I'm thinking and rethinking about what's the best way to thwart piracy from day one, and the more I think of it, the more I realize the best movement is to give away the programs in source form to the community. This way -since I have a tradition of not using piracy protections in my programs anyway- we just can't tell who's pirating and who's not.

I respect my users enough not to accuse them of pirating right-up. (But yes, I know the realities of the world).

"El Cheapo" users who think $2.99 is one arm and one leg will go to extremes to get the software for free. I don't think those users are inherently evil, they are just, well, "cheapos".

Other users think everything should be free as it is their god-given right to never pay for anything. Developers should be paupers working for free all day long, and every attempt to monetize is seen with disgust by them... Out of any doubt this group are good to spend time learning how to compile the programs, for a change.

The official fair use of the programs' source code is to enable other developers to learn and contribute their twists/improvements -if so they wish-.

With regular commercial software you get absolutely nothing if you don't pay, so this way of distributing our sources is giving the community an unbelievably higher amount of benefit than purely commercial, the whole program to fiddle with, unrestricted. I can't effectively take any program back once it's source code is published in the open.

The programs as they stand right now were made at the most odd hours at night and aren't formatted any pretty, they just work for me in my development machine, which is perfectly OK for me.

I don't give my project files though, only the raw source code and bare resource files; like I mentioned, those interested in the source code for fair-use purposes will entirely rejoice to see this published online. On the other hand, everyone can rest assured that not having an ordered main project file won't stop "El Cheapo" users from spending the time making their own builds. Hopefully, those users can eventually become program fiddlers themselves, learning in the process. I'm not against that. In fact, I like the prospect of helping others learn.

Hardcore freebie hunters will inevitably find their way too.

In the end, there's something for everyone. Conscious users are going to support and I'm happy to foster the advancement of our community and making something that directly helps me and my family.

I promise not to ask anyone whether his copy has been paid or not, but I hope others will have the decency of not openly telling the world they are skimming off my work.

"Don't ask, don't tell"

One last tip on this. Another option for a rule of thumb to reset back is to simply use the payout (multiplying * 36).

i.e. after a hit, you check the current amount of deficit from last high and use:

1-36 = 1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
37-72 = 2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
73-108 = 3.3.3.3.3.3.3.3.3
109-144 = 4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4
145-180 = 5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5.5

and so on.

It doesn't always recover in full, but the goal with the ATILA isn't to recover everything in one hit as much as keeping exposure low.

Notice the ATILA is based on the cyclical nature of the win/lose streaks.

It aims to rise the bets slowly in order to take advantage of the natural clumping of wins when they come, rather than betting the farm on a single spin.

---

After a hit, you can "level" your bets down by keeping an eye on the amount needed to break even.

i.e. if after your last hit your deficit is -24, you can go back to:

1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

Since one hit with 1 unit would recover, and the whole idea is to keep your bets low.

---

Likewise, if after last hit you are at -45, you can go back to:

2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2

and so on.

Always going back to the very least unit exposed as needed to break even.

9 numbers call for ATILA.

I suggest you try the reversed ATILA where you rise +1 on only one of the 9 numbers on a win, and hold the bet until a new hit, after which you rise +1 on a second single number, holding the bet until another hit...

You reset when a hit brings your balance to a new high (or break even).

---

The sequence goes like this:

1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
hit
2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
hit
2.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
hit
2.2.2.1.1.1.1.1.1
hit
2.2.2.2.1.1.1.1.1
hit
2.2.2.2.2.1.1.1.1
hit
2.2.2.2.2.2.1.1.1
hit
2.2.2.2.2.2.2.1.1
hit
2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.1
hit
2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
hit
3.2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
hit
3.3.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
hit
3.3.3.2.2.2.2.2.2
hit
3.3.3.3.2.2.2.2.2

and so on. Rising +1 on one number at a time.

Thanks for sharing this with us OZ 

Quote from: esoito on January 12, 2014, 01:02:43 AM
It ran fine under:

XP + SP3 with Netframework 2,3 and 3.5 installed.

Awesome news Max, wonderful report. Thanks for taking the time to try all those framework versions.

Quote from: esoito on January 12, 2014, 01:02:43 AMThe balance often showed a negative amount but never a positive amount!  At this stage of development is that OK?

Remember this BetSoftware is MODULAR, which means it is comprised of tiny isolated programs working together, totally unaware of each other.


In the case of proof's module, it's strictly a bet selection module, which isn't concerned with tracking bankroll balance for the session but that's OK, soon enough balance-tracking modules are to follow suit.

Chances are after we go paid on the 15th development pace accelerates and modules are released at a good pace throughout the month.

Quote from: Leroy on January 12, 2014, 02:39:18 AMI'd be interested to know the why of your opinion.

Past experience. Once upon a time I considered 20,000 spins on the dozens/columns to be a huge sample, and tried to find special "no show" patterns without realizing they were stiff. I've learned a lot, ditched many "fixed" methods, and came up to be in peace with the fact no stiff bet wins; it only has spurs of luck, which can last even thousands of spins, but are only spikes which aren't the whole graph.

---

I'm not going to tell you to stop playing, specially when you're winning. My best advice is this:

- Keep accurate tracking of every *unit* you make.

- Keep on betting your positive/winning streak to its fullest (it might be a week or a lifetime long one, that's why it's called gambling, with Mr. Random and Lady Luck lurking at every moment).

- If you give back 50% of your earnings, stop betting for real money, lock the profits and either a) never lay a single bet again (the casino can't take it back if you don't put it in game) or b) if you're willing to go on, prepare yourself as much as you can; don't go back to the casino until you have a working method.

All things said, for most casino players it's better to get addicted to the testing rather than to the betting. That is unless you win, but even then, fallback to being a tester on 50% reversal of luck.

---

...It's better to have half a house than no house, but it's best to let it go on if your game allows you to continue until you have a building. Just learn to react, don't be like the winning players who think they've found the "holy bet" and let themselves realize the true status of their bets only after they fall down entirely. As much as every long winning streak starts humbly, a reversed prolonged streak is first a tiny reversal in your balance, which can be easily identified by a peek at your accounting.

---

Best wishes for you to "get a building", but please remember the half-a-house advice if you see the tables turning.

Keep accurate records and by all means cling to your common sense.
Vic

Quote from: Wildcard on January 12, 2014, 12:58:55 AMNever made a straight up bet at a real table

Among the first TIMES I think I pissed live dealers by betting on 5 double-streets for plenty of consecutive spins.

I didn't bet straight-up numbers until quite a lap past my first dabbling with roulette.

Welcome to our community Leroy,

My advice is you should make a pause, enjoy your wins and test your bets for the long run prior to reconsidering starting again.

A good maxim when playing: if there's no timeline tracked, then no go.

To me, the only "auto-bet" would be a custom automated bot with conditional bets + sensitive money management based on current conditions, according to the stream of hands evolving, and certainly adaptive. I can't recommend a fixed/stiff bet.

Best regards and thanks for being here with us.

A similar (more modern) topic:

Microsoft v The Developers

http://www.i-programmer.info/professional-programmer/i-programmer/5880-microsoft-v-the-developers.html

Very interesting article Max,

My views on supporting VB6 is: if it's used, support it.

I'd have no problem with supporting Windows 98 if it were still in use, but users aren't doing so.

Now, why would a company want to drop support for such a successful language? A MS-mystery novel.

[attach=1]

---

The most elegant solution for people looking for future-proof languages would be using TRANSLATORS as opposed to compilers.

Translators supported either by the community or paid staff secure the future of the programming language.

Ok, don't get me wrong here. There will always be "first tier" compiled programming languages tied to native code and best practices for their target platform, and they are much needed. They can remain the preferred realm of professional programmers, ensuring the platform is development to its fullest, that's a win.

What I see neglected is the "second tier" programming languages. One could easily argue there are more hobbyists and casual users in any field. This includes programming.

Now, by using a translator, changes in the underlying target "native" language don't need to be exposed to the 2nd-tier language, which increases the chances of it being truly future-proof.

Being conceived as an abstraction the code can be recompiled for 64 bits without a hitch. (Or for 128-bit or for whatever future platform it might be, if the abstraction is still valid for the target platform, no problem --and we've basically had to deal with the same standard objects like files, databases, network, etc. since decades ago and without any indication of the "core blocks" of computing changing any time soon).

---

One last point:

Pure windows programming is cross-platform.

As odd as it looks since the community already has a 100% free windows emulator (WINE) running across several platforms, code running under WINE automatically can be run in a supported platform.

You just have to think of WINE as another "run-time library" required for your program to run there.

With most desktop Linux distributions having a form of graphical package manager (i.e. Ubuntu software center) installation is already "point and click".

Anyway, if there's no graphical manager, simply writing:

sudo apt-get install wine

or

yum install wine

and hitting enter isn't that complicated anyway.

Well, after snooping around it's clear by now JustBASIC is a different beast, apart from VB.NET; so, which visual studio version do you use? There are still some days before launch day and there are several VB.NET users on the forum who are going to benefit from this connector 

I currently have availability of VB.NET from Visual Studio 2012 (Win32) and VB.NET 2008 from Mono (Linux), how about you?

Max/Esoito likes to use JustBASIC for some of his projects,

Now I've been trying to develop a connector yet I need to be told what's the preferred method for program distribution for JustBASIC users.

I've read this:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051024010735/http://www.jbasicnews.com/1/createEXE.html

Do you JustBASIC folks package files this way as a general rule? Do you simply pass source code?

Hooking into a fixed distributed/exported packaged exe is a different game than hooking to simply a running script, so it is paramount I know what you guys use.


Thank you.

Best wishes for loads of success in your presentation Tom 

Vote in the mods lounge is currently at 3/5, we need to get the full mod crew to cast a vote prior to officially opening a section in our blogosphere space.

The idea so far is that a public section gives full transparency to the process, and personally I am open for having sections for special members who are successful players to offer their services for backing them up.

Of course it goes without saying the member needs full mod crew + community approval and the transactions are 100% 1-to-1 in between members and our site takes no responsibility either way.

We don't ask for a cut of people's wins; likewise, we won't take any responsibility should things go sour.

We are only offering the hosting space. No more and no less.

Let's wait and see what the fellows in the mod crew say, it usually takes a full week or so in order for all the mods to visit around and it's early in the year. So far things are moving forward since weddings is a well-reputed member of our community and certainly has a share of our appreciation.

So, we're in "waiting mode" on the side of the staff, you guys feel free to voice your opinions. We are listening.