Chiltern League : new site

[J T Melsom]

I am not convinced from anecdotal evidence that the team captains were necessarily happy with the Upham LMS. LMS systems work best with small team sizes - it was a source of frustration to at least one captain when inputting matches of sixteen plus boards, to encounter problems partway through the process, usually because players weren't on the system. And this may be a reason some counties have been slow to report results, preferring to wait for the opposing captain to do the work.

More importantly given the amount of historical information held within the old system, can you confirm that the material will remain accessible. And how it might be accessed.

[Ian Thompson]

More importantly given the amount of historical information held within the old system, can you confirm that the material will remain accessible. And how it might be accessed.

That's surely the responsibility of the league. It's one of the things that should be considered when adopting an LMS, along with other things like who has rights over the domain name.

For the Chiltern League, historical results are on the Oxford Fusion website, although their accuracy is questionable. I noticed an incorrect result for me in one match. When I checked the ECF grading database it was correct there, but I then noticed a discrepancy between the two in the match result and further investigation revealed that my game wasn't the only one where the ECF grading database had a different result from the Oxford Fusion website.

[J T Melsom]

'That's surely the responsibility of the league. It's one of the things that should be considered when adopting an LMS, along with other things like who has rights over the domain name'.

That's correct, but you are assuming that the league is an intelligent customer with regard to LMS, and has recognised this issue and given it priority. In this case we seem to have a disagreement followed by unilateral action which might frustrate future research. ( I had not appreciated that data has in part been transferred for the years that the Upham LMS was in use, but it has I think changed in transfer].

[John Upham]

More importantly given the amount of historical information held within the old system, can you confirm that the material will remain accessible. And how it might be accessed.

You want me to keep the archival information online and accessible?

Did you want me to pay for it also?

Think again...

[J T Melsom]

I don't know what the actual cost is, but I thought that your interest in history might influence your decision rather than just the monetary factors.

[John Upham]

I don't know what the actual cost is, but I thought that your interest in history might influence your decision rather than just the monetary factors.

I can access all the data via my local server thanks very much.

You've forgotten one other reason: annoyance with Dennis the Menace.

[J T Melsom]

I care little for your relationship with Nigel Dennis - I don't know either of you that well, but I can see there might be differences of view, and times when I'd agree with one of you over the other. I hope the un-stated cost savings are worthwhile. Just seems to me that there might be more dignified way to proceed, but IT isn't my specialism. Do you need to simply 'hijack the domain name without then directing the inquirer elsewhere? Is there a link to Chiltern league results on the Berkshire website?

Edit: The link to the Chiltern League on the Berkshire county website reverts to the Berkshire site. That is the only reference to the Chiltern League that is apparent to me on the website. The Berkshire match captains are identified as officers of the county, but the competition is not named.

Edit: The Hampshire Berkshire result has been posted on the Hampshire site, so some publicity for the competition.

[Roger de Coverly]

Edit: The Hampshire Berkshire result has been posted on the Hampshire site, so some publicity for the competition.

The Oxford fusion site has nothing at all about this season, not even the dates of future fixtures.

[J T Melsom]

Edit: The Hampshire Berkshire result has been posted on the Hampshire site, so some publicity for the competition.

The Oxford fusion site has nothing at all about this season, not even the dates of future fixtures.

That's not entirely correct. There is a news item appealing for players, but I'm not sure I would be able to find it again.

I appreciate that you would normally play for Bucks in this competition, and I don't play Chiltern League regularly myself, but it would be good for the competition if Berkshire officers were to prompt the county secretary and webmaster into giving the competition a little more prominence. After all there may be players within Berkshire for whom county chess is an attractive option because they are simply too busy in the week to participate in club matches. It should be easier for them to find relevant information.

[Ian Thompson]

I see that the Chiltern League recommenced yesterday (unless there were earlier matches I don't know about). Anyone know what the current website for the Chiltern League is?

https://www.oxfordfusion.com/oca/index.cfm?Org=8 has nothing on it more recent than the 2019-20 season.

The result of a Buckinghamshire-Oxfordshire match played yesterday has now appeared on the Oxford Fusion website, but still no fixture list and no record of the Hampshire-Berkshire match from a week ago.

[Roger de Coverly]

The result of a Buckinghamshire-Oxfordshire match played yesterday has now appeared on the Oxford Fusion website, but still no fixture list and no record of the Hampshire-Berkshire match from a week ago.

The new season is now present, still without the Hants - Berks match.

Website address is
https://www.oxfordfusion.com/oca/Genera ... =429&Org=8

The "unknown" player on top board for Bucks is Gary Kenworthy (not "Kegworthy")

[J T Melsom]

Whilst I can understand some of the frustration being expressed by posters, I'm not aware that any officers of the Chiltern League are regular visitors to this place, so this really is a good example of where concerns or complaints could be better directed to others. As I pointed out previously, the result of the Hampshire v Berkshire match is known and has been published on the Hampshire website, only the respective team captains can probably explain why it hasn't reached the central hub for the results.

[J T Melsom]

I am advised that the Bucks fixtures are as follows;
13 Nov home v Oxfordshire
4 Dec away v Berkshire
22 Jan home v Hampshire
5 Feb away v Oxfordshire
12 Mar home v Berkshire
9 Apr away v Hampshire

Ian Thompson - I am sure you will be made welcome at the fixture on 22 Jan.

[John Upham]

Ian Thompson - I am sure you will be made welcome at the fixture on 22 Jan.

It isn't that long ago that IDT would not have been made welcome since the upper grading limit of the top division of the Chiltern League was ECF180.

Continual nagging by myself led to it becoming Open.

Quite what possessed Mr. Dennis to think that a 180 limit was appropriate goodness only knows: yet another thing that we disagreed about.

Don't mention NWD and BJCA whatever you do!

[J T Melsom]

Wasn't the Chiltern League perceived as a B team event originally? Given that some of the counties had left the SCCU event because they didn't have the strength in depth to compete, a case for some sort of restrictions might be made, and be properly debated.