From: Bob Lipton <blipton@sunet.net>
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 17:10:07 GMT
Subject: Re: The Sowpods debate?
Message-id: <199712311710.RAA26561@www.sunet.net>

I am going to attempt to give you a serious, constructive response.

First, let me make an important correction to your previous utterances. What you stated in your first letter was an intention rather than an opinion. You stated then that you were 99% certain you would quit tournaments if SOWPODS were introduced, and asked for our views. Now that you've more or less clarified what it is that you want our views on, let me give you mine, as simply and as politely as possible.

When OSPD was introduced in the l970s, virtually all serious players realized that if they were to continue enjoying this great game with other serious players, they would have to accept OSPD in lieu of whichever of dozens of dictionaries they might have been playing with at the time.

The only difference this time around--if SOWPODS is adopted--is that we would be switching from one accepted word source to another, rather than from a multiplicity of word sources. The constant is: to continue the enjoyment and challenge of playing tournament Scrabble, you have to go along with the official lexicon. Most people did it in the '70s. And most people will do it again, if and when it becomes necessary.

If you quit, we your friends will miss you. And you will miss us. Please don't quit, but if you do, good luck and lots of happiness the rest of your life.

Regards,

Blipton (pro-SOWPODS)

At 10:42 AM 12/31/97 -0800, Dave Nicolai wrote:

I'm not going to splatter cpg with "My dictionary is better than yours" (that would be too easy) I have an opinion and I'm not looking for [Ivan Oddcat's] type of response.

I'm looking for reasons why I, as a tournament player, should convert to SOWPODS and change my above opinion.