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Home > Archive > Chess politics > August 2006 > when might we see the new magazine and web site?
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when might we see the new magazine and web site?
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| DB Rea 2006-08-02, 10:38 pm |
| There's been an awful lot of talk here and elsewhere on the money spent for
the re-design of the magazine and the web site. I just might re-join if
they both come to pass. Anyone have any idea when either of these new
efforts will arrive? I looked at the latest Chess Life at the local
library yesterday and didn't see any difference, and I just checked the web
site a couple of minutes ago and it's still the "leftovers stew" that it
has been for quite some time.
TIA-
Dan
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| Chess Freak 2006-08-02, 10:38 pm |
| June, 2006.
"DB Rea" <danielb@trib.com> wrote in message
news:1tct9djgefpr3$.v5eouu6hh8f0.dlg@40tude.net...
quote:
> There's been an awful lot of talk here and elsewhere on the money spent
> for
> the re-design of the magazine and the web site. I just might re-join if
> they both come to pass. Anyone have any idea when either of these new
> efforts will arrive? I looked at the latest Chess Life at the local
> library yesterday and didn't see any difference, and I just checked the
> web
> site a couple of minutes ago and it's still the "leftovers stew" that it
> has been for quite some time.
>
> TIA-
>
> Dan
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| beatchess@aol.com 2006-08-02, 10:39 pm |
| Last week, I meet with Paul Hoffman in NYC. He showed me the proposal,
as well as some work in progress for the redesign of Chess Life
Magazine and USCF website.
The magazine will have a modern look and the website will be
reorganized to make it more user's friendly. I have been concerned
about the outcome of the project and the money the USCF is expending on
it. However, now I am confident that we will be very pleased with the
final results. Of course, there will be an ongoing assessment and
improvements as the USCF receives feedback from our members.
These improvements will be adding more value to the membership and
hopefully attract more members.
All the best,
Beatriz Marinello
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| RSHaas@aol.com 2006-08-02, 10:39 pm |
| " Many observers predict it will be a disaster. " jr
============
Unless they've seen the new format they cannot be observers. So who
are these observers who got an advanced look at the new format?
Old Haasie
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| help bot 2006-08-02, 10:39 pm |
| " Many observers predict it will be a disaster. " -- jr
============
"Unless they've seen the new format they cannot be observers. So who
are these observers who got an advanced look at the new format?" -- Old
Hassie
FYI, Jr is a parrot who sits on the left shoulder of Larry Parr and
mimics the sounds coming out of his master's mouth.
The "observers" here consist of the Evans ratpackers: Larry Parr,
Phil Innes, and the parrot, of course.
The "disaster" is simply a reference to Chess Life dropping Evans'
column. Soon, I fully expect that the Evans ratpackers will issue an
edict that this (i.e. dropping Evans' column) "will go down in history"
as USCF's greatest blunder since recognising the existence of FIDE.
The point is that the quality of the new format is irrelevant to
these critics; what they care about is Larry Evans' interests. What
they "observe" is that he is being dropped.
Even if the new format is a smashing success, the Evans ratpackers will
continue to whine about him being dropped.
-- help bot
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| RSHaas@aol.com 2006-08-02, 10:39 pm |
| help bot, thanks for setting me straight on "the observers." I've
occasionally said I cannot easily tell the good guys from the bad guys
on this forum. I guess I'm just too stupid to keep up.
In many ways I have been a Parr fan ever since the days of Leisure
Link and the emergence of the "Friends of the USCF." I certainly think
Parr has been the most interesting contributor by far over his many
years on this forum.
Nevertheless, I'm not boiling over the end of Larry Evans' column.
He's 74 and maybe it is time to make way for someone new. Lucas
wouldn't be the first editor of a publication to clean house, so to
speak, Let's see what comes of it.
Old Haasie
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| help bot 2006-08-02, 10:40 pm |
| "In many ways I have been a Parr fan ever since the days of Leisure
Link and the emergence of the "Friends of the USCF." I certainly think
Parr has been the most interesting contributor by far over his many
years on this forum." -- Old Hassie
Some of Larry Parr's stories here certainly are "interesting", as in
it is interesting to note the "reasoning" used to come to his sweeping
conclusions. 
Over the years I have been reading this newsgroup, I have found some
of Nick Bourbaki's postings to be more interesting, although I must
admit they often ramble on about off-topic subjects which do not relate
directly to chess.
You see, while Larry Parr might ramble on a bit about Stalin during
one of his many anti-FIDE rants, there is little of substance, and a
plethora of ad hominem invective. Nick Bourbaki suffers from a similar
malady, yet many of his longer posts quote extensively from interesting
writers on interesting subjects, while LP often quotes and re-quotes
Larry Evans and himself.
One interesting exchange was a fairly recent thread in which LP
discussed a book which took a "revisionist" view on FDR's role in WWII.
Nick Bourbaki jumped in (from out of nowhere) with his hackneyed stand
that "most academics" think this and "most academics" reject that --
never once citing the alleged comprehensive opinion survey of these
academics; I think this in itself tells volumes about the worth of NB's
never-ending comments in that regard.
This was one of those rare instances where substantive material was
forcibly drawn forth from LP's keyboard, and where help bot actually
believes LP was thinking rationally. Even so, the conversation mainly
focused around an authority argument, where LP's particular authority
was attacked by NB, while NB never backed up his claims with any
evidence whatsoever. This is what happens when two bombastic posters
collide....
What will come of it, of the new format for Chess Life, I have no
idea. I am not currently a member and do not get CL. It does seem
extravagant to spent such a large sum on a redesign, but I am no expert
on that. I expect that *some* of the problem with USCF's declining
membership has resulted from declining ratings; many people I know are
on or near their rating floors, which can be discouraging. Another
issue is the fact that our top players are Russian emigres (our
surfer-dudes are now history), and further, that we are not in the
running for the world championship. In America, chess is mainly a prop
for TV or movie camera sets where they want to make a character appear
to be intelligent. If they want them to look successful, they show the
character reading the Wall Street Journal and wearing an expensive
monkey-suit.
Back when I was reading Chess Life regularly, I wish they *had*
changed the format by dropping Key Crackers, Benko Bungles Endgames,
and those young upstarts, (Benjamin and Wolfe?). My favorite was
probably Keres, annotating games (really well).
I must admit, I'm rather picky. I want it all; quality chess games,
well-annotated, but not too dry, and with a dose of spice -- but not
overkill. Instead, what I always seemed to get from Chess Life was
mediocre games, indifferently blended, and with an overdose of bombast.
-- help bot
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| RSHaas@aol.com 2006-08-02, 10:40 pm |
| "...I must admit, I'm rather picky. I want it all; quality chess
games,
well-annotated..." (help bot)
============
Well annotated GM games would be my first choice in CL. Playing
over GM games is the way I study chess. Rarely do I go into the
opening books and read them column by column by sub-variant and so on.
Second choice would be good coverage of international chess at the GM
level ... the sports news, so to speak. Those two go hand in hand and
would form the heart of the magazine. TLA was important to me when I
was a T player and it may again. After games, sport news, and TLA ...
I'd have not much interest in things like kiddie chess, state level
results, and so on.
Old Haasie
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