Steve Halpern

Hi, I hesitated like everyone else, especially coming from forums that started 20+ years ago. Once you get used to the new flow of the Discord forum area, it is almost exactly the same as the regular forum we use at SimForums. You just need to see the different markings. For example, little numbers next to a forum to indicate new content. Or bold text. Once you reply to a thread, it is automatically "followed" in the left. You can unfollow it if needed. It is not as hard as folks think, and when you start pasting and uploading videos or pictures and realize it is so easy, then you begin understanding and appreciate its strengths. You can keep it in a web browser too without installing the Windows app. Some do use the mobile app. But when you access it many times a day the Windows app is better. I suggest give it a chance. As mentioned I was a holdout too. It depends on what you are doing also. For example, Avsim is fine in a forum format. But when you need many images, video uploads, etc, to help with support, it really becomes easier than we we have used. It just takes some getting used to.

There are several keys to UAC being viable for a simmer... 1. Do not install FSX to the Program Files folder. Install it to a new folder without access restrictions. For example, C:\FSX. It makes accessing the folder much easier also. 2. When installing anything, right click it and select Run as Administrator. 3. Do the same with FSX (Run as Administrator). You can set this up to happen automatically in the shortcut to FSX by selecting Properties and setting it there. With the above, you can actually have some success with UAC on. In any case, make sure that Java is always running the latest version. Most of the malware I have seen enters through Java (not so much Javascript as that is something different)... so make sure you have the latest here: http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp. Of course make sure you are up to date on Flash player also: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/find-version-flash-player.html. So you CAN run with UAC, but you MUST know what you are doing. In product support we have to tell folks many times to disable this or that when in a sense it would not really be needed if they knew all the ins and outs of using UAC and computer security products.

I believe I read that the law only applies to sales where the *source* of the sale is in an EU state. For example, if a product is sold to an EU customer, but the ORIGIN of that sale came from non-EU based servers (the purchase was in non-EU currency and the servers were in a non-EU state), the law would not apply. I do not think it matters if the developer of the software is in the EU or not, if the software is published and completely handled sales-wise from a non-EU state. Oracle for example has an interest in the EU, may have offices there, sales staff there, etc, so it is different. I do not think you could fan out an make, for example, a USA based publisher of download products responsible to police any laws that exists in a developers home state/country/province, etc... Like what if you had 4 developers spread across the globe, and they all contributed to a title that is published in the USA. I think this whole thing will likely serve to clarify things, rather than destroy small businesses. Logic will likely win in the end, meaning, all the corners will be examined in this issue and EU lawmakers may make adaptations, to a degree, to a reasonable level. May take a year though.

Regarding those that say support transferred is equal... "you are not supporting 2, because it is still only 1 person you support." This is, for the most part incorrect. Lets say a staff member works to configure a computer for a customer to get a product optimized. They go back and forth a few times, make setting adjustments, etc. When the first user sells to a second user he is not transferring this knowledge (unless notes were made and transferred). The 2nd user may require a full 2nd round of support by staff... and so on if the 2nd user then sells it. The whole question of support is another topic really... some companies do sell support "You get 90 days free support then you can renew", and some do not even actually offer support in their agreements! But of course they have to offer it because the reputation of offering no support is not a good one. Now it may get tricky in the EU of you sell the used software with 28 days left in a purchased support plan, if you have to continue support. I guess in due course that will be figured out. In reading the agreement, I did see parts that mentioned "services" cannot be transferred as there is nothing tangible, i.e. a CD ROM or download file to go with it. So there are a few gray areas and more reading is required. Jeff makes a reasonable assessment, and arguing over who or what is right really in the end does not matter. 3rd part addon companies do exist, and in many cases there is a thin line between making addons or not. If by chance this ruling affects vendors excessively, it would likely reduce the amount of addons in the long run, or it could move software to the Cloud, which may require changes to sofware distribution in general, like you buying software on a per month basis... i.e. $39.95 for the first month, $2.00 for each additional month, with you needing to be connected to a Cloud or other server in the process while using. I think this would be a terrible direction for the hobby. So folks need to keep this preliminary ruling all in perspective.

There are a few fairly specific reasons we do not support Prepar3d. First, it is a priority/numbers game. Other projects take priority over something that will appeal the a great minority of entertainment users (P3D). Yes, it may seem like many are using it here. If 100 folks here are using P3D, then to crack things open, rebuild products, setups, new support twists, etc, for a product (P3D), whos entertainment use is not even condoned by the originator, does not really make a ton of business sense (as J van E alludes to). That does not mean we are happy to abandon customers, but the mechanics of the situation does not work out.Secondly, and it is important for folks to realize, that we hope P3D succeeds in the professional ranks, where it is legally licened to be used. That is of course an area we have looked at and participated in for quite some time now. It does not really help our relationship with Lockheed Martin if we push against the grain in that regard.P3D is not FS11.... and FSX can likely be around for years to come. So it is not any conspiracy, abandonment of customers, etc. It is indeed pretty cut and dry, and the above somewhat outlines it.

Great!Who has a guitar and a video camera?We need to see this sung!Instead of American Pie, call it The Flight Sim High.But heres to looking up that something good comes out of all of this for those of use that still use PCs.We are still selling many FS9 titles actively, so there are no urgent worries at present.But FS11 with backward compatibility would be quite nice.

Hi, A quick FYI... Flight1 will be moving some servers and there will be some downtime today for a few hours. Part of the move requires DNS changes. The site should be back up shortly as DNS is updating now. Many will be able to reach the site within an hour, but if it is after 6:00 Eastern USA time, and you still cannot reach Flight1.com, do check with your ISP or DNS provider, as they may not have updated their DNS cache correctly. If you do have issues after tonight, please post over at simforums.com. I will be monitoring that forum for any connection issues to the site.

Decline messages can be from many reasons. I used to get declines and then I had to call my bank and have them reactivate the card for Internet purchases.In many cases, calling the bank can clear it up. When declines come from the bank, there is little we can do on our end to get it through. The customer has to call the bank.Alternately, PayPal can get around some of those bank declines if you are already funded in the PayPal account.

Definitely do not apply the hotfix over 2.04. You must have 2.08 (SP2) before installing the Hotfix. Installing it into an earlier version will overwrite your main EXE and not likely run. We note this on the download page.

The best place to go is the official product forum.

Go to the iFly support forum where there is a fix for this.

Why would we ever suspend a refund policy? We are very satisified that this is a great release to build upon.Maybe I misunderstood what you mention.

Those are usually just guesses done by sites that may carry a boxed version. It usually has nothing to do with the reality of the product. Always get release info direct from the publishers when it comes to release planning.

For those trying to get to the MilViz website, there is trouble with the MilViz server and they are in touch with the ISP. The main guy at MilVis also just had a newborn baby arrive also! So in the mean time, feel free to post 310R questions at simforums.com in the support forum there.

iFly is making it for BOTH FS9 and FSX. It seems it was a good decision. First, there were enough FS9 users to make it a reasonable progression on the way to the FSX version. Bug fixes, features, etc, that are going into the current FS9 version will go into the FSX version.I do have to admit that I have not focused a lot on FS9 recently, but I can say this. Some of the pictures that FS9 users have posted of the product have been close to astonishing. I think that what has happened is that many users that have stuck with FS9 for so long have really gone through the trenches to tweak and expand FS9 to be something they do not want to let go of. Not that this user group is huge, but they are terribly (in a good way) dedicated to FS9. And as FSX ages, it will likely get the same status.If you see all the pages of this screenshot thread... http://www.simforums...topic36077.html you will see what I mean.Personally, I am an FSX person, BUT, I can now see why FS9 has stuck around, and rightfully so!So I would have of course advised to develop for FSX if you had to pick one only, but in this case, it seems to have worked out well.