Whats most sad, Tom is that have decided that the payware site is a bad idea. I am surprised and saddened by this. Much as I said in my very own post on the topic I think it would be a value added service to the community as a whole. Why give up on a good idea just because of one or two bumps? Learn from it, adjust your model and business plan and go for it I say. You know how to overcome some of these issues now, and still meet your goal.Don't give up because of people like me. My God man. Don't mistake passion for an good idea as critisism or disagreement. The only reason it stirred such debate is because of the unique position you are in. All of us care and we all just want you to do it in the way we feel is right for its ultimate success. But more than that... we all (well most of us) just want you to do it.Do it and the rest of us be damned.Shad

OK, I give up. What on earth are you talking about? MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

Well, there isn't exactly a shortage of payware sites.-

Mark,I believe he's referring to 'Tom's' idea to sell payware on Avsim with guaruntees of a realistic and supportive service. Although I said I preferred it as it was I also said that if he needed to go that way I WOULD support him and his sales.Tom started a thread asking for opinions.

Shad, it was your reactions more than most which caused Tom to conclude it would be a bad idea.

It is indeed a bad idea - AVSIM's core competency is to provide a community magnet for flight sim enthusiasts to exchange ideas, read news and exchange freeware files. Online download fulfillment is a niche market which has quite a few reputable players. Very few, if any, people are paid at AVSIM - they are volunteers. As with the government, we don't need AVSIM to fulfill our every simming need - AVSIM should stick to being maintaining leadership in what it already does well.Flight Sim Central closed its doors as exclusively selling flightsim software/hardware is a rough market. I don't think this is a line of business AVSIM wants to take on.

>It is indeed a bad idea - AVSIM's core competency is to>provide a community magnet for flight sim enthusiasts to>exchange ideas, read news and exchange freeware files. Online>download fulfillment is a niche market which has quite a few>reputable players. Very few, if any, people are paid at AVSIM>- they are volunteers. >>As with the government, we don't need AVSIM to fulfill our>every simming need - AVSIM should stick to being maintaining>leadership in what it already does well.>>Flight Sim Central closed its doors as exclusively selling>flightsim software/hardware is a rough market. I don't think>this is a line of business AVSIM wants to take on.You see this is the idea I am just not getting. Why would this side of FS be effected at all? As Tom already pointed out, they already have a store. They have pretty much the entire infrastructre (by the looks of it anyway) already in place. I have never really considered online sales the be a viable venture. But AVSIM is in a unique position to embrace it and succeed with it as infrastructure costs should be significantly smaller than a complete startup.All I tried to communicate was that "appearences" are misleading and that the only thing that might prove a thorn in the side of this community are issues of "appearances" that are easly overcome. Sure it was not said so succincly, but the point remains thats the heart of the issue.Throughout that entire thread, nowhere that I could see was a compelling technical or business reason to -not do it- presented. Sure its a challenge, what in life isn't and it would not be worth doing otherwise. The issues raised were minor. I am sure Tom is not basing it wholy on personality (yes I know I have personality issues, I'm working on em ok? ;)). I hope not anyway.CheersShad

Hi Jeff, long time no see! :)Yes -- I would have to agree here. My personal opinion is that, frankly, I don't get paid nearly enough to deal with the "rather demanding" level of support that a few customers would undoubtedly believe would be their right to have. I'd far sooner be able to put my energies into the community side of things...Matt

PatheticDo stay out of it, please. Fewer people will get ripped off by you if this is the best attitude you can muster to deal with it. Stay out.

I'm thinking this dead horse you are flogging should be allowed to RIP, around about ... now. ;) Gary