back to archive
Sent: 2002-10-20
To: marvin@fibs.com
CC: kwoolsey@fibs.com, pattib@fibs.com, improveFIBS group
Subject: the future of FIBS
Dear Andreas,
During the past several months, a group of interested Fibsters have been engaged in a lively group discussion. While there are differences of opinions about the present state of FIBS and its future direction, we all share one thing in common: we all care enormously about FIBS.
Over the past ten years, a number of individuals have invested a great deal in building a wonderful community on FIBS. We've created elegant client interfaces, run tournaments, built RepBot, and redesigned the website.
But there are limits to what we can do from the outside. We'd like to fix long standing problems facing the FIBS community, such as helping users who have lost their password. We'd like to add features like new game variants, or add player information such as country or gender. We believe we can resolve the dropper problems with bot settlements. We wish to create an empowered staff of volunteers to help new members and create a friendly, welcoming environment.
With the continued development and growth of the Internet, FIBS has fallen behind other online communities in what it has to offer. We see other online game communities continue to evolve and grow, and are frustrated that FIBS has stagnated.
We greatly appreciate the immense generosity of you, Patti and Kit in maintaining FIBS. However, the impression given is that you have neither the time nor inclination to devote to continued FIBS development. While that is regrettable, it is also understandable.
We believe the time has come for someone new to take the reigns. Someone with the time, the skills, and the passion to take FIBS into the 21st century. We are asking you to seriously consider allowing someone new to step into the role of FIBS developer, in a way that would enable you to keep whatever involvement you desire in FIBS' future, and that would satisfy any concerns you might have about handing over your hard work. We ask you to consider different options, such as:
-- sharing the code with a small team vowed to only work towards its development and maintain its protection,
-- sharing the code with one trusted individual,
-- releasing the code under an open source license of your choice,
-- donating the code and FIBS name to a non-profit board of trustees set up specifically for this purpose,
-- any other sort of arrangements you might consider.
FIBS will always have a place in the history books of both backgammon and the Internet. We would like to see it have a bright future as well, and continue as a shining example of what online communities can be.
Please help us to help FIBS!
Regards,
Alef (alef) Rosenbaum, website co-ordinator
Aram (aram) Gurekian, FIBS devotee
Dana (burper) Burns, RepBot
Christian (cht) Tagsold, website writer
Daniel (CokeBear) Fox, FIBS devotee
Frank (Dutchie) Rodolf, FIBS devotee
Paul (fergy) Ferguson, MacFIBS
Kari (Kari_Grandi) Komssi, FIBS devotee
Windy (windy), FIBS devotee
Robert-Jan (Zorba) Veldhuizen, website writer