English Chess Forum

Hi, Thanks to Carl, he has set upthis section for MCCU affairs. It is intended to replace the MCCU Forum previously hosted at http://www.mccu.org.uk and has the advanyage that you can keep in touch with many other areas of English and world chess affairs without having multiple accounts and passwords. So ...use it or lose it! - Ray

MCCU Matters

Does it? Discuss!

Yes!

The first point is perhaps why no-one used the MCCU bb in the first place?
Maybe there`s not a great appetite to discuss `Union` matters?
For that matter, do the rank & file membership know what constitutes `Union matters`, and what topics would be worthy of coverage?
Certainly Congresses, other tournaments, junior events, finance, and ongoing AGM related matters could merit greater discussion.... along with the commencement of the New Northern `Super-league`...or thats how it will hopefully shape up once it has become properly established.
I wonder if one problem was that the original MCCU forum was too obscure and players found it hard to use?
It might be interesting to send out a wide circular asking MCCU members how many were aware of the Forum, and, if so, why they didnt contribute.
My other thought was that Union matters could get obscured and become `sandwiched` between Nation matter and local matters. Local matters would tend to get aired on local websites, of which there are many league & club sites. Maybe it would be worth trawling these local websites for items of interest that might be worthy of including/mentioning on the MCCU site.
ie, many players might support local forums like that on the MCF or Atticus sites, or they might support a national ECF site, but not the `grey` area in between.
However, the SCCU did run a forum that was quite successful, but seemed to peter out. A similar fate seems to have befallen the Atticus site? Maybe they just ran out of things to talk about...?

However, I did think the `Newsletter` series on the MCCU website was quite a good attempt to publish chess matters of interest, covered events of interest, letters to the editor, etc....and would suggest that 3 or 4 issues a season might be worth while.
Maybe an email to all the county bodies within the MCCU, including county captains, officers, etc...might be worthwhile to canvass further views, and to ask what should be included.
I slightly worry that moving MCCU matters to the ECF Forum will create some disfunction.. ie, players looking on the MCCU site will then have to switch to the ECF forum for other MCCU related matters.
Also, in parking the forum on the ECF site we lose some `control`, and certainly have less editorial control over what is said. If the ECF forum should happen to crash, then the MCCU matters would potentially become `lost`, albeit temporarily, til any problems are fixed.

David Pardoe wrote:The first point is perhaps why no-one used the MCCU bb in the first place?
Maybe there`s not a great appetite to discuss `Union` matters?

I'd be more than happy to discuss Union matters if I actually knew what they were!

David Pardoe wrote:Maybe there`s not a great appetite to discuss `Union` matters? For that matter, do the rank & file membership know what constitutes `Union matters`, and what topics would be worthy of coverage?

Within the last couple of years two topics have provoked debate: the Midlands Grand Prix competition and the rules for county matches. These debates were conducted by e-mail and in the case of the proposed rules changes they were also published on the MCCU website. Both methods have disadvantages that can be offset by using a bulletin board that is monitored by a fair proportion of players. The MCCU site failed to achieve 'critical mass' whereas it's clear that the ECF forum does reach a reasonable number of players in England. E-mails suffer from the disadvantage that they unnecessarily fill up mail boxes of players who are not interested and restrict debates to players who have e-mail accounts that allow prolific posts, generally accounts at work.

Alex Holowczak wrote:I'd be more than happy to discuss Union matters if I actually knew what they were!

One example would be an issue you have raised with me: time controls with mechanical clocks. You are already contributing to a thread on this forum, demonstrating the utility of carrying regional stuff and national stuff on the same forum.

David Pardoe wrote:My other thought was that Union matters could get obscured and become `sandwiched` between Nation matter and local matters.

A fair point and was part of the rationale for me asking for this topic. On the ECForum, players can easily switch between regional and national and indeed international chess affairs without haveing to change BBs or be conversant with the quirks of different BBs.

Excuse my ignorance but what are BBs and bbs?

Could be the MCCU Grand Prix be publicised on here? I was unaware of its existance until very recently.

LozCooper wrote:Excuse my ignorance but what are BBs and bbs?

Bulletin boards

David Pardoe wrote:Also, in parking the forum on the ECF site we lose some `control`, and certainly have less editorial control over what is said.

I agree you're exchanging one moderator for another. By outlasting other chess forums, the ECForum has demonstrated that it accommodates a wide range of comment and interest.

LozCooper wrote:Could be the MCCU Grand Prix be publicised on here? I was unaware of its existance until very recently.

Two things I've noticed about the GP:
1) It's a shame there aren't more events; Wrekin, Leek and Staffordshire spring to mind, but none have Opens; they have a "Premier" which is Under 210 or something.
2) I'm surprised that it isn't the top 3 from 5, or something like that.

LozCooper wrote:Could be the MCCU Grand Prix be publicised on here? I was unaware of its existance until very recently.

Yes, the more the merrier! I understand that the MCCU Events Director contacted county officials and organisers of events in the MCCU area at the start of the season. A number of events have since advertised that they are participating in the GPs. Also the MCCU website http://www.mccu.org.uk/carries pages for the two GP competitions.

Alex Holowczak wrote:It's a shame there aren't more events; Wrekin, Leek and Staffordshire spring to mind, but none have Opens; they have a "Premier" which is Under 210 or something.

. I agree. Perhaps a new formula could be devised that was more inclusive. Contributions welcome on this forum.

David Pardoe wrote:If the ECF forum should happen to crash, then the MCCU matters would potentially become `lost`, albeit temporarily, til any problems are fixed.

We have far more backups than a normal site and run on better equipment that a lot of "other" sites

Have you ever seen this forum not be available?