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| author | Franklin Schmidt <fschmidt@gmail.com> |
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| date | Sun, 02 Apr 2023 10:30:03 -0600 |
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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/src/InternetGo.html Sun Apr 02 10:30:03 2023 -0600 @@ -0,0 +1,404 @@ +<html> + +<!-- Mirrored from users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/InternetGo.html by HTTrack Website Copier/3.x [XR&CO'2014], Sun, 06 Nov 2022 06:49:09 GMT --> +<head> +<title></title> +</head> +<body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> + +<p><hr> + +<br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"><font color="#0066ff"> +<p><strong>HOW TO PLAY GO ON THE INTERNET</strong></font> + +<p>© 2006 Milton N. Bradley + +<br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> +<p align="center"><strong>NEVER HAVE TROUBLE FINDING AN OPPONENT! </strong> + +<br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> +<p align="center"><strong><font size="+3">PLAY GO ON THE INTERNET</font></strong> + +<p align="center"><strong><font size="+1">24 HRS/DAY</strong></font> + +<p align="center"><strong><font size="+1">EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR</strong></font> + +<br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> +<p><strong>WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY GO ON THE INTERNET</strong> + +<br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> +<p>Technology continues to advance at a furious pace! In addition to the "dial up" telephone/modem +based system described below that was the only thing widely available only a year or two ago, +there are now vastly faster alternatives. Among these are cable modems and DSL (Digital +Subscriber Line), and by the time that you read this who knows what else? But these newer +alternatives are typically much more expensive than the dial up modem based system and some +have the security disadvantage of being perpetually connected to the internet where "hackers" +can then have the opportunity to penetrate and compromise your computer! In addition, higher +line speed has almost no payoff in playing or watching Go because the players' thinking time is +orders of magnitude greater! + +<p>The well established dial-up system now in wide use consists of the following elements: + +<p><p><OL > + +<p><strong><p><li>COMPUTER, MONITOR, VIDEO CARD, SOUND CARD, AND MODEM.</strong> + +<p>Almost every new computer sold today already comes adequately equipped, and you already +have them all if you're reading this! Better video cards, sound cards and bigger monitors with +higher resolution will increase your playing pleasure, but faster CPU's and modems offer no +advantage in playing Go on line! + +<p><strong><p><li>TELEPHONE LINE</strong> + +<p>Your regular telephone line will work fine but will be unavailable for calls while you're on the +internet, so obtaining a dedicated line is best if you can afford it! + +<p>CAUTION: If you use your normal home phone line to play Go, you MUST disable such add-on +functions as Call Waiting while you are playing on-line, or they may mess up your internet +access! + +<p>Since the average internet Go game takes about 60-90 minutes, playing Go on line using ordinary +telephone company protocols can become expensive, especially if your ISP access number (see +below) is not in your local dialing area. The solution is to obtain "unlimited local" and even +"unlimited regional" telephone service. With these you pay the same flat fee no matter where +your ISP is located or how long you stay on line!! + +<p><strong><p><li>"INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER" (ISP)</strong> + +<p>Although you also already have an ISP if you're reading this, it is important to realize that many +services charge by the hour for internet access, and this can become VERY EXPENSIVE if +you're playing Go. Far cheaper is to contract with a local or national ISP for an UNLIMITED +INTERNET ACCESS ACCOUNT, preferably PPP or faster ("shell" accounts are <u>not</u> adequate). +On Long Island such service typically can be obtained for under $20/month, and some ISP's +charge as little as $15/mo on a yearly basis and about $10/mo for 3 years paid in advance! So +shop around for the best deal! + +<p><strong><p><li>THE GO SERVERS</strong> + +<p>On any of the several Internet Go Servers listed below you can: + +<p><p><UL><li> <strong>Watch the games of strong players.</strong> (Some special events are available only on +IGS.) + +<p><p><li> <strong>See comments on those games by other players, ask questions, and/or make your +own comments (= kibitz).</strong> + +<p><p><li> <strong>Play your own games.</strong> On the sites accessed via"client" software (described below) +these games can be saved for your own replay later and/or used to participate in the free Go +Teaching Ladder (GTL),in which a much stronger player critiques your play. Using GTL you can +also review the analyses of the games of stronger players. + +<p><p><li> <strong>Participate in the free Go Mentor Program</strong>, in which you play a teaching game with +a much stronger player who then critiques your play. + +<p><p><li> <strong>Make Go friends all over the world. </UL></strong> + +<p><strong><p><OL type=A><li> BROWSER ACCESSED GO SERVERS</strong> + +<p>Until recently, the only way to play Go on the internet was via dedicated Go servers, using +special software called "clients"(described below), but that has changed! It is now possible to +play and watch Go on the internet directly through your browser (mainly The Microsoft Internet +Explorer and Netscape Navigator), if it has Java capability. + +<p>Getting started is much simpler in this mode, since all that you need do is to access the site +through your browser, register (in most cases, "cookies" must be enabled to do this!), and then +follow the on line instructions they provide for playing and watching + +<p>The major problem with all of these browser accessed sites is that there is no rating system, so +you never really know the strength of your opponent or the players you are observing! And in +some cases, as with Yahoo, the display only provides for a small board, which even on my quite +large 19" screen is still only a mere 5"x 5", and must be much smaller on the 15" or 17" screen +that most have. Once you have gotten used to the 8" x 8" display provided by the "client" +software, it's hard to go back! And the move sound provided by these servers is also not nearly +as realistic or audible. + +<p>There are also a number of other "goodies" available on the client accessed sites we discuss next +that a serious Go player will miss on these browser accessed sites, but for the beginner who just +wishes to experiment with Go the ease of getting started on the browser sites more than makes up +for this. + +<p><strong>The major browser based Go sites are:</strong> + +<p><strong><UL><p> KGS => <a href="http://kgs.kiseido.com/">http:kgs.kiseido.com</a></strong> + +<p><strong><p> Yahoo =><a href="http://games.yahoo.com/">http://games.yahoo.com</a></strong> + +<p><strong><p> Internet Gaming Zone => <a href="http://zone.msn.com/go/">http://zone.msn.com/go/</a></strong> + +<p><strong><p> IYT => <a href="http://www.itsyourturn.com/">http://www.itsyourturn.com/</a> </UL></strong> + +<p>Its Your Turn (IYT) differs from the others because it's a "turn-based" game site. What this +means is that you make one move and the system then automatically e-mails your opponent +letting them know it's their turn to play. So IYT is really a correspondence (rather than real time) +site, and this means that games can take weeks or months to play. The result is that IYT is really +suitable only for those whose time for Go is severely limited. + +<p>The IYT Go Guild maintains a list of Go players on IYT and their relative strengths, to help find +opponents against whom you can play properly handicapped games. It also runs Go +tournaments. + +<p><strong><p><li> "CLIENT" ACCESSED GO SERVERS</strong> + +<p>Getting started in this mode is much more complicated than simply using your browser, because +you must first download and install a "client" software program, but the advantages of having a +much better display, a rating system, clocks, ability to save games for later review, and especially +being able to observe the world's strongest players in action much more than makes up for any +extra initial effort! For anyone who is at all serious about Go, this is the only way! + +<p><strong>The major client based Go sites are:</strong> + +<p><strong><UL><p> The Internet Go Server (IGS) </strong> is not only the oldest server but also by far the +largest with over 30,000 registered players, and at any time typically has about 250-400 games in +play! It attracts the strongest players in the world including a number of 9-Dan professionals, +some of whom play anonymously. Although formerly based in Korea and now based in Japan, +the default language on IGS is English, which is used with rather surprising fluency by players +from all over the world. The ratings on IGS were long the toughest in the world, but have recently seen that +position supplanted by some of the Chinese and Korean servers. + +<p><strong> <p> The No Name Go Server (NNGS) </strong> is much smaller than IGS and supposedly has a more +friendly, less competitive atmosphere which some prefer. Its ratings are reported to be about 2 +stones less rigorous than those of IGS. + +<p><strong><p> The other Go servers</strong> are mainly ethnic (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) or national (Canadian, +English, Polish, etc.), and at one time attracted few players outside their own groups. But KGS in +particular has become rather popular recently, especially as a result of sponsoring some unique +events. Its realignment of ratings at the end of 2005 has resulted in a downgrade of its ratings by a full 5 stones, +with the result that its ratings are now that same 5 stones stronger than those of the AGA! So, once again, it has +become necessary to be careful to ascertain where a new player you encounter has established the rating he quotes, because +otherwise the results could be embarrassing! Despite this, IGS is still the place where most of the major championship events which appear on +the internet are available, so it still remains #1. </UL> + +<p><strong><p><li> PREPARING TO USE A "CLIENT" BASED GO SERVER.</strong> + +<p><strong><p><OL type=1><li> Obtaining and installing a "client"</strong> (= A "shareware" program that +enables you to dial up the Go servers and play Go using beautiful representations of the Go board +and stones.) To obtain a client: + +<p><strong> <OL type=a><p><li> Type ftp://ftp.nuri.net/Go <ENTER></strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "README" to read the README file!</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "igs clients/"</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on the icon for your computer system (Win98, Mac, etc.).</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "select client".</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on the client you desire to download. </strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Download and install the selected client on your computer. </strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> Create a master folder (mine is called "Go") and an appropriately +named sub-folder for each client in an appropriate directory in your computer. </strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Find the downloaded client program (usually automatically entered into your + "Program Files" folder in a Windows system).</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Decompress the download and install it into its sub-folder in the Go folder.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Find the .exe file in that sub-folder and right click on it to create a shortcut +icon, then place that icon onto your desktop for easy routine access.</strong> + +<p>Because these "clients" are shareware they are nominally FREE, but they usually contain +periodic annoying "pop up" registration reminder messages which can only be disabled by +registering each with its respective author and paying his nominal registration fee (usually about +$25-$30). This is not only advisable but more than fair, since a great deal of time and +sophisticated programming effort was expended to create these programs. So once you've +decided that you like a particular client and intend to keep using it, register it ASAP. + +<p>An important advantage of using a client is its ability to save games in Smart Go Format (sgf), +for later replay, editing, analysis and print out. If you use WinIGC as your client (as I do) this +replay function is performed by a dedicated program called WinMGT, which is downloaded in +exactly the same way from the same site! And all games saved in WinIGC are automatically and +instantly available to WinMGT if both sub-folders have been placed in the Go folder. +</OL></OL> + +<p><strong><p><li> USING A CLIENT TO ACCESS A GO SERVER</strong> + +<p>These instructions are for the client WinIGC 1.00. To the extent that other clients differ from this +you may have to experiment a bit or use your client's "help" file to figure out exactly what to do. + +<p><strong> <OL type=A><p><li> Initial Access </strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> Set up your client.</strong> + +<p><strong> <Ol type=a><p><li> Start the client by double clicking on its desktop shortcut icon.</strong> +(You do NOT have tostart or use your web browser to do this!)<strong></strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Maximize the Terminal Window and click on "Connect" on the tool bar at its +top</strong>. + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "Connect to a Server" </strong>to bring up the address book. + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "Add" in the pop up dialogue box.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Enter the telnet addresses (and alternates, where available) for all the Go +Servers to which you desire to connect. (See list below.) </strong>The numeric form of the address is + preferred because it gives faster access. + +<p>In all cases access can <u>only</u> be obtained if the specified port # has been entered as shown below, +and these addresses need be entered only once.<strong></strong> + +<p>You will not yet have the data to enter into the first two fields "Login Name" and "Password", +because you can obtain that information <u>only</u> after you have contacted the servers and registered +with them! So for the moment simply leave those two fields blank! + +<p><strong>The major Go server addresses are:</strong> + +<p><strong> <UL><p><li> IGS = igs.joyjoy.net 6969 , or</strong> + +<p><strong> = 210.146.253.13 6969 (Alternate Port # = 7777), or</strong> + +<p><strong> = 210.146.353.10 6969 (Alternate Port # = 7777)</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> NNGS = nngs.cosmic.org 9696, or</strong> + +<p><strong> = 198.36.217.71 9696 </strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> LGS = lgs.hinet.net 9696</strong> + +<p><strong> = 210.65.1.245 9696</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> CTN = weiqi.online.sh.cn 8888</strong> + +<p><strong> = 202.96.217.81 8888</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> WING = wing.gr.jp 1515</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> CWS = cws.weiqi.net 9696</strong> + +<p><strong> = 202.98.15.15 9696 </UL></strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Left click to highlight the desired server address.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "Connect!" in the right side tool bar to connect to that Go server.</strong> If +you haven't already connected to your ISP, this will first do that automatically. + +<p><strong> <p><li> Log in as "guest".</strong> + +<p> WinIGC automatically enters "guest" when you connect to IGS for the first time. With + another client or for a different server you may have to enter "guest" yourself. (No + password is necessary for guests.) + +<p><strong> <p><li> Register.</strong> + +<p> Each time you contact a server as a guest you will be prompted to register as a permanent + member of their Go community by simply following the instructions they provide. Since + all servers are free outside of Japan (and only IGS charges there) and registration is + necessary if you desire to obtain a rating and use all of the server's facilities, there's no + reason not to do so! + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> Select a user name.</strong> (If the name you select is already assigned, +you will be prompted to choose another. For example, my main IGS account name is +"philonist".) + +<p><strong> <p><li> You will be logged in and your assigned password will be emailed to you +within a few hours. </strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> When you receive that email, enter your user name and password into the + appropriate fields to complete your client's "connect" address book.</strong> + +<p> If you neglect to do this, you will have to manually reenter both of these items every + time you log on! </OL></OL></OL> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Routine access.</strong> + +<p><strong> Once your server address book is completed, just:</strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> Double Click on your client's desktop shortcut to start it.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "connect" in the terminal window.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on "Connect to a server".</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on the desired server's address in the pop up box to highlight it.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Click on the "Connect!" button! </OL></strong> + +<p><strong> WinIGC then does the dial up, connect and sign-in automatically!</strong> + +<p><strong><p><li> HOW TO PLAY GO ON THE CLIENT BASED GO SERVERS</strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> Download the server's commands</strong>. + +<p> <Ol type=a><p><li> <strong>Type "help commands" <Enter> to see the list.</strong> + +<p> <p><li> <strong>For each command of interest, use the "mail me" command to have its +description emailed to you.</strong> + +<p> <p><li> <strong>Download the email attachment, print it, and put it in a loose leaf binder next +to your computer for quick, easy reference as needed.</strong> </OL> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Use the appropriate commands to watch others play, kibitz, converse, and to +arrange and play your own games.</strong> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Playing your own games.</strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=a><p><li> Before playing your first game, it is advisable to declare a RANK</strong>, +if you know your approximate playing strength. CAUTION! On IGS most ratings are at least +several stones stronger than those of the AGA! (Until recently I had believed that the difference was 2 stones, +but on Jan 26, 2006 I discovered that a well established AGA 2 Dan and 3 Dan were each 2k* on IGS, which implies, +at least at that level, that the difference is actually as much as 4 or 5 stones!) + +<p> This same sort of ranking disparity exists across national,regional and internet Go server ranks, and has been +(approximately) cataloged at the following web site: + +<strong><a href="http://senseis.xmp.net/?RankWorldwideComparison">//senseis.xmp.net/?RankWorldwideComparison</a></strong> + +<p>But please note that this table shows only a 2 stone disparity between AGA and IGS ratings, as opposed to the approximately +4 stones my example cited above implies, so these figures should be applied with caution! + +<p><strong> <p><li> If you have no idea of your approximate RANK, you can play as a non-rated +(NR) player</strong>, but if you do so there will be 2 penalties: + +<p> <OL type=1><p><li> Most rated players will NOT play with you. + +<p> <p><li> None of your games will count toward obtaining a RATING. + +<p> So, sooner or later, you will <u>have</u> to declare a RANK if you wish to become a full fledged + rated member of the on-line Go community! </OL> + +<p><strong> <p><li> After you've played 20 rated games, you will acquire a RATING </strong>(designated by +an <strong>*</strong>), which is a relatively true measure of your playing strength and which will become ever +more accurate as the number of your rated games increases. If you've chosen your initial +RANK well, your initial RATING should be within a stone or two of that level. + +<p><strong> <p><li> To find a suitable opponent, use the "who" command</strong> to find players at the +RATING of interest who are currently logged on and not already playing or marked as +unavailable. Or you can "shout" your desire for a match to all logged-on players. + +<p><strong> <p><li> The basic way to arrange a game is via the "match" command</strong>, which has a +specific syntax that you must learn and obey. Most games are played "even" (without handicap +except for Komi), but handicap games are also possible. + +<p><strong> <p><li> All games are played with time constraints</strong>, which must be chosen with care +consistent with your ability to think accurately. <u>Most players on IGS prefer fast games</u> and +beginners may find this difficult, although it does have the very real advantage that you get a lot +of experience quickly! + +<p><strong> Time constraints consist of two parts:</strong> + +<p><strong> <OL type=1><p><li> "Standard time".</strong> One minute is usual, and anything above 10 +minutes is considered slow. After this is used up, you automatically go into Byo Yomi (= +overtime). + +<p><strong> <p><li> Byo Yomi.</strong> Less than 5 minutes is fast, more than 10 is considered slow. <strong>In Byo +Yomi the player must play 25 stones in the allotted time or lose the game "on time"</strong>. If +those stones are successfully played the player repeats the Byo Yomi period with a new 25 +stones. Unused time is not carried over. </OL> + +<p><strong> <p><li> Games are won or lost via resignation, overstepping the time constraint, or by +final count.</strong> + +<p align="center"><strong>HAVE FUN!!!</strong> +<a href="Magic.html"></font> +<p><font color="#0033ff"><strong>Continue</strong></font><font color="#0000ff"></a></font> +<font color="#0000ff"> +<p><font color="#0000ff">Click Here To Return To<a href="index.html"></font><font color="#0033ff"><strong> Milt's Go Page</strong></font></a> + +<p><hr> + +</body> + +<!-- Mirrored from users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/InternetGo.html by HTTrack Website Copier/3.x [XR&CO'2014], Sun, 06 Nov 2022 06:49:09 GMT --> +</html>