• The maturational effect of board games

    From frederick@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 13 07:02:19 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with artificial intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to frederick on Fri May 13 10:18:04 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 07:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board games.

    The point isn't to beat the opposition.

    It's claimed that chess trains the mind to focus. The op claims board
    games can teach "psychological tenacity".


    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with artificial intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    No.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From frederick@21:1/5 to DVH on Fri May 13 10:21:50 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/16 10:18, DVH wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 07:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    The point isn't to beat the opposition.

    Is that your excuse?


    It's claimed that chess trains the mind to focus. The op claims board
    games can teach "psychological tenacity".


    It's also claimed that chess is rendered a huge waste of time, now that computers can do the same job better.

    No point in playing a rigged game.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to frederick on Fri May 13 11:03:45 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 10:21, frederick wrote:
    On 13/05/16 10:18, DVH wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 07:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    The point isn't to beat the opposition.

    Is that your excuse?


    It's claimed that chess trains the mind to focus. The op claims board
    games can teach "psychological tenacity".


    It's also claimed that chess is rendered a huge waste of time, now that computers can do the same job better.

    What "job" is that?


    No point in playing a rigged game.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From M Winther@21:1/5 to frederick on Fri May 13 13:09:32 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 08:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with artificial intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    I don't understand the argument. It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.
    Johan Huizinga even calls our species "Homo Ludens".

    "Historian Johan Huizinga, who wrote a book on the culture of play, says
    that the game playing element was once extremely important, especially
    in Chinese civilization. In ancient China almost everything took the
    form of a ceremonial contest: the crossing of a river, the climbing of a mountain, cutting wood or picking flowers."
    http://mlwi.magix.net/boardgam1.htm

    Mats Winther

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From frederick@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 13 13:34:21 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/16 12:09, M Winther wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 08:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with artificial
    intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    I don't understand the argument. It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    I can see the social aspect of board games, indeed, in this sense they
    can be fun.

    But really, it's a poor challenge of intellect, as machines are better
    at them than humans.

    Perhaps they should focus and work on the things that make humans human,
    that can't be easily replicated, rather than messing about in the
    classroom with board games and other things that are equally as useless.

    And before you say it's the same as saying they shouldn't teach numeracy because we have calculators or some such ... numeracy without a
    calculator is generally needed skill, unlike board games, which have no
    real purpose apart from entertainment. (Heck, they may as well 'teach'
    people to play the playstation.)

    So yes, let them play board games, but only if they are educational
    board games, else leave them out of any sort of 'learning' time.

    Really though, what I'd like the education system to do is help people
    think for themselves. But that's unlikely to happen with
    algorithmic-style tests from the age of 7.

    Pupils should be taught how to design and make things. When I was at
    school, we were always told what we should be doing rather than to think
    for ourselves. In science, we never tested any of our own hypothesises.
    In technology, we never got to build our own things. In computing/IT we
    never got to write our own computer programs. In art, we were heavily restricted to the medium. In English, it was rare that we would sit and
    do any creative writing, that is, without being told what to write
    about. And in maths, we would never learn how to create mathematical
    theories.

    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers. And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 13 17:00:49 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    If kids were to be taught board games, such as chess, then they would
    acquire psychological tenacity, and learn that it is only you yourself
    who is responsible for the situation.

    Do you have any scientific studies backing up that position? What
    about the kids who are bored by board games?

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 13 17:19:55 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland
    database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasn’t also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization.
    The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought
    they were hot shit just because some new player didn’t know about the
    quick checkmates.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From M Winther@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Fri May 13 19:44:28 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 19:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasn’t also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization. The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought
    they were hot shit just because some new player didn’t know about the
    quick checkmates.


    I am a master class chess player. It is totally wrong that it's all
    about memorization. It is mostly calculative ability that decides the
    outcome of a game of chess. The second most important thing is the
    ability to make up intelligent plans. The game teaches you to take responsibility the your soldiers on the chess board, and it compels you
    to face defeat in a mature way. Playing chess is learning for life.

    Mats

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to frederick on Fri May 13 18:14:31 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 13:34, frederick wrote:
    On 13/05/16 12:09, M Winther wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 08:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with artificial >>> intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    I don't understand the argument. It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    I can see the social aspect of board games, indeed, in this sense they
    can be fun.

    But really, it's a poor challenge of intellect, as machines are better
    at them than humans.

    Perhaps they should focus and work on the things that make humans human,
    that can't be easily replicated, rather than messing about in the
    classroom with board games and other things that are equally as useless.

    And before you say it's the same as saying they shouldn't teach numeracy because we have calculators or some such ... numeracy without a
    calculator is generally needed skill, unlike board games, which have no
    real purpose apart from entertainment.

    You're still missing the point.

    The claim is that games help people mature. The op suggests they
    encourage "tenacity", and others suggest they improve focus.

    (Heck, they may as well 'teach'
    people to play the playstation.)

    Some video games are indeed useful. They "teach" reasoning and other skills.


    So yes, let them play board games, but only if they are educational
    board games, else leave them out of any sort of 'learning' time.

    They didn't play board games in your day, eh, fred?

    And what was good enough for you is good enough for them.


    Really though, what I'd like the education system to do is help people
    think for themselves. But that's unlikely to happen with
    algorithmic-style tests from the age of 7.

    Pupils should be taught how to design and make things.

    They are. There's even a GCSE in it.

    When I was at
    school,

    Here we go...

    we were always told what we should be doing rather than to think
    for ourselves. In science, we never tested any of our own hypothesises.
    In technology, we never got to build our own things. In computing/IT we
    never got to write our own computer programs. In art, we were heavily restricted to the medium.

    Which medium?

    In English, it was rare that we would sit and
    do any creative writing, that is, without being told what to write
    about. And in maths, we would never learn how to create mathematical theories.

    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers.

    No it's not.

    And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    No it doesn't.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 13 19:50:15 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 13 May 2016 19:44:28 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland
    database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasnt also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization.
    The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought
    they were hot shit just because some new player didnt know about the
    quick checkmates.

    I am a master class chess player. It is totally wrong that it's all
    about memorization. It is mostly calculative ability that decides the
    outcome of a game of chess. The second most important thing is the
    ability to make up intelligent plans. The game teaches you to take >responsibility the your soldiers on the chess board, and it compels you
    to face defeat in a mature way. Playing chess is learning for life.

    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like
    you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player..
    he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to frederick on Fri May 13 18:41:46 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board

    In rec.games.misc frederick <fakeemail@gmail.com> wrote:
    But really, it's a poor challenge of intellect, as machines are better
    at them than humans.

    Until we get machines that can reliabily beat the Turing test, we won't
    have machines able to present interesting challenges at tabletop
    roleplaying games.

    What people understands as a computer roleplaying game is only a sad
    shadow of what roleplaying games are.

    An interesting point is since roleplaying games are not games that can
    be won, then having players that are "better" at them -robotic or not-
    is no longer a problem.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to DVH on Fri May 13 18:50:06 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:
    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers.

    No it's not.

    I'd say that depends on the country or educative system you are
    talking about.

    Systems in which pupils are trained to solve a subset of problems that
    are always solved in the same way are a thing. They teach people to
    memorize a method for each "classic" problem and call it a day.

    Pupils protesting test results because an exercise didn't conform to
    the magic formula practiced in class, even if the generic content of
    the subject is sufficient for solving it, are also a thing.

    And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    No it doesn't.


    It doesn't by itself, but it is a contributing factor.

    Pupils that know that Lesson 1 lasts for 2 weeks, and know that means
    that they are going to solve the same problem over and over and over
    again for those two weeks, may get bored very quikly due to monotony
    and creative thinking.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Fri May 13 20:58:25 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 19:50, Richard Falken wrote:
    In rec.games.misc DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:
    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers.

    No it's not.

    I'd say that depends on the country or educative system you are
    talking about.

    The UK. GCSEs (taken at age ~16) are more demanding than the op implies.


    Systems in which pupils are trained to solve a subset of problems that
    are always solved in the same way are a thing. They teach people to
    memorize a method for each "classic" problem and call it a day.

    How would you change that?


    Pupils protesting test results because an exercise didn't conform to
    the magic formula practiced in class, even if the generic content of
    the subject is sufficient for solving it, are also a thing.

    That may be less surprising than it ought to be. More often than not,
    transfer of learning doesn't happen.


    And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    No it doesn't.


    It doesn't by itself, but it is a contributing factor.

    Pupils that know that Lesson 1 lasts for 2 weeks, and know that means
    that they are going to solve the same problem over and over and over
    again for those two weeks, may get bored very quikly due to monotony
    and creative thinking.


    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to M Winther on Sat May 14 16:44:27 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.education, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: uk.politics.misc, alt.psychology

    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasn’t also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization. The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought
    they were hot shit just because some new player didn’t know about the quick checkmates.


    I am a master class chess player.

    So what percentage of your games are played against (young) people who
    have only a passing interest in chess? If it’s more than 0%, I would
    wager that 100% of those games are won quickly, based on book moves you
    know and they don’t. That’s the *true* nature of chess these days: asymmetric warfare.

    It is totally wrong that it's all
    about memorization. It is mostly calculative ability that decides the
    outcome of a game of chess. The second most important thing is the
    ability to make up intelligent plans.

    Rubbish. I used to have a Palm Pilot that had a chess game on it that
    was ridiculously small (something like 32K) and it would still beat 99%
    of the people I gave it to. It’s not because it had any great
    processing power or artificial intelligence behind it. It was because
    it doesn’t take much to dominate at a game like chess when you know just
    a bit more than your opponent.

    The game teaches you to take
    responsibility the your soldiers on the chess board, and it compels you
    to face defeat in a mature way. Playing chess is learning for life.

    Just because you think so doesn’t make it true for everyone. There are certainly educational lessons that could be framed using the rules of
    chess or other board games, but to have value they would need to apply
    to *more* than just games. The same “responsibility” and “defeat” lessons can also be found in sports, but nobody ever considers most
    athletes as being smarter than average.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From frederick@21:1/5 to DVH on Sat May 14 08:41:56 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/16 18:14, DVH wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 13:34, frederick wrote:
    On 13/05/16 12:09, M Winther wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 08:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with
    artificial
    intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    I don't understand the argument. It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals.

    I can see the social aspect of board games, indeed, in this sense they
    can be fun.

    But really, it's a poor challenge of intellect, as machines are better
    at them than humans.

    Perhaps they should focus and work on the things that make humans human,
    that can't be easily replicated, rather than messing about in the
    classroom with board games and other things that are equally as useless.

    And before you say it's the same as saying they shouldn't teach numeracy
    because we have calculators or some such ... numeracy without a
    calculator is generally needed skill, unlike board games, which have no
    real purpose apart from entertainment.

    You're still missing the point.

    The claim is that games help people mature. The op suggests they
    encourage "tenacity", and others suggest they improve focus.


    Games do not help people mature.

    (Heck, they may as well 'teach'
    people to play the playstation.)

    Some video games are indeed useful. They "teach" reasoning and other
    skills.


    What a great education you must have had! LOL.


    So yes, let them play board games, but only if they are educational
    board games, else leave them out of any sort of 'learning' time.

    They didn't play board games in your day, eh, fred?

    And what was good enough for you is good enough for them.


    We played board games during the hours we weren't learning.


    Really though, what I'd like the education system to do is help people
    think for themselves. But that's unlikely to happen with
    algorithmic-style tests from the age of 7.

    Pupils should be taught how to design and make things.

    They are. There's even a GCSE in it.


    But that GCSE is algorithmically tested and taught to be very dull as a
    result.

    When I was at
    school,

    Here we go...

    we were always told what we should be doing rather than to think
    for ourselves. In science, we never tested any of our own hypothesises.
    In technology, we never got to build our own things. In computing/IT we
    never got to write our own computer programs. In art, we were heavily
    restricted to the medium.

    Which medium?


    Which ever we were told to use.

    In English, it was rare that we would sit and
    do any creative writing, that is, without being told what to write
    about. And in maths, we would never learn how to create mathematical
    theories.

    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers.

    No it's not.


    Yes, it is!

    And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    No it doesn't.


    Oh yes it does!

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to DVH on Sun May 15 11:08:05 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology

    In rec.games.misc DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 19:50, Richard Falken wrote:
    Systems in which pupils are trained to solve a subset of problems that
    are always solved in the same way are a thing. They teach people to
    memorize a method for each "classic" problem and call it a day.

    How would you change that?


    That question does not have a trivial answer.

    The sort of methods used in classrooms depend on the teachers you have available. Experience shows that the methods teachers use have a lot of inertia. A teacher that has always been using the same method is not
    going to change what he does too much just because he is told to do so.

    I am thinking of some retired University professor who has always used
    the method of a) Tell the pupils where the resources and books are and
    what they should get out of them b) Tell the pupils where and when they
    can find him for questions c) Ask them to solve a particular technical
    problem (for students it usually took about two months). The College
    changed the official program and method of the subject at least once
    that I know of, just in order to try to make the subject less scary.
    Every time I have met a new student of this professor I have been told
    that he is using the same methods despite the changes.

    Every professor I can think about has kept his personal methods despite intructions from management, with two exceptions. The one of the first
    example is just a bit more shocking because his ways are a bit
    anachronistic when meassured against modern standards.

    If we accept that methods and teachers come in the same bundle, at least
    often enough, then the way to change the methods used in classrooms is a
    matter of teacher selection.

    I for one don't like to tell people how to do their jobs so I am all for teacher agency when it comes to their methods. Ideally, an educative
    system should be flexible enough to allow parents to select a center for
    their kids which has teachers with methods that fit their children. This
    is just a crude way of teacher selection by the parents. I was sent to
    my high-school because it had a reputation because its hands-on methods
    when it came to mechanics and science, for example.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to frederick on Sat May 14 17:56:24 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.education, uk.politics.misc

    On 14/05/2016 08:41, frederick wrote:
    On 13/05/16 18:14, DVH wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 13:34, frederick wrote:
    On 13/05/16 12:09, M Winther wrote:
    On 13/05/2016 08:02, frederick wrote:
    Problem is, computers are fast becoming better than humans at board
    games.

    Much better then, to teach them how to program a machine with
    artificial
    intelligence. Wouldn't you say?

    I don't understand the argument. It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature
    individuals.

    I can see the social aspect of board games, indeed, in this sense they
    can be fun.

    But really, it's a poor challenge of intellect, as machines are better
    at them than humans.

    Perhaps they should focus and work on the things that make humans human, >>> that can't be easily replicated, rather than messing about in the
    classroom with board games and other things that are equally as useless. >>>
    And before you say it's the same as saying they shouldn't teach numeracy >>> because we have calculators or some such ... numeracy without a
    calculator is generally needed skill, unlike board games, which have no
    real purpose apart from entertainment.

    You're still missing the point.

    The claim is that games help people mature. The op suggests they
    encourage "tenacity", and others suggest they improve focus.


    Games do not help people mature.

    (Heck, they may as well 'teach'
    people to play the playstation.)

    Some video games are indeed useful. They "teach" reasoning and other
    skills.


    What a great education you must have had! LOL.


    So yes, let them play board games, but only if they are educational
    board games, else leave them out of any sort of 'learning' time.

    They didn't play board games in your day, eh, fred?

    And what was good enough for you is good enough for them.


    We played board games during the hours we weren't learning.


    Really though, what I'd like the education system to do is help people
    think for themselves. But that's unlikely to happen with
    algorithmic-style tests from the age of 7.

    Pupils should be taught how to design and make things.

    They are. There's even a GCSE in it.


    But that GCSE is algorithmically tested and taught to be very dull as a result.

    What does "algorithmically tested" mean?


    When I was at
    school,

    Here we go...

    we were always told what we should be doing rather than to think
    for ourselves. In science, we never tested any of our own hypothesises.
    In technology, we never got to build our own things. In computing/IT we
    never got to write our own computer programs. In art, we were heavily
    restricted to the medium.

    Which medium?


    Which ever we were told to use.

    In English, it was rare that we would sit and
    do any creative writing, that is, without being told what to write
    about. And in maths, we would never learn how to create mathematical
    theories.

    Instead, education nowadays, is simply a case of skimming over the
    syllabus last minute and reading past papers.

    No it's not.


    Yes, it is!

    Prove it.


    And it's really a shame
    it's got to that. It certainly puts people off any future learning.

    No it doesn't.


    Oh yes it does!

    Prove it.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Sun May 15 19:43:58 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/16 18:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    [to MW:]
    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasn’t also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization.

    It is true that there are players, even quite strong players,
    who believe that. But they are wrong. It is also true that at the
    very highest levels, one of the principal differences between players
    can be the opening preparation. But this is not "knowing the bland
    database", it is researching opening lines and making discoveries in
    them, especially in opening lines that you may expect the opponent
    to play. It's those players who create the "database".

    It's not interestingly different from the practice and
    preparation that all professional sportsmen carry out, trying to
    improve your own game and also studying the opposition to spot [if
    possible] their weaknesses.

    Several of the *very* strongest players are noted for *not* specialising in the opening. Rather, they apply general principles
    in order to reach playable positions [even at a slight disadvantage]
    with the idea of outplaying the opponent in the other phases of the
    game. Of course, you don't get to be world champion without being
    expert in every phase of the game, but that's a different matter.

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to Andy Walker on Tue May 17 16:22:48 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> wrote:

    On 13/05/16 18:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    [to MW:]
    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasn’t also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization.

    It is true that there are players, even quite strong players,
    who believe that. But they are wrong. It is also true that at the
    very highest levels, one of the principal differences between players
    can be the opening preparation. But this is not "knowing the bland database", it is researching opening lines and making discoveries in
    them, especially in opening lines that you may expect the opponent
    to play. It's those players who create the "database".

    Completely irrelevant in a school setting. The purpose of a lesson
    *should* be to learn something beyond the immediate activity. If all
    you’re teaching kids is to think like another person (i.e., theory of
    mind), I see no reason why a deep dive into the intricacies of chess is
    needed for that.

    It's not interestingly different from the practice and
    preparation that all professional sportsmen carry out, trying to
    improve your own game and also studying the opposition to spot [if
    possible] their weaknesses.

    I agree. But, as I said, people who play sports aren’t generally known
    for their dizzying intellects. So it is questionable what value there
    is in forcing a specific task on a student to learn that lesson. Far
    better would be some personalized curriculum that uses their *preferred* activity (chess or football or whatever) as the context for the thing
    you’re looking to teach.

    Several of the *very* strongest players are noted for *not* specialising in the opening. Rather, they apply general principles
    in order to reach playable positions [even at a slight disadvantage]
    with the idea of outplaying the opponent in the other phases of the
    game. Of course, you don't get to be world champion without being
    expert in every phase of the game, but that's a different matter.

    I say it’s the *only* matter worth discussing. Is the aim to turn
    students into chess players (world-class or otherwise) or is it to teach
    them principles that are mind-expanding and/or useful in the real world? Because if it’s just to score them at chess then it *will* come with a
    lot of tedious opening move analysis and other, even more specialized
    study that has very little value beyond the board.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to abelard on Wed May 18 16:48:23 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? I’m still waiting for anyone
    to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so
    clear.

    people enjoy it...or are you a socialist?

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I’m a socialist in that I’d like the community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com on Wed May 18 19:23:52 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone
    to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so
    clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    people enjoy it...or are you a socialist?

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, Im a socialist in that Id like the >community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    don't be silly...

    if you actually don't want to learn, who is stopping you
    reading comics...
    or playing tiddly-winks


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com on Tue May 17 20:57:53 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Tue, 17 May 2016 16:22:48 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> wrote:

    On 13/05/16 18:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    [to MW:]
    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland
    database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasnt also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization. >>
    It is true that there are players, even quite strong players,
    who believe that. But they are wrong. It is also true that at the
    very highest levels, one of the principal differences between players
    can be the opening preparation. But this is not "knowing the bland
    database", it is researching opening lines and making discoveries in
    them, especially in opening lines that you may expect the opponent
    to play. It's those players who create the "database".

    Completely irrelevant in a school setting. The purpose of a lesson
    *should* be to learn something beyond the immediate activity. If all
    youre teaching kids is to think like another person (i.e., theory of
    mind), I see no reason why a deep dive into the intricacies of chess is >needed for that.

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...
    not creativity...there are now many twelve year olds who can take
    apart oldies who would once have been gifted amateurs
    merely by virtue of their book learning

    It's not interestingly different from the practice and
    preparation that all professional sportsmen carry out, trying to
    improve your own game and also studying the opposition to spot [if
    possible] their weaknesses.

    I agree. But, as I said, people who play sports arent generally known
    for their dizzying intellects. So it is questionable what value there
    is in forcing a specific task on a student to learn that lesson. Far
    better would be some personalized curriculum that uses their *preferred* >activity (chess or football or whatever) as the context for the thing
    youre looking to teach.

    Several of the *very* strongest players are noted for *not*
    specialising in the opening. Rather, they apply general principles
    in order to reach playable positions [even at a slight disadvantage]
    with the idea of outplaying the opponent in the other phases of the
    game. Of course, you don't get to be world champion without being
    expert in every phase of the game, but that's a different matter.

    I say its the *only* matter worth discussing. Is the aim to turn
    students into chess players (world-class or otherwise) or is it to teach
    them principles that are mind-expanding and/or useful in the real world? >Because if its just to score them at chess then it *will* come with a
    lot of tedious opening move analysis and other, even more specialized
    study that has very little value beyond the board.

    people enjoy it...or are you a socialist?


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to All on Thu May 19 01:51:43 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Thu, 19 May 2016 00:39:49 +0100, Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk>
    wrote:

    On 17/05/16 19:57, abelard wrote:

    not creativity...there are now many twelve year olds who can take
    apart oldies who would once have been gifted amateurs
    merely by virtue of their book learning

    There are certainly a handful of gifted 12yos who can take
    apart oldies of, say, county standard. I don't know of any who do
    that "merely", even primarily, "by virtue of their book learning".
    They do it by tactical awareness, speed of thought, and concentrated

    i'm not interested in your pedantry and argument seeking...

    book learning includes tactical awareness and positional knowledge...
    quite apart from the fact that the young can often think more
    quickly...

    i've watched fogies who once were county players...but who have
    'retired' and now play down the local club for whatever motive..
    and the youngsters now just rip them on book knowledge...

    i am not referring to the oldies who tended to keep up and still
    make the county teams
    and i'm not referring to the 12+ year old fanatics who can compete
    in higher groups at congresses


    attention to the game, often amounting to obsession [despite which
    they are often surprisingly well balanced, with many interests other
    than chess]. Personally, when I find promising youngsters, I look
    for creativity. Those with it go far -- if they don't give up when
    exams and hormones cut in --, those without it never progress. Book
    learning comes later.



    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to abelard on Thu May 19 00:39:49 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 17/05/16 19:57, abelard wrote:
    On Tue, 17 May 2016 16:22:48 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> wrote:
    It is true that there are players, even quite strong players,
    who believe that. But they are wrong. It is also true that at the
    very highest levels, one of the principal differences between players
    can be the opening preparation. But this is not "knowing the bland
    database", it is researching opening lines and making discoveries in
    them, especially in opening lines that you may expect the opponent
    to play. It's those players who create the "database".
    Completely irrelevant in a school setting.

    But relevant to your characterisation of chess as "90% ...
    knowing the bland database of opening moves". If you had said "5%",
    you would be nearer the mark. If you don't understand what chess
    *is*, then your opinions on its value, in school or elsewhere, are
    somewhat devalued.

    The purpose of a lesson
    *should* be to learn something beyond the immediate activity. If all
    you’re teaching kids is to think like another person (i.e., theory of
    mind),

    That is a description of practically all teaching. Sadly,
    even in HE there is not enough attempt to teach students how to
    think for themselves, let alone differently from other people.
    Students all too often want to know how to think like other people,
    because they believe that is the way to pass exams. Think of it
    as "the bland database" of history, or irregular French verbs, or
    the world's longest rivers, or quantum mechanics, or .... When
    subjects aren't [or even can't be] reduced to such databases, many
    students are uncomfortable.

    I see no reason why a deep dive into the intricacies of chess is
    needed for that.

    I don't believe that a "deep dive" into chess is on the
    cards. For a start, there are too few teachers capable of it.

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    "Knights of the South Bronx" [qv] is based on a true story.
    Locally, I have some good friends who are taking chess into local
    slums, and believe they are having some success in getting young
    people off the streets, away from crime [esp drugs and guns], and
    into education and career prospects.

    not creativity...there are now many twelve year olds who can take
    apart oldies who would once have been gifted amateurs
    merely by virtue of their book learning

    There are certainly a handful of gifted 12yos who can take
    apart oldies of, say, county standard. I don't know of any who do
    that "merely", even primarily, "by virtue of their book learning".
    They do it by tactical awareness, speed of thought, and concentrated
    attention to the game, often amounting to obsession [despite which
    they are often surprisingly well balanced, with many interests other
    than chess]. Personally, when I find promising youngsters, I look
    for creativity. Those with it go far -- if they don't give up when
    exams and hormones cut in --, those without it never progress. Book
    learning comes later.

    [...]
    Of course, you don't get to be world champion without being
    expert in every phase of the game, but that's a different matter.
    I say it’s the *only* matter worth discussing. Is the aim to turn
    students into chess players (world-class or otherwise) or is it to teach
    them principles that are mind-expanding and/or useful in the real world?

    The latter, of course. Those who want to become chess players
    can join the chess club.

    Because if it’s just to score them at chess then it *will* come with a
    lot of tedious opening move analysis

    Even if it was for that purpose, it would be stupid to spend
    much time on "opening move analysis". You can be taken "out of book"
    on move 2 even in high-level games; it's much more likely on playing
    fellow beginners. You need to know more general principles, so that
    you can play good moves in unfamiliar positions. Otherwise, clued-up
    opponents will deliberately take you into such positions.

    and other, even more specialized
    study that has very little value beyond the board.

    There is rather more truth to this. But even so the processes
    by which you learn specialised techniques often transfer to other
    disciplines.

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Thu May 19 10:12:22 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism, so claiming that
    something smacks more of fascism than of socialism is a logical
    contradiction. Fascist and National Socialist literature contain
    multiple examples and justifications for socializing means of production
    and the price management of strategic goods and services. It is usually
    argued that an economy managed by a military junta cannot be considered socialist because it is not democratic and/or distributed, but it is my
    opinion that as long as you have the authority that makes decisions
    manage or determine how strategic goods and services must be
    distributed, with the justification of redistribution of wealth, you are talking about socialism. Even if it is not inspired in marxist
    principles.

    Many modern fascist describe themselves as Socialist Patriots or Right
    Wing Socialist because of this.

    There is no logical ground to claim that letting "society" decide what
    is your best way to learn will not result in some authoritarian
    taking on education.

    For example, if a significant percentage of the population were to
    decide that your best way to learn is to be internated in a reeducation
    camp, you have socialism and tyranny at work -if the education camp is sustained by tax or tribute funds and used to impose education methods
    upon others.

    In our case, we could have the "community", understood as the sum of individuals with the capability to make decissions and enforce them,
    decide that chess must be imposed. It can be considered a similar case
    to the one explained above.

    Long story short: tags are rather pointless when it comes to politics,
    so stick to the thread - boardgames and education - rather than tag the
    point of view of the posters with political names. It is just too messy
    and leads nowhere.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Thu May 19 21:12:49 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism, so claiming that something smacks more of fascism than of socialism is a logical contradiction.

    You clearly don’t know much about political systems, including the
    difference between their *means* and their *ends*. But, by all means,
    do go through all the Wikipedia articles on socialism and let me know
    when you make the connection to the “subset” that is fascism.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_socialism

    It is usually
    argued that an economy managed by a military junta cannot be considered socialist because it is not democratic and/or distributed, but it is my opinion that as long as you have the authority that makes decisions
    manage or determine how strategic goods and services must be
    distributed, with the justification of redistribution of wealth, you are talking about socialism.

    Then, again, clearly your opinion isn’t based on any real understanding
    of what socialism is *beyond* what propaganda has historically been put
    on by those who are attempting a power grab under the guise of “national socialism”.

    Many modern fascist describe themselves as Socialist Patriots or Right
    Wing Socialist because of this.

    And *they* wouldn’t like about their aims, would they? Sheesh . . .

    There is no logical ground to claim that letting "society" decide what
    is your best way to learn will not result in some authoritarian
    taking on education.

    Then it is a good thing I didn’t claim that.

    Long story short: tags are rather pointless when it comes to politics,
    so stick to the thread - boardgames and education - rather than tag the
    point of view of the posters with political names. It is just too messy
    and leads nowhere.

    I wasn’t the one who raised politics as a red herring. But, of course,
    chess is inherently representing warring monarchies, so to pretend that politics has *no* place is overly simplistic. Just another reason why
    it’s a good idea to expose children to many different games with many different rules with many different undertones.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com on Thu May 19 23:22:16 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Thu, 19 May 2016 21:12:49 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the
    community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism, so claiming that
    something smacks more of fascism than of socialism is a logical
    contradiction.

    You clearly dont know much about political systems,

    rotfl

    including the
    difference between their *means* and their *ends*. But, by all means,
    do go through all the Wikipedia articles on socialism and let me know
    when you make the connection to the subset that is fascism.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_socialism

    wikipedia!!

    look up the history of mussolini...

    you know nothing...but then that is the normal state of being
    for a socialist


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to abelard on Thu May 19 21:18:56 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Sounds like loads of fun. I’m sure there is no better way to teach
    children, and they’ll all be lining up for your grueling lessons.
    Your success is assured!

    if you actually don't want to learn, who is stopping you
    reading comics...
    or playing tiddly-winks

    Generally a teacher who is more qualified to do the job than you.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to Andy Walker on Thu May 19 18:15:23 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk> wrote:

    On 17/05/16 19:57, abelard wrote:
    On Tue, 17 May 2016 16:22:48 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary

    Just a note on the conversation: some of these responses appear to be
    directed at me even though abelard is the immediate parent post.

    Completely irrelevant in a school setting.

    But relevant to your characterisation of chess as "90% ...
    knowing the bland database of opening moves". If you had said "5%",
    you would be nearer the mark. If you don't understand what chess
    *is*, then your opinions on its value, in school or elsewhere, are
    somewhat devalued.

    No, I think you are in the camp that insists on “misunderstanding” chess
    as being a battle between two expert (or at least equal-level) players.
    My understanding of the game, *especially* in a learning environment, is
    that players will have vastly different skill levels based solely on
    their interest in the activity in question. For chess, knowledge of historically good and bad openings *will* translate to domination, all
    other mental skills of the players being equal. There’s just no
    substitute to *knowing* that a certain complex set of moves will result
    in a stronger/weaker final position.

    I see no reason why a deep dive into the intricacies of chess is
    needed for that.

    I don't believe that a "deep dive" into chess is on the
    cards. For a start, there are too few teachers capable of it.

    And that raises it’s own questions about the introduction of chess as
    a teaching tool.

    "Knights of the South Bronx" [qv] is based on a true story.
    Locally, I have some good friends who are taking chess into local
    slums, and believe they are having some success in getting young
    people off the streets, away from crime [esp drugs and guns], and
    into education and career prospects.

    But how much of that is simply from providing a structured environment
    and mentorship? The singular focus on chess is what prevents a really scientific examination of the factors involved.

    Because if it’s just to score them at chess then it *will* come with a >> lot of tedious opening move analysis

    Even if it was for that purpose, it would be stupid to spend
    much time on "opening move analysis". You can be taken "out of book"
    on move 2 even in high-level games; it's much more likely on playing
    fellow beginners. You need to know more general principles, so that
    you can play good moves in unfamiliar positions. Otherwise, clued-up opponents will deliberately take you into such positions.

    Yeah, that’s my point. All other things being equal (i.e., both players
    know the rules of the game and can apply their mental abilities at the
    same level), the one “clued-up” with domain knowledge is in a vastly superior position. There is no substitute for experience, and the great
    master are great by virtue of the number of games they have played and/or analyzed, not because they possess any staggering intellect in general.


    and other, even more specialized
    study that has very little value beyond the board.

    There is rather more truth to this. But even so the processes
    by which you learn specialised techniques often transfer to other disciplines.

    That much is true. My worry is that the OP’s desire to build a
    foundation on chess might not be taught with that transfer in mind. The
    value of thinking about things like pins and forks is how they can be
    applied as concepts *outside* of chess. The value of knowing the
    variations on the Queen’s Gambit? Not nearly as useful.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to abelard on Thu May 19 23:09:29 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 18/05/2016 18:23, abelard wrote:
    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone
    to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so
    clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Is that evidence that chess teaches focus and concentration?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com on Fri May 20 00:22:26 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Thu, 19 May 2016 21:18:56 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Sounds like loads of fun. Im sure there is no better way to teach
    children, and theyll all be lining up for your grueling lessons.
    Your success is assured!

    what is your reason/s for believing that?

    if you actually don't want to learn, who is stopping you
    reading comics...
    or playing tiddly-winks

    Generally a teacher who is more qualified to do the job than you.

    that string of words seems to have no link to the post


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to DVH on Fri May 20 00:21:06 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Thu, 19 May 2016 23:09:29 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 18/05/2016 18:23, abelard wrote:
    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary
    <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone
    to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so
    clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Is that evidence that chess teaches focus and concentration?

    it's evidence you will lose if you don't have or develop focus
    and concentration...
    you will also lose if you don't study...

    every person is different...

    motivation also mediates your behaviour...

    try focusing your questions more effectively!

    what evidence is there that learning to read teaches you to read?



    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Fri May 20 00:11:09 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the
    community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks
    that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    Y.
    --
    Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    'I approve of anybody who commits such acts of violence. Really, I
    don't think that we can sit back and watch Arabs throwing rocks at
    buses whenever they feel like it. They must understand that a bomb
    thrown at a Jewish bus is going to mean a bomb thrown at an Arab
    bus...'
    (Meir Kahane (1932 - 1990))
    <http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/>
    <http://thereligionofpeace.com/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From M Winther@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 06:43:02 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 19:50, abelard wrote:
    On Fri, 13 May 2016 19:44:28 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals. >>>
    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland
    database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasnt also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization. >>> The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought
    they were hot shit just because some new player didnt know about the
    quick checkmates.

    I am a master class chess player. It is totally wrong that it's all
    about memorization. It is mostly calculative ability that decides the
    outcome of a game of chess. The second most important thing is the
    ability to make up intelligent plans. The game teaches you to take
    responsibility the your soldiers on the chess board, and it compels you
    to face defeat in a mature way. Playing chess is learning for life.

    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like
    you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player..
    he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...



    That's rubbish, indeed. It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important
    part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very
    little theory.

    Mats

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From M Winther@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Fri May 20 07:33:02 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    On 13/05/2016 19:00, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    If kids were to be taught board games, such as chess, then they would
    acquire psychological tenacity, and learn that it is only you yourself
    who is responsible for the situation.

    Do you have any scientific studies backing up that position? What
    about the kids who are bored by board games?


    http://www.psmcd.net/otherfiles/BenefitsOfChessInEdScreen2.pdf

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to yitzhak@yahoo.fr on Fri May 20 01:56:29 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 00:11:09 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:

    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the
    community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks
    that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    no, that is the way in which your cult uses the term for rival
    socialists...
    and many others...


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 05:19:41 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 19/05/2016 23:21, abelard wrote:
    On Thu, 19 May 2016 23:09:29 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 18/05/2016 18:23, abelard wrote:
    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary
    <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone
    to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so
    clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Is that evidence that chess teaches focus and concentration?

    it's evidence you will lose if you don't have or develop focus
    and concentration...

    Yes, but not evidence that learning chess teaches focus and concentration.

    I'm looking for evidence of transfer of learning...

    you will also lose if you don't study...

    every person is different...

    motivation also mediates your behaviour...

    try focusing your questions more effectively!

    what evidence is there that learning to read teaches you to read?

    I don't follow that analogy.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 20 10:46:34 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.psychology.jung, alt.education
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 06:43:02 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:50, abelard wrote:
    On Fri, 13 May 2016 19:44:28 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:19, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    It is fun to play board games, it
    stimulates the intellect, and teaches kids to become mature individuals. >>>>
    Have you ever even played chess? 90% of the game is knowing the bland >>>> database of opening moves that result in an advantage if the other
    player hasnt also gone through the drudgery of their rote memorization. >>>> The most immature people I met were the ones in chess club who thought >>>> they were hot shit just because some new player didnt know about the
    quick checkmates.

    I am a master class chess player. It is totally wrong that it's all
    about memorization. It is mostly calculative ability that decides the
    outcome of a game of chess. The second most important thing is the
    ability to make up intelligent plans. The game teaches you to take
    responsibility the your soldiers on the chess board, and it compels you
    to face defeat in a mature way. Playing chess is learning for life.

    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like
    you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player..
    he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...



    That's rubbish, indeed. It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important
    part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very
    little theory.

    'theory' does not just mean memorising openings...

    you are out of your depth....i see no point in extending
    effort to respond to your uninformed blathering

    read this
    Thought and Choice in Chess
    Adriann de Groot, Mouton De Gruyter,1978, 2nd ed., ISBN: 9027979146

    after which time you may be able to talk more sense


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 10:03:33 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 00:11:09 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the >>>> community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like
    chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in
    the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks >>that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    no, that is the way in which your cult uses the term for rival
    socialists... and many others...

    I don't have a 'cult', Filth. Unlike you, who worships before the altar of 'the market'.

    Y.
    --
    Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    'I approve of anybody who commits such acts of violence. Really, I
    don't think that we can sit back and watch Arabs throwing rocks at
    buses whenever they feel like it. They must understand that a bomb
    thrown at a Jewish bus is going to mean a bomb thrown at an Arab
    bus...'
    (Meir Kahane (1932 - 1990))
    <http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/>
    <http://thereligionofpeace.com/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to DVH on Fri May 20 10:36:32 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 05:19:41 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 19/05/2016 23:21, abelard wrote:
    On Thu, 19 May 2016 23:09:29 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 18/05/2016 18:23, abelard wrote:
    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary
    <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone >>>>> to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so >>>>> clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Is that evidence that chess teaches focus and concentration?

    it's evidence you will lose if you don't have or develop focus
    and concentration...

    Yes, but not evidence that learning chess teaches focus and concentration.

    I'm looking for evidence of transfer of learning...

    transfer of learning as a generality is regarded as a dubious
    construct

    but defining it is also difficult...

    i only work through real world examples rather than through 'theories'

    if you run a mile every day, it is highly probable that you will be
    able to lift a heavier weight than a person who does not...
    or go up stairs with less loss of breath...
    is that 'transfer of learning'?

    if you work in an office doing figures all day....and before this
    you take an iq test which you can't finish...and after a year
    in the office you take another equivalent iq test...with puzzle
    sections usually involving some numbers...
    it is very likely you will be able finish the iq test with plenty
    of time to spare...
    is that 'transfer of learning'?

    if you are casually moseying through life without a care...
    and then...
    if you play chess for a year or two with motives to 'win' and
    learn...you will be able to concentrate better at many other tasks
    at the end of that period...
    is that 'transfer of learning'...
    even if the new task is studying brain surgery? i would expect
    nothing less...
    but what if you are not motivated to study brain surgery?
    would the preclude 'transfer of learning'?

    so...
    if you are motivated...will you call that 'transfer of learning'
    or if you can now concentrate more than before...will
    you call that 'transfer of learning'?
    or as chess is not brain surgery, will you say there is no
    'transfer of learning because chess did not teach you
    brain surgery?
    or will you say there is 'transfer of learning' because
    you can concentrate better?


    you will also lose if you don't study...

    every person is different...

    motivation also mediates your behaviour...

    try focusing your questions more effectively!

    what evidence is there that learning to read teaches you to read?

    I don't follow that analogy.

    it talks to how you define 'learning'....

    if there is zero 'transfer of learning'...how do you learn anything?

    as a new born, you cannot distinguish shapes to much degree....
    if you cannot distinguish shapes...how can you learn to read?

    is the ability to distinguish shapes(more effectively) a case of
    'transfer of learning' to reading?


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to yitzhak@yahoo.fr on Fri May 20 11:07:45 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 10:03:33 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 00:11:09 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like the >>>>> community to determine how they best learn. To impose something like >>>>> chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will result in >>>>> the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks >>>that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    no, that is the way in which your cult uses the term for rival
    socialists... and many others...

    I don't have a 'cult', Filth. Unlike you, who worships before the altar of >'the market'.

    one again you are forced into dishonesty....

    so easy to do that with cult socialists like you

    try making it a challenge...you'll be more interesting that way



    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 10:59:15 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 20/05/16 09:46, abelard wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 06:43:02 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:
    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like
    you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player..
    he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...
    That's rubbish, indeed.

    It's possible that the nuanced English has escaped one or more
    of the participants. ISTM that Abelard's respondent was claiming that
    the difference between him [the IM] and [eg] Kasparov was memory. That
    is different from a claim that the difference between IM's in general
    and Kasparov is memory, and from a claim that decent chess is a matter
    of memory. Thus, it seems to me that Abelard is generalising too far
    from one IM, and Mats is dealing with it as a claim about chess.

    It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important
    part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very
    little theory.
    'theory' does not just mean memorising openings...

    Indeed, but Mats's claim is nevertheless true. At least, for
    any of the normal meanings of "theory".

    you are out of your depth....i see no point in extending
    effort to respond to your uninformed blathering
    read this
    Thought and Choice in Chess
    Adriann de Groot, Mouton De Gruyter,1978, 2nd ed., ISBN: 9027979146
    after which time you may be able to talk more sense

    I don't always [or perhaps even often] agree with Mats, but he
    is a decently strong player, and not uninformed. T&CiC is a big book,
    rather out of date, and not uniformly highly regarded by psychologists.
    It would help if you would indicate which parts of it you regard as
    relevant to this debate.

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Fri May 20 12:51:11 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    You clearly don't know much about political systems, including the
    difference between their *means* and their *ends*. But, by all means,
    do go through all the Wikipedia articles on socialism and let me know
    when you make the connection to the 'subset' that is fascism.


    I already explained the connection in my previous post.

    So far, when it is argued that fascism is not radical subset of
    socialism, it is argued on one of the followign bases:

    * Fascism is not a distributed power system. Since Socialism is
    a distributed power system, Fascism is not a form of Socialism.
    * Fascism's ends fall in the nationalist side of the spectrum.
    Since Socialism is not a nationalist ideology, and its goals are aimed
    at solving the class struggle rather than making The Nation TM strong,
    then Fascism is not a form of Socialism.

    Usually just hardcore Socialists use the first one - the average Joe
    will consider both an anarcho-syndicalist group and a State Communism
    regime to be left-wing Socialisms, while a hardcore anarcho-syndicalist
    will refer to the second as a fake Socialism.

    If you consider political systems to be methods, then the second
    argument is invalid - it does not matter why you are doing what you do;
    as long as you are performing wealth redistribution via price
    management, quota systems, tribute systems etc. If you consider
    political systems to be Ethical constructs, then the aims do matter...
    if you do wealth redistribution in order to pursue goal A then you are a Socialist; if you do wealth redistribution in order to pursue goal B you
    are a Fascist. Even if you end up moving your goods and services to the
    same places and performing similar actions.

    At this point it is an argument on semantics.

    From wikipedia links about Fascism:

    "Fascism presented itself as a viable alternative to the two other major existing economic systems - liberal capitalism and Marxist
    socialism. Italian Fascism regarded itself as an heir to the
    Sorelian syndicalist socialism [...] While fascism denounced the
    mainstream internationalist and Marxist socialisms, it claimed to
    economically represent a type of nationalist productivist socialism that
    while condemning parasitical capitalism, was willing to accommodate productivist capitalism within it."

    This would agree with many declarations from Nazi parties in which they
    declare that soft capitalism is ok but strategic goods and services must
    be socialized - usually as vertical syndicates or other form of state
    ownership system.

    From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism :

    "Socialism:[1] any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods"

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 20 12:24:48 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 10:59:15 +0100, Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk>
    wrote:

    On 20/05/16 09:46, abelard wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 06:43:02 +0200, M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:
    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like
    you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player.. >>>> he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...
    That's rubbish, indeed.

    It's possible that the nuanced English has escaped one or more
    of the participants. ISTM that Abelard's respondent was claiming that
    the difference between him [the IM] and [eg] Kasparov was memory. That
    is different from a claim that the difference between IM's in general
    and Kasparov is memory, and from a claim that decent chess is a matter
    of memory. Thus, it seems to me that Abelard is generalising too far
    from one IM, and Mats is dealing with it as a claim about chess.

    very likely, but your verbiage is rather convoluted for me to
    disentangle

    what he told me is not 'rubbish', it is 'evidence'

    part of the problem revolves around the sloppy use of the term 'is'
    but there is a limit to just how much nappy changing i am prepared
    to do

    meanwhile all generalisation is unsound...again, nappy changing...
    or even to be labelled as 'pedantry'

    It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important
    part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very
    little theory.
    'theory' does not just mean memorising openings...

    Indeed, but Mats's claim is nevertheless true. At least, for
    any of the normal meanings of "theory".

    there goes that term 'is' again...
    and now you've appended 'true'....

    anorak will next to be forgiven

    you learn to 'formulate good plans' from the memories of past
    experiences

    you are out of your depth....i see no point in extending
    effort to respond to your uninformed blathering
    read this
    Thought and Choice in Chess
    Adriann de Groot, Mouton De Gruyter,1978, 2nd ed., ISBN: 9027979146
    after which time you may be able to talk more sense

    I don't always [or perhaps even often] agree with Mats, but he
    is a decently strong player, and not uninformed. T&CiC is a big book,
    rather out of date, and not uniformly highly regarded by psychologists.
    It would help if you would indicate which parts of it you regard as
    relevant to this debate.

    the ability of various levels of players to rebuild board positions
    varies with their level of play...
    if and only if the positions are natural position...

    if you move to random positions then the differences mostly
    vanish

    'regarded by psychologists' looks suspiciously like more of the
    'highly regarded anonymous professor to me...

    arguing from alleged authority is really not an impressive ploy...



    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From DVH@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 15:36:12 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 20/05/2016 09:36, abelard wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 05:19:41 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 19/05/2016 23:21, abelard wrote:
    On Thu, 19 May 2016 23:09:29 +0100, DVH <dvh@vhvhvhvh.com> wrote:

    On 18/05/2016 18:23, abelard wrote:
    On Wed, 18 May 2016 16:48:23 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary
    <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    what was suggested was that chess aide concentration and
    focus...which it most clearly does...

    Does it? Better than other activities? Im still waiting for anyone >>>>>> to point to a scientific study that demonstrates what you claim is so >>>>>> clear.

    not the point...
    you try concentrating in 4 hour sessions where the slightest
    inattention and you lose

    Is that evidence that chess teaches focus and concentration?

    it's evidence you will lose if you don't have or develop focus
    and concentration...

    Yes, but not evidence that learning chess teaches focus and concentration. >>
    I'm looking for evidence of transfer of learning...

    transfer of learning as a generality is regarded as a dubious
    construct

    Agreed.


    but defining it is also difficult...

    i only work through real world examples rather than through 'theories'

    if you run a mile every day, it is highly probable that you will be
    able to lift a heavier weight than a person who does not...
    or go up stairs with less loss of breath...
    is that 'transfer of learning'?

    if you work in an office doing figures all day....and before this
    you take an iq test which you can't finish...and after a year
    in the office you take another equivalent iq test...with puzzle
    sections usually involving some numbers...
    it is very likely you will be able finish the iq test with plenty
    of time to spare...
    is that 'transfer of learning'?

    if you are casually moseying through life without a care...
    and then...
    if you play chess for a year or two with motives to 'win' and
    learn...you will be able to concentrate better at many other tasks
    at the end of that period...

    OK. So is there evidence of that?

    is that 'transfer of learning'...
    even if the new task is studying brain surgery? i would expect
    nothing less...
    but what if you are not motivated to study brain surgery?
    would the preclude 'transfer of learning'?

    so...
    if you are motivated...will you call that 'transfer of learning'
    or if you can now concentrate more than before...will
    you call that 'transfer of learning'?
    or as chess is not brain surgery, will you say there is no
    'transfer of learning because chess did not teach you
    brain surgery?
    or will you say there is 'transfer of learning' because
    you can concentrate better?


    you will also lose if you don't study...

    every person is different...

    motivation also mediates your behaviour...

    try focusing your questions more effectively!

    what evidence is there that learning to read teaches you to read?

    I don't follow that analogy.

    it talks to how you define 'learning'....

    if there is zero 'transfer of learning'...how do you learn anything?

    as a new born, you cannot distinguish shapes to much degree....
    if you cannot distinguish shapes...how can you learn to read?

    is the ability to distinguish shapes(more effectively) a case of
    'transfer of learning' to reading?

    No problem with most of your other questions/assertions.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein on Fri May 20 14:45:39 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks
    that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    Y.

    You are implying that I dislike Socialism, hence I say that Socialism is Fascist because I dislike Socialism. Which is a false statement.

    I have said that Fascism implies Socialism, not that Socialism implies
    Fascism. Since I am not tagging anything as Fascist in a explicit way,
    your accusation is negated.

    This is just like saying that rain implies that the floor will go wet.
    It does not automaticaly mean that if the floor is wet it has rained.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to abelard on Fri May 20 21:28:30 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 20/05/16 11:24, abelard wrote:
    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like >>>>> you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player.. >>>>> he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...

    [Mats:]
    That's rubbish, indeed.
    [...]
    what he told me is not 'rubbish', it is 'evidence'

    I think you see it as evidence of what one IM believes, while
    Mats sees it as an implausible claim. If so, then you are [IMHO] both
    right.

    part of the problem revolves around the sloppy use of the term 'is'

    Yet you used it four times in your previous and next two
    sentences, at least as sloppily as Mats and I.

    but there is a limit to just how much nappy changing i am prepared
    to do
    meanwhile all generalisation is unsound...again, nappy changing...
    or even to be labelled as 'pedantry'

    So "all generalisation is unsound" is itself unsound, which
    leaves you somewhat short of a case.

    It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important >>>> part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very
    little theory.
    'theory' does not just mean memorising openings...
    Indeed, but Mats's claim is nevertheless true. At least, for
    any of the normal meanings of "theory".
    there goes that term 'is' again...
    and now you've appended 'true'....

    Yes; I have much personal experience of strong club players,
    a decent proportion of whom have been exactly as Mats describes. They
    have never read books on chess, taken lessons, swotted up openings,
    they just play. Yes, they learn from experience; that is not the
    usual meaning of knowing theory. Probably they could be much better
    players if they worked at it; but it's their choice.

    anorak will next to be forgiven

    Go wash your mouth out.

    you learn to 'formulate good plans' from the memories of past
    experiences

    You *may* so learn. Most people, for one reason or another,
    never do. It's a difficult and rare skill, especially against the
    clock.

    [...] T&CiC is a big book,
    rather out of date, and not uniformly highly regarded by psychologists.
    It would help if you would indicate which parts of it you regard as
    relevant to this debate.
    the ability of various levels of players to rebuild board positions
    varies with their level of play... [...]

    Ah. OK. Perhaps you could next explain why you think this
    [undoubted] ability is relevant to this debate?

    'regarded by psychologists' looks suspiciously like more of the
    'highly regarded anonymous professor to me...
    arguing from alleged authority is really not an impressive ploy...

    Says Abelard, having quoted an anonymous IM and a noted
    authority, used the sloppy word "is", and generalised shamelessly.
    I rest my case, m'lud.

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to M Winther on Fri May 20 21:17:12 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.education, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: uk.politics.misc, alt.psychology

    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:00, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    If kids were to be taught board games, such as chess, then they would
    acquire psychological tenacity, and learn that it is only you yourself
    who is responsible for the situation.

    Do you have any scientific studies backing up that position? What
    about the kids who are bored by board games?


    http://www.psmcd.net/otherfiles/BenefitsOfChessInEdScreen2.pdf

    Thanks for that, but the bias is all too evident in that collection. Cherry-picking pro-chess studies is poor science. Especially when
    the comparison is not best made against a simplistic “non-chess”
    control group, but *other* types of educational intervention that aim
    to improve student outcomes. I have never argued that game activities
    like chess have *no* merit, only that they should be fairly judged by
    their *relative* results.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Fri May 20 20:48:22 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    You clearly don't know much about political systems, including the difference between their *means* and their *ends*. But, by all means,
    do go through all the Wikipedia articles on socialism and let me know
    when you make the connection to the 'subset' that is fascism.


    I already explained the connection in my previous post.

    No, you only gave a poorly understood take on how fascists often times
    *try* to conceal their power grab under the guise of socialist aims.
    That does not constitute a real connection. Again, start with Wikipedia
    until you understand the difference well enough.

    "Socialism:[1] any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods"

    Notice how that defines it as an *end*. Fascism as the *means* to that
    end is just about as irrelevant as focussing on democracy as the means,
    as we’re seeing a bit with Bernie Sanders in the US (and as exists in
    places like Nordic countries already). Socialism and fascism aren’t
    related; stop conflating the two and get back to talking about games
    that have no established scientific connection with improved learning.
    :-)

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 20 23:12:46 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 21:28:30 +0100, Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk>
    wrote:

    On 20/05/16 11:24, abelard wrote:
    i asked an international chess master(not a common or garden one like >>>>>> you claim that you are) how he differed from a top class player.. >>>>>> he told me it was mainly a matter of memory...

    [Mats:]
    That's rubbish, indeed.
    [...]
    what he told me is not 'rubbish', it is 'evidence'

    I think you see it as evidence of what one IM believes, while
    Mats sees it as an implausible claim. If so, then you are [IMHO] both
    right.

    i don't care what mats 'sees'...i know he talks rot about iq...
    and there i've spent most of my adult life studying....
    as i know he pontificates on a subject he doesn't understand well...

    my faith in what he 'sees' elsewhere is not going to convince me
    easily...let *him* argue his case...
    presently i doubt he can reach your precision of thought and
    you are presently having difficulties!

    part of the problem revolves around the sloppy use of the term 'is'

    Yet you used it four times in your previous and next two
    sentences, at least as sloppily as Mats and I.

    yes, more nappy changing...an effective person will realise that...
    i'm not going to qualify every sentence...
    i'm not going to play at being pedantic...

    i am continuing to use it deliberately in full consciousness of its
    logical limitations

    i know it is a very dodgy part of language...neither of you are
    logic free areas...especially yourself...

    i expect you to make necessary allowances for the dodgy nature
    of the verb 'to be'...or learn to...

    i don't intend to do nappy changing..i will deal with necessary
    analysis

    but there is a limit to just how much nappy changing i am prepared
    to do
    meanwhile all generalisation is unsound...again, nappy changing...
    or even to be labelled as 'pedantry'

    So "all generalisation is unsound" is itself unsound, which
    leaves you somewhat short of a case.

    no...'all generalisation is unsound' is a negative statement....
    it 'is' not a statement about what 'is' but about what 'is' not...

    yes and no 'are' not symmetrical...

    the 'are' no such thing as unicorns....'is' not symmetrical with
    all unicorns have a horn...

    It is predominantly a matter of calculative
    ability (that's why computer's are so strong). Next, it is the
    capability to formulate good plans. Although memory plays an important >>>>> part in the opening, there are many strong club players who know very >>>>> little theory.
    'theory' does not just mean memorising openings...
    Indeed, but Mats's claim is nevertheless true. At least, for
    any of the normal meanings of "theory".
    there goes that term 'is' again...
    and now you've appended 'true'....

    Yes; I have much personal experience of strong club players,
    a decent proportion of whom have been exactly as Mats describes. They
    have never read books on chess, taken lessons, swotted up openings,
    they just play. Yes, they learn from experience; that is not the
    usual meaning of knowing theory. Probably they could be much better
    players if they worked at it; but it's their choice.

    no argument...but you come from a world of very few books on theory...
    now there are libraries of it...
    accessible to any 12 year old...and plenty of older people willing and
    able to help the young...

    i would expect the tendency for educated 12 year olds to rip old
    fogies to be well advanced...it was well underway when i last
    paid attention to it...
    but maybe it is not yet as advanced as i would expect...

    anorak will next to be forgiven

    Go wash your mouth out.

    you learn to 'formulate good plans' from the memories of past
    experiences

    You *may* so learn. Most people, for one reason or another,
    never do. It's a difficult and rare skill, especially against the
    clock.

    my reference point was country players...not most people

    [...] T&CiC is a big book,
    rather out of date, and not uniformly highly regarded by psychologists.
    It would help if you would indicate which parts of it you regard as
    relevant to this debate.
    the ability of various levels of players to rebuild board positions
    varies with their level of play... [...]

    Ah. OK. Perhaps you could next explain why you think this
    [undoubted] ability is relevant to this debate?

    it is obviously a memory effect from seeing so many typical positions

    a player of high ability has experience/memory of far more patterns

    'regarded by psychologists' looks suspiciously like more of the
    'highly regarded anonymous professor to me...
    arguing from alleged authority is really not an impressive ploy...

    Says Abelard, having quoted an anonymous IM and a noted
    authority, used the sloppy word "is", and generalised shamelessly.
    I rest my case, m'lud.

    the im is(was) not anonymous...you would know him immediately

    perhaps you think i am lying

    repeat, it is evidence...you don't like it...your problem


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Fri May 20 23:57:33 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    No, you only gave a poorly understood take on how fascists often times
    *try* to conceal their power grab under the guise of socialist aims.
    That does not constitute a real connection. Again, start with Wikipedia until you understand the difference well enough.


    Let's accept the following hipothesis as valid for the sake of argument: Fascist leaders are lying and they are promoting an ideology using
    certain propaganda that does not match their real intentions. However, accepting that a significative number of fascist/nazi party members are promoting a certain set of ideas - socialization of strategic goods and services as means to make The Nation TM strong - while keeping a secret
    agenda that does not match that propaganda is way harder.

    Even if Fascist leading personalities were holding these non-Socialist
    hidden agendas, their followers - who would have bought these supposed
    lies - would believe in the ideology promoted by this hipothetical
    propaganda. Hence, they would be believing in the Socialist component of
    the ideology too. Since the leader/sympathizer ratio in a political
    party is really small, we could conclude that a crushing number of the
    Fascists would believe in the Socialist component. Since the shape of an ideology is mostly defined by its practicioners, then the fact Fascist
    leaders are being fishy would not change the fact that the bulk of the followers are actual Conservative Socialists. Or Socialists Patriots. Or whatever they are calling themselves in each region.

    "Socialism:[1] any of various economic and political theories advocating
    collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of
    production and distribution of goods"

    Notice how that defines it as an *end*.

    I argue that it defines it as the means.

    Different Socialists have different ends, but they are goals like
    granting a minimum set of possitive rights, suppressing social classes
    and so on. Advocating the collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production is the means to fullfill those
    goals.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com on Fri May 20 23:22:40 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Fri, 20 May 2016 20:48:22 -0000 (UTC), Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    You clearly don't know much about political systems, including the
    difference between their *means* and their *ends*. But, by all means,
    do go through all the Wikipedia articles on socialism and let me know
    when you make the connection to the 'subset' that is fascism.


    I already explained the connection in my previous post.

    No, you only gave a poorly understood take on how fascists often times
    *try* to conceal their power grab under the guise of socialist aims.

    socialist grab for power

    That does not constitute a real connection. Again, start with Wikipedia >until you understand the difference well enough.

    "Socialism:[1] any of various economic and political theories advocating
    collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of
    production and distribution of goods"

    Notice how that defines it as an *end*. Fascism as the *means* to that
    end is just about as irrelevant as focussing on democracy as the means,
    as were seeing a bit with Bernie Sanders in the US (and as exists in
    places like Nordic countries already). Socialism and fascism arent
    related;

    nonsense

    The reassertion of socialism explains why the person closest to him
    in 1944-5 to the point of being called the eminence grise of Salo -
    was Nicola Bombacci, one of the leaders of the Italian communist party
    when it was founded in 1921. Bombacci had once been a friend and
    disciple of Lenin and revived the story that, according to Lenin,
    Mussolini had been the one serious socialist in Italy [A claim oft
    repeated by Mussolini]

    mussolini was a man of the left....
    mussolini used the term 'fascist' for his variant of socilism just
    as hitler used nsdap and mosley called his attempy the union of
    facists among other attempts to sell the product...

    mosley
    The National Socialist creed of British Union says to our countrymen,
    If you love our country you are national, and if you love our people
    you are socialist.

    We are, in this respect only, in precisely the same position of the
    Labour Party. They are called the Labour Party with the International
    Socialist creed; we are called the British Union with the National
    Socialist, or Fascist creed. Our Movement and our name are purely
    British. Our creed, on the other hand, is universal but, being a
    national creed, in every country has a character, policy, form, and
    method, suited to that country alone.
    [Written answer from Mosleys British Union, July 1939]


    as usual with you socialists, you know nothing...

    you don't even know the history of your cult religion

    stop conflating the two and get back to talking about games
    that have no established scientific connection with improved learning.
    :-)


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From M Winther@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Sat May 21 07:24:22 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.education, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: uk.politics.misc, alt.psychology

    On 20/05/2016 23:17, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    On 13/05/2016 19:00, Doc O'Leary wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    If kids were to be taught board games, such as chess, then they would
    acquire psychological tenacity, and learn that it is only you yourself >>>> who is responsible for the situation.

    Do you have any scientific studies backing up that position? What
    about the kids who are bored by board games?


    http://www.psmcd.net/otherfiles/BenefitsOfChessInEdScreen2.pdf

    Thanks for that, but the bias is all too evident in that collection. Cherry-picking pro-chess studies is poor science. Especially when
    the comparison is not best made against a simplistic “non-chess”
    control group, but *other* types of educational intervention that aim
    to improve student outcomes. I have never argued that game activities
    like chess have *no* merit, only that they should be fairly judged by
    their *relative* results.


    I surmise, judging from your cerebral caliber, that you didn't play
    board games as young.

    Mats

    --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news@netfront.net ---

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to abelard on Sat May 21 01:17:58 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 20/05/16 22:12, abelard wrote:
    i don't care what mats 'sees'...i know he talks rot about iq...

    Many people talk rot about bees in bonnets. It doesn't
    follow that they talk rot about things they know tolerably well.

    [...]
    you come from a world of very few books on theory...
    now there are libraries of it...

    The books of my youth may have been fewer, but they were
    not few. Certainly more than I could ever have managed to read
    through and absorb. Further, the standard was high. Today, you
    can indeed find ten or a hundred times as many books [and videos];
    but the great majority are utter rubbish. The only real advance is
    that they almost all come with objective evidence from the computer
    that the analysis is free of gross error. But computer analysis,
    however useful in other contexts, is simply not a decent learning
    tool. Not yet, anyway.

    accessible to any 12 year old...and plenty of older people willing and
    able to help the young...

    The main thing that has changed in this regard since my
    time is that children start several years earlier. Your 12yo
    may well now have 5 years experience, not merely of knowing the
    moves, but of serious tournament play, including against adults.
    I have no impression at all that such a 12yo is any better than
    my contemporaries were after 5 years; but we were more like 15
    to 18. Whether any of this makes much difference by age 21 or
    thereabouts is unclear. Almost all drop by the wayside.

    i would expect the tendency for educated 12 year olds to rip old
    fogies to be well advanced...it was well underway when i last
    paid attention to it...
    but maybe it is not yet as advanced as i would expect...

    I don't think it's the phenomenon you have been claiming.
    More like just the universal tendency for young people to take
    over the world. The difference from, say, tennis, is that chess
    is 12yos beating 70yos whereas tennis is 17yos beating 35yos,
    and whereas politics is 45yos beating 80yos. It's not that the
    youngsters know more theory or have more experience; it's that
    they have a fresh approach, an intensity of purpose, a brash
    certainty that carries them through, an ability to concentrate,
    and physical fitness.

    the ability of various levels of players to rebuild board positions
    varies with their level of play... [...]
    Ah. OK. Perhaps you could next explain why you think this
    [undoubted] ability is relevant to this debate?
    it is obviously a memory effect from seeing so many typical positions

    It is less obvious to me. Personally, I find it very easy
    to remember things that I understand, and [increasingly] difficult
    to remember things I don't understand. Perhaps it isn't that the
    GM has seen "so many typical positions" and is able to remember
    them, but that he understands positions better than the amateur,
    and so doesn't need to remember as much, either in general or in
    order to rebuild coherent positions. When it comes to random
    positions, he has no understanding of them, and so is no better
    placed than the amateur to recall them.

    a player of high ability has experience/memory of far more patterns

    Or has experience/memory of the same number of patterns,
    but has a far richer ability to interpret them. That is certainly
    the way it "feels" to me. Things I understand can be picked up
    very quickly, by induction from a tiny set of examples; things
    I don't are not picked up at all well even from many examples --
    unless something eventually "clicks".

    'regarded by psychologists' looks suspiciously like more of the
    'highly regarded anonymous professor to me...
    arguing from alleged authority is really not an impressive ploy...
    Says Abelard, having quoted an anonymous IM and a noted
    authority, used the sloppy word "is", and generalised shamelessly.
    I rest my case, m'lud.
    the im is(was) not anonymous...you would know him immediately

    He is anonymous in this debate. I'm not suggesting that
    you should name him, merely pointing out that you have been using
    the ploys that you describe as unimpressive when used by others.

    perhaps you think i am lying

    No. I think you and Mats are, in this particular instance
    and taking your statements at face value, both right; but at cross
    purposes.

    repeat, it is evidence...you don't like it...your problem

    I'm quite neutral about the evidence; it's just not very
    interesting except as one data point. An IM alleges that the main
    difference between himself and Kasparov/Karpov/Fischer/Carlsen/...
    is memory. I don't doubt his sincerity in that belief, but I
    strongly suspect that he is kidding himself. Perhaps you could
    ascertain his strength at correspondence chess [ideally from the
    pre-computer era]? There, no memory is needed; you are allowed
    to read books, take notes, and take several days to contemplate
    your move. If he was correspondence world champion, or close to
    it, then he has reasonable claims to an understanding of chess as
    deep as the strongest over-the-board players.

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Sat May 21 20:26:40 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    For your reference, records indicate that
    No, you only gave a poorly understood take on how fascists often times *try* to conceal their power grab under the guise of socialist aims.
    That does not constitute a real connection. Again, start with Wikipedia until you understand the difference well enough.


    Let's accept the following hipothesis as valid for the sake of argument: Fascist leaders are lying and they are promoting an ideology using
    certain propaganda that does not match their real intentions. However, accepting that a significative number of fascist/nazi party members are promoting a certain set of ideas - socialization of strategic goods and services as means to make The Nation TM strong - while keeping a secret agenda that does not match that propaganda is way harder.

    What are you talking about? First, you can take fascism off the table,
    because the same argument can be applied to even democracies, like the
    US, which has secret agendas that do not match their “liberty, justice, peace” propaganda that it finds *way* easier to pull over the eyes of
    the citizens than any student of history should be comfortable with.
    The lying seems inherent to the politics of power, in whatever form it
    takes.

    Even if Fascist leading personalities were holding these non-Socialist
    hidden agendas, their followers - who would have bought these supposed
    lies - would believe in the ideology promoted by this hipothetical propaganda. Hence, they would be believing in the Socialist component of
    the ideology too. Since the leader/sympathizer ratio in a political
    party is really small, we could conclude that a crushing number of the Fascists would believe in the Socialist component. Since the shape of an ideology is mostly defined by its practicioners, then the fact Fascist leaders are being fishy would not change the fact that the bulk of the followers are actual Conservative Socialists. Or Socialists Patriots. Or whatever they are calling themselves in each region.

    In America, plenty of people are “calling themselves” things Conservative Republicans, and supporting “leading personalities” that promote an “ideology” that is utterly unlike what the party has promoted
    historically. Your political thinking seems exactly like the same flawed “book moves” teaching that the promotion of chess could result in.


    "Socialism:[1] any of various economic and political theories advocating >> collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of
    production and distribution of goods"

    Notice how that defines it as an *end*.

    I argue that it defines it as the means.

    And you’re clearly wrong. No need to belabor the point further.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to All on Sat May 21 10:12:34 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Sat, 21 May 2016 01:17:58 +0100, Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk>
    wrote:

    On 20/05/16 22:12, abelard wrote:
    i don't care what mats 'sees'...i know he talks rot about iq...

    Many people talk rot about bees in bonnets. It doesn't
    follow that they talk rot about things they know tolerably well.

    true, but it doesn't enhance confidence in their judgement

    [...]
    you come from a world of very few books on theory...
    now there are libraries of it...

    The books of my youth may have been fewer, but they were
    not few. Certainly more than I could ever have managed to read
    through and absorb. Further, the standard was high. Today, you
    can indeed find ten or a hundred times as many books [and videos];
    but the great majority are utter rubbish. The only real advance is
    that they almost all come with objective evidence from the computer
    that the analysis is free of gross error. But computer analysis,
    however useful in other contexts, is simply not a decent learning
    tool. Not yet, anyway.

    i don't know...computers do give you a sound educator to hand
    day and night...
    again, not available to the fogies

    accessible to any 12 year old...and plenty of older people willing and
    able to help the young...

    The main thing that has changed in this regard since my
    time is that children start several years earlier. Your 12yo
    may well now have 5 years experience, not merely of knowing the
    moves, but of serious tournament play, including against adults.
    I have no impression at all that such a 12yo is any better than
    my contemporaries were after 5 years; but we were more like 15
    to 18. Whether any of this makes much difference by age 21 or
    thereabouts is unclear. Almost all drop by the wayside.

    those who learn a skill young tend to develop a good instinct...

    consider language learning, those who learn later are rarely as
    fluent...and of course they have less experience to draw upon

    i would expect the tendency for educated 12 year olds to rip old
    fogies to be well advanced...it was well underway when i last
    paid attention to it...
    but maybe it is not yet as advanced as i would expect...

    I don't think it's the phenomenon you have been claiming.
    More like just the universal tendency for young people to take
    over the world. The difference from, say, tennis, is that chess
    is 12yos beating 70yos whereas tennis is 17yos beating 35yos,
    and whereas politics is 45yos beating 80yos. It's not that the
    youngsters know more theory or have more experience; it's that
    they have a fresh approach, an intensity of purpose, a brash
    certainty that carries them through, an ability to concentrate,
    and physical fitness.

    seems reasonable as far as it goes...

    but the rate of knowledge is going ahead at an incredible rate...

    let's see...cameron is better informed at his age than churchill was
    at that age...but by the time churchill had to take over he had
    vast relevant experience...and cameron can sit upon his shoulders.
    both are people who actually learn as they go...while most of
    society stops serious study around the young 20s

    you might forgive a person for being taken in by socialism 100
    years ago...or even 80 years ago...
    you couldn't now take such a person seriously...there is now far
    too much(more) empirical data available...
    why would you believe it is any different in chess?
    i can get a book now on just about any area i wish to study...
    i can even get books from the 30s nobody much has even
    heard of...
    i am often surprised that when i want data on some obscure
    area, i find a book has been published in the last year or two...
    i have one on my desk right now on churchill's attitude to islam...
    it is generally objective and remarkably comprehensive...
    i've just ordered another on the monetary policy of
    russia/lenin from the beginning of the revolution...and there it
    is...a penguin book for 1 penny plus postage!

    while wikipedia is full of toss, one useful area is it sometimes
    quotes useful books which can then be accesses...usually easily..

    there is no way you had such access in your young day!

    the most grueling areas of cycle racing presently tends to be
    dominated by 30 year olds...

    the ability of various levels of players to rebuild board positions
    varies with their level of play... [...]
    Ah. OK. Perhaps you could next explain why you think this
    [undoubted] ability is relevant to this debate?
    it is obviously a memory effect from seeing so many typical positions

    It is less obvious to me. Personally, I find it very easy
    to remember things that I understand, and [increasingly] difficult
    to remember things I don't understand. Perhaps it isn't that the
    GM has seen "so many typical positions" and is able to remember
    them, but that he understands positions better than the amateur,
    and so doesn't need to remember as much, either in general or in
    order to rebuild coherent positions. When it comes to random
    positions, he has no understanding of them, and so is no better
    placed than the amateur to recall them.

    just so...
    the average human can remember about 7 random items in short
    term memory...
    but you an remember words where letters are not random...thus
    you can remember sentence...but a random string of letters is
    a different matter...

    de groot posits that a gm just has more letters(chunks of chess
    piece positions) in his head....and can thus more easily chunk
    and remember a board position when is 'rational'/natural...

    a china man could easily remember 7 complex characters for
    similar reasons...but you/i could not...

    a player of high ability has experience/memory of far more patterns

    Or has experience/memory of the same number of patterns,
    but has a far richer ability to interpret them.

    the point is, does the chunk make sense to them/you...ie, can you
    'read' them

    That is certainly
    the way it "feels" to me. Things I understand can be picked up
    very quickly, by induction from a tiny set of examples; things
    I don't are not picked up at all well even from many examples --
    unless something eventually "clicks".

    seems ok to the degree i can interpret your words

    'regarded by psychologists' looks suspiciously like more of the
    'highly regarded anonymous professor to me...
    arguing from alleged authority is really not an impressive ploy...
    Says Abelard, having quoted an anonymous IM and a noted
    authority, used the sloppy word "is", and generalised shamelessly.
    I rest my case, m'lud.
    the im is(was) not anonymous...you would know him immediately

    He is anonymous in this debate. I'm not suggesting that
    you should name him, merely pointing out that you have been using
    the ploys that you describe as unimpressive when used by others.

    i am referring to a specific data point...the op was generalising...

    there is an extra stage in generalising and it is a very unreliable
    stage...it is also a stage where i have no access to the
    intervening process...
    adding yet another data point...i know mats maks incorrect
    judgements(generalisations) in another area....

    all that makes his claim far different from the single data point
    i gave which suffers none of the clutter between

    perhaps you think i am lying

    No. I think you and Mats are, in this particular instance
    and taking your statements at face value, both right; but at cross
    purposes.

    see above

    repeat, it is evidence...you don't like it...your problem

    I'm quite neutral about the evidence; it's just not very
    interesting except as one data point. An IM alleges that the main
    difference between himself and Kasparov/Karpov/Fischer/Carlsen/...
    is memory. I don't doubt his sincerity in that belief, but I
    strongly suspect that he is kidding himself. Perhaps you could
    ascertain his strength at correspondence chess [ideally from the
    pre-computer era]? There, no memory is needed; you are allowed
    to read books, take notes, and take several days to contemplate
    your move. If he was correspondence world champion, or close to
    it, then he has reasonable claims to an understanding of chess as
    deep as the strongest over-the-board players.

    i don't trust my memory or data bank sufficiently...but he was once
    internationally well known...

    what other data would you need...all the players you mention are
    going to have a very adequate ability to think/create or whatever
    your word/criterion....
    when you are dealing with many who are on that stratospheric level...
    often the differences on the day can be small and even involve a
    degree of chance...

    those on your list would probably all 'pass' the chunking test...
    very possibly my example would not do *quite* as well...

    seems somewhere along the line i am not reading just what difference
    or quality you are suggesting as 'a' differentiator


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Doc O'Leary@21:1/5 to M Winther on Sat May 21 20:29:06 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, alt.education, alt.psychology.jung
    XPost: alt.psychology, uk.politics.misc

    For your reference, records indicate that
    M Winther <mwi9@swipnet.se> wrote:

    I surmise, judging from your cerebral caliber, that you didn't play
    board games as young.

    Yay, going for the ad hominem attack. Way to undermine your case even
    further.

    --
    "Also . . . I can kill you with my brain."
    River Tam, Trash, Firefly

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Sat May 21 23:38:46 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    Your political thinking seems exactly like the same flawed
    "book moves" teaching that the promotion of chess could result in.

    Please elaborate on such claim.

    Namely, what my political thinking works like and why it is likely to
    result from chess promotion.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Richard Falken@21:1/5 to Doc O'Leary on Sat May 21 23:00:56 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:
    What are you talking about?

    I am responding to your suggestion not to confuse propaganda that
    promotes Fascist ideas under the guise of Socialism with the actual
    ideology behind Fascism.

    The fact similar reasonings can be applied to different ideologies or
    systems does not change the reasoning the least.

    --
    Richard Falken's Website:
    http://www.richard-falken.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein@21:1/5 to Richard Falken on Sun May 22 13:36:26 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who thinks
    that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I disagree'.

    You are implying that I dislike Socialism

    No, I am 'implying' that you're a fucking retard.

    Your posts demonstrate that I am right.

    { binned unread }

    Y.
    --
    Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    'I approve of anybody who commits such acts of violence. Really, I
    don't think that we can sit back and watch Arabs throwing rocks at
    buses whenever they feel like it. They must understand that a bomb
    thrown at a Jewish bus is going to mean a bomb thrown at an Arab
    bus...'
    (Meir Kahane (1932 - 1990))
    <http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/>
    <http://thereligionofpeace.com/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein@21:1/5 to abelard on Sun May 22 13:37:58 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 10:03:33 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 00:11:09 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like >>>>>> the community to determine how they best learn. To impose something >>>>>> like chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will
    result in the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who >>>>thinks that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I >>>>disagree'.

    no, that is the way in which your cult uses the term for rival
    socialists... and many others...

    I don't have a 'cult', Filth. Unlike you, who worships before the altar
    of 'the market'.

    one again you are forced into dishonesty....

    Forced?

    *rofl*

    You couldn't 'force' someone to take a shit, if they'd had their arse sewn
    up for a week, you fucking dumbarse Tory cunt.

    Y.
    --
    Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    'I approve of anybody who commits such acts of violence. Really, I
    don't think that we can sit back and watch Arabs throwing rocks at
    buses whenever they feel like it. They must understand that a bomb
    thrown at a Jewish bus is going to mean a bomb thrown at an Arab
    bus...'
    (Meir Kahane (1932 - 1990))
    <http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/>
    <http://thereligionofpeace.com/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to yitzhak@yahoo.fr on Sun May 22 15:13:50 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Sun, 22 May 2016 13:37:58 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 10:03:33 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:
    On Fri, 20 May 2016 00:11:09 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:
    Richard Falken <richardfalken@richard-falken.com> wrote:
    In rec.games.misc Doc O'Leary <droleary@2015usenet1.subsume.com> wrote:

    *Some* people enjoy it. So, yes, I'm a socialist in that I'd like >>>>>>> the community to determine how they best learn. To impose something >>>>>>> like chess on them, especially when you have no evidence it will >>>>>>> result in the outcomes you suggest, smacks more of fascism.

    Fascism is an ideological subset of State socialism

    Another graduate from the Abelard School of Political Debate, who >>>>>thinks that 'fascism' is a synonym for 'political system with which I >>>>>disagree'.

    no, that is the way in which your cult uses the term for rival
    socialists... and many others...

    I don't have a 'cult', Filth. Unlike you, who worships before the altar >>>of 'the market'.

    one again you are forced into dishonesty....

    Forced?

    *rofl*

    You couldn't 'force' someone to take a shit, if they'd had their arse sewn
    up for a week, you fucking dumbarse Tory cunt.

    i tried to give you the benefit....

    so you prefer to claim that your dishonesty is voluntary....

    i'm not convinced



    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein@21:1/5 to abelard on Sun May 22 17:11:34 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    i tried to give you the benefit....

    I don't need 'benefit', Filth. Unlike you, I in fact didn't steal anything that I own.

    Y.
    --
    Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    'I approve of anybody who commits such acts of violence. Really, I
    don't think that we can sit back and watch Arabs throwing rocks at
    buses whenever they feel like it. They must understand that a bomb
    thrown at a Jewish bus is going to mean a bomb thrown at an Arab
    bus...'
    (Meir Kahane (1932 - 1990))
    <http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/>
    <http://thereligionofpeace.com/>

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to yitzhak@yahoo.fr on Sun May 22 21:47:49 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Sun, 22 May 2016 17:11:34 +0100, Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
    <yitzhak@yahoo.fr> wrote:

    abelard <abelard3@abelard.org> wrote:

    i tried to give you the benefit....

    I don't need 'benefit', Filth. Unlike you, I in fact didn't steal anything >that I own.

    the jury is finding that rather difficult to believe...

    perhaps if you took the stand yourself


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From abelard@21:1/5 to All on Thu May 26 16:00:27 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On Tue, 24 May 2016 12:35:48 +0100, Andy Walker <anw@cuboid.co.uk>
    wrote:

    On 21/05/16 09:12, abelard wrote:
    [...] But computer analysis,
    however useful in other contexts, is simply not a decent learning
    tool. Not yet, anyway.
    i don't know...computers do give you a sound educator to hand
    day and night...

    They give you access to a remorseless opponent, and to a
    fair amount of database and printed material. They don't [yet]
    do much by way of education.

    again, not available to the fogies

    If you mean not available 50-60 years ago, then agreed,
    but it was the same for everyone, so neither helped nor hindered
    the development of youngsters. If you mean not available today,
    well, many of us fogies have the same degree of access as 12yos.
    We may have clumsier fingers, but that scarcely matters for the
    absorption of educational material.

    those who learn a skill young tend to develop a good instinct...
    consider language learning, those who learn later are rarely as
    fluent...and of course they have less experience to draw upon

    But I have an impression that attempts in the UK to teach
    French/Spanish/Chinese to 7yos have not been uniformly successful.
    There is a difference if immigrants are immersed in a language
    and have good reason to learn it and use it in everyday life. In
    such cases, you are right; 7yos learn to speak like a native,
    17yos rarely lose their foreign accent. But there is no country
    Chessia where 7yos are immersed in chess and have to use it to
    survive; nor even TV channels where chess is "spoken", in the
    way that Scandinavians [eg] learn English painlessly by watching >films/documentaries/dramas. So, of course, some 7yos become very
    strong players, but most don't, and very few play into adulthood.

    Executive summary: I'm not in any way averse to chess
    being taught to 7yos or 12yos, and it may well aid concentration,
    planning, whatever. But I don't expect it to create a generation
    of super-GMs.

    [...]
    while wikipedia is full of toss, one useful area is it sometimes
    quotes useful books which can then be accesses...usually easily..
    there is no way you had such access in your young day!

    Right. But old books on chess, however interesting, are
    now obsolete, and new books are mostly rubbish.

    [...]
    seems somewhere along the line i am not reading just what difference
    or quality you are suggesting as 'a' differentiator

    Your IM is, apparently, suggesting that the reason why he is
    not comparable with Carlsen is a matter of memory. It's possible.
    But it's much more likely that Carlsen simply understands chess at
    a far deeper level. We could test by seeing how good your player
    is at forms of chess where access to books and notes is permitted.
    He would no doubt be better, but it's statistically unlikely that
    it would propel him into the world elite. There are several hundred
    IMs, and no more than five who would be in the world top five no
    matter what format is chosen!

    For comparison, what would you make of a tennis player,
    ranked, say 600th in the world or lower, who claims that he could
    be a Wimbledon challenger if only he could serve better?

    just found this...response to a new thread


    --
    www.abelard.org

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Andy Walker@21:1/5 to abelard on Tue May 24 12:35:48 2016
    XPost: uk.games.board, uk.politics.misc

    On 21/05/16 09:12, abelard wrote:
    [...] But computer analysis,
    however useful in other contexts, is simply not a decent learning
    tool. Not yet, anyway.
    i don't know...computers do give you a sound educator to hand
    day and night...

    They give you access to a remorseless opponent, and to a
    fair amount of database and printed material. They don't [yet]
    do much by way of education.

    again, not available to the fogies

    If you mean not available 50-60 years ago, then agreed,
    but it was the same for everyone, so neither helped nor hindered
    the development of youngsters. If you mean not available today,
    well, many of us fogies have the same degree of access as 12yos.
    We may have clumsier fingers, but that scarcely matters for the
    absorption of educational material.

    those who learn a skill young tend to develop a good instinct...
    consider language learning, those who learn later are rarely as
    fluent...and of course they have less experience to draw upon

    But I have an impression that attempts in the UK to teach French/Spanish/Chinese to 7yos have not been uniformly successful.
    There is a difference if immigrants are immersed in a language
    and have good reason to learn it and use it in everyday life. In
    such cases, you are right; 7yos learn to speak like a native,
    17yos rarely lose their foreign accent. But there is no country
    Chessia where 7yos are immersed in chess and have to use it to
    survive; nor even TV channels where chess is "spoken", in the
    way that Scandinavians [eg] learn English painlessly by watching films/documentaries/dramas. So, of course, some 7yos become very
    strong players, but most don't, and very few play into adulthood.

    Executive summary: I'm not in any way averse to chess
    being taught to 7yos or 12yos, and it may well aid concentration,
    planning, whatever. But I don't expect it to create a generation
    of super-GMs.

    [...]
    while wikipedia is full of toss, one useful area is it sometimes
    quotes useful books which can then be accesses...usually easily..
    there is no way you had such access in your young day!

    Right. But old books on chess, however interesting, are
    now obsolete, and new books are mostly rubbish.

    [...]
    seems somewhere along the line i am not reading just what difference
    or quality you are suggesting as 'a' differentiator

    Your IM is, apparently, suggesting that the reason why he is
    not comparable with Carlsen is a matter of memory. It's possible.
    But it's much more likely that Carlsen simply understands chess at
    a far deeper level. We could test by seeing how good your player
    is at forms of chess where access to books and notes is permitted.
    He would no doubt be better, but it's statistically unlikely that
    it would propel him into the world elite. There are several hundred
    IMs, and no more than five who would be in the world top five no
    matter what format is chosen!

    For comparison, what would you make of a tennis player,
    ranked, say 600th in the world or lower, who claims that he could
    be a Wimbledon challenger if only he could serve better?

    --
    Andy Walker,
    Nottingham.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)