Matthew Sweeney, considered by many in the chess officialdom as a big troublemaker, has launched a new chess forum. Says he: "Its purpose is to initiate a movement to fill a few holes in Australian chess."
This is not the first time that Mr Sweeney has tried a chess forum. Last year his so called Uber Chess Jehad (UCJ) site attracted some attention. However, it quickly fell victim to a hack attack and came in for some heavy criticism particularly from officials in the New South Wales Chess Association and the ACF. In fact, Sweeney's current ban from NSWCA events is largely due to certain pronouncements he made on the UCJ site.
But Sweeney has apparently learned a lesson.
Unlike his former rough and tumble Uber Chess Jehad site, his new board is an up market challenger to the monopoly dominance of the Chess Chat bulletin board - Australia's most popular chess forum.
Sweeney says, "The new board will only approve contributers (sic) who are interested in growing chess in Australia. Incumbent administrators advocating a status quo may find themselves at odds with the ethos of the new site." The new board is the "Australian Chess Club Forum".
While anyone may read the board, Mr Sweeney insists that we should all be prepared to peddle our bono fide positions before being permitted to post.
I've had a quick look at the site and my first feedback is, ease up on that harsh blue colour. It's terrible on my eyes. Other than that, good luck.
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27 comments:
When I got to the new FORUM site for Australian Chess progress I noticed that the colur had already changed ...your advice must have been accepted.
Due to exposure through this BLOG-of-Choice the hit-rate on the new FORUM is now on a steep incline.
So what's with the "code of conduct" declaration? Is it compulsory? It's really quite bizarre.
Since there's nothing much on ChessChat except Queenslanders slinging toys out of the cot (from both sides)anything is worth a go!
i'm afraid i can't say a prayer for this new board or give it my blessing; it's bad enough that such mumbo jumbo is being allowed to infiltrate queensland chess culture ... nudge nudge wink wink pray no more!
I wish Matt all the very best with the new site. It would be really funny if Matt's site became the real chess chat place for Australian chess players and that the site (Chess Chat) that has given him such a hard time collapses due to inactivity. Chess Chat has already shown signs of serious inertia over the last few weeks. The mods have stifled all dissent and the chat there is now as bland as could be.
That Howard Duggan guy at the other forum is a real pain. I'll bookmark this new location as my primary point of call. I just hope that Howard guy stays away.
I bet that last post actually was Howard Duggan lol It's true though, he can be rather annoying, more annoying though is that Arrogant One person who really needs his head read. The big egos on that board are getting pretty stifling.
PS There's some annoying guy called "arosar" on the bulletin board, does anyone know who that is? I tell you what, I'd really like to give that fellow a piece of my mind...
Re chesschat: "The mods have stifled all dissent and the chat there is now as bland as could be." Total rubbish - for instance Belthasar's whinging has resulted in no mod action. Sounds like someone finds it offensive if people talk about chess!
Matt's new forum seems to be a better attempt than UCJ so far in many respects, but I expect it will still fail, based on the cumbersome membership procedure and Matt's inability to stick at tasks.
Also while the site requires posters to agree to be civil to each other, it does not require the same of posters towards outsiders. On that basis I wonder how long Matt can restrain himself from using the site for his usual rants at the NSWCA.
Matt is also wrong in assuming that those administrators whose public output often consists of hosing down invalid, trollish and intemperate attacks on aspects of the status quo, are therefore supporters of the status quo overall.
Hey Mr Blogger-man, A year ago you were insisting that all long discussion took place away from the BLOG. Are you changing your standards?
Happy anniversary by the way.
registered ezboard global account; applied accf ;denied; asked why; not well known enough; when i saw that a certain ridemcowboy was allowed to have his name known only to admin after others had made theirs public in the initial good conduct declaration i decided i was wasting my time here; ezboard global account deleted; this forum will most likely end up turning into another "white elephant"; hehehehe [snip]
Dear "6SNIP9",
You were rejected because.
1. You declined offer your real name
2. No one has nominated you.
The new member "rideemcowboy" did in fact voluteerily place his real name on the declairation. Since his handle identity was not widely known on Chess Chat I asked him if he would prefer to keep it that way. He accepted the offer due to his wishing his participation on bullettin boards to not effect his business.
I made the offer unpromted because I his behavior at Chess Chat was exemplory.
In your own case, you have yet to sufficiently prove your bona fides for posting on the Australian Chess Club Forum. I encourage you to reapply if/when you decide to "come clean."
I think the nomination process will be offputting. But best of luck anyway.
Meanwhile, back at chesschat, Howie is entertaining members and guests alike with yet another birthday ditty... :-(
I've just read this from the ACCF site: "The change in the registration process is an obvious attempt to produce a new culture." Whilst being offputting for some, I guess the membership procedure may reassure some disillusioned bb participants that ACCF is making a sincere attempt to be a site where issues can be discussed maturely and without attempts to sabotage... would be good if it works.
p.s. nice to see 'Frosty' making an appearance!
This new forum should have been named ACID (Australian Chess Illuminati Debaters); all pertinent "reactions" being kept "closed flask" with no anonymous browsing. _ A Alkaline :)
Sweeney's attempts to improve Australian chess are laughable and hypocritical.
Matthew, if you are reading this here are two ways you can improve Aussie chess.
1) When you run a chess tournament pay out the advertised prize. It is dishonest to advertise your Wollongong tournament as having a guaranteed prize of $500 and then only pay out $150 for first prize.
2) Stop persecuting the hard working oficials of the NSWCA, all of whom have contributed far more to Australian chess than you have.
To the anon who has been sending defamatory emails about me to various people and now posts them on this blog:
Re prize money:
There were our own local club players and two Sydney players (one an IM) who turned up to the two-day swiss with a $500 first prize – one of the Sydney players arriving after close of entries.
The club president and I decided that under the circumstances, that the two day event should be *cancelled* and a new 8 player, one day rapid round robin should replace it. I put my hand in *my* pocket and gave a total of $300 cash as appearance money to the two Sydney players. Both were very happy with that. They went on to win 1st $100 and 2nd $50 Both Bollens and Xie were happy with the outcome for their 4 hours of chess and the cancellation of second drive to and from Sydney for day two. In fact, Xie said to me he would love to come back next year, as did Bollens. Xie also posted a thanks on Chess Chat.
If anon with the half and slurs wants to be a man, and not like a particular backstabbing maggot we all know, let him say these things to me in person, in public, so people can see him get a dressing down fit for filth.
Matthew Sweeney
I believe it was the NSWCA that was persecuting him by asking for a national ban when he had done nothing in an ACTUAL tournament.
"I bet that last post actually was Howard Duggan lol It's true though, he can be rather annoying, more annoying though is that Arrogant One person who really needs his head read. The big egos on that board are getting pretty stifling."
Arrogant-One has taken a lot of crap for joining the CAQ council, donating his time and consideration to that organization, and then getting victimised when that organization became far too political, with the president's big ego and eratic behaviour.
Can we really say that Howard Duggan would be someone we would like to work with on a regular basis?
While the Queensland conflict certainly spilled out into chesschat.org, I would put most of the blame for that on Howard Duggan himself.
Even with Arrogant-One now banned Howard seems to be picking fights with other people now.
This so called ACCC board is supposedly set up by Matthew Sweeney for those of similar "credible" bona fides to challenge the status quo yet its initiation hurdles make it more cliquey than the status quo it is seeking to overthrow. I can't take this place seriously. How can you plan to overthrow when every anonymous lurker can see what you are doing? Furthermore is there really any need for those added extras like what is happening at Box Hill each week or worse still initiates braying for a non chess section like at the place they left behind ... GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK ... the snails Kevin Bonham studies would intuitively be more adept at cooperating and pacing themselves for a longterm objective and they at least would leave a slimy trail behind to let you know something had happened. When it's all said and done though it's a split thread from one at chesschat (iirc) The Australian Chess Wheel Reinvented Yet Again ... remember? signed (you know who or do you?)
I suspect that the anon above is Kevin bonham - KB will correct me if I am wrong.
Perhaps those who have opinions on ACCForum to post should not be doing so on this blog. Perhaps they should be posting on Chess Chat or ACCForum itself.
KB's (?) [and 6SNIP9's (?)] implied suggestion that a group planning to overthrow the status quo should not be doing so, so publically, does not fit with the principles of:
Transparency
Honesty
Inclusivity
You may wish to look at the identities from Chat Chat who now are ACCForum members. Now look at the group of conspicuously absent Chess Chatters. WOW! what an overall contrast in styles. You connect the dots.
Comment from 11.01 pm, July 30th. My vote goes to dorophil for that one. Or maybe Canfell. Amusing, a bit harsh and to the point. I don’t have any evidence, just sounds a bit like them... doesn't sound like KB to me.
Dear Anonymous,
That comment at 11.01 pm, July 30th wasn't mine. The biggest clue should have been that it was posted anonymously.
Get the picture now, Anonymous?
Sincerely,
Greg Canfell
Hi Greg
[Friday, August 04, 2006
Chess Makes Better Students]
-TCG Post
If the above is true then how come the chess "detectives" about the place can't do their "homework" and work out who I am?
Sincerely,
Anon [... but which one?]
PS
Actually, all these "Anons" might start making TCG really "Shirty".
:)
Anonymous wrote:
> This so called ACCC board is
> supposedly set up by Matthew
> Sweeney for those of similar
> "credible" bona fides to challenge
> the status quo yet its initiation
> hurdles make it more cliquey
> than the status quo it is seeking
> to overthrow. I can't take this
> place seriously.
The reason I am there is not to overthrow anything. Matthew Sweeney knows full well that I am committed to working with existing administrators in chess (for me, that means the ACF, Chess Victoria, and other Victorian clubs). I don't play politics, full stop.
I am interested in discussing chess administration in an environment where the participants communicate civilly at all times, and where one is free to express opinion and information raised in private discussions without fear of moderation (e.g. no "you needed permission from so-and-so to post that").
That's why I was more than happy to sign up to the Code of Conduct on ACCC. I would hope that EVERY other poster there is also required to sign up to the same. I also hope that it is enforced.
As for the sign-up process being awkward, blimey, it really, really isn't. Personally I think that those complaining about the awkwardness are basically using that as an excuse for not having to sign up to a Code of Conduct, that they just don't wish to be accountable for what they post and how that might affect other people who have to read it, or those about whom it is written. Selah!
Thus far, ACCC provides just that not-tto-hot, not-too-cold, just-right environment. Whether it stays that way, who can say ... but if it doesn't, it won't be because of me, that's for sure.
A bunch of dildos play games at chesschat. How about giving Matt's site a go and being positive about the game for once rather than shit talk like the person who wrote the article on the 13 year old kid taking steroids - Mr Anonymous Solov was a GM back in 1973? Living in the U.S.A? It's time to get real and leave the story telling to your under 5s.
I endorse Matty's selection criteria and wish him the best.
is that really THE Comrade zukovsky?!!
is that really THE Comrade Zukovsky?!!
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