I agree with Gerrish! I personally do not worry too much if anybody make a few dollars from the freeware I produce - or make a big deal out of it - and not sleep at night for that! What does is matter for me is that the work get distributed to as many simmers for free - . That is why I do work and produce freeware - which also is always be let free to be uploaded to any site who wish to do so - and keep it away from politics!If you worry too much about freeware you simply look like this :-newburn - and spoils your days!! That is not fun anymore! Ray

Yup... :-lolAnd by one of the NOTABLES in our community.I am, like everyone that has been in this hobby any amount of time, fed up! I want to believe that there is a way we, AVSIM that is, can do something via hardware here, that could help to rid ourselves of these guys once in for all. I go back to my secure site thinking. Here's a scenario (and I have no idea how hard this would be to implement, but we will be discussing it at our Board of Director's meeting on Sunday September 15th after the conference)...[ul][li]We require all users to have a UID and PW to gain access to AVSIM and all its core functions, including the library[li]This is a one time registration... duplicate accounts not allowed[li]This UID is matched to a non-anonymous email address - that is, the user has to have an ISP and can be tracked via that IP[li]A cookie is placed on the user's desktop when they complete registration, and as a result, they never have to log in again as long as the cookie is not erased[li]When they download from the library, our system appends in the zip "wrapper" an ID number associated with the UID that downloads it[li]or, upon completion of the download, the system automaticlly sends the downloader a "key" to open the otherwise encrypted zip file (much like we now do for the authors who upload when we send them a CRC check for thier files)..[/ul]Anyway, we need to work on this some, but there is a pretty good deal of automation that can be brought into play if, and that's IF, authors will work with us to accomplish this.

As I recently said on another thread, I'm totally in favour of a Secure site so that everyone who participates is both accountable for his/her actions and more importantly, traceable. And I would also insist that only real names are used.However, I'm not sure I agree with Tom's thoughts about placing a cookie on the users desktop. Having been 'stung' by bad cookies in the past, I make it a habit to quite regularly delete all cookies as part of my system's security. For what it's worth, I don't think that having to log-on to the site would create any particular hardship.Toni.

If you worry too much about freeware you simply look like this http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/Images/newburn.gif - and spoils your days!! That is not fun anymore!Hee, hee. Yeah, I don't want to look like that.

Toni,I have a cookie cutter program. It allows me to save what I want and delete the rest. So I have the AVSIM cookie now (amongst others) saved, and I just run daily and cut everything else.

I do not really understand this argument for "real" names. If users want to go by an alias what is the problem - as long as they have a verified (ISP) e-mail address then what is the problem ??Obviously I use an alias in the forums - but you will also see that I make myself contactable by not disabling any of the forum features - mail & messaging. It is just as easy to "fake" a name as use an alias.....

Hi ScottAny chance of a name and if possible a link to that 'cookie cutter' program you mention?Sounds like it could solve a lot of cookie-associated problems.Thanks and regards,Toni.

Gary,You do have your real name. It's in your profile. ;-)The reason this is an issue, as I said a year ago in my "What's in a name" topic, is because if someone is hiding their name, the natural human response is to not trust that person. I mean, afterall, what else are they hiding, and what's wrong that they have to hide? Using one's real name (or even a made-up name that sounds real), tends to make people more comfortable with the person, whether that's realistic or not.Look at con men. They always have some suave, upper-class sounding name to instill confidence in their victims.Not that I know anything about that or anything. :-lol

Toni,I have Cookie Cutter PC, put out by Ayecor Software many years ago. They went OOB years ago, too, so there's no support nor updates.There may be someone else out there who has a cookie cutter program, but I haven't looked since this works so well.Try looking on downloads.com for some software. They usually have some pretty good stuff. Somewhere on the ZDNet site there's bound to be something.

"....The reason this is an issue, as I said a year ago in my "What's in a name" topic, is because if someone is hiding their name, the natural human response is to not trust that person. I mean, afterall, what else are they hiding, and what's wrong that they have to hide? Using one's real name (or even a made-up name that sounds real), tends to make people more comfortable with the person, whether that's realistic or not. " Would anyone with a cute email name apply for a job, school, etc. using it on the application form? Why do people keep using email aliases: are they ashamed of their real names? There may have been a time email didn't support ones real name and some abbreviation had to be used. But certainly the usual PC applications support them. Ron

Ron,I think it really started way back when the internet was just college people - like MIT nerds (of which my brother is one) - that came up with cute little e-msil and newsgroup handles (8 characters max), then AOL with screen names, then IRC with screen names (9 characters max), and it's just stuck ever since. The world will rue the day IBM only allowed 8 character file and login names. ;-)I've never understood why it carries over to forums like this one. For the longest time on AVSIM, at least in the beginning, people used their real names. Then the forums changed to version 2, and screen names came back because of the registration form not allowing spaces (like between the first and last names and most wouldn't allow the underscore "_" to separate them). Then DBForums comes along and it's the same. So there are almost nothing but screen names, and precious few real ones.Note the older people (you, me, Tom, Scott, Francois, Matt) use our full names.(I'm proud of my little family name ;-))Now people somehow feel that the internet is so full of Big Brother (not the TV show) that they will be discovered and violated if they even use their first name. Go Figure.

WOW That is a whole lada readin...Yes, I think it is important that the painters of any aircraft whether it be there own or DEFAULT paints or anything put a small WORDPAD TXT file in their download that explains YOUR OWN copyright laws. This way, those who want to be in these things can be and those who dont, can start legal action.Is this a good plan??I KNOW I am going to do this!Zachary P.America West has the best-test paint scheme :-)

>Ron, >>I think it really started way back when the internet was >just college people - like MIT nerds (of which my brother is >one) - that came up with cute little e-msil and newsgroup >handles (8 characters max),.. Right, I figured those .edu addresses were common decades ago, when email addresses were limited. I've always used ron.freimuth@xyz, even when doing BBS conferencing. And, the same name/address was used by the BBS when one used to to send email via usenet.>... then AOL with screen names, then >IRC with screen names (9 characters max), and it's just >stuck ever since. The world will rue the day IBM only >allowed 8 character file and login names. ;-) You forgot ICQ. >I've never understood why it carries over to forums like >this one. People just do what they see others doing.> For the longest time on AVSIM, at least in the >beginning, people used their real names. Then the forums >changed to version 2, and screen names came back because of >the registration form not allowing spaces (like between the >first and last names and most wouldn't allow the underscore >"_" to separate them). It actually was possible to use one's name with a space in it. But, it seems there was a potential problem the first few days.>Note the older people (you, me, Tom, Scott, Francois, Matt) >use our full names. Like I said, who would apply for a job with anything but his real name. Unless he were running from child support payments. ;)>Now people somehow feel that the internet is so full of Big >Brother (not the TV show) that they will be discovered and >violated if they even use their first name. Go Figure. I can find my name in many places just by searching with Google. I have never received even a nice phone call based on someone seeing my name. Ron

http://www.analogx.com/welcome.htmLook for Cookiewall.... it works well and lets you choose which cookies to keep and which to block.... and it's free ! ;-) :-outta Francois :-wave________________________Francois A. "Navman" DumasAssociate Editor &Forums AdministratorAVSIM Online!email: [email protected]________________________

:-lol :-lol :-lol Oh well..... 2 months to go..... ;-)As for the names, the most quoted reason I hear for not using a real name or email address (at least here in Europe, where people are very privacy minded) is the paranoia of being approached by commercial or even criminal elements. The second most quoted reason is 'privacy' in general (my neighboor/boss/wife/girlfriend does not need to know I am ..... fill in the blansks here...).Personally I obviously think that this paranoid idea is ridiculous (otherwise you would not see my name on this post). If someone really wants to find you, he will anyway. And the junk mail I get in my physical mailbox is worse than the stuff I get emailed.The only other reason I can think of for people to hide their names is those that visit adult sites.... which, by the way, seems to be the biggest group of internet users according to some research !!! :-lol..... and do not want to admit it.... I for one would be indeed very much in favor of using our real names on the forums. The regulars know each others real names anyway.... and for the occasional poster it should not be an issue either. Just reading as a 'guest' would be the only exception to the above rule... :-outta Francois :-wave[table border=0 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0][tr][td valign=bottom" align="center]"At home in the wild"[/td][td valign=bottom" align="center][link:avsim.com/alaska/alaska_052.htm|Don's Alaskan Bush Charters]"Beavers Lead the Way"[/td][td valign=bottom" align="center][link:www.avsim.com/vfr_center/mainpages/vfr_flights_main_page.htm]VFR Flight Center]"Looking Good Outside"[/td][/tr][tr][td valign=top" align="center]http://avsim.com/hangar/air/bfu/logo70.gif[/td][td valign="top" align="left" colspan=2]http://www.fssupport.com/images/moose2.gif[/td][tr][/table]________________________Francois A. "Navman" DumasAssociate Editor &Forums AdministratorAVSIM Online![/bemail: [email protected]________________________