a brief update - yet another name change

[MikeB]

There is way to much noise over this, but most of the posts have put a smile on my file.

[ChiefPushesWood]

Reading back through this post... I'm terribly saddened and STRICKEN with the realization of what a sad state our world is in. People getting triggered over a freaking computer chess engine name. Political statement or not/honoring an American hero or not (indisputable - he certainly was)... it's a freaking CHESS ENGINE name.

Y'all remember in the old days when people got upset over things that really mattered? Oh wait...

Chief

[supersharp77]

Reading back through this post... I'm terribly saddened and STRICKEN with the realization of what a sad state our world is in. People getting triggered over a freaking computer chess engine name. Political statement or not/honoring an American hero or not (indisputable - he certainly was)... it's a freaking CHESS ENGINE name.

Y'all remember in the old days when people got upset over things that really mattered? Oh wait...

Chief

Of course as long as we remember it was the "Engine Author" who chose to place his engine into the Political Danger Zone by Needlessly Renaming it from McBrain (A Great Name) to McCain out of the blue for no apparent reason..If It's no big deal why then lets Rename the Engine Trump..Hillary or Biden.. since we are making Political statements...its terrible to be placed in the position to Root against a inanimate object in a Engine tourney because the Engine author Chose the name McCain as some sort of Tribute to a Polarizing Political figure..RIP

[Ovyron]

Of course as long as we remember it was the "Engine Author" who chose to place his engine into the Political Danger Zone by Needlessly Renaming it from McBrain (A Great Name) to McCain out of the blue for no apparent reason

The apparent reason was "because he wanted."

The reason of the McBrain->Burnzie rename was "because others wanted", which is wrong.

In a world where liberties are taken away on a regular basis, let's not let naming an engine what one wants being one of them. I just hope MikeB is the last one doing this (another case was the Firebird->Fire fiasco), and that computer chess keeps that freedom.

Bad example, do not follow.

[ChiefPushesWood]

Reading back through this post... I'm terribly saddened and STRICKEN with the realization of what a sad state our world is in. People getting triggered over a freaking computer chess engine name. Political statement or not/honoring an American hero or not (indisputable - he certainly was)... it's a freaking CHESS ENGINE name.

Y'all remember in the old days when people got upset over things that really mattered? Oh wait...

Chief

Of course as long as we remember it was the "Engine Author" who chose to place his engine into the Political Danger Zone by Needlessly Renaming it from McBrain (A Great Name) to McCain out of the blue for no apparent reason..If It's no big deal why then lets Rename the Engine Trump..Hillary or Biden.. since we are making Political statements...its terrible to be placed in the position to Root against a inanimate object in a Engine tourney because the Engine author Chose the name McCain as some sort of Tribute to a Polarizing Political figure..RIP

Well, this does nothing but prove my point. This mentality is just beyond my comprehension. Tolerance as long as what you're doing is within the parameters of what I want or am comfortable with.

Who cares what they name a chess engine? You could name it anything you want... and I mean ANYTHING you want. If it's a good engine and will benefit me in what I need it for, I'd use it. Crying about the name is plain snowflake. And it doesn't matter how you're aligned politically. It's snowflake no matter who it is.

I would have loved to have seen Mike simply tell whoever the snowflakes were to just use something else. He chose not to do that. He chose to change the name. I don't agree with his decision but it's his engine.. HE can do what HE WANTS with it. I'll use it or not. I have that choice (I will continue using it). I just hate that he empowered the snowflakes' ideology that they are entitled to their thoughts or ideas force-changing what someone else does. It's plain stupid. (the snowflakes' ideology)

Chief

Chief

[Dann Corbit]

In the USA, the term "Freedom of Speech" is specifically designed so that anything you say is protected so long as you do not infringe on the rights of others,

I do not know what Freedom of Speech might mean in some other country.

If he wants to name it after democrats or republicans or libertarians, that is specifically protected by law.

Personally I am politically neutral, and favor no political party.
But I am glad that I live in a place where I am free to express myself.

Now, I have discovered that people can get their bun in a knot over anything and everything. In fact, I think that sometimes people invent something to get mad at when there is nothing obvious to get mad at laying around.

McCain literally means "Son of Cain" like McPherson means "Son of Pherson" and O'Neil means "Son of Neil" and "Johanson means "Son of Johan". That something like that would make folks mad puzzles me. But hey, to each his own.

Perhaps McPherson even means son of son of Pher, or Grandson of Pher

[hgm]

Any name starting with 'Mac' can be an offense to Apple haters.

[maxdeg]

And then there's Beckham which means (using English words no longer in fashion) - 'from the farm with the brook running through it' - seriously ..

[Ovyron]

Now, I have discovered that people can get their bun in a knot over anything and everything. In fact, I think that sometimes people invent something to get mad at when there is nothing obvious to get mad at laying around.

It has always been like this. The difference now is people are listening to them and making changes.

I liked this guy:



I even bought a cap with him on it.

Now it's being removed because people found him offensive. Yet those people weren't able to suggest a replacement that wasn't offensive, so the Indians will be playing without a mascot...

[Damir]

Hello chess friends,

Today I was made aware that my SF derivative "McCain"'s name was offensive to some folks. I made the name change at the time of McCain's passing as an honor to whom most Americans would consider an American hero. Nobody sent me an email, nobody got in my face, I literally stumbled across that sentiment while clicking through some posts here by random chance. I am appreciative that they were respectful of me and more or less kept their sentiments to themselves and really , did not make a stink about this at all, you would almost have to be a detective to figure this out. I am also now cognizant of their discomfort with the name of my engine and that bothers me. And things like that should not happen in chess, chess is universal around the world and no one should intentionally or unintentionally ,as in this case, feel any discomfort by the name of a chess engine.

So effective immediately, "McCain" will become "Burnzie", "Burnzie" was my father's nickname throughout his entire life, he was loved by all, had many friends and lived life to the fullest until his untimely passing in the year 2000 at the age of 70. To celebrate this name change , I created a logo for Burnzie, that my dad would have enjoyed - he had that sense of humor. It was derived from the King of the Lewis chess pieces discovered nearly 190 years ago in Scotland that were believed to be carved in the 12th century by an artist known as Margret the Adroit.

Source has been updated to reflect this change and it's in the new branch - burnzie

https://github.com/MichaelB7/Stockfish/tree/burnzie - there will be no release at this time.

Thank you all.

Official Logo:

I bet a lot of Trump supporters were behind the complaints… It is no wonder cause both Mccain and Trump were not best friends...