12 minutes ago, Claudius_ said:

I remember that in almost any public online forum you have the option to "anonymize" yourself. If you are forced to use your real name in a public forum, it's a privacy violation, doesn't matter if you accept their arbitrary rules at the forum subscription, and you don't pay attention to those rules because your flight sim enthusiasm and/or you need urgent assistance for problems regarding their products.

Not trying to be a smart.ss here, but that's not correct. Most content there is publicly visible, but it's a private space since it's a private company's own space. As the owner they can make up whatever rules they like, no matter how arbitrary they may be, and they can ban people for breaking those rules. Heck, they can even ban people for no reason if they like. No one is forced to accept the rules and post there. It's up to anyone to decide if they want to engage or not, and requiring people to sign with their real names if they do want to post is not a violation of privacy.

If you need urgent assistance with their product btw, they've always said the forum is a user-to-user support venue and you're supposed to file a ticket through their website for actual support (where nothing is publicly visible).

(Yes, I'm bored at work lol.)

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by threegreen

6 minutes ago, threegreen said:

Not trying to be a smart.ss here, but that's not correct. Most content there is publicly visible, but it's a private space since it's a private company's own space. As the owner they can make up whatever rules they like, no matter how arbitrary they may be, and they can ban people for breaking those rules. Heck, they can even ban people for no reason if they like. No one is forced to accept the rules and post there. It's up to anyone to decide if they want to engage or not, and requiring people to sign with their real names if they do want to post is not a violation of privacy.

If you need urgent assistance with their product btw, they've always said the forum is a user-to-user support venue and you're supposed to file a ticket through their website for actual support (where nothing is publicly visible).

(Yes, I'm bored at work lol.)

Ask to your lawyer, these are matter of public and privacy laws, not opinions like yours.

Yes, you are free to accept or not their rules, but you know the consequences just after months or years, like in my case.

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by Claudius_

56 minutes ago, Claudius_ said:

Ask to your lawyer, these are matter of public and privacy laws, not opinions like yours.

That's not just my opinion. As for the name, it depends on the country or even state.

For anything else, they can set the rules they way they want and they can ban people however they see fit.

On 12/2/2023 at 4:00 PM, Bobsk8 said:

I just don't get it,, been flyng Boeings since the Level D came out well over a decade ago, and I don't see these problems in the PMDG 737 for MSFS.  I must be doing something wrong. 😉

Try doing an RNPar approach, it shows up the PMDG  LNAV limitations pretty vividly. 
 

It’s not very realistic. 
 

If you’re happy with the original 737 from years ago, you’ll likely still be happy as it hasn’t evolved much if any since.

Edited December 4, 20232 yr by g-liner

22 hours ago, BrammyH said:

Bruce Dickinson, singer for Iron Maiden is type rated in a bunch of birds too, He flew for  Astraeus airlines as a 757 captain. He also flew the Ed Force One 747 when Iron Maiden did their book of souls tour. Also a great episode of Ice Pilots where he flew Buffalo's DC-3

I met Bruce Dickinson when doing one of my ATPL exams, he was a bit older than the rest of us and dressed in a suit (I think). I got chatting to him before the exam and asked what he did he said “musician” I asked if he was in a band etc and he said yes and I asked if they were famous and he said he was in iron maiden. Oh how everyone laughed. Still it broke the tension before our met practical or whatever it was we were doing. 

On 12/2/2023 at 4:32 PM, Fiorentoni said:

While you are not wrong, you are blowing the LNAV situation out of proportion IMO. For a 60 dollar home entertainment product LNAV et al. is pretty good on the 737 (except for the occasional critical bug after an update) and will likely - considering the amount and cost of work they'd have to put into it - never be improved any further. What you describe is noticeable if you really look out for it, but it's nuances and never has any detrimental effect on a flight or on the general immersion and plausibility. This is not the CRJ after all. And please for the sake of our sanity, don't make them delay the 777 any further for whatever reason there is.

The lnav criticism isn’t out of proportion at all. 
 

I really hope the 777 doesn’t just have the same old rehashed unrealistic LNAV logic as it needed improving years ago. It’s very noticeable on RNPar approaches. 
 

it might be ok for you but other users need/want more realistic LNAV and the PMDG LNAV is now far behind most other developers in realism. 

5 hours ago, Claudius_ said:

Ask to your lawyer, these are matter of public and privacy laws, not opinions like yours.

Yes, you are free to accept or not their rules, but you know the consequences just after months or years, like in my case.

The privacy laws regarding real names versus pseudonyms in private forums are also nuanced and depend heavily on the jurisdiction, nature of the forum, and type of data collected. General principles:

• EU (GDPR): Real names are considered "personal data," triggering strong protection. Users have the right to access, rectify, and erase their data, including real names 
• US: No overarching law mandates using real names.

• Right to anonymity and pseudonymity: Many jurisdictions recognize the right to use pseudonyms online, particularly in private spaces. This right can be grounded in freedom of expression, privacy, or even association.
• Transparency and informed consent: Regardless of real names or pseudonyms, forums must disclose their data collection practices and obtain informed consent from users. Users should be aware of the potential implications of using their real names or pseudonyms.
• Legitimate interests and legal obligations: Forums may have legitimate interests in collecting real names, such as verifying user identities for security purposes or complying with legal obligations like age verification.

Specific considerations for real names:

• Increased risk of identification: Using real names makes it easier to identify and link users to their online activities, potentially compromising their privacy.
• Potential for discrimination or harassment: Sharing real names could expose users to discrimination, harassment, or even physical harm depending on the forum's topic and community.
• Specific considerations for pseudonyms:

• Protects privacy and anonymity: Pseudonyms allow users to express themselves freely without fear of identification.
• Enables participation in sensitive topics: For discussions on controversial or taboo subjects, pseudonyms can encourage participation without fear of stigma or judgment.

Ultimately, the choice between real names and pseudonyms in private forums is a balance between individual privacy and forum functionality. It's important for forums to:

• Offer a choice: Give users the option to use real names or pseudonyms, allowing them to decide what level of privacy they're comfortable with.
• You may be concerned about privacy and do not want your personal information to be publicly available.

• You may also use a pseudonym instead of your real name. This can be a good way to protect your privacy while still being able to participate in the forum community.

   

 

9 minutes ago, LRBS said:

The privacy laws regarding real names versus pseudonyms in private forums are also nuanced and depend heavily on the jurisdiction, nature of the forum, and type of data collected. General principles:

• EU (GDPR): Real names are considered "personal data," triggering strong protection. Users have the right to access, rectify, and erase their data, including real names 
• US: No overarching law mandates using real names.

• Right to anonymity and pseudonymity: Many jurisdictions recognize the right to use pseudonyms online, particularly in private spaces. This right can be grounded in freedom of expression, privacy, or even association.
• Transparency and informed consent: Regardless of real names or pseudonyms, forums must disclose their data collection practices and obtain informed consent from users. Users should be aware of the potential implications of using their real names or pseudonyms.
• Legitimate interests and legal obligations: Forums may have legitimate interests in collecting real names, such as verifying user identities for security purposes or complying with legal obligations like age verification.

Specific considerations for real names:

• Increased risk of identification: Using real names makes it easier to identify and link users to their online activities, potentially compromising their privacy.
• Potential for discrimination or harassment: Sharing real names could expose users to discrimination, harassment, or even physical harm depending on the forum's topic and community.
• Specific considerations for pseudonyms:

• Protects privacy and anonymity: Pseudonyms allow users to express themselves freely without fear of identification.
• Enables participation in sensitive topics: For discussions on controversial or taboo subjects, pseudonyms can encourage participation without fear of stigma or judgment.

Ultimately, the choice between real names and pseudonyms in private forums is a balance between individual privacy and forum functionality. It's important for forums to:

• Offer a choice: Give users the option to use real names or pseudonyms, allowing them to decide what level of privacy they're comfortable with.
• You may be concerned about privacy and do not want your personal information to be publicly available.

• You may also use a pseudonym instead of your real name. This can be a good way to protect your privacy while still being able to participate in the forum community.

   

 

I have some tin foil hats if anyone wants one? 

16 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I have some tin foil hats if anyone wants one? 

That's uncalled for, Bob. Data privacy protection is not a conspiration theory. It could end up being the last bastion of liberty against a totalitarian regime.

33 minutes ago, LRBS said:

The privacy laws regarding real names versus pseudonyms in private forums are also nuanced and depend heavily on the jurisdiction, nature of the forum, and type of data collected. General principles:

[...]

That's all good and well, but still doesn't tell if PMDG are violating people's privacy in a legal sense. Since it's their place, entirely voluntary and not required in any way to obtain product support or buy a product the solution in the end is to simply abstain from posting if one is not comfortable with their name being displayed (like me). But I don't think it's worth anyone's time to make this about PMDG is violating my privacy, as in actually breaking laws. That's just too much drama for a voluntary online flight sim forum, imho.

9 minutes ago, Fiorentoni said:

Data privacy protection is not a conspiration theory

Correct.

Though, to be fair to PMDG, the community forum is not the only customer support channel.
You can raise a support ticket and receive 1:1 product support from them or use the Knowledge Base. This avoids having your personally identifiable data broadcast over the internet in a publicly-visible internet forum.

Orbx allows you to post on their forums if you list your order number. 
It's an anachronism for PMDG to insist you use your full name on their forums, however, they are their forums. As such, they can run them however they see fit.

Just now, F737MAX said:

Correct.

Though, to be fair to PMDG, the community forum is not the only customer support channel.
You can raise a support ticket and receive 1:1 product support from them or use the Knowledge Base. This avoids having your personally identifiable data broadcast over the internet in a publicly-visible internet forum.

Orbx allows you to post on their forums if you list your order number. 
It's an anachronism for PMDG to insist you use your full name on their forums, however, they are their forums. As such, they can run them however they see fit.

Sure, I wasn't implying that PMDG is acting against the law, I was talking about privacy protection in general in reply to Bob.

19 minutes ago, threegreen said:

That's all good and well, but still doesn't tell if PMDG are violating people's privacy in a legal sense. Since it's their place, entirely voluntary and not required in any way to obtain product support or buy a product the solution in the end is to simply abstain from posting if one is not comfortable with their name being displayed (like me). But I don't think it's worth anyone's time to make this about PMDG is violating my privacy, as in actually breaking laws. That's just too much drama for a voluntary online flight sim forum, imho.

I agree with your opinion once again, except that they are the ones creating all this inconvenience. 

 

However, it's important to consider this perspective as well. 

 

It's crucial to address and resolve all product issues before releasing new versions to ensure confidence in future purchases.

 

another typical pmdg thread here, same kast of karacters...

if real name sig is such a big deal, just embed you name in a jpeg or whatever image file and attach it to the forum sig.  that way google bots cannot read it.  you can also probably re-edit the sig few days later and poof! no name.

8 minutes ago, LRBS said:

I agree with your opinion once again, except that they are the ones creating all this inconvenience. 

 

In some aspects, yes. But the community is making just as much unnecessary noise.