Neil Frarey and the CFC

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Paul Bonham posted something today (under the Trump thread, which I guessed Fred M. may not read) which I think more properly belongs in this thread:

"...
Obama bailed out GM and Chrysler to restore a sense of economic control and stability. Simultaneously the FED was engaged in Quantitive Easing.

Gradually.... GRADUALLY, NEIL!.... the unemployment rate was brought down, jobs were created, the economy began to recover, but of course, the food stamp program was at record usage even in 2014 because of the built-in lag. Without that lag -- if the waivers had been ended a couple of years sooner -- the recovery would have sputtered and stalled.

You need to learn this kind of stuff if you really want to grow the CFC. You show a general tendency of oversimplification, much like Trump himself.

You say things are "easy peasy" without even understanding the fundamentals. For example, your idea of offering trial CFC memberships good for 2 or 3 rated CFC weekend events. There are 2 things to consider about this idea:

(1) with respect to juniors, this is merely going to delay new revenue to the CFC because the new juniors that take advantage of it are ones that are fully intending (or their parents are fully intending) to join the CFC anyway. So yeah, take advantage, delay that membership payment for a few rated events. There are very few juniors that are "on the fence" about joining the CFC and need a few trial events to convince them. Juniors are primarily brought to the CFC by their parents, and for those that are brought in, the parents' minds are already made up: "Yes, I want my kid(s) in the CFC. Oh, look, a trial membership, ok, let's use that before we have to actually pay."

(2) with respect to adults, you are going to be lucky to get 5% of trial memberships turning into actual paid memberships. You might get some decent number of adults using the trial memberships... they will get crushed (mostly by Juniors) in 2 or 3 rated events.... and they won't come back, except for the very few masochistic ones who have no social life (there's always a few of those).

The problem isn't so simple as getting people out to enter tournaments. The problem is getting them to totally enjoy the tournament experience, enough to throw away their normal weekend social life. This is the fundamental Neil Frarey (and many others before him) just doesn't get.

"Sell the sizzle, not the steak" doesn't work for chess, because once you get past the sizzle, the elite get the filet mignon and the rest get nothing but gristle.

Oversimplification of complex problems is a trait that Neil Frarey and Trump have in common. "Who knew that healthcare would be so complicated?" from Trump himself, ha ha ha !!!!!

Fred McKim, you have been suckered. But I did love how you offered Neil his true value ($1)."

Fwiw, I may not agree with everything Paul says here, but it may make for interesting discussion.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Sorry Fred McKim, there is no "Neil Frarey and the CFC".
...

Au contaire... it's just as real as 'Bennie and the Jets'.

Or...

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. :D

[Neil Frarey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Esports is becoming bigger every day. Everybody knows that people who are into esports are nerds, and people who play chess are also nerds. Do you think that you could use this to your advantage to tap into such an enormous market, and bring some esports nerds into chess?

Interesting idea Lucas. Are you referring to CFC OTB chess? It would be great data to know the % of Canadian eSport participants who also play chess!!! Find a way to get that survey done and then find a point of access to those eSport players themselves. Tap into that data group by offering the TTP [Trial Tournament Pass] for OTB chess ... on the wings of an in-your-face aggressive graphic campaign challenge.

And as for using eSport methodology; on a certain level Chess should be player-focused (rather than game-focused). I'm sure you've noticed that yourself. I've used that tactic before. Sell the sizzle ... don't sell the steak. Esport is also high intensity visuals. I did some first person shooter graphics a few years back and it was intense stuff. The HUDs and FUIs I did was equal to that of Call of Duty ...and so too was the logo!

http://graphicdeclaration.com/images...megunsight.jpg

So, I think intensity is also a key.

Here's an interesting thread from chess dot com:
https://www.chess.com/blog/Chakrabor...ss-amp-esports

Riot News
https://www.riotgames.com/news
https://www.riotgames.com/

BTW, quick check..

unitednationofnerds.com

...is available!

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Somehow I like the sound of 'geeks' better than 'nerds'. Also, fwiw, decades ago I came up with my own concept of 'chess groupie', at least applicable to those who hang around chess players. :)

[Lucas Davies]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Esports is becoming bigger every day. Everybody knows that people who are into esports are nerds, and people who play chess are also nerds. Do you think that you could use this to your advantage to tap into such an enormous market, and bring some esports nerds into chess?

[Neil Frarey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

FUNNY!

But, I'm not going to play the PM, I'll present the socks though. I was hoping that the RACC would want to showcase a talented Junior.

Not saying I'd lose, OK? Stronger optics with Junior talent.

Perhaps the Junior could clutch captured pieces!?

[Paul Bonham]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

....Challenge the PM to a couple of games of chess (present a pair of chess socks!) ...games to be played in front or within the Peace Tower! ...

To fully familiarize the PM with the state of chess in Canada, you should make sure that the game you play against him gets down to the last few seconds on his clock, and you let him promote a Pawn.... but you are holding his captured Queen in your hand under the table.... no extra Queens available, and the arbiter should be from the opposition party....

[Neil Frarey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

It's fantastic to read dissenting comments, thanks! I value those comments more than I should ...and no, I'm not being sarcastic. It was the major lesson I learnt whilst America was opened up to me and my creativity.

So, since we're going at it ... here is another great idea to snub your collective noses at :)

I'll open up a fresh dialogue with the Canadian Government ...endgame, Chess formally recognized by Canadian Heritage.

Begin on two fronts:

Public:
Challenge the PM to a couple of games of chess (present a pair of chess socks!) ...games to be played in front or within the Peace Tower!

Private:
Build contacts within Canadian Heritage to discuss the vital role chess has played throughout the history of Canada.


Okay, okay ... enuff of the good stuff! I want to read more dissenting comments ...

[Fred McKim]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Sorry Fred McKim, there is no "Neil Frarey and the CFC".

Neil has not been a CFC member for years.

Any involvement Neil Frarey had with organized chess and the CFC was before 2007 to the best of my recollection.

I do not see him and his level of effort as a productive way forward for anyone interested in promoting chess or the CFC.

Thanks Halldor for your comment. I hold in high regard the work you've done for the CFC since I first met you years ago. While Neil is a very polarizing figure, he may have some skill sets we're lacking. Remember to always tread carefully (I mean this for all of us).

[Halldor P. Palsson]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Sorry Fred McKim, there is no "Neil Frarey and the CFC".

Neil has not been a CFC member for years.

Any involvement Neil Frarey had with organized chess and the CFC was before 2007 to the best of my recollection.

I do not see him and his level of effort as a productive way forward for anyone interested in promoting chess or the CFC.

[Fred McKim]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Neil Frarey Could not get my vote as president he is not my kinda go to guy. Good luck with your ideas but I will not support them.

John. I think Neil has more or less confirmed in this thread he won't run for President in 2017. He does seem willing to discuss a possible role for himself in the CFC.

[John Brown]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Neil Frarey Could not get my vote as president he is not my kinda go to guy. Good luck with your ideas but I will not support them.

[Garland Best]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

I'll be happy to pay for a 1 year membership for Neil.

[Fred McKim]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Thanks for your effort and your thoughts, Fred. I'm humbled.

1. I thought as much too.

2. My only reservation about grabbing the PR title, it doesn't carry any weight.

3. Just early thoughts on how the TTP (Trial Tournament Pass) would roll out:

When a player wants to receive a tournament pass they would send me an email. I respond requesting their vitals ... name, birth, address, email and pass those onto Bob G.. We send them a TTP via email ... they print it out and take it to an event.

Some conditions on using the TTP:

1) Player must be register in the event no later than one week, perhaps two weeks before the event. This allows time for the org to confirm player's vitals.
2) TD/Org validates the TTP by simply writting their initials directly on the TTP. Two validations and the TTP is expired. TD/Org has the authority to reject any 'tampered' TTP.
3) Player not eligible for prizes.

Netflix, Amazon, etc., all experience some form of abuse of free trial offers. Abuse is part of the system. Our ROI is hopefully realized in the transition of 'x' number of players into full membership. But at the very least, we gain valuable data.

4. Data access is key, but I fully understand privacy issues. Doable.

5. Doable.

Thanks again, Fred.

Maybe we hire you for $1 and you can pick your own title.

[Neil Frarey]

Re: Neil Frarey and the CFC

Thanks for your effort and your thoughts, Fred. I'm humbled.

1. I thought as much too.

2. My only reservation about grabbing the PR title, it doesn't carry any weight.

3. Just early thoughts on how the TTP (Trial Tournament Pass) would roll out:

When a player wants to receive a tournament pass they would send me an email. I respond requesting their vitals ... name, birth, address, email and pass those onto Bob G.. We send them a TTP via email ... they print it out and take it to an event.

Some conditions on using the TTP:

1) Player must be register in the event no later than one week, perhaps two weeks before the event. This allows time for the org to confirm player's vitals.
2) TD/Org validates the TTP by simply writting their initials directly on the TTP. Two validations and the TTP is expired. TD/Org has the authority to reject any 'tampered' TTP.
3) Player not eligible for prizes.

Netflix, Amazon, etc., all experience some form of abuse of free trial offers. Abuse is part of the system. Our ROI is hopefully realized in the transition of 'x' number of players into full membership. But at the very least, we gain valuable data.

4. Data access is key, but I fully understand privacy issues. Doable.

5. Doable.

Thanks again, Fred.