I thought I should ask here, because the PMDG sub-forum rules clearly state:

8) [...]Any other use of this forum is not permitted, including but not limited to discussion of [...] forum moderating policies [...].

Why do we need to sign with our full real names? * To avoid piracy?If that were the case, why not sign with order numbers instead of full names?* To avoid forum trolling?Apparently that doesn't work as there's no less bad mouthing there than other Avsim sub-forums. Also, the moderators do seem to have ample time on their hands. Two topics today alone were locked because of non-compliance with the full name rule.* Participation in this forum is up to the end-users, nobody forces them to sign their full names or participate thereMaybe so, but there is no other viable community out there spesifically for PMDG products. If one needs fellow end-user support one has to use that forum. One could always ask PMDG first hand, but you'd get no support for end-user mods and probably get a RTFM answer (in polite form, of course, PMDG is good at politeness). I also think of any minors who maybe don't have the internet wits to avoid signing full names online. It's risky at best to give out full names online. Another somewhat frightening thought: Once you've signed you name online, it never goes away. Ever. I'm not ashamed of my views or what I do online, but I detest the thought of being traced (probably only by search engine bots, as nobody alive would find my online activities interesting :( )I think such a policy is invasive and unnecessary. Any thoughts from either the PMDG mods or others?Edit: Yes I've read this http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=245586 but I think I've adressed the reasoning behind it. I'd like a reply to my own views as I'm sure others might feel the same.

I agree with you. Showing a full name on PUBLIC INTERNET is a madness... I count it as my personal data that i have bought something from someone. There sould be a law on such things.Pavel

First name, I can understand. Full name is just... yeah, a little too much. I completely understand that PMDG want to take measures to reduce piracy, and create a friendly personal atmosphere in their support forum, but Avsim is just as susceptible to Google-botting as any other website. Over and over again we're told to keep personal information off the internet in an unsecured form, but the policy there is antithetical to this. I don't own a license to any of their products, so I have no need to post there looking for support, but I AM giving consideration to the 37NGX if it ever gets released. I'd hate to think I'd be denied support just because I'd refuse to post my full first and last name. -Jon

First name, I can understand. Full name is just... yeah, a little too much. I completely understand that PMDG want to take measures to reduce piracy, and create a friendly personal atmosphere in their support forum, but Avsim is just as susceptible to Google-botting as any other website. Over and over again we're told to keep personal information off the internet in an unsecured form, but the policy there is antithetical to this. I don't own a license to any of their products, so I have no need to post there looking for support, but I AM giving consideration to the 37NGX if it ever gets released. I'd hate to think I'd be denied support just because I'd refuse to post my full first and last name. -Jon

C'mon now, what's the evil google-bot gonna do with just a name? PMDG won't deny you support, but you'll probably have to go to e-mail for your questions. Note that packet sniffers can get your name from an e-mail, too.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

I feel the best way is what FTX forum has done - order numbers under your sig :(

Well I could google my fellow PMDG forumites, but I'd rather not out of respect for their private lives.If I were a Peeping Tom I betcha I could find some of their facebook/myspace/MSN/whatever accounts, any articles they're in in their local papers, pictures, adresses, e-mails, phone numbers, perhaps their blogs and maybe even their vacation plans so I can break into their houses when they're away. And those are just the most obvious things. With that knowledge I can forward or sell that info to spam makers, or I can make my own spam or scam perhaps posing as a PMDG employee asking them to re-register their credit cards on the "pmdg.free.noname.com" website I registered via some obscure ISP. Easy money, and I bet some, and even so many that it'd be worth it, would take the bait.I won't. But I'm not so naive that I don't think that someone might. Being safe online isn't about seeing conspiracies everywhere, but it's about not giving out too much information to everyone who wants it. There are plenty of scams around. I'm afraid that some, maybe even most, aren't as moral about this stuff as most here on Avsim are. You don't even have to be an Avsim member to gain access to the PMDG forums. So posting one's name there is open for everyone to see. And that should be a bit spooky for us all.

I think its fair to say PMDG has failed to think this through clearly.Maybe the Avsim owners would like to comment on this thread.Bryan. (First name keeps it friendly enough)

Well I could google my fellow PMDG forumites, but I'd rather not out of respect for their private lives.If I were a Peeping Tom I betcha I could find some of their facebook/myspace/MSN/whatever accounts, any articles they're in in their local papers, pictures, adresses, e-mails, phone numbers, perhaps their blogs and maybe even their vacation plans so I can break into their houses when they're away. And those are just the most obvious things. With that knowledge I can forward or sell that info to spam makers, or I can make my own spam or scam perhaps posing as a PMDG employee asking them to re-register their credit cards on the "pmdg.free.noname.com" website I registered via some obscure ISP. Easy money, and I bet some, and even so many that it'd be worth it, would take the bait.I won't. But I'm not so naive that I don't think that someone might. Being safe online isn't about seeing conspiracies everywhere, but it's about not giving out too much information to everyone who wants it. There are plenty of scams around. I'm afraid that some, maybe even most, aren't as moral about this stuff as most here on Avsim are. You don't even have to be an Avsim member to gain access to the PMDG forums. So posting one's name there is open for everyone to see. And that should be a bit spooky for us all.

There's a tremendous difference between signing your name on a forum post, and blogging the details of your next vacation in public. Names are hardly unique, and in absence of e-mail and other data, extrapolating all these other hypotheticals is on the order of hysteria.The reality is that there are many more dangerous sources of info that you can't control...public property and tax assessor records, DMV databases, the phone book, your name on the mailbox etc. Heck, a bunch of AF generals had their identities stolen a few years back because their full social security numbers were published on a promotion list in the Congressional Record.All that said, a public forum is...public. If someone wants to live in the shadows, then they should stay clear of all things public. Get your support privately...by wax-sealed registered letter delivered by double-blind private courier if you must. But criticizing the operators of a public venue for it's publicness...seems kinda pointless to me.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

There's a tremendous difference between signing your name on a forum post, and blogging the details of your next vacation in public. Names are hardly unique, and in absence of e-mail and other data, extrapolating all these other hypotheticals is on the order of hysteria.The reality is that there are many more dangerous sources of info that you can't control...public property and tax assessor records, DMV databases, the phone book, your name on the mailbox etc. Heck, a bunch of AF generals had their identities stolen a few years back because their full social security numbers were published on a promotion list in the Congressional Record.All that said, a public forum is...public. If someone wants to live in the shadows, then they should stay clear of all things public. Get your support privately...by wax-sealed registered letter delivered by double-blind private courier if you must. But criticizing the operators of a public venue for it's publicness...seems kinda pointless to me.RegardsBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

I still like the order number suggestion better. My wife bought me the 744, so am I supposed to sign my posts with my wife's name? Come to think of it, several different family and friends have bought me PMDG products, I guess I better remember who got me what.

I can see your point, as I'm sure most upgoing people can. Closed social networks like Facebook and such aren't the issue here, if you google me you can probably not figure out anything more sinister than my few public appearances in papers etc, my adress, e-mail and phone number. Most people won't know what to do with that information. But I'm pretty sure that someone out there has the digital competance to profit from it. I wasn't born yesterday either, so I don't think I'd fall for any viruses sent to me, or any scams or anything like that, because I'm very sceptical by nature. But I don't think that applies to the general public. I bet you can find tons of cases where information like this has been misused. Closest example to our virtual home would be the Avsim hacker(s) selling e-mail lists to spam companies. Anyway, my point is signing your full name on a public forum on the net is a bad idea. http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/toolscontractshttp://www.wikihow.com/Be-Safe-on-the-Internetand all the other sources I dug up after a .5 second search. It seems that most people "in the know" if you take most available sources for granted, or if you assume that a vast majority would make an assumption correct, agree with this. Please find other examples if you don't automatically take those sources's word for it, you'll probably find out that most sources agree with the general idea.Also it wouldn't be an issue if the forum was closed. This is open for all to see. I'm just asking if it really is such a good idea, and why PMDG insists on keeping it that way? Surely there are less intrusive ways of keeping a support forum both approximately civilized and pirate-free?

I still like the order number suggestion better. My wife bought me the 744, so am I supposed to sign my posts with my wife's name? Come to think of it, several different family and friends have bought me PMDG products, I guess I better remember who got me what.

Since order numbers are usually the key to obtain download links/keys from addon developers that probably is not the best way to identify yourself in a forum post. I also agree full names or any personal information should ever be divulged on a public forum. If anything first names should be enough.Tom

Order numbers should be enough IMO, otherwise your inviting trouble.

Since order numbers are usually the key to obtain download links/keys from addon developers that probably is not the best way to identify yourself in a forum post. I also agree full names or any personal information should ever be divulged on a public forum. If anything first names should be enough.Tom

I'll give you credit for a very good point there. Perhaps there is still a better way than using your full name though. I fully support any and all effort to fight piracy, and if the full name is what's needed than so be it. But I've got to believe there is another way.

I can see your point, as I'm sure most upgoing people can. Closed social networks like Facebook and such aren't the issue here, if you google me you can probably not figure out anything more sinister than my few public appearances in papers etc, my adress, e-mail and phone number. Most people won't know what to do with that information. But I'm pretty sure that someone out there has the digital competance to profit from it. I wasn't born yesterday either, so I don't think I'd fall for any viruses sent to me, or any scams or anything like that, because I'm very sceptical by nature. But I don't think that applies to the general public. I bet you can find tons of cases where information like this has been misused. Closest example to our virtual home would be the Avsim hacker(s) selling e-mail lists to spam companies. Anyway, my point is signing your full name on a public forum on the net is a bad idea. http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/toolscontractshttp://www.wikihow.com/Be-Safe-on-the-Internetand all the other sources I dug up after a .5 second search. It seems that most people "in the know" if you take most available sources for granted, or if you assume that a vast majority would make an assumption correct, agree with this. Please find other examples if you don't automatically take those sources's word for it, you'll probably find out that most sources agree with the general idea.Also it wouldn't be an issue if the forum was closed. This is open for all to see. I'm just asking if it really is such a good idea, and why PMDG insists on keeping it that way? Surely there are less intrusive ways of keeping a support forum both approximately civilized and pirate-free?

You seem to be on a campaign. I will lock this thread by stating simply that the PMDG forums are run the way PMDG desire it to be. That's good enough for me and apparently the couple of thousand customers of theirs that abide by that simple request. Now, please either let it drop, or don't post in the PMDG forum.