Go is still fun but kgs is no longer fun.

[ProtoJazz]

I still say its fun to make your own sounds. For some reason a game is just so much better when every stone goes "Boink-Mooo"

[duckweed]

I've been on KGS since 2002. It's no different than gopher was, usenet was, irc was, etc, etc.... servers change as more people join and use things in different ways. I miss my High School BBS too even.

Rather than complain about the use of EGR, create separate rooms and get people to join. There are many active side rooms.

As far as the stone click complaint, I don't really miss it.

Wow since 2002! And I didn't even know you existed til now. That's amazing.

What are said active side rooms and what rooms are you active in?

I have no idea there even any side rooms that have a minimum of 20 people at any given time.

[Javaness2]

Well I always try to resolve people's issues with sound. I keep pointing people to the solutions posted in this forum.
The main problem, as described by wms, is the lack of backwards/forwards compatibility with Java's sound libraries.
If you don't feel admins are helping users, feel free to volunteer to be one yourself, and help out others. That's a pretty pro-active approach.

With regards to chit-chat. KGS policy on that is that if chit-chat is so dense that it prevents requests for help (in main rooms), or prevents people discussing the game (in games) then it should be moved. Personally I rarely see chit-chat at that high a frequency, and I would be surprised if you are claiming that nobody is able to talk. If you think that that is case, a better approach might be to complain to admin@gokgs.com.

I do agree that there are fewer beginners in general, I still offer some initial teaching games. I hope other people do too.

How often do you see people ask about the stone sound and just get ignored?
Wms does't care enough to fix it.
Admins are sick of dealing with it.
Why should they when they are volunteers and even the guy who owns the server refuses to fix it and lets them take up the slack.
Normal users are sick of that loon BigDoug and his weekend admin-ing with "I think this chat is too random for the egr." and "Please do not speak in this room for the next few hours."
People used to chat and help at the same time. They can't be bothered to do so now since everything they say is labelled as too random.
So it devolved into people just posting links, random utterances and one liner blatant witticism.
People stick around for the community too. When people say kgs is a good server, do they mean only the software?
How can you develop a sense of community if you can't talk with other people?
When was the last time you have a nice chat with a newbie and offered him his first teaching game on kgs?

[NoSkill]

feel free to volunteer to be one yourself, and help out others. That's a pretty pro-active approach

I don't think the admins are doing a bad job or that I could do it better, but it is possible to ask to be an admin?

[ProtoJazz]

I didnt know people could volunteer to be admins. Otherwise I would have volunteered some time ago

[BigDoug]

Hello,

I don't think the admins are doing a bad job or that I could do it better, but it is possible to ask to be an admin?

You are certainly welcome to express your interest in becoming an admin. At times, KGS recruits new admins. The admins will review the people who have been seen to be helpful and knowledgeable about KGS and would be suitable admins. If you write to admin@gokgs.com, we'll be aware that you'd like to be an admin and will note your participation in the KGS chat rooms. Obviously, not everyone who volunteers to become an admin is selected, but some of the current admins did express an interest in the role before being selected. As we like to be able to answer questions in as many languages as possible, please include your time zone and which languages you are fluent in. Thanks.

[C. Blue]

who have been seen to be helpful and knowledgeable about KGS and would be suitable admins.

I strongly suggest adding being socially adept as main criterion.

Edit: Not a complaint (except for Mr DontTalkInThisRoomForTheNext48Hours's case maybe), just saying you should make sure you don't accidentally pick someone who is maybe not such a good choice from the users' point of view. I'm not that interested in KGS to care very much though, since it seems it has become quite an immobile server in terms of future evolving (at least Andi Liu has been playing a lot on it lately though, woot!).

[Bartleby]

I am somewhat bemused by all these complaints about KGS.

I've been playing on KGS for four or five years now, on or off.

I've played lots of exciting games, watched many games between much stronger players, gotten some free reviews, learned a lot. Hundreds of hours of free fun and entertainment. The only cost to me has been my voluntary KGS+ membership (which I haven't always kept current).

I've never had problems with an admin, never had anybody muzzle me or kick me off, never had a problem with the server or the interface. I've had a few escapers, but that's the price you pay for participating in games on the Internet. Well worth it, IMO.

All these people complaining about KGS may need to take stock: maybe the problem is you.

[draculinio]

If KGS is no more social, where is a server that replaces KGS in that topic?

[oren]

If KGS is no more social, where is a server that replaces KGS in that topic?

If you want to try a different one, Kaya has a lot of chatting.

[draculinio]

Good I will try!

[hyperpape]

Kaya also rarely seems to have more than 20 (40 if my estimation sucks badly enough) people signed in.

[AKaios]

I would sort of agree with you when you say KGS isn't the same amount of fun that it used to be, but everything comes and goes. Things evolve; what was fun, becomes boring, what was cool, becomes silly. It's just evolution. KGS WAS fun. It still isn't a bad place, but online Go is just becoming more evolved. You have more Go servers popping up, new ones with fresh ideas such as Kaya. Sure it doesn't have the amount of people like IGS or KGS, but that's because it's still fresh. It takes time for people to want to try out something new and different, but if people have the same thought that you do, maybe they'll make their way over to it and help increase those numbers. Even IGS has become more evolved. They completely revamped their client. A lot of people like to "stick with what they know" and have this purist mentality about it. You can see it in Politics, hell do you remember when Myspace was the place to be? Can you even remember what Facebook was like before it's uprising? Expand your horizons, try out other servers, if not all of them. Find one that you like just as much. You can always go back to KGS. As far as we all know, it's not going anywhere.

I feel like I'm pointing out the obvious, but it seems to be hidden a little.

[Bill Spight]

Aaaah, nostalgia. Everything was always better in the past...

"The past isn't what it used to be."

-- Simone Signoret (?)

[Bantari]

It seems like the frequency of KGS bashing, and the viciousness has increased lately. You hear things like KGS is broken, its over, its done, its no good anymore, blah blah blah... Minor things like stone sounds and admin complaints (which were always present on all servers, and always will be) are getting blown way out of proportion... outrage about lack of privacy (do you think what you say on IGS, Tygem, Kaya, or Facebook is private?)... whatever.

You know... ever since it became clear that Kaya is a serious contender I was honestly expected just such witch hunt sooner or later. Now, I am not saying that this is all some kind of conspiracy, or even that its in any way connected... just call me an old cynic. Human nature is what it is.

PS>
For the record - I have been playing on KGS since its humble beginning, although I am not a KGS apologist. I don't have a pony in this race, just finding it all a little sad... If KGS is going to die and be replaced by something better (as it surely be, at some point), just let it die in peace rather than sticking a knife in its back any which way you can. It has served the community for a long time, and did an outstanding job at that for most part.

PS>
The funny thing is - some of the criticism directed and KGS (and KGS alone) is honestly not server-specific. Lower player population after the HnG craze died down, for example... lack of this or that player showing up regularly... overeager admins... lack of privacy... occasional technical problems... and so on. Do you honestly think any other server will be free of those and similar issues, ever? If you do, I have a bridge to sell you.