Ok, there has been much negative vibes going around about the rights and wrongs of when someone should use the timeout feature on this site, along with much whoohaa when people get timed out while their vacation flag is raised. It is with this in mind that i propose a slightly different system that avoids ugly confrontation.

So, here goes....

1.I propose that the total vacation time per player should be shortened to 1 month (30days) per year.

2.When someones vacation flag is raised, it should not be possible for that person to be timed out.

3. When someones vacation flag is raised, they themselves can't make a move. Hopefully this will stop current abusses of the vacation status as many people are aware, people put their flag up and continue to move!

4.It should not be possible for a player to turn their flag off, make a move and than put it straight back up again! Maybe if a player was forced, once they have taken their flag down, to move in all their games before they were allowed to put it back up again.


These changes may seem a bit harsh, but i believe that they are more in line with the spirit of this game. In light of resent events, i don't think it is fair on the players at the top, who win consistently, to be timed out on all their games, should they genuinly go on holiday. The same applies to the rest of us i guess, although it's not so hard to re-attain a 1500 rating😕

The vacation flag, i believe, should be used only in the event of a vacation! Not as some way to just chill out for a couple of days. The current system relies on peoples sportsmanship to work, and, as we've seen (mention no names), it doesn't!

I don't think i made this point properly....


When a player starts a match, the timebank they choose to play under should be enforced as normal. If this player goes on vacation in the middle of a game and puts their flag up, the games they are playing are frozen. As Each player under this new system only has 30 days vacation time, there should not be too much complaint, as anyone abussing the flag status will just get timed out when thay actually go on holiday.


Any thoughts?

I think the timebank feature largely negates the need for the holiday flag. The T/O and T/B combined will in most cases be sufficient to include a holiday. Just make sure you are happy with the time restraints before accepting a game.

I also find it hard to believe that players cannot, with a bit of effort locate internet access points while on holiday. If players wish to avoid being timed-out in their games they should make this part of their holiday planning.

1. I, along with many many other players, choose to play with a short timebank so that my games don't take years. If i decided to go on holiday tommorrow, i'd be timed out on all my games.

2. I would love to make time duaring my holidays to go to an internet cafe and play chess, however, when i go on holiday i am invariably with my girlfriend, who, without hesitation, would castrate me on the spot if i did that. I do think it's fair enouph if people go on holiday, it's just the current 80 days vacation time is just stupid. This combined with the timebank makes the game unplayable.


The way things stand, unless you do go to a cafe to update your games, you will be timed out on all your games, effectively being punished for going on holidays. This is stupid!

The timebank allows people to relax a bit, if they can't move in 3 days, they have a day here or there spare. People who don't like timebanks don't have to use them.

However, people who go on holiday have to use the flag, which doesn't actually stop people timing you out! What's the point in that?

Originally posted by marinakatomb
1. I, along with many many other players, choose to play with a short timebank so that my games don't take years. If i decided to go on holiday tommorrow, i'd be timed out on all my games.

I understand what your saying perfectly, why do we have a vacation flag than?

then😳

There is a problem with what your saying, this way, if im playing against someone who is moving at the last possible moment, im in the same position. I have to wait for them, regardless of whether there is a good reason (like their on holiday) I don't mind a game taking a few weeks but i don't want to give my opponent the opportunity to swan off for what amounts to nearly three weeks without making a move if their not on holiday. This isn't what i call fun.

The timebank, in my opinion, is there to make the games more relaxed and to stop people claiming timeouts to gain rating points. I move quickly but sometimes i can't get online every 3 days so the timebank saves me a lot of stress. I can't play all my games with a 21 day timebank cos i won't be able to play other fast players, they will see the timebank and delete 🙁

Having a 30 enforced vacation time allows people to go on holiday once a year and still play whatever timelimit they prefer for the rest of the year.

Originally posted by marinakatomb
I understand what your saying perfectly, why do we have a vacation flag then?

I fail to see why the vacation flag is such an issue to people here. I find it quite useful, it allows me to see when people are away on holiday / away from the computer.

It does not prevent you from timing people out if you feel that the flag is being misused. It does not extend the timeout/timebank that *you* agreed to when you started the game.

If you have some kind of moral issue with timing out games under the flag, then surely this is negated by the apparent misuse of the flag?

Also, I cannot agree with not being allowed to make some moves and then reactivate the flag. Sometimes I am away from the computer/chess for extended periods so I use the flag, and I am then able to move again for maybe one move before being back "away". Surely I should be allowed to put the flag back up?

Originally posted by marinakatomb
I don't think i made this point properly....


When a player starts a match, the timebank they choose to play under should be enforced as normal. If this player goes on vacation in the middle of a game and puts their flag up, the games they are playing are frozen. As Each player under this new system only has 30 days vacation time, there should not ...[text shortened]... ing the flag status will just get timed out when thay actually go on holiday.


Any thoughts?

Originally posted by purclecow
...i will be going away from july 9th 2004 till april 23rd 2005 and will be expecting to put my vacation flag up to stop people challenging me etc ...

Originally posted by Toe
Does the vacation flag stop new challenges? I never knew but it would be a sensible feature if it did. If nobody is sure if it does or doesn't, we might consider promoting this idea to a thread of its own.

What I do if I'm going to be away is change "My challenge settings" to zero games so that no new games will be accepted.