Scrabble - Online
Given the popularity of the internet combined with the popularity of gaming, it's no surprise that board games have made their way into cyber space. There are a lot of board games that have existed that will never see it's first Mb transferred across cyber space. Scrabble is not one of them.
Scrabble first made it's presence known in the United States, then crossed the 'Great Divide' into the United Kingdom. The crossword-puzzle-turned-board-game known as Scrabble then traveled further into Australia. In the years hence, Scrabble has definitely made an impression. Dare say, the world may never be the same again.
The first attempts at online Scrabble play over long distance were done through Electronic Mail (Email). This of course took time to play, yet players could conceivably take as long as they needed to formulate responses and games could take weeks to play out. Some problems existed with misrouted Emails that stalled game play. This practice is still in use today, however it places far behind the preferred method: online Scrabble.
Currently there is one popular Internet-type Scrabble club that is touted as the leading purveyor of online Scrabble play. That club is the aptly named Internet Scrabble Club.
In order to access the Internet Scrabble Club, one would only need do a Google search for the Internet Scrabble Club. That link leads to the proper connection for the ISC.
The first requirement to access this online Scrabble community is to register a username and password. The registering player is then directed to a download site wherein links to the necessary programs are provided. The only other requirements for play are to agree to their 'rules of conduct', and download the proper interface. The rules of conduct are the same as for any online forum, persons wishing to cause disharmony amongst players are quickly censored and restricted from access.
The Internet Scrabble Club (ISC)is a server based program through it's aptly named Internet Scrabble Server. It's function is to allow Scrabble players from across the globe to connect and play: and it does fulfill this function well. The interface for ISC could possibly be termed as 'Eighties' in appearance. It's interface style is a bit retro. It would appear that to be something that was possibly conceived of in the 1980's. However, less is more: serious online Scrabble players can easily find a worthy opponent with one click of the mouse.
Once registered and logged on, a player is free to send a 'challenge' to a specific player or an open challenge. In the latter case, one never knows the caliber of their opponent. Along with the open challenge, the ISC maintains a database of it's registered players and their scores. This allows for maintaining stats and viewing game play progress. In addition to all of this, players can freely chat with their opponents while playing, thereby obtaining a sense that someone else is 'out there'.
The ISC is not the only available avenue for playing Scrabble online. While there many options available, it is the source recommended by the forefathers of Scrabble play: the National Scrabble Association, the Association of British Scrabble Players and the Council of Australian Scrabble Players Associations. That's good enough for me.
