You are playing Scrabble. Enjoying yourself, looks
like you're winning.
Instead, you're waiting.
You are waiting for your opponent to make a play.
Hours.
Days.
A week.
You begin to perceive the other player is never coming
back. You perceive, as an example of poor sportsmanship
your opponent has just walked away; not resigned, just
left you with an unfinished game.
A game you might be winning.
Eventually you have thirteen or so unfinished games.
Games in which because you are ahead, the other ceases
to play.
What do you do?
Press the 'skip' key.
When a player's turn is way overdue, and you've
really been patient, giving him/her every benefit
of the doubt, and you're sure they aren't going
to make their play; press 'skip'.
S/he will lose that turn and you can go on to play
yourself a win.
Sure it's not fun to play by yourself, but having
thirteen games open gets confusing. It is better
to do the skipping thing and play on to the win.
Taking advantage of the 'space' in Cyberspace is
poor sportsmanship. In RL, the player would drop
out. "You Win," s/he would say.
In Cyber, players just stop playing. They aren't winning
so just walk away, leaving you in limbo.
In early game, before three consecutive plays have been
made, you can End the Game without penalty. It doesn't
count for or against you.
After three turns pass, there is either winning or losing.
If you push 'forfeit' you lose. Why should you lose a game
you are winning, and would win, if the other player was not
such a bad sportsman?
Press Skip.
The request will be sent to the Server, the Server will
check how overdue the other player's turn is, mark the
turn 'skipped', and you play.
After your play, your opponent will be alerted that
it is his/her turn. S/he will realise that you will
play on without him/her.
In some cases, one skip gets that player back to finish
the game, in others, the player will log on to press
forfeit.
The 'Skips' that you win Count in your final tally.
Yes, it's not comfortable to 'win' like that, but it is
far more comfortable then to let a poor sport hold you
to ransom.
