skydyr wrote:
What is the ASR School exactly, and how do you envision it functioning?
Well the idea behind reviews and teaching games was always that the dans lose out, there's no point for them to do it, which was the fundamental flaw of the KGS teaching ladder -- it wasn't a teaching ladder, it was a teaching pyramid, and it's lonely at the top. Which is kind of like what we have now. That is what I want to fix. The primary purpose of the league was supposed to be to identify who is teaching the most in the room (in theory, the strongest players in the "club") and then reward them. Theoretically, it would be easier for me to donate money to the ASR provided the prize structure be slightly rebalanced. There are a few other minor issues over prizes that would need to be addressed with an admin (Stalkor I guess) as well but that's the major one. We're going to need to be
able to provide at a minimum, $500 in prize money per month. It needs to be guaranteed. That is the second major main issue -- sustainability. Right now there doesn't appear to be any sustainability. Which is what I would like to provide (either directly or indirectly).
About the school, the school is to bring those who are lower in the league up to par. So the school is on one hand a way for people to check for holes in their go skill. The main idea is to produce a set of self-study materials. For example, a tsumego package that you can use to study tsumego anywhere -- on your computer, phone or tab. This project is pretty much done, although there's some minor editing work that has built up over the past few years I need to look over.
Another package will be something like, 100 selected (and commented) pro game
openings (i.e. the first 40 to 50 moves). These will be 100 games selected for their simplicity and ability to well-illustrate one main idea of dan-level play. Recurring themes will be common to kyu-level play, such as creating too many weak groups (not settling down before attacking), "following", and so forth. Another is a "reading school" with special "tsumego" I have been working on (and which I will require help to complete the collection) which will kickstart kyus in the right direction and show them what is possible. Something
sadly missing in the west as a whole. I mean that. Western students really have no clue over that. It's a total black hole. Needs fixing badly.
I am also considering the creation of a "gokui club", which will be very mysterious. In which I am considering creating a culture of passing down go knowledge orally. Of course it would be on the internet so it would be in chat, but that's something that can be worked out later.
There are other projects that would be started that aren't convenient to discuss here but would be discussed with an admin later.
How do I envision us working together? The key is that there is a connection between the projects. I realize that stalkor may not want to bring me into "his league", I can accept that, but these projects will be similar in scope. So while on one hand it's "his league", it would have to be seen that once these projects became integrated with the league the walls would be melted considerably. That is an important consideration. But most importantly is how we work together. My vision is that activity in the league would be rewarded somewhat in the school, and activity in the school would be rewarded somewhat in the league. Students could get "gold stars", "silver stars" or "bronze stars" for participation in the school. These stars could -- for example -- be worth +3, +2 or +1 points in the league. Not enough to break the league (esp. with the majority of people participating) but enough to draw people in and give them a small incentive. Room winners could receive special favors from the school such as copies of smartgo or easygo, or another thing I am considering is having "review points" such that people in alpha accumulate "review points" when they give a review (these points slowly decay over time) -- and these review points could be used for special prizes like ipads, slate & shell coupons, etc.
So the basic idea is to create advanced study materials so stronger players get something out of it, and the creation of a kind of "good student" currency such that people who give reviews and participate in the school (these are the people who own the ASR, btw, ot the admins) -- will have access to special prizes, prizes interesting enough that we can attract strong players even who are there only for the prizes. Which it is hoped, will raise the bar and make something
like a superleague possible naturally. Which is the only way it would ever be sustainable.
I'm also open to other ideas.