A Modest Suggestion...

[jordonj]

It seems that Dave Eckert has not been the only one to encounter grief in the simming crowd...

Simmers are becoming more demanding it seems...

One site has shut down...according to Eckert, it was due to grief he had from sites...(read his article here), in addition Bill Lyons has shut down for the summer for that same why...

Now I mean neither to preach nor to start a debate here, but something I have begun to do is send e-mails of thanks to designers who make planes, repaints, scenery, etc. that I like, and I would suggest you do it too.  Maybe between simming, browsing downloads, posting on forums, take a few minutes and write a word of thanks! (e-mail was how I got the fix for Holger Sandmann's new mesh by the way...)

You might make a freeware developer's day

[ozzy72]

I often send emails and I've been saying this for a while. Often I drop the developers a line to say thanks and also to get permission to upload their creations here, and frankly with all the time involved these guys are stars, I don't have their patience!
Not only is this good manners but an upshot of it is that you sometimes get some v.nice beta-testing jobs

Mark (polite and lovin' it )

[Felix/FFDS]

J - You hit it on the spot.,

Developers like to receive good job e-mails.

[igorski]

I agree, from my paint of view of a repainter, I fairly regularly send emails to modellers when I'm adding textures to their aircraft, with a 'good work' message if its the first time I've spoken with them.

[CODY614]

I guess the key word here is "Freeware"!
Some forget that...But nothing is worse than spending $39.95 on payware and saying to yourself...I've seen better freeware!
Some designers spend 100's of hours the project, I personaly dont' have the patience or the time!

I'am guilty of not thanking them...but now maybe I'll change and start dropping them a line or two...

Thanks Jordan, For bringing this up!

[Ivan]

Some freeware is a work of art (Project Tupolev, Tu-114), while there is also payware that isn't even worth the energy of entering your paypal number...

[Wing Nut]

Bill Lyons bowing out too?  ???  I hope he comes back soon.  Unfortunately, this is not a new thing.  Back in the days of FS98/2000 there was a very talented designer named Matt Grizz (www.grizzcreek.com).  Does anyone remember him?  He made wonderful bush planes and had a killer JN-4 Jenny that I flew almost constantly.  Eventually, so many people got to telling him how he should do his models, and criticizing him so much because he wasn't doing things the way THEY thought he should be, that he just gave it up and got out.  His story is not unique, and it's a shame that some people forget what other people do for them.  Personally, I sat down todsay and e-mailed several different designers to thank them, just to make sure someone told them it's appreciated.

[jordonj]

I don't think Lyons is bowing out, just taking a break...

He's working on a massive project and will be putting out great stuff (or so he says on The Old Hangar)

I think he made his stuff freeware as it was getting old (release it before it gets too old to enjoy...as he puts it)

I doubt he was ever in it for the money though...