Richard "red" Nash Apr 11 1994, 5:46 am show options Newsgroups: rec.games.chess From: n...@visus.com (Richard "red" Nash) - Find messages by this author Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 12:46:20 GMT Local: Mon, Apr 11 1994 5:46 am Subject: Announcing The FICS Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse ANNOUNCING THE NEW FREE INTERNET CHESS SERVER 1. What? The FICS software is very much like the current ICS but has been completely rewritten from scratch. It is identical to the ICS in a majority of ways, better in some (distributed ratings server, simuls, takebacks, switch sides, pause, database for opening positions, no negative clocks), and (sigh) worse in others (no messages or players commands, who not fully implemented, only computer notation output). 2. Where? There is currently only one server which can be reached at this address: chess.pitt.edu (136.142.81.40) port: 5000 (The name hasn't been placed into the name server, so just use the internet number for a while.) We would like to set up more servers. Any volunteers? 3. How? Most current ICS users should have no problem using the FICS as it is so similar. Simply login to the FICS and start looking around. To get help on: Registration: 'help registger' Server Differences: 'help fics_differences' 4. Why? It is my purpose to break the control that a small group that has been enforcing over the internet chess community for the past few years. The problem has been that the source code to ICS has been tightly controlled. I believe that it should be replaced by a system of network chess that is more free and open. I cannot replace the well entrenched ICS alone, so I wrote a server that is very usable and free. This server is free in the sense that the source code is available to anyone who wants it. If you want to set up your own ICS, no one is going to stop you. In fact, this is encouraged. There is a central ratings server (which is tightly controlled) which allows satellite FICS servers to submit game results, and get ratings information from a central location. These satellite servers are locally controlled and will enforce their own policies. 5. Why should I use the FICS when the ICS works fine for me? You don't have to. In fact at first I'm sure the ICS will be the more attractive system. The ICS has been more extensively debugged, and your ratings are already established. But, what the ICS doesn't have is the ability to grow like the FICS can. With free source code available to the community, improvements and new features can be completed at a much faster rate and shared among (hopefully) several servers the world over. You will be able to log in where you have the least lag, or the most peers, and your rating will follow you. I'm betting on the ICS community being broad minded enough to realize that by choosing FICS over ICS they are creating a better, freer, future for networked chess. 6. Thanks! My thanks to those who have helped bring this about. Debuggers: Len, forrest, Patrick, spam, vision, llama, aqualung, alanl, peterpuck, psyche, carlyle, and others I'm sure I've forgotten. (Sorry if I did't put your name here.) University of Pittsburgh computing faculty for allowing us to use the machine. -- +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | Richard V. Nash | Visual Understanding Systems, Inc. | | n...@visus.com | Tel. (412)-488-3600 Fax. (412)-488-3611 | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Mark Helfen Apr 11 1994, 10:19 pm show options Newsgroups: rec.games.chess Followup-To: rec.games.chess From: mar...@netcom.com (Mark Helfen) - Find messages by this author Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 05:19:48 GMT Local: Mon, Apr 11 1994 10:19 pm Subject: Re: Announcing The FICS Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse Can you tell me if the software is close enough that the various front ends will still work?? MarkH In article <1994Apr11.124620.3...@visus.com>, n...@visus.com (Richard "red" - Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Nash) wrote: > ANNOUNCING THE NEW FREE INTERNET CHESS SERVER > 1. What? > The FICS software is very much like the current ICS but has been completely > rewritten from scratch. It is identical to the ICS in a majority of ways, > better in some (distributed ratings server, simuls, takebacks, switch sides, > pause, database for opening positions, no negative clocks), and (sigh) worse > in others (no messages or players commands, who not fully implemented, only > computer notation output). > 2. Where? > There is currently only one server which can be reached at this address: > chess.pitt.edu (136.142.81.40) port: 5000 > (The name hasn't been placed into the name server, so just use the internet > number for a while.) [.... much stuff deleted.....] Richard "red" Nash Apr 12 1994, 5:29 am show options Newsgroups: rec.games.chess From: n...@visus.com (Richard "red" Nash) - Find messages by this author Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 12:29:25 GMT Local: Tues, Apr 12 1994 5:29 am Subject: Re: Announcing The FICS Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse In article mar...@netcom.com (Mark Helfen) writes: > Can you tell me if the software is close enough that the various front ends > will still work?? > MarkH Because so many people asked this via direct mail I'll post the answer. It was definately my goal to have the various front ends still work. I know that xboard, xics, giics, and nextics all work to varying degrees. If you find your interface doesn't work, try to discover what the problem is, report the problem to me and I'll fix it. Rich Scott Siers - MD-34 P24C-83 Apr 13 1994, 12:21 am show options Newsgroups: rec.games.chess From: ssi...@frx194.intel.com (Scott Siers - MD-34 P24C-83) - Find messages by this author Date: 12 Apr 1994 17:15:45 GMT Local: Tues, Apr 12 1994 10:15 am Subject: Re: Announcing The FICS Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show original | Report Abuse I recently tried out the new FICS. I was very impressed. It has the same feel as ICS with a few new features. I like the new takeback feature because after a long hard game, it seems silly to win based on an obvious blunder or a typo. I am pretty sure the interfaces work. My opponent was using nextics and had no problems. It still has a few commands that need to be finished (players, who and some others I can't remember right now) but I didn't notice any bugs in the software. I want to thank the entire FICS for a job well done. Scott Siers (thebear on ICS and FICS)