| AVSIM Column "Contrails" Why Do I Bother... |
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Why do I bother writing reviews on flight simulation aircraft, scenery, documents and packages? Why would you care to read this column? What do you care about the reviewer, or his opinion for that matter? The reason I started writing this column is that I felt bad about a review I was doing the other day. And that happened to me a few times already. Let's face it, not everything that sees the light today is worth the money or, even if it's free, the download time or space on our hard disks. Of course, you say, we all know that! Yes, but you don't have to put it to people black on white. Or if you do, it's just your opinion in one of the forums on Avsim or another site.
Actually, I have found out that this is a funny occupation. Writing I mean. Publishing your opinion about something in an official way. Bear in mind that most of us are by no means professional journalists. And neither are we paid to do this job. We are freeware authors just like all those aircraft and scenery designers out there. And we enjoy flight simulation just as much as you do. And in many instances our work is appreciated in the same way that other freeware authors are appreciated. You get something from us. Text. Pictures. Praise. Critique. Human contact.
But there is a difference. That's why I started pondering over this. If you're a freeware author, designer, painter, whatever, you have fun in doing what you do (I hope!) and then give it away for others to have fun with. Or discard if they want. No problem. No strings attached. But, if you do it for a living, full or partly, then things change. That goes for add-on companies, publishers, retailers. That also goes to some extent for shareware authors, although not as extreme.
What I am getting at, is that it is not totally without consequences for everyone what a reviewer writes.
At the same time I have heard some things here and there that made me wonder if all our readers understand the situation. I met people that thought I do this for a living and make a handsome salary. Others think I am paid by the publishers to promote their wares. Others again think I don't know anything about aviation and/or sims and should find another hobby... Let me tell you... that's not how it is.
This is how it is:
And while doing all this, there is one thing that is always at the top of my list. I want to be impartial, unbiased, fair and at the same time not hurt too many feelings. Now that is the difficult part of this job. I know that some of you might think that it's only difficult towards the commercial publishers. Because we get their free software. Or the site gets sponsored by them... Wrong! If I get a piece of crap software from company X I will say so, in writing. Politely, but nonetheless. If my publisher would not want me to do that, I would not work for him.
The difficult part is being critical (and honest) about freeware ! Because there you really can hurt somebody's feelings. And it's even more difficult because of the very wide variety of qualities offered nowadays. Look at some of the big freeware groups, or some of the small groups or individuals for that matter, that we all know. Much of their products are far superior to what the original program offers. But not everybody has those skills, or the amount of time needed, or the creativity... yet!
And it would be so easy to write the blunt truth about an uninteresting piece of scenery, or a bad plane. But should we do that? Wouldn't that perhaps shy away a beginning author, with talent but without experience? Or should we just tell them - tough, that's life, get used to it? Or just ignore the uploads and continue focussing on the well known names in the 'business'?
You see, that is why I am not worried about FS2002 and its quality, or that of FlyII, or any other commercial sim or add-on. Those companies and individual developers know what the quality expectations are (and if they don't... tough luck). And they will either oblige and sell, or disappear. And equally, they will not contact me if I am critical about their offerings, or enthusiastic for that matter.
No, it's the freeware authors and consumers that are always on top of my mind. I need to be fair in my judgements, but also have the limitations of not being an aviation or software professional. I know my writing influences people, but everybody should know the relative importance of that. And nobody likes to be criticized, not the authors and not the reviewer... we're all just doing the best we can....
So why do I bother?
Because I care. So the moral of my story is that we care. We care about people that seem to have the same love for the hobby, in many ways. We care to support each other to try and get the best out of it. And therefore we try and improve each others quality of life. And that cannot be a bad thing....
Agree or disagree... let me know, you know where to find me ;-)
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. And then there are those that think this is just as much a hobby as flying the darn planes over our mesh scenery. Nothing more to it.