I play nearly all my games as long games, and except greetings usually do not write within the game, as I just jump into the game when it is my move and then right back out.
Only answer when I am interested in.
And when there is a case where I am written to in a mysterious foreign language, and not english, then I totally ignore it, also comments that want me to push the resign button (like “Do you know where the resign button is?”) in a game that I am winning - can become quite annoying.
So I restrict in most cases my writing to the greeting and the thanks.
i generally don’t chit chat about non-game topics, i say onegaishimasu at the start and thanks for the game afterward and thats about it. i don’t really like small talk but that’s my personal preference, i’m here to play go and talk about go basically lol. if the person wants to review afterward i’m all for that talk of course
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Thanks all for your various viewpoints. I won’t take take them as representative, but it figures that some (many? most?) people don’t consider the game as a social interaction, and could as well play against machines. Changes a bit my view of things, certainly old-fashioned.
Happy New Year to everyone, anyway!
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@tsitua Whatever the language, for most chat sentences, online services such as Google Translate work pretty well now. You don’t ever need to know which is the “mysterious foreign language”, the service will figure it most of the time. Google Translate “understands” more than 100 languages.
But if I see from the building of the sentences and the use of symbols that it is just swearing - why should I care to translate. If this player does not like to loose and is swearing on me and trying to put me to resign - even if I win - why should I care to even translate and answer?
I think two separate issues got combined.
One issue is if someone speaks in a different language. Google helps with that.
The other issue is if someone is a jerk - in your language or in a different one. The moderator flag button is good for that. (Ignoring is also good, but actually it might be better to actively weed these people out)
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One thing I’ve found is that it usually turns out to be a mistake to talk about the game while it’s in progress. I guess the reasons are obvious: unless it’s a teaching game, there’s really nothing you can afford to say that might not turn out to be wrong or giving away something or even seen as misleading your opponent.
Every now and then I forget about this, and make some sort of exclaimatory remark in a game, then usually I regret it, like “oops, I shouldn’t have said that”.
If my opponent makes a really good move and I have time to comment, I do. One game saw my opponent bust a line with a really sharp attack, and I commented “Awesome breakout!” I consider it gracious to salute exceptional play from my opponent.
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Yes, I agree that “good move” is a nice polite and gracious comment. Just not anything more, like why it was good for example.
even that is unnecessary, if it truly was a good move the other player already knows it, and if they didn’t see it as especially good then the comment just comes off as facetious. better to just save every comment about the game until afterward during the review IMO
Good sportsmanship isn’t pointing out a good play on the chance that the other player was not aware, but rather, good sportsmanship is acknowledging the good play of once’s opponent in the midst of the game, and thereby demonstrating that not only were YOU aware of the quality of the play, but that you were gracious and classy enough to publicly declare it in the presence of your opponent while the game was still progressing. Such behavior shows the play to be friendly, and yourself to have class.
Today’s crass and selfish world needs all the graciousness it can get. Like Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works…”
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i see your point and agree with the scripture you quote but i guess i personally don’t find it necessary to say it during the game, over the board or online. after the game during the review is when it should be said IMHO
I guess it is more important what is said than when it is said. After the game is a good time as well.
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Graciously put 