I've spent wa-ay too much time on the USCF's Forums in the past few months. I had a reason: the campaign against Paul Truong and Susan Polgar. But that's over now. The USCF has expelled them entirely. So now the attacks become ever more petty and the gimmicks to purnish Polgar supporters (me) ever more arbitrary. They won; we lost. And they've made it clear that there will be no olive branch to the loosers.I can go into the latest problem but why bother? (It was another attack on Susan's Chess Discussion Forum of which I am a Moderator.)
The USCF's forum still has useful information that comes up from time to time so I recommend that you still go there if you can. But I can't recommend becoming too involved in it. Most of the time, they're just going round in circles in meaningless discussions on lawsuits. The central questions surrounding the Delegate's verdict are all hush hush. So, forget trying to find them out.
As for much else, well. It's all so sad, really. On a more positive note, there are several really good chess sites - much the much maligned Susan Polgar's Chess Discussion. And Chessvine, too.
(Yes, I am a contributor to both.) Which brings me to my main point of this: I really need to start spending more of my time on those places (and here, too!) than on the USCF's Forums.
Jack, speaking as one who would call himself a friend, let it go...
ReplyDeleteJack, as someone who is not your friend or does not even know you, dont let it go. What was done to Susan and Paul was incorrect. With his I mean, the expulsion was done incorrectly. That an organization wishes to expel someone is always an option but it was incorrectly done and in a FREE country with FREEDOM OF SPEECH, we have the right to voice our opinion.
ReplyDeleteGirls chess was severly hurt in U.S Chess, not Susan, Susan continues being Susan and nothing happened to her. But the 3,000 girls that annually participated in her programs were hurt.
In two decades, some of those girls that were in her programs are going to reopen this issue again.
To blame two people for the demise of an organization simply shows that the organization was never that strong or well equipped.
Not even Hitler and el Duce along could bring this country down. You mean to tell me that a woman and her husband are the SOLE cause of USCF woes???
Give me a break.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteGlad you still consider yourself my friend. The point of this post is that I am letting it go. It is all for the courts now.
Entrador, thanks for your comment. I am just sick to death of USCF politics for now.
ReplyDeleteHi Jack,
ReplyDeleteI know you care about the US chess community, and you have my respect. Paul and Susan still have my respect for the excellent work they are doing at SPICE. (Although I do, sadly, conclude that the delegates made the right decision recently based purely on the issue of fiduciary duty. It's kind of like being a manager and making a termination decision about an employee who has committed a firing offense; you really wish you didn't have to do it, and you wish the best for the firee in the future.) Every member of the USCF, and especially its leadership, must do their utmost to promote reconciliation. I'm sorry to hear about the troubles on the forum.
Entrador, could you please explain why you feel that the expulsion of GM Polgar and Mr. Truong was "incorrect"?
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you name a single solitary person who actually claims that GM Polgar and Mr. Truong were the "sole" cause of USCF's difficulties. I don't think even Sam Sloan would claim that.
Jack:
ReplyDeleteI really can't comment on your own experiences with forum moderations. I will say that my experience with chess-discussion-moderators-not-named-Jack has occasionally been frustrating. See http://wduscf.blogspot.com/2009/04/adventures-at-chessdiscussioncom.html
Unfortunately, Chess Discussion has turned into Alt.rants.Zarathustra.silly, so I haven't had much cause to post there recently.