Source: BBO

Henri Schweitzer, 48 years old including 30 devoted to games in general, particularly bridge, resides in Montpellier, France, with his wife Dominique.

He was a junior international player at the end of the seventies. He has won several national titles, and has had decent results in world championships pairs events.

He says his life changed when he met Dominique "farfie" Joegne 15 years ago, and changed again when Benedicte "patapon" Cronier introduced them to the internet, via BBO, three years ago. In addition to bridge, he likes arts, particularly music and Dom's paintings. Valentine, their Birman kitten, is also an important person.

Source: www.lesgogosbridgeurs.com

Hello Henri. Thank you to grant this maintenance to me.

ritong: Hello

Dany: Your name: Henri Schweitzer, pseudo ritong. You are “yellow” on BBO, i.e. in yellow in top of the list, which BBO calls “host”.
You have about fifty years, lives in Montpellier. You were international junior. Currently classified 1st series pricks with the French Federation, you are also “spangled” on BBO for various international competitions in which you represented your country.
I would like to ask you questions as “a yellow”, function that the gogos always do not know very well.
Of what does consist your role?

ritong: My function consists in better doing my so that the splendid toy which is BBO is usable by all under good conditions, in the practical and social plan.

Dany: How does one become yellow?

ritong: By co-optation. People stand as a candidates, and it rule is that no “yellow” is opposed to this candidature so that it is ratified.

Dany: How did you become it, you, and since how long you are it?

ritong: 3 years.


Dany: The function but do you receive are voluntary some (S) favours (S), of any manner?

ritong: System BBO is based on the goodwill, like on the exemption from payment of access to the site. There N is no concrete counterpart has that, with regard to the hosts/administrators.


Dany: How much hours, of days, master keys you in this role?

ritong: I am “yellow” as from the moment when I connect myself to the site under the pseudo “ritong”. The frequency of these connections is variable, I
would say that it is currently four hours daily, mainly the night for the time being European.


Dany: Is there a minimum of time forced to be at the disposal of the players? So yes how much?

ritong: Not, the system is based on the goodwill and does not have constraints planned for its voluntary.


Dany: Does that leave you time to play?

ritong: Yes, naturally. I try to fulfill my role while playing when I am “ritong”. It happens that my screen ravels rather quickly in this case. Heh.

Dany: How is the hierarchy on BBO organized? Who really directs? Who decides? Who does what?

ritong: BBO is not a company. It is an Internet site. Its creators, sheri winestock, Fred gitelman and uday ivatury, were surrounded by “collaborators”, the “yellows”, qu they consult when they estimate that a collegial decision must be made. Some among us have specific functions, having milked with the disciplinary problems
majority of time.


Dany: In which legal form exists BBO? Y T it in the U.S.A. has the same system of association law 1901 as in France? (which exempts benefit)

ritong: Sheri, Fred and uday manage this aspect of the question. Although
planet gear, BBO is basiquement American. One can make confidence with
American concerning the procedure.


Dany: Do you know the operational budget of BBO?

…..

Dany: The number of employees?

….

Dany: The benefit Nets?

….

Dany: They are especially French who addresses to you or do deal you with all those which challenge you?

ritong: I endeavour, obviously, to answer all those which me
contact by message BBO or email, French being minority; an aspect of my role is also to translate the emails written into
French and addressed, for example, has abuse@bridgebase.com

Dany: Which are different the French “yellow”?

ritong: “jjsb “which is Sylvain brethes, a young man residing at
meeting, is only different “the full French yellow” of the site. There are of them others, which are “yellow” for the needs for the vugraph.


Dany: Which are the most frequent problems that one asks you to solve?

ritong: They milked with the operation of the software, mainly. Time has other, a “human” problem arises and I endeavour to direct people concerned towards the service concerned. The “yellows” are not
cops, well qu it arrives qu an emergency intervention is essential.


Dany: Have you often to regulate problems:
- insults or bad behavior?
- of cheating?
- racial insults?
- sexists?
…….
Dany: Which is the worst history in this kind than you had to solve?
…..
Dany: That which BBO (on the most level) did have to solve?
…..
(Several questions with answer “joker” were followed)

Dany: For some time, of the gogos address to me to announce me that they are prohibited to play during 3 or 5 days. That they can return on BBO but cannot sit down with a table. After having questioned them they prove most of the time that it is about disconnection at the time of a preceding tournament. Can you point out regulation BBO to them on this subject?

ritong: BBO was confronted with a problem of wild disconnection on behalf of many players, and thus tried to find a solution. That which was retained is not perfect, because it does not take account of the risks of Internet. However, we estimate that it is the least bad.
program automatically suspends for three days the players who are
disconnected too frequently, or which “too frequently bootent “
players of their table.


Dany: It arrived to me, in the past gogos, to call upon jjsb or zmud99 to solve insoluble problems all alone. In particular problems of cheating in competition gogos.
I remember, inter alia, of a business that one had asked me to regulate for several months without I finding solution, Inquiry was put on the blow and in less than 48 hours it decided to exclude the players from BBO.

ritong: Ok. No how.

Dany: Which are its means of investigation?
……………



Dany: Are its decisions based they on intangible evidence?
………………

Dany: Or T it with the feeling with dubious elements of evidence judges but because a decision should well be made?
…………..
Dany: Do the accused players have a recourse? Can they give their version of the facts?
……….
Dany: How are they informed of this suspension?
……………
Dany: Which are the sanctions in the event of failure with ethics?
………….
Dany: Is there a “scale of value” in the failures?
…………
Dany: Which are those which are most serious with the eyes of BBO?
……….
Dany: Do you have the capacity alone to suspend a player, or must you refer about it to others?
………….
Dany: In general do you rather have a role of relay or have you really a capacity décisionnaire?
………….
Dany: Who decide (pseudos) such sanctions?
……….
Dany: There did it have cases of “radiation” to life?
…………
Dany: So yes for which reasons?
……….
Dany: It is known that number IP of the computer is the only one which counts and consequently to try to change the pseudo one is not used for nothing, it is necessary to change computer. There did it have cases of erased people, returned with another computer and another pseudo who were made begin again for the same facts? One that at the gogos but this is saw frequent?
…………..
Dany: Among all is nationalities on BBO, there which pose more problems than others?
………
Dany: So yes which?
…………..
Dany: Is French in the average?
……..
Dany: Do you find that” animations” (tournaments, TEAM match, competitions) of French are dynamic, many and important?

ritong: I acknowledge not to consider the question under this angle. BBO provides the software and hopes that its users make the best use of it.

Dany: Can you make a parallel with what is organized by other nationalities?

ritong: To in no case. The vocation of BBO is to facilitate the contacts between the bridge players, their nationality being a very secondary factor.


Dany: Environment? It is known that French tchatent much in tournament. Is this same environment elsewhere?

Ritong: The best way of knowing it is to go to see, seems to me T it. It is one on the good sides of Internet, the planet is with your range.


Dany: Which would be the desires of BBO as regards organization of French, if desires there is?
…………..

Dany: There are (and there will not be no) paying tournaments at the gogos. But will you wish (or BBO would wish it), that French in general organize more paying tournaments?
…………

Dany: One sees paying tournaments indeed more and more, and even of “Money Bridge Tourney”. Open space is reduced more and more.
Is this tendency irreversible?
…………

Dany: A will of BBO?
…………

Dany: Or of the authorizations given under the pressure of organization like the ACBL?
………

Dany: In spite of the denials in the past, T there one sets out gently?
……….

Dany: Is the future of BBO to become a paying site?
……….

Dany: Sponsored?
………..

Dany: Or is this simply a means of returning a little in their expenses?
……….

Dany: To always improve still and the site?
………

Dany: Does it sometimes happen to you to change the pseudo one in order to be able to play quiet?

ritong: Of course.


Dany: Do you have access to all the pseudos of a player?
….

Dany: How much pseudos different, on average, has each player?
……..

Dany: Which is the record of the number of pseudos for a player?
……..
Dany: You have access to the cats in “blue” (cats deprived between players)

ritong: Not. And it goes without saying the owners of the site review honor not to rape privauté their guests, no matter what can say the bad spirits. I do not doubt that that makes leap the “big brothers” of any hair, but it is thus. Our hosts are of
good people.

Dany: How much players really registered on BBO (without counting the multiples pseudos)?

ritong: Approximately 100.000


Dany: What do you think of ffbridgenligne, the next French BBO of the French Federation of Bridge?
There are you favorable?
There will you have a role?
Will you remain yellow on BBO?
Will they be organized on the same principle?
Which will be the differences?
Who will be responsible for this site?
……………….

Dany: When you comment on a vugraph are you remunerated for this work?

ritong: Not, and nobody is it. That constitutes has my direction one of the principal feats of arms of the site. An impressive quantity of sizes
world retransmissions BBO gratis pro deo agrees to comment on, as well as many other less crested people, but having other qualities.

Dany: Concretely how that does it occur T?

ritong: An operator, installed dimensioned table of play with his ordi
portable, receives give them by the referee chief (via a key USB, give them having been préduplicatées in secrecy by the organization) a few minutes before the departure of the retransmitted competition, and then all occurs in real time. L operator transmits the made biddings and the charts
played on line, without shift. The commentators try to follow,
and the magic of Internet is qu they can do it since their armchair
preferred.


Dany: I intended to say that in front of the increase in the number of players BBO sought new yellow?
How much French yellow do they need?
Which are qualities, competences essential?
The availability required?
Is the level of play of primary importance?
Obligation to speak English?
It is not BBO which contacts but the volunteers who make the request of it?
……………..

Dany: As from all voluntary actions, one draws satisfactions like disillusions there.
Which assessment do you make of your role of yellow?

ritong: I am magic to take part has this adventure, which I perceive like more important for our preferred play.

Dany: Thank you Henri, in the name of GogosBridgeurs, to have granted this maintenance to me.

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