[blml] Disclosure f2f

[Stefanie Rohan]

Guthrie <guthrie at ntlworld.com> wrote:
Whatever happens in other games, the point is that Bridge-players from 
different jurisdictions often play Bridge against each other and local 
rules impose an unfair and unnecessary extra home advantage.
Where and when is this happening?
Please note also: the *disclosure* suggestion ...
- is *not* that everybody *bids* according to the same system;
- it is that we disclose *departures* from the same system.
It does require that everyone learn an additional system.  I don't know how much club bridge you play, Nigel, but I can assure you that I know many people who have played for years and have managed to achieve only a passing familiarity with the system they actually play.  Learning an additional system is completely out of the question for these people.
A global standard is an far-off ideal to which we can aspire.
"Ideal"?  To paraphrase the Pretenders, nothing is perfect; not even a perfect disaster.  I think that a homogeneous worldwide bridge culture would be very sad.  It's like walking down a high street and seeing The Gap, Benetton, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, the Body Shop and Borders.  Can you tell what country you are in?  Can you bring yourself to care?  Well, at least you won't have to deal with unfamiliarity.
As explained earlier, many times, however, you don't need a globally 
imposed standard system to allow a more comprehensive global set of 
*basic disclosure rules*.  Local standard systems can achieve that 
sub-goal.
That's what we have here in the UK.  Announcements and alerts are basically used for deviations from "Standard English" (a system that nobody actually plays, but which is somewhat similar to the standard systems played at rubber bridge clubs.) 
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