[pigpenz]

Scarabin, on 2012-October-25, 02:06, said:

Not to try to resurrect this but are there no anecdotes on Ginsberg or Culbertson?

I glanced at Culbertson's Blue Book, written in the 1930's, the other day and was amazed to find it could serve as a very good template for a computer play engine.

if anyone promotes GIB it is BBO not Ginsberg....he hasnt done anything with it since 2002...in fact there was an article about Ginsberg this summer in the NY Times....he was working on computer software for Crossword puzzles or scrabble one of those, but GIB is way in the past for him.

[Scarabin]

pigpenz, on 2012-November-09, 11:33, said:

if anyone promotes GIB it is BBO not Ginsberg....he hasnt done anything with it since 2002...in fact there was an article about Ginsberg this summer in the NY Times....he was working on computer software for Crossword puzzles or scrabble one of those, but GIB is way in the past for him.

Agreed, and Culbertson died a long time ago, but, with characters who are larger than life, even old anecdotes can be amusing.

Slainte,

Ian

[gwnn]

where are the - votes?

[TimG]

Scarabin, on 2012-October-25, 02:06, said:

Not to try to resurrect this but are there no anecdotes on Ginsberg or Culbertson?

There has been plenty written about Culbertson, including at least one autobiography and one biography. Look around and read for yourself.

One tidbit is that his name was not pronounced \ē-lī\ as I had always assumed, but somewhat closer to \ē-lē\ (think of his Romanian birth).

Ginsberg posted (on rec.games.bridge) about the development of GIB and his attempts to get GIB to produce a bidding system. He seemed quite accessible. I followed that and the computer championships and had some brief private exchange with him. He never struck me as much of a self-promoter, certainly not of the self-aggrandizing type. I know a little about the disputes he had with Levy and have read about Jeremy Claptrap. I really don't understand what your issue with him is.

[Scarabin]

TimG, on 2012-November-10, 10:22, said:

There has been plenty written about Culbertson, including at least one autobiography and one biography. Look around and read for yourself.

One tidbit is that his name was not pronounced \ē-lī\ as I had always assumed, but somewhat closer to \ē-lē\ (think of his Romanian birth).

Ginsberg posted (on rec.games.bridge) about the development of GIB and his attempts to get GIB to produce a bidding system. He seemed quite accessible. I followed that and the computer championships and had some brief private exchange with him. He never struck me as much of a self-promoter, certainly not of the self-aggrandizing type. I know a little about the disputes he had with Levy and have read about Jeremy Claptrap. I really don't understand what your issue with him is.

Have read Culbertson's autobiography and also "The Walk of the Oysters". No issue with Culbertson or Ginsberg, just find them interesting. Both outstanding in their respective fields.

Slainte,

Ian

[TimG]

Scarabin, on 2012-November-11, 01:15, said:

No issue with Culbertson or Ginsberg

Then try again to explain what the purpose of your post is.

[Scarabin]

TimG, on 2012-November-11, 08:13, said:

Then try again to explain what the purpose of your post is.

"just find them interesting". They inspire me. Culbertson inspired me to take up bridge. Ginsberg inspires me to persevere with bridge programming.

I thought I might learn more of them from other BBO members.

Slainte

Ian

[ginsberg0]

Scarabin, on 2012-November-11, 17:01, said:

"just find them interesting". They inspire me. Culbertson inspired me to take up bridge. Ginsberg inspires me to persevere with bridge programming.

I thought I might learn more of them from other BBO members.

Slainte

Ian

Aw, shucks. I just stumbled into this and can at least clarify a few things: Yes, GIB is in my past. Yes, I was Jeremy Claptrap. I've done a lot of things (GIB, Dr.Fill crossword program, math, computer scientist, run a couple of startups, had a play produced, stunt pilot, husband and father) but I think that's mostly because I'm old and get bored easily. I would love to be thought of as a Renaissance man, and am very flattered to even see my name mentioned in the same breath as that phrase. I don't know how self-promoting I am. If anyone wants to reach me, you can get me at maybetemporary /at/ gibware.com. As long as I leave the address active, that is.

Thanks!

Matt Ginsberg

[barmar]

Reminds of of the Marshall McLuhan scene in "Annie Hall"

[y66]

It's as if we were living in a global village.

[Scarabin]

ginsberg0, on 2013-June-07, 22:00, said:

Aw, shucks. I just stumbled into this and can at least clarify a few things: Yes, GIB is in my past. Yes, I was Jeremy Claptrap. I've done a lot of things (GIB, Dr.Fill crossword program, math, computer scientist, run a couple of startups, had a play produced, stunt pilot, husband and father) but I think that's mostly because I'm old and get bored easily. I would love to be thought of as a Renaissance man, and am very flattered to even see my name mentioned in the same breath as that phrase. I don't know how self-promoting I am. If anyone wants to reach me, you can get me at maybetemporary /at/ gibware.com. As long as I leave the address active, that is.

Thanks!

Matt Ginsberg

What a pleasant surprise! May I welcome you to the forum and hope this may be the first of many posts. Thanks for your humour and understanding.

You already know you fulfil my definition of a modern renaissance man but may I enlarge on the self-promotion. I guess we all try to do this but some are more talented than most. I dimly remember Macchiavelli once said a plan was incomplete unless it included a plan for its own implementation, and Mackay in "Walk of the Oysters" said that without Culbertson's flair for promoting his ideas bridge would have remained on the same plane as canasta or mah jong.

I delayed responding to your post so as not to obscure it from members returning from the ACBL trials. As a result I can echo Woody Allen and say: if only life were always like this!

Slainte,

Ian