Facebook, responsive to the outcry of players of Scrabble, has changed the rules to prevent the previously discussed elements of poor sportsmanship. Scrabble is available on Facebook to anyone out side of America and Canada, and is played as a passion by thousands of people each day. Originally, one needed to have made three plays before a game would count. This meant that if you were a good player, you'd have to play badly for three turns to encourage your opponent to continue.
Happily, the rules have changed, so each player need take one turn for a game to count, allowing you to play at your best.
Another change is not just the "Skip" key, when a player doesn't take his/her turn in the time limit, but a "Forfeit" key, which is a blessing.
Before the change of rules, you might make a great play on your sixth turn, and your opponent ceases to play.
This meant you would have a "pending" game for ever and ever, or wait for the time limit to pass; (anywhere from one day to five minutes) before you could "Skip" your opponent's turn, make a play, and then wait again.
This kind of bad sportsman ship clogged the server with hundreds of "unfinished" games, for there are a lot of poor losers.
With the change of rules, once the time limit has passed, you have the choice of "Skipping" your opponent's turn and making a play, or hitting the 'Forfeit' key which ends the game in your favour. No longer is one punished for good plays. One no longer has to hide skill, cognizant that dare you make a seven letter play, your opponent will leave you with an unfinished game.
You can now make the most brilliant plays and know if you are playing with a poor loser, s/he can not hold you to ransom.
Due to the changes in the rules, games of far higher quality can take place. One can make those seven letter words on two double letter scores, aware that if one's opponent believes s/he can not win, hitting the Forfeit key has become common. After all, if Loser doesn't have the decency to press "Forfeit" Winner will do it for him/her.
