One aspect of go which is present on LW but not true about rationality in general (and so not part of the article) is a culture of welcoming and mentoring. Good players are honored by teaching beginners, and the handicap system facilitates interesting teaching games. You should not worry about bothering (go playing) humans with any lack of sophistication. Not all players have this attitude, of course, but surprisingly many do. The place on the internet I’ve found best reflects this welcoming culture of go is the Kiseido Go Server.
Also, I should note that I’ve been advised by strong players on a few occasions not to play against computer opponents much, especially those set to easier difficulty levels, because it can build bad habits.
I agree. KGS is very friendly, and I certainly managed to make 15k before buying any books.
The computer is just for getting some very raw mechanics down. Do it a max of maybe 30 times and start playing humans! I’m about 2k now and I still suck at playing Igowin on 9x9.
One aspect of go which is present on LW but not true about rationality in general (and so not part of the article) is a culture of welcoming and mentoring. Good players are honored by teaching beginners, and the handicap system facilitates interesting teaching games. You should not worry about bothering (go playing) humans with any lack of sophistication. Not all players have this attitude, of course, but surprisingly many do. The place on the internet I’ve found best reflects this welcoming culture of go is the Kiseido Go Server.
Also, I should note that I’ve been advised by strong players on a few occasions not to play against computer opponents much, especially those set to easier difficulty levels, because it can build bad habits.
I agree. KGS is very friendly, and I certainly managed to make 15k before buying any books.
The computer is just for getting some very raw mechanics down. Do it a max of maybe 30 times and start playing humans! I’m about 2k now and I still suck at playing Igowin on 9x9.