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Flightsim.com up for sale

Simply adding the word 'mustang' to the search gave me 10 PAGES of items! :dizzy:


The search engine NEEDS data to search for, the more you can give it the better it can search. It really helps if the uploaders add 'tags' (in the 'tags' box) when they upload the files as the search function reads the 'tags' first and then goes for general text. A failed search due to lack of input info is not an error on the part of the search engine but a failure of the user for not providing enough material to look for!
 
I think what Allen was saying is that this "new" form of searching is not as intuative for folks like us that remember more of the last century than we do of the current one (no offence, Allen, just trying to help clarify a point well). ;)

For us, you should just put in what you wish to say and that's the end of it. We shouldn't need to put "tags" or "labels" on everything we make or try to find, or worry that our string is too short to get us the desired result we want, or worry that what we're trying to convey is going to be misunderstood by some algorithm. We're just not "wired" like that. (For the younger generation: We're not "coded" like that). ;)

If there was a guide of some sorts that would give us older generation on how to "properly" search for things in this "new world" of "tags" and such, then it would be somewhat easier for us and we wouldn't get frustrated just because we mean one thing and the "generational gap" in programming understands another.

Heck, I remember punch cards and 5-1/4 floppies being standard, as well as Pascal and Fortran, despite the fact I never used either of them. When I finally did get a chance to try and program something, it was some very basic stuff in the Army to write simple batch files to get things to execute in Win-95.

Did that stop me from trying "newer" stuff? Well, not really, but I didn't go "whole-hog" into the new frontier either.

I realize there are older folks here that use things like social media better than most kids in high school right now, but I'm not one of them. This forum (and a few others that are like-minded) are my extent of "socializing" outside of "face-to-face" with friends.

It's not because I don't like to socialize, but rather, this place and others like it have a more "classic" feel and the people around here are more empathetic to others than they seem to be at other places.

And if you dissappear for a while, well, most people realize it's because we have lives outside of this wonderful and fullfilling hobby of ours. There seems to be more patience and understanding than there is with the "instant gratification" feeling I get from other sites.

I've had similar frustrations with several sites for FS these days, which is why I'm basically sticking around here, CalClassics, and Retroavia from now on. You three seem to have the type of "zen" I'm looking for these days in something along the lines of a fullfilling hobby. (y)

I may try to see about signing back into Flightsim, but I'm not too keen on the fact they are basically turning that place over to a "social media platform" so I may just stay away on principles.

We'll see.

Saludos!

Jorge
Miami, FL
 
Hey, don't class me with the whipper snappers! :oops:

I'm nearly 70 years old, learned to program NC milling machines with punch cards (and 1" wide paper tape) and my first computer had programs stored on audio cassette tapes that took 5 minutes to load and then crashed when you tried to run them.

All I was saying was that a better search input returns better search results. A 'tag' is simply a word or phrase to identify the file, aircraft or repaint being uploaded. In the example above 'tags' could be 'P51', 'mustang', 'North American' etc. Basically the manufacturer, model name and designation letters/numbers. More 'tags' means a better chance of the file being found when someone searches for it.

It's not rocket science but a simple ask and receive system, the better the question the better the result. It would be like walking into Micky D's and saying "I'd like a ........" and wondering why you got nothing whereas if you said "I'd like a burger, fries and a Coke, please" you might actually get what you asked for!
 
Tako_Kichi said:
I'm nearly 70 years old, learned to program NC milling machines with punch cards (and 1" wide paper tape) and my first computer had programs stored on audio cassette tapes that took 5 minutes to load and then crashed when you tried to run them.
Click to expand...
My first job when I got out of the Navy and moved to San Francisco was with Singer Business Machines, Friden Division. I worked fixing Flexowriters that gave you that 1 inch wide paper tape
that those CNC machines would read. And they also had IBM punch card readers on them, in some cases!
1757174282335.png 1757174319606.png
 
Having been to flightsim.com this afternoon, and desperately trying to get this thread back on topic, it honesly seems to me that the site is on it's last legs. The desperation and disappointment of the members is tangible. Sad days. That site was an institution.

Priller
 
Priller said:
it honesly seems to me that the site is on it's last legs
Click to expand...

The file library will be an archive only, hosted at flightsim.com for as long as funding allows. They might as well close it altogether and leave the archiving to The Wayback Machine, that's what it's there for.
Flightsim.com will be a forum and screenshot gallery in the future - they've obviously decided that they can't compete with flightsim.to as an online shop or as a freeware file library.
 
Thanks for the feedback! That's basically what I was getting at -- how to better the situation to get better results. (y)

And yes ... the disappointment I'm seeing from just browsing the site over there is very strong. I'm thinking I should be backing stuff up starting soon before it's gone. Sometimes the wayback machine won't get all the info for something.

Jorge
Miami, FL
 
tiger1962 said:
The file library will be an archive only, hosted at flightsim.com for as long as funding allows. They might as well close it altogether and leave the archiving to The Wayback Machine, that's what it's there for.
Flightsim.com will be a forum and screenshot gallery in the future - they've obviously decided that they can't compete with flightsim.to as an online shop or as a freeware file library.
Click to expand...
It's not about competing with the other flightsim sites. It's diversity in the flightsim world. I also read posts by the management about going the 2024 way. if they really want to shoot themselves in the foot, then they should do so. They simply fail to see that the legacy sims still have a large following.

I'm so happy that we still cater for the needs of the CFS1/2/3 crowd, the FS9 crowd and all other legacy sims. It's that diversity that keeps us going.

I'll get of me soapbox now...

Jan
 
Allen said:
The new system isn't sunshine and rainbows for us WW2 nerds. Just tray P-51D. It sees that "-" as search operator and tries to just search for P than errors because P is too short too and too common.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you eliminate the - and you shouldn't have a problem.
 
I like & second what Jorge said:
' CalClassics, and Retroavia from now on. You three seem to have the type of "zen" I'm looking for these days in something along the lines of a fullfilling hobby.'

Describing those sites is indeed Zen. :wiggle:
 
Tako_Kichi said:
. A failed search due to lack of input info is not an error on the part of the search engine but a failure of the user for not providing enough material to look for!
Click to expand...

OMG! Read Sbob's thread "Another FS mystery" and about the diffculty to find a simple and known file.
 
Dangerousdave26 said:
Runs over and Jumps up on the Soap Box...

You forgot FS2002!

Jumps down and runs away.
Click to expand...

Hey, I resemble that remark! :wiggle:

I've often said that FS2002 is the red-headed stepchild of the FS world but for those of us who have it installed, we get it.
FS2002 was the first "break" that ushered in some classic FS design ideas (aircraft and scenery) that we now take for granted.
FS2000 kind of offered what was really possible (for example, virtual cockpits) but it also had some bad habits that kept people on their toes, which was why I never installed it, I was already running FS98- I didn't need the headaches. I was a part of Freeflight Design Shop back in those days, so I knew about all of those headaches. :dizzy:

The truth of the matter was that M$ had a habit of releasing new generations of FS for hardware that didn't exist yet.
Its only been in the last 10-15 years where FS2002 and FS9 can run at their true potential.

The point of my thread that leuen mentioned was finally being able to scratch a previously unreachable itch. :wiggle:
There are always those "hen's teeth/Easter egg" FS files we've heard about* but never got to experience.

I love finding these odd-ball files and getting them installed. Sometimes they work, sometimes they just don't.

Which is why losing Flightsim.com now is such a tragedy.


*- My next scenery hunt is for the static (landable) Admiral Kuznetsov carrier that may have been released for FS9 by IRIS.
IRIS hinted that it existed for one of its Mig packages and they DID provide a moveable "Big K" for FSX. Someone was kind enough to hook me up with the Alphasim Kuznetsov scenery for FS9 :ernaehrung004:, but this scenery would have different locations if it exists. Right now, I'm 80% sure its a pipe dream. IRIS needed to sell software for both FSX and FS9, so there might have been a little "fast talking" involved. :173go1:
 
Alphasim did the Kuznetsov with a couple of Sukhoi's. I think that package was called 'Sukhoi Flankers' or something. (drop a PM if you want)

Those odd-ball files are the most interesting to find. I often just scroll thru the libraries to see what catches my eye.
Avsimrus has a huge bunch of unique aircraft.

Loosing any library is quite sad. There are so many sites that have gone.. Garry J Smith's site comes to mind.
I collected a library of files spread across 6 portable drives. Many from vanished sites.
Then, (long story short) my laptop, in it's bag, with all my drives was stolen when I was in hospital, after loosing a fight with a mini bus.
So much was irreplicable. Thankfully, I have found a site or two where I did find those 'missing' files.
 
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