[blml] Disclosure f2f

[Guthrie]

[Richard Willey]
Nigel:  I really think that you are projecting a very idiosyncratic
set of concerns onto the population at large.

Do you have any reliable estimate regarding what fraction of bridge
players are being terribly inconvenienced by the need to constantly
master foreign convention cards and alert structures?  (Personally, I
don't think that the numbers are that large.  Moreover, I suspect that
the players who would be most effected - pros and the like - are also
the ones who are most likely to be able to cope with these types of
issues)

[nige1]
Richard's question must be rhetorical :) Although it would be easy to 
do, as far as I know, neither the WBF nor any NBO has ever made any 
realistic attempt to gather statistics on the legal preferences, 
problems and concerns of ordinary players :(

[Richard]
Equally significant, do you recognize that the "cure" that you
recommend will force almost everyone in the world to learn yet another
new alerting structure.

[nige1]
True, but it would be a one-off simple universal protocol. As those 
who played last week-end in Bournemouth can confirm, few experienced 
players seem to be familiar with the latest (2006) revision of the EBU 
Orange book alert regulations; so the suggested global defaults are 
unlikely to be worse. Naturally, I think they would be an improvement

[Richard]
You constantly fail to recognize that YOUR CURE IS THE DISEASE ITSELF.
A few posts back, you noted how upset foreign visitors are when they
travel into a new land and are suddenly deprived of their favorite
conventions.  Your solution to to take away those conventions at home
and abroad...  And somehow you think that people are going to welcome
this change...

[nige1]
I repudiate that criticism. I consistently advocate *more* systemic 
freedom. For example  I believe that fert, strong-pass and encrypted 
systems should be allowed, providing any departures from the standard 
system are disclosed. If the standard system were BWS, that might 
entail a lot of disclosure :)

[Richard]
Please note:  I have some small degree of sympathy for your ideas.
However, I think that you are going about things completely the wrong
way.  You seem fixated on a grandiose project to impose a new regime
from on high, as if the WBF has any real power.

Get this through your thick skull:  This isn't going to ever happen.

[Nige1]
Thank you Richard :) A first step towards uniform rules would be the 
WBFLC taking the trouble to provide a comprehensive set of default 
rules that local legislatures are free to accept or over-ride.  If 
Grattan is typical, the WBFLC instead advocate the devolution of 
regulation. Hence, I do accept that unification is unlikely in my 
life-time.

[Richard]
The only way that a scheme like this one could ever work would be if
some kind of common bidding system was already in widespread use.  If
90% of the players in country XYZ all played the exact same set of
methods you MIGHT be able to implement the standard alert system that
you so dearly love.

I recommend taking a good look at countries that have fairly
homogeneous bidding methods (France would be an obvious example).
Look at their alerting structures and see whether they adhere to your
ideal.  Feel free to come back and tell us what you learn.  I also
recommend looking at alerting structures in the US that used to be
based on departures from a norm and try to understand why the ACBL
moved away from this scheme.

[nige1]
I would like to hear about disclosure rules in other jurisdictions, 
especially if any mandate alerting departures from a coherent playable 
standard system.

I don't think a bottom-up approach will work although I do hope that 
the legal improvements in on-line bridge will gradually filter down 
into f2f laws.

[Richard]
Once you reach some conclusions, it might be worth while considering
whether it would ever be possible to get bridge teachers to adhere to
a common teaching curriculum.

[nige1]
I've taught Bridge for a long time and I teach (but I don't normally 
play) "Simple English" methods. Most British teachers try to adhere to 
the same standards.

[Richard]
But whatever you do, please stop tilting at windmills.  Its incredibly
sad to watch.

[nige1]
They're our windmills, Sancho, and I'll tilt if I want to :)