ECF Grading website club promotion idea

[Tryfon Gavriel]

Hi all

I think the online grading system reference lookup is really good. But perhaps it might be good to try and cross-link the chess club website from the club page of graded members.

E.g.

http://grading.bcfservices.org.uk/getcl ... 0Elizabeth

In the MySQL Database, which I assume this uses, what if there was another table like "ClubWebsites":

ClubName, URL, LastUpDatedURL

so for example:

"Barnet%20Elizabeth", "www.barnetchessclub.com", 2009-09-23

Then a quick look up can be made for the "Clubwebsites" table, and if an entry exists for a Club URL, it is shown at the top of the Grading page.

The point is, this could be natural promotion for all Chess clubs - if someone was living in Barnet for example (no bias here at all) , and checked Barnet for members, but then also had a link presented to them for the Website.

BTW, I have modified the Barnetchessclub.com front page yesterday, to include a link to the excellent grading page.

I appreciate though it might be a lot of work maintaining the "ClubWebsites" table and modifying URL's etc. Maybe there could be a volunteer for this though. I guess though maybe it is not a big deal as someone could just use Google to lookup Barnet chess club. I just thought I would mention it though as a new possibility here.

Best wishes
Tryfon

[Carl Hibbard]

I appreciate though it might be a lot of work maintaining the "ClubWebsites" table and modifying URL's etc. Maybe there could be a volunteer for this though. I guess though maybe it is not a big deal as someone could just use Google to lookup Barnet chess club. I just thought I would mention it though as a new possibility here.

No real problem with me doing this - the only question would be "where" is it maintained, one for Richard Haddrell really to decide if he wants to maintain the link or if he wants me to do it?

I get a new database every time we upload a revision - so currently the MySQL copy is overwritten every time, hence the question!

[John Upham]

I get a new database every time we upload a revision - so currently the MySQL copy is overwritten every time, hence the question!

Create a new table for this extra info and use the ECF ClubCode as the key linking the two tables.

j.

[Carl Hibbard]

I get a new database every time we upload a revision - so currently the MySQL copy is overwritten every time, hence the question!

Create a new table for this extra info and use the ECF ClubCode as the key linking the two tables.

j.

That is so deep its beyond me a good job you are here

[John Upham]

I get a new database every time we upload a revision - so currently the MySQL copy is overwritten every time, hence the question!

Create a new table for this extra info and use the ECF ClubCode as the key linking the two tables.

j.

That is so deep its beyond me a good job you are here

I'm here to help when the obvious solution seems difficult or time consuming...

[Carl Hibbard]

I'm here to help when the obvious solution seems difficult or time consuming...

So who types in and maintains the URL's then?

[Richard Haddrell]

ECF Grading website club promotion idea slammed

So who types in and maintains the URL's then?

Don’t look at me. Aren’t the club URLs published already, on the ECF’s mainstream website, in “Clubs and Associations”? (I know, but it could be made readable.)

I wouldn’t call club promotion a daft idea, but if we’re looking to enhance the online grading list there are things far more worth spending time on. A glance at the FIDE rating pages suggests some. For that matter, look at the Yorkshire grading site http://www.chessnuts.org.uk/. The ECF online list is no slouch, but it will be a while before advertisements for chess clubs reach the top of a sensible wish list.

Don’t take this as an ECF view. I speak as me.

[Carl Hibbard]

For that matter, look at the Yorkshire grading site http://www.chessnuts.org.uk/. The ECF online list is no slouch, but it will be a while before advertisements for chess clubs reach the top of a sensible wish list.

I have asked a number of times that "we" publish additional information - in particular a breakdown of games for each person showing their performance (as per the direct member printout...) but this request is ignored every time

[Alex Holowczak]

I have asked a number of times that "we" publish additional information - in particular a breakdown of games for each person showing their performance (as per the direct member printout...) but this request is ignored every time

I like that idea. The games would already be in the computer, it'd just be a case of printing out the results, surely?

[Carl Hibbard]

I have asked a number of times that "we" publish additional information - in particular a breakdown of games for each person showing their performance (as per the direct member printout...) but this request is ignored every time

I like that idea. The games would already be in the computer, it'd just be a case of printing out the results, surely?

The touchy subject of revenue stream keeps coming up - the ECF would like to charge for the online database as it stands now regardless of publishing a grade breakdown

I can only keep asking

[Alex Holowczak]

I have asked a number of times that "we" publish additional information - in particular a breakdown of games for each person showing their performance (as per the direct member printout...) but this request is ignored every time

I like that idea. The games would already be in the computer, it'd just be a case of printing out the results, surely?

The touchy subject of revenue stream keeps coming up - the ECF would like to charge for the online database as it stands now regardless of publishing a grade breakdown

I can only keep asking

So the ECF charge us once to have the games graded (i.e. Game Fee), and then charge again for the results of those calculations?

Since the whole grading database can be downloaded, all that'll happen is one person will download it, and just e-mail it to everyone they know. Even publish it elsewhere on the Internet. Is the grading list copyrighted?

[Mick Norris]

Actually no, Alex, those of us running events have to pay a grader to actually do the grading for the event i.e. work out the grading performance for the players

We then pay Game Fee to the ECF (for players who are not ECF members directly or via a membership organisation) in order to help fund running the ECF (which includes the cost of getting the grading performance converted into grades)

[Tryfon Gavriel]

For that matter, look at the Yorkshire grading site http://www.chessnuts.org.uk/. The ECF online list is no slouch, but it will be a while before advertisements for chess clubs reach the top of a sensible wish list.

I have asked a number of times that "we" publish additional information - in particular a breakdown of games for each person showing their performance (as per the direct member printout...) but this request is ignored every time

That is interesting as well and would parallel the FIDE site where you can see a breakdown of results e.g.

Someone called Carlsen

http://ratings.fide.com/individual_calc ... 2009-07-01

But from a revenue perspective, I could see this as completely undermining the current purchases for the rating reports if it was all available for free on the grading website.

That is of course unless in the future there could be a login system so you could if you logged in with your password, and paid to be a "Full member". This could enable you to see not just your results, but everyone elses as well (like the FIDE website).

In fact, it could be promoted on the Grading website to become a "full member" to get this additional information about the results of anyone including yourself. Maybe either an online automated payment system, or paying by phone to the ECF office could "unlock" the additional information if they gave you your password on the phone. Then you could login and see the extra grading breakdowns.

One other advantage here also, is that the rating reports could have links to the tournament websites or chess club matches, so people could actually be more aware of tournaments or clubs they might want to play in when they can. There could be indirect tournament promotion from the results breakdown.

Just some thoughts anyway, since were onto this subject.

Best wishes
Tryfon

[Alex Holowczak]

Actually no, Alex, those of us running events have to pay a grader to actually do the grading for the event i.e. work out the grading performance for the players

We then pay Game Fee to the ECF (for players who are not ECF members directly or via a membership organisation) in order to help fund running the ECF (which includes the cost of getting the grading performance converted into grades)

I didn't realise the money that the grader gets doesn't get to them via the ECF. Why does the ECF need to be involved then? If the people who do the bulk of the grading are the graders, why not let those graders do the task of converting it into grades too?

[Adam Raoof]

Actually no, Alex, those of us running events have to pay a grader to actually do the grading for the event i.e. work out the grading performance for the players

Tournament organisers don't actually pay a grader directly (they are hard working volunteers). The only payment we make is game fee to the ECF, and that enables grades to be collated and published for the whole of England. I believe that there is very little intrinsic commercial value in the grading information, and my inclination is to make it as widely available as possible, in as many accessible formats as possible.