I simply cannot abide software piracy but it will happen and there will always be some that get away with it.

However, I don't require confirmation of evidence that my software (Ideal Flight) is paid for, or a real name on the forum, I try to answer every post or personal email about the software irrespective of the possibility of that user using a pirated license. The reason is that even those that pirate software or "borrow" a license key from a friend will experience the software and may purchase their own copy or perhaps talk about it to their friends who might then go on to purchase the software. If the enquiry is on the forum (codelegend.com) everyone gets to read those forum posts and from those become more likely to purchase the software from better understanding of the software and also they can see that the software is continuously being updated for the life of the product to suit perhaps changes like Windows 11 and Prepar3D v5.3 without further cost or paying for a subscription and that the forum is friendly to allcomers.

I'm happy to provide the vendor who offers support with my real name. I'm not happy to be forced to have my real name out on the open on their public forums. This should be between me and the developer. 

One solution is to only allow registered users to access the support forum. I don't post in the PMDG forum because they require a full name, I'm sure many others must feel the same way. If I have an issue I raise a ticket - so PMDG are creating work for themselves rather than allowing forum users to help solve problems IMO.

17 minutes ago, simfan1983 said:

One solution is to only allow registered users to access the support forum. I don't post in the PMDG forum because they require a full name, I'm sure many others must feel the same way. If I have an issue I raise a ticket - so PMDG are creating work for themselves rather than allowing forum users to help solve problems IMO.

PMDG is only registered users AND you need to give your product lic. info to register. They know darn well what your real name is and that I'm not using pirated software. The claim is the rule provides familiarity in the forum conversations. Well. my friends and colleagues do not address me by my real full and last name. It feels like a rule just to have a rule.

Which brings up another gripe. While I have gleaned a great deal of info and solved a lot of issues using forums, I feel software developers now shirk their responsibility to help directly. Its like if I bought a new TV and had an issue and Sony sends me a bunch of phone numbers to call others and ask them how they fixed it. 

A bit off topic but this conversation started the old wheels turning.

5 minutes ago, sivart2000 said:

PMDG is only registered users AND you need to give your product lic. info to register.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember having to fill out anything other than forum nickname, password and email.

2 minutes ago, sivart2000 said:

Which brings up another gripe. While I have gleaned a great deal of info and solved a lot of issues using forums, I feel software developers now shirk their responsibility to help directly. Its like if I bought a new TV and had an issue and Sony sends me a bunch of phone numbers to call others and ask them how they fixed it. 

A bit off topic but this conversation started the old wheels turning.

You can always file a support ticket on their website to get the devs to look at the issue themselves. The forum is a user-to-user forum, even if one or two of the devs sometimes chime in.

1 minute ago, threegreen said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember having to fill out anything other than forum nickname, password and email.

I think I remember going through a whole separate verification process with product key, email verification number etc. I may be mistaken. But some crazy how they busted me using a pseudonym. 

7 minutes ago, sivart2000 said:

I think I remember going through a whole separate verification process with product key, email verification number etc. I may be mistaken. But some crazy how they busted me using a pseudonym. 

I guess you're thinking of the support ticket system which required that which makes sense I think.

Isn't your pseudonym a character from a tv show though? Was probably not too hard to figure out. 😀

I'm not sure C Makris was a Seinfeld fan. It was a pretty obscure reference. I'm sure someone tattled on me.

Although I did gat a PM that said "your secret is safe witj me, Art" lol

Edited December 10, 20214 yr by sivart2000
Addendum

Typical Robert post.... Promises the world, delivers a teacup of dirt. Been the modus operandi of PMDG for years and years. Then he feigns insult when people call him out on it with the catchall of "that's not what I said". Ya, whatever 🙄

On 12/8/2021 at 7:33 PM, F1le said:

Maybe in P3D but lots of new complex planes are in pipeline for XP11 -> XP12...

I bought a second 2TB SSD drive for MSFS but I'm now leaning on the idea of using it instead for XP12. 

Thank you for this thread. I have now deleted all my PMDG aircraft. Never again.....Doug

 

1 minute ago, W2DR said:

Thank you for this thread. I have now deleted all my PMDG aircraft. Never again.....Doug

 Nice🤣

2 minutes ago, W2DR said:

Thank you for this thread. I have now deleted all my PMDG aircraft. Never again.....Doug

Gee guy, that’s radical. You already paid for them. They don’t care if you use them or not, they already have your doe.