PMDG forum

[pete_auau 1,171]

It's not your job to enforce the rules, period!! It sidetracks almost every thread on this forum. If the mods do their job and everyone else keep to the topic this place would be much friendlier but as it is now, finding information is sifting through tons of irrrelevant crap, mostly about people not signing their name.

 

I would go as far as saying to scrap this stupid rule anyway, I would guess more than 50% do not even use their real names anyhow!! If they want support from the devs they need to log a ticket, it's THAT easy!!

 

FRED

Then maybe the mods should start to enforce the rules than by deleting some of these unsigned post than, than you wont have wanabe mods than, 90% of us follow the rules only that the other 10% dont

[PHXMD-11 86]

Granted I don't read every thread, but is this issue really as bad as you are making it out to be?

[sparks86 0]

if you don't like a thread, don't read it or post in it.

 

I think that pretty much sums it up. Well said Ryan.

 

I dont think that the problem is people with low experience posting. The problem is more the very hostile environment that for some reason have developed. Inexperienced posters is fine IMO

 

It doesnt matter where you are on the internet or what forum your on there will always be idiots, just ignore them.......................................................................

[c402_cvs 0]

Then maybe the mods should start to enforce the rules than by deleting some of these unsigned post than, than you wont have wanabe mods than, 90% of us follow the rules only that the other 10% dont

 

Duh!!

 

So leave them to do their job and if they choose to ignore this rule, so be it, again, not your job to enforce ti!!!

[scandinavian13 5,192]

I agree with the points here, but there are certain things that I have to except (not accept). The following is my own personal opinion, so if you don't like it, you're welcome to debate it, but realize I'm putting the following off as an opinion and not a stated/assumed/asserted fact of life:

 

The forums are here so that we can come together and share information (base purpose). Certain information is already shared (manuals, stickies and so on), yet people still come here and ask for the same information over and over again. While I see the arguments that providing very little information just causes a headache for everyone, I also assert that pointing others to a specific post, or to a specific manual (even better, a specific chapter/page in said manual) provides a better environment for everyone.

 

Sure, you may think that the person is being elitist, but sit back and think about what that person is doing. If I answer their question (that's explained in greater detail in the manuals), several things may happen. First, that forum member will be less inclined to be self-reliant (part of the reason we have some great members here is that they go out and actively seek information, be it for their job flying, or just a passion for simming). You're cutting a person's legs out from under them by spoon feeding them their information at all times, but that's not to say you have to reply "go find it yourself." No, rather point them to a page in the manual and get the accustomed to searching that first for their question, and if they don't understand it, come here to discuss it.

 

Second, information passed person to person, as we all saw when we were kids and played that stupid "telephone" game, is less reliable with more steps. I know I keep going back to this, but it's a perfect example: are charts always required when you're flying in an aircraft? Most people will tell you yes, but this is not true. The reason people think this is that someone either didn't understand the issue and answered it (you see that all the time here - even I've done it, ref the TCAS panel issue thread), or someone told someone and it eventually morphed through all of the people down the line. How do you avoid this? Refer people directly to the source of the information (again, be helpful in doing so too, by mentioning specific manuals/chaps/pages).

 

Third, by answering questions directly every time they come up, you're discouraging everyone else from at least a cursory check through the material or search function. It develops into this forum lack of effort that we see here. Why should I go search the manual if someone here will search it for me?

 

 

Basically, there's a massive difference between being helpful, and being a jerk, but at the same time, very few people fully understand what helping truly means. Being helpful is more than just providing the answer to someone's question. Being helpful means affecting change in the individual both in answering their question and providing them with the means to answer their own questions in the future. Again, that's not to say they can't come back and discuss what they've learned or don't fully understand, but you cripple people by not encouraging them to learn on their own in addition to coming to the forums for help.

 

That is what people here need to come to grips with. I hate being chastised and ripped to shreads for pointing out that the first few pages of the intro manual contain the answer to their questions (which is even better than me paraphrasing at work, and it has pictures, whereas my explanation would be an approximation and lacking in pictures). The other thing is that I hate being ripped to shreads for attempting to be helpful in any way (to include pointing out that there are forum rules, see below):

 

So leave them to do their job and if they choose to ignore this rule, so be it, again, not your job to enforce ti!!!

 

So by telling us not to tell other people to sign their posts, are you not moderating us (by your definition)? Watch how you assert yourself. Often times when you're not careful, you fall victim to your own argument.

 

Furthermore, we're not enforcing it. Enforcing it means we'd be doling out some type of punishment. Simply alerting them as to the rules isn't being a moderator. The other day, my friend shifted her car into park at a stop light (illegal in the state of VA), so I told her that it's illegal to do that and if a cop saw it, they'd ticket her. I was looking out for her interests (points on license and money), and I'd hardly say I was being a cop. Why not let those who are trying to be helpful by helpful, instead of objecting to it on principle? Most times, people appreciate someone telling them about the rules. Why be upset about it?

 

So if I point out that there's a limit of 250 knots* under 10,000' here in the United States, am I being a backseat FAA official?

*(with certain exceptions per the reg)

[c402_cvs 0]

I hear you on the enforce part, maybe a language problem on my side since I'm actually afrikaans so do not know the correct phraseology for what I was trying to say.

 

The point is, more often than not a thread about some or other topic degenerates into an argument about name signing and goes completely off track. That's annoying, even for you I would take a guess.

 

Maybe the reason the mods have not been deleting posts is because they do not see it as that important, but then again maybe not. If it's so important to you then PM the person and inform him about the rule privately and keeping it out of the orignal thread will stop it from going off track. He can then choose to follow it or not and the mods can do with his posts as they wish.

 

FRED

[scandinavian13 5,192]

I hear you on the enforce part, maybe a language problem on my side since I'm actually afrikaans so do not know the correct phraseology for what I was trying to say.

 

The point is, more often than not a thread about some or other topic degenerates into an argument about name signing and goes completely off track. That's annoying, even for you I would take a guess.

 

Maybe the reason the mods have not been deleting posts is because they do not see it as that important, but then again maybe not. If it's so important to you then PM the person and inform him about the rule privately and keeping it out of the orignal thread will stop it from going off track. He can then choose to follow it or not and the mods can do with his posts as they wish.

 

The PM idea may be a good one. I like that. The upside is people don't complain and the thread doesn't go down the tubes. The down is that others who may not know wouldn't see it. Win some lose some.

[martin-w 3,276]

The other day' date=' my friend shifted her car into park at a stop light (illegal in the state of VA), so I told her that it's illegal to do that and if a cop saw it, they'd ticket her.[/quote']

 

But did you say to her... "Move your car!" [the equivalent of sign your posts] or did you just inform her it was illegal and how the police might object?

 

 

Most times, people appreciate someone telling them about the rules. Why be upset about it?

 

They do, and they do in forums too, as long as it isn't a demand rather than simply passing on information.

[sosuflyer 30]

Take youtube for example. It is popular worldwide, and when something gets that big, you get all walks of life involved. From the poor, to the rich, the idiots, and to the educated. Unfortunately, so many ignorant people have taken over all the comments that most "normal" people just stop posting all together, making it seem that everyone on the site is stupid, when in reality the smart ones just know when to not get involved and keep their mouths shut. I think that is what's happening here, but to a much smaller degree. Some of these people here may have never even used a forum before, so they may not know about searching and such. In this regard, I think it's better to treat them with respect, and then if they seem like their trolling or being rude, have at 'em.

 

That said, I bet that if PMDG moved their support to another website and even made a sticky post here about it, half of the people we see creating topic after topic about stuff that's already happened wouldn't even realize they had moved. That would help get rid of some of the annoyances experienced here lately. I'd do it, but I'm kinda heartless and sarcastic and not trying to run a business lol.

[joostdewit 0]

What some people seem to forget is that MSFS basicly is a game. Designed just for fun. With superb add ons, like PMDG's, the realism level skyrocketed and ads a steep learning curve.

 

For myself, I learned to fly around in MSFS since verion 2.0. Had to go physically to the bookstore to buy a book about it. Back in those days there was no internet (for home users), so i learned it the hard way. Hours and hours of trial an error in the cessna at Chicago Meigs airfield.

 

Todays generation is used to internet, if they have an question, they are used to get an answer right away. No need to figger it out themselves, but "look it up on the internet". Thats today's generation. There is nothing you can do about that.

 

I have a son, 13 years old. He is eager to learn to fly with FSX. Very commited. But i'm glad i be around to answer his questions. English is not his native language, he is a beginner and well capable to ask "stupid questions".

This and other fora is a hostile environment for him.

 

There are always people around here waiting to burn down somebody who ask -in their eyes- a stupid question. They come with quotes like RTFM. Instead of that, why not point them out in the right direction? If asked before, provide them with a link to the topic instead of: "use the search function". Stop flaming because of misspelling or gramatical errors. There are lots of young people around here who's native language is not English. But they are trying!

 

Ask yourself, How would you want to be treated? Please stop criticism, sarcasm and cynicism. Remember, its a hobby. For everyone around here.

 

Just my two cents.

[Ben Cap 89]

 

And every second poster is a wannabe moderator who thinks they need to do the mods work for them.

 

:LMAO:

[stretch1365 40]

Hi all,

 

Well an interesting thread about the PMDG forum.

 

In my opinion the forum is worth it's weight in gold, as I've been flying PMDG a number of years now, and while I read the manual's that come with the aircraft there is always something that you won't find in the manual. One instance I recall a while back concerned the MD11, and while ok if you landed manually following the ILS if you landed using the Autopilot when you turned off the runway the rudder would go full left or right trying to return you to the centre line. It was only after coming here I found out you have to dis-engage the Autopilot manually on landing to taxi to the gate. That's just one instance of how useful the forum can be. I found the answer from someone within 24hrs of posting a comment here, and that may have helped someone else too. I don't recall see that problem anywhere in the manual either.

 

While I agree that the post's that say, PMDG should develop on of these, or this or that because!, can become boring and repetitive, it doesn't seem that there is any point in these post's, but on the other hand, I guess PMDG use these to get an idea of what the simmer's out there want in the future.

 

So it seems there is a point to all these posts after all. Maybe the point of this thread should be to ask people to post their comments in the correct place, or maybe re-organise the forum so there is a wish list page for stuff PMDG haven't made yet and the other pages dedicated to a particular product have a support page and a general comments page.

 

I don't know, I come here to see the posts and see what's going on in the sim world, I don't know anything about organising forums or web content, the above are only my views.

 

Happy flying all.

 

David Phillips