Racism on KGS

[Javaness2]

Huh... This issue has been talked about before, but just out of curiosity: Why do you feel compelled to read the chat/kibitz when you watch the game? To be honest, most of the time when I watch I am not even aware there is any kibitz... But I hear some people just cannot resist, even if it bothers them. Why?

It's a great question. Very often, what disgusts us seems to fascinate us.

[Bonobo]

Huh... This issue has been talked about before, but just out of curiosity: Why do you feel compelled to read the chat/kibitz when you watch the game? To be honest, most of the time when I watch I am not even aware there is any kibitz... But I hear some people just cannot resist, even if it bothers them. Why?

It's a great question. Very often, what disgusts us seems to fascinate us.

While I have no real answer to that question I admit that my consumption of popcorn has certainly risen

[Redundant]

It's the same for me as if I'm in a room where two people are having a conversation. It's not easy to ignore them even if the conversation is as daft as KGS chat.

[hyperpape]

Huh... This issue has been talked about before, but just out of curiosity: Why do you feel compelled to read the chat/kibitz when you watch the game? To be honest, most of the time when I watch I am not even aware there is any kibitz... But I hear some people just cannot resist, even if it bothers them. Why?

I find it more or less impossible to not read text on the screen in front of me, just like I find it nearly impossible to be so absorbed in what I am doing that I will not look up when someone comes into the room. I have no psychological story behind that, it just seems to be how my attention works.

[Bantari]

It's the same for me as if I'm in a room where two people are having a conversation. It's not easy to ignore them even if the conversation is as daft as KGS chat.

I find it more or less impossible to not read text on the screen in front of me, just like I find it nearly impossible to be so absorbed in what I am doing that I will not look up when someone comes into the room. I have no psychological story behind that, it just seems to be how my attention works.

I find both very hard to believe.
When you play in a club, are you that distracted in somebody passing by? Are you so distracted by all faces people around you are making? Do you find it impossible to play in a coffee-shop because people quietly ordering coffee distract you so much? At a tournament, do you find it impossible to concentrate because somebody is just updating the results board? And so on...

This goes for outside Go as well - in our daily lives we constantly have to concentrate on things while other things are going on around us. Each of us has this skill, or we would not be able to function, let alone play Go. The scrolling of the kibitz on KGS is like the *least* distracting thing I can imagine comparing to all the other stuff going on around you while you play - music in the background, kids yelling, dogs barking, TV playing, friends analyzing game on next table, whatever... Most of the time we manage to play with more distraction than a scrolling kibitz on the side of your screen.

The only reason the kibitz would distract you so is because you actually *want* to read it.
But then - that's *your* problem, one that *you* should solve for yourself, not blame the server for.

Am I missing anything?

[daal]

Am I missing anything?

The thread title?

[Bonobo]

[..]

I find both very hard to believe.

Doesn’t change the fact that others experience as they describe.

Am I missing anything?

Apparently … perhaps your attention is not just like the ordinary ADDer’s


I learnt reading at age of 5, and I STILL cannot help reading every sign on the road, every word in a magazine or book. Heck, when I visit a cinema I even stay in my seat until the credits are finished, and I even try to read most of it.

Likewise, when I’m out somewhere, I can’t help but take a seat where I see the entrance … but I wrote somewhere else here about my OCD already, didn’t I? Nevertheless, ain’t that what’s expected of any hero/warrior/whatever?

[Bantari]

[..]

I find both very hard to believe.

Doesn’t change the fact that others experience as they describe.

Am I missing anything?

Apparently … perhaps your attention is not just like the ordinary ADDer’s


I learnt reading at age of 5, and I STILL cannot help reading every sign on the road, every word in a magazine or book. Heck, when I visit a cinema I even stay in my seat until the credits are finished, and I even try to read most of it.

Likewise, when I’m out somewhere, I can’t help but take a seat where I see the entrance … but I wrote somewhere else here about my OCD already, didn’t I? Nevertheless, ain’t that what’s expected of any hero/warrior/whatever?

There are people with ADD out there, or people who have compulsion to read every word they ever see, or sit in specific chairs, or whatever... but then I would say that the kibitz on KGS window is the least of their problems. And a problem easily solved - as others pointed out - by covering the portion of the window with another window, or even sliding it off the screen altogether. Its certainly no reason to invalidate the whole server for.

PS>
One of my suggestions for KGS way back when was an ability for users to hide any part of chat/kibitz windows they like. Was supposed to be a pretty easy tabs/filters system which would allow you to either not see any chats/kibitzes or only filter the ones you like - by rank or status or whatever. Color-coding was supposed to be part of that as well. Very easy to program, done stuff like that many times, only need to worry about optimizing. Wms opted instead for the EGR/ECR at the time saying that my idea would create a cluttered interface with all the tabs. Right now Nova implements something similar on Game screen. I was bummed when my idea was shot down, I thought it was a good one. But life goes on, and I try not to hold grudges...

Maybe its time to pitch my idea to wms again, seeing how he works on a new client?

[Bonobo]

[..] certainly no reason to invalidate the whole server for.

Full ACK, this was also not my intention, just to show there are different attention modes people have. For me it’s not really a problem since I often enjoy to be everywhere at the same time

One of my suggestions for KGS way back when was an ability for users to hide any part of chat/kibitz windows they like. [..]

Maybe its time to pitch my idea to wms again, seeing how he works on a new client?

Another idea would be to just use the censoring feature which would cost a few clicks, though. But since it’s usually the same few people being too chatty it wouldn’t be too much, IMHO. (I for one WANT to be annoyed by those people, my life would be just unbearably wonderful otherwise )


Greetings, Tom

[hyperpape]

I work in a more or less open floor plan office (probably not ideal for me). A few days ago, I was waiting on my dev lead to review some code. Unfortunately, he was swamped. A little after lunch, he walked in the door, and when I looked at him, he asked "do you just wait and watch for me?"

If I'm facing 12 o'clock, that door is at 7 or 7:30, and I'd wager that I look at 95% of the people who come through it. At tournaments, it is mostly the same. Luckily, tournaments are generally pretty calm, and I finish most of my games early.

I would probably be better at several things if I could avoid this tendency, but it does seem to be my default.

[jts]

I work in a more or less open floor plan office (probably not ideal for me). A few days ago, I was waiting on my dev lead to review some code. Unfortunately, he was swamped. A little after lunch, he walked in the door, and when I looked at him, he asked "do you just wait and watch for me?"

If I'm facing 12 o'clock, that door is at 7 or 7:30, and I'd wager that I look at 95% of the people who come through it. At tournaments, it is mostly the same. Luckily, tournaments are generally pretty calm, and I finish most of my games early.

I would probably be better at several things if I could avoid this tendency, but it does seem to be my default.

Yeah, I have had the opportunity recently to observe the focus of a large number of people, and I seem to be pretty unusual in looking up whenever someone moves. But it's certainly an issue for a number of people, and "Oh my gosh I don't do that, you should see a psychiatrist" is an overreaction.

[duckweed]

Like many discussion about KGS on l19x19, I wonder how many people involved really uses KGS...

This is an user 'Muslim' on KGS who likes to greet the EGR using http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-salamu_alaykum in Arabic.

That is considered 'inappropriate' and he was told to stop. His profile, which contains Quran religious quotes was also wiped.

His secondary account 'muslim2' states he was told to stop by admins.

Runaway prejudices by admins or just catering to them ?

[tchan001]

It's always been inappropriate to use any language other than English in the KGS English Game Room as far as I know. You might get away with it for a short while but you'll eventually receive a warning and further usage would usually result in administrative action.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Like many discussion about KGS on l19x19, I wonder how many people involved really uses KGS...

This is an user 'Muslim' on KGS who likes to greet the EGR using http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-salamu_alaykum in Arabic.

That is considered 'inappropriate' and he was told to stop. His profile, which contains Quran religious quotes was also wiped.

His secondary account 'muslim2' states he was told to stop by admins.

Runaway prejudices by admins or just catering to them ?

As any admin can tell you, the problem was a failure to use the proper form. It should have been "As-salāmu `alaykumu".

[Mef]

This is an user 'Muslim' ...
...Runaway prejudices by admins or just catering to them ?

As always we do not discuss private details on matters like this in public forums, however if we did the seven year history behind this would be very difficult to succinctly describe and in a forum post. All I can do is assure you this was heavily debated and discussed, and both the actions and their implications were not taken lightly. I am sure this provides little solace to those who would criticize, but if the options are appeasing critics or protecting user's privacy it is a fairly simple choice to make.