Re: Cheating

> ... I agree with you that online bridge should be looked
> at as a source of fun and learning 

I find it quite easy to agree with this sentiment, although there are
many that do not play online who often express doubt, based on the
erroneous idea that 'a lack of social atmosphere' dooms the endeavor.

> as opposed to a viable competitive activity).

It is not at all clear why this conclusion is so popular.
'Competition' is a flexible term encompassing a large number of
levels. At what level it ceases to be 'serious competition' is open to
debate. Although unproctored online bridge is unlikely to offer
competition at the level of the Bermuda Bowl, it seems entirely
possible that many players can find equal or better (and certainly
more convenient) competition online than they would at a local club. I
believe that a majority of players could find challenging competition
with online bridge.

What will be interesting to see in the future is if online events
continue to evolve to include choices such as a two-session Swiss or a
two-day matchpoint pair event. Many online sites have emphasized the
shorter 12 board pair tournament formats which have gained in
popularity. In a www of multiple time zones this comes as no surprise.
However, I suspect at some point the tide will turn and longer or
restricted routine events may prove viable. OKB attempted a weekly
invitational mps event based on various qualifications a few years ago
that never caught on. Whether the idea was flawed or the
implementation was incomplete remains unanswered in my opinion. The
recent expanded offering of private club sponsored tourneys on BBO is
likely a step in this evolution.

One additional point is that the bridge world including online bridge,
club bridge and bridge tournaments is not a zero-sum game. I am
convinced that the growing number of tables in the I/N sections at the
NABC's over the past few years is directly attributable to the
presence of online bridge. And there is no reason that club bridge
cannot flourish side-by-side in a world where every human being is a
member of BBO. :)

Eric