, no crashes, easy install, MP capable, support at least 32 cores (or more), in a nice case.

Offering free (or $39) 3200 elo chess programs to the unemployed is very bad for the future of computer chess.

Ok for the next release lets run a trial:
Komodo 7 $39 standard
Komodo 7b higher strength $69
Komodo 7c Highest strength $139

http://www.chessusa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?
http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-prog ... 2-uci.html

kgburcham

[S.Taylor]

I think one of the worst things to happen to chess programs is the fact that we can buy the top programs for a very cheap price or get it free.
I paid 39 dollars for Komodo and I think this was way to cheap for the amount of work that goes in to these program improvements.
I think that the free Stockfish is not good for computer chess.
I think if all chess programs are free, it causes future programmers to put their energy in other software.
Why would a motivated young programmer spend any time improving a chess program if we get to the point that everyone thinks a program should be free or extremely cheap ($39).
When I buy something, I want to feel like I am getting something of high quality and something dependable, no crashes, no lock ups, free of most bugs, and I want to pay for it and I don't want it free and I don't want it cheap.

MP Junior, MP Shredder, MP Fritz, MP Houdini, MP Rybka, cost more than twice as much as Komodo 6---that's economically irresponsible, financially unprofessional, and bad for the future of computer chess.

The next time a programmer offers a program for sale, please bill me $125 at least for the program purchase, I prefer the program to be on a DVD, minimum bugs, no crashes, easy install, MP capable, support at least 32 cores (or more), in a nice case.

Ok for the next release lets run a trial:
Komodo 7 $39 standard
Komodo 7b higher strength $69
Komodo 7c Highest strength $139

http://www.chessusa.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?
http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-prog ... 2-uci.html

kgburcham

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.
If it is above 50 elo stronger, then rich people may be charged (and poorer people would weigh it up against what they need or can get for free).

Anything costing $125 or more, must be atleast 100 elo stronger than SF and must be built to last forever, on todays systems.

If it's worthy of being a once-in-a-lifetime purchase and is over 100 elo stronger plus it has all the features and user friendliness, then $150-$200 would be fine (even if many people will buy many more later).

Anything not much stronger than SF, please! just leave me out of it!

You may give your own donations to whoever you want. But don't rob the poor.

[kgburcham]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.

Anything costing $125 or more, must be atleast 100 elo stronger than SF and must be built to last forever, on todays systems.

Programs have cost this for years and have been way less than 100 elo increase

If it's worthy of being a once-in-a-lifetime purchase and is over 100 elo stronger plus it has all the features and user friendliness, then $150-$200 would be fine (even if many people will buy many more later).

once in a lifetime--that is funny

Anything not much stronger than SF, please! just leave me out of it!

Yes that is the goal. I want the price to force some out of obtaining elo.

You may give your own donations to whoever you want.

yes , already.

But don't rob the poor.

first of all, I don't believe you are poor.
second I don't want 3200 elo offered to the poor.
If someone is unemployed or is on disability, I don't want that person dragging down my hobby because of his misfortune.
He should take up a free hobby, like checkers or otb chess, I want computer chess to be expensive for some.
kgburcham

[S.Taylor]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.
kgburcham

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price. But I'd say, don't preach about it. Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks, and i hope that they, and those similar, will be able to keep it up for alot more time.

[kgburcham]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.
kgburcham

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price. But I'd say, don't preach about it. Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks, and i hope that they, and those similar, will be able to keep it up for alot more time.

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price

you just described Stockfish, and based on the ads I posted in the links a good price is $130.

But I'd say, don't preach about it.

what does this mean.
Amen

Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks

No, Stockfish is beating Houdini, I paid $100 for Houdini.
Stockfish is beating Rybka 4.1, I paid $100 for Rybka 4.1

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.
kgburcham

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price. But I'd say, don't preach about it. Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks, and i hope that they, and those similar, will be able to keep it up for alot more time.

To till you the truth Shimon,Kim has a valid point at least from an ethical/luxury point of view when it comes to the computer chess as a hobby....
Dr.D

[sainzlei]

Not everyone is as rich as you are ,
Computer chess is not richman's toy .

[kgburcham]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.
kgburcham

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price. But I'd say, don't preach about it. Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks, and i hope that they, and those similar, will be able to keep it up for alot more time.

To till you the truth Shimon,Kim has a valid point at least from an ethical/luxury point of view when it comes to the computer chess as a hobby....
Dr.D

Dr.D
Thanks for having an open mind and looking at it from all sides.
kgburcham

[kgburcham]

]Not everyone is as rich as you are

that is a fact, but many are richer.

Computer chess is not richman's toy

Yes that is one of my points. Thanks.
If some programmer full of energy with new ideas, and highly motivated and is a very good chess player comes out of college and is going to pursue the improvement of a program or create his own and has the ability to contribute to this hobby in a big way----he should be paid in a big way----and it should not be offered to the unemployed, a WalMart greeter, a retired person struggling on social security, a disabled person, a person with a low paying job etc etc...

One thing that is a fact. My hobby has been cheapened by free programs and low price programs.
Do you really know what I really want?

[S.Taylor]

Anything less than 50 elo above the strongest Stockfish engine, should be free.

40 elo jump in strength is very strong and the program author deserves substantial compensation ($140).

Three releases at 40 elo each is a big increase in strength and should be paid for and not cheap and not offered free for the unemployed.
kgburcham

If you have a strong program where hundreds of hours of hard work went into, then by all means, charge a good price. But I'd say, don't preach about it. Stockfish deserves only praises and thanks, and i hope that they, and those similar, will be able to keep it up for alot more time.

To till you the truth Shimon,Kim has a valid point at least from an ethical/luxury point of view when it comes to the computer chess as a hobby....
Dr.D

My own idea is that it is really a hobby which requires a one-time purchase, of a decent computer, plus a a top chess program for it.

In that case, i wouldn't have considered it a luxury, once that has been purchased, atleast for many years.

However, the rental of an extra 2-3 sq metres as part of ones living accomodation, might be very costly. But whoever anyway has a computer setup etc., already has most of what he needs for the hobby. (I, by the way, find that very hard to sustain sometimes).

But once one has it, one can use it the whole time, for ever... i would have thought. And THAT is the hobby. You can practice against it, you can analyse with it, you can experiment with it chesswise. It shouldn't cost anything once you have it. Unless you are dissatisfied with it and want a stronger or more user-friendly program.

Or unless you want to "keep up with the Joneses".