I say address the abuse effectively.

I didn't realise I was going to run out of time, then remembered about 3 hours too late. But I'm a premium member, so I was saved. I felt a bit bad.

So imagine how I felt when my opponent (not a premium member) then lost on time himself, when he had what was arguably a winning position?!

I felt really bad!

Well, there goes the argument that premium vacation protection does NOT give any advantage in game play.....

I wouldn't call this abuse unless it was very repeated.

*Ahem*

Where have I said that? please quote me.

(Now who's joining in? I love it when a plan comes together..... Mr. Above-it-all scrapping in the dust now, with the rest of us mangy dawgs. ).

Not if it is documented repeated abuse.

Of course if this site was actually run on the preferences and interpertations of the complainers it would also be much smaller.

I've never gotten the message.  In addition I'm still waiting for a definition of completely and hopelessly lost.

A game that is completely and hopelessly lost = the point at which someone ought to resign.

Easy! 

And since there's almost universal consensus on the appropriate point at which to resign, the issue is resolved.

I "could" resign here.

You have a different definition of could?

Me personally?  I'm looking forward to the "Vacation Abuse Arbitration is Unfair" thread.

I never said that I, or anyone else, would oppose the rule itself, but the subjectivity of it's application.

Suppose someone falls ill and has a game arbitrated in their opponent's favour after my timeout protection kicks in.  Suppose that the arbitrator mis-interpreted their position and it was not in fact "Completely and Hopelessly Lost" (such as one in which a material advantage falls to strong drawing chances), or that they mis-interpret their position and post such a thread because of that.

In any case, I think that while this rule may be written, it's not really enforced except in extreme cases where there can be little question as to the nature of the abuse.  I suspect that the pop-up you keep pasting into these forums is placed where it is for a reason -- to serve as a pre-emptive deterrent because the punitive side doesn't really exist.

It would probably be a good idea to have date-stamped moves so that moves one month apart stand out clearly.

what-is-vacation-abuse?page=2 post #28

Vacation abuse is largely a state of mind.

ie the staff rewrites the rules of chess to suit a vocal few who cannot abide the current rules.