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| R.I.P FSOpen? Your views | |
David Bartlam   2nd Aug 2012 13:05:30 | So... We all woke up this morning to a rather unexpected email. Gordon and Laurence are moving to BVA and leaving FSOpen and are basically saying "come and join us". A completely personal opinion... I can't understand why. They are managers of FSOpen and control everything and there are established, loyal members here. Why not change the way we conduct our business on FSOpen instead of starting something completely different? I understand what the email said... But, We've got something good here which is established?
Talking this morning to 8 other members (Mentioning no names), the general feeling is "Why, I'm not going". I personally like FSOpen. I like the people and I like how it is on here. We have a good community. I just think we need to do more to attract more people. What will be happening to FSOpen? Will the server still be available? Who will be taking over FSOpen? Comments below... |
| David Bartlam 2nd Aug 2012 13:09:12 | For some time past now, we have been operating under the banner of FSpilots behind the screen of FSopen. This has led to an increasingly difficult situation in regard to not only to our identity, but that of FSopen itself in what is now its core activity; a provider of server hosting and other FSX related software.
FSopen is a now platform for FSX multi-play individuals and/or communities wishing to avail of the software created and supported by its developer. This confusion between FSopen?s identity as a software provider and FSpilots as a Flight Simulation community is none more apparent than in the website of FSopen itself ; a website?s fundamental purpose is to promote and advertise the hosts core activity. It cannot support to independent criteria. Clearly, this situation required remedy. As a Flight Simulation community, my job, in the first instance, is to promote the community and then any other ventures thereafter. In this, I have absolutely no problem however, you may link one item to another but each needs its own independence. It is time for a separation, in a mutually agreeable fashion, between FSopen and ourselves. As such from Monday 6th August we will be hosting a flight community with a new name, including a new website, Teamspeak 3 and server. Firstly might I state, that the software developed by FSopen is the best software of its kind, with developments such as FSopen server, open Clouds and Flightstrips, and we shall continue to use Dave's software in the form of FSopen Server. Of late both Gordon and I increasingly took the view that the Virtual Airline should take a core role in the day to day activities of the community. This is not to say that items such as ATC or VFR activities are redundant, nothing further from the truth. Gordon is VA, that is his Billywack, always has been, my love of simulation is VFR, Props and ATC, always will be. It is for these and other reasons that Gordon and I have taken the decision to part from FSopen and form our own community. Our new community will be called Birmingham Virtual Airlines or BVA for short. And before my esteemed brethren of VFR finish the groans I can hear forming, I respectfully refer you to my ?Bums in seats? text on the new forum. We are a multiplayer flying community called Birmingham Virtual Airlines. We are a community first and all else second whether ye be off the VA ,VFR or ATC faith. We chose the name of Birmingham Virtual Airlines, as many of you may have guessed, from Gordons history, over seven years, of being closely associated to the name of Birmingham Virtual Airlines, its community, its core relationship to FSX and the fact that Gordon was its founding member. The website can be found at www.bva.eu.com and therein all the details for joining, downloading teamspeak3 connection to same and details of the server IP address etc. Although we have gained our independence as our own entity, we continue to support FSopen and its goals. We remain firm friends with Dave and the FSopen brand. We will continue to use its software in the form of FSopen Server and as such the new Birmingham Virtual Airlines will be found under the listings on the FSopen website, with BVA?s IP address for connectivity. Our goal is to promote our new community as one in which we can all experience the joy that is FSX, whatever your preferences may be, and we fervently hope that you will join us, continuing the friendly association you are already familiar with. Birmingham Virtual Airlines will be molded on your opinions. Gordon and I are merely the architect?s of the design, this will be a community derived by its members, for its members. Whatever your aspirations, both Gordon and I welcome you to our new home. See you in the skies. Laurence & Gordon Birmingham Virtual Airlines |
Ryan Coulson   2nd Aug 2012 13:16:30 | I have just only seen the email and i think David is exactly right with what he saying and why should we change what is so great about a new virtual airline and what happening to the existing server and the people that are on here often should become managers for fsopen and im not going over to bva when we have a good community |
Dave Wave   2nd Aug 2012 14:14:31 | Guys, don't treat this as negative news, its not. We are splitting the software side from the sessions. Having the two together has caused confusion.
This web site remains but we will remove the fspilots pages/forum. We will also close the teamspeak 2 server. Goffa/Laurence will continue to run the sessions as they have done for the last year, the only difference is the session name will be renamed from fsopen to BVA (Which is what it used to be) It's the same server etc. Going forward it should be very clear to everyone what fsopen and BVA are/do and who is responsible for each group. I know from experience that whenever change happens there will be some people who object. Doing so will not stop this from happening. All of us want to ensure that our sessions continue to be one of the best out there and that means we continue to provide what you want. Talk to Goffa and Laurence in teamspeak tonight if you have any concerns. |
| Zack Iddo 2nd Aug 2012 14:28:04 | Well said Dave :) |
| Karl Arney 2nd Aug 2012 14:40:25 | Dave,
Your post contradicts Laurence and Gordon's email. They say they are parting from FSOpen, to form a new community, yet your post suggests that noting is changing except the name? |
| David Bartlam 2nd Aug 2012 15:02:40 | There's confusion written all over this :S
Change is good sometimes but In order to apply change, it has to be understood why its necessary... Too which I'm personally a little stumped |
Laurence Woodside 2nd Aug 2012 15:55:25 | Gentlemen,
This is quite simple. Dave is running a site to promote software used in conjunction with FSX. Gordon and I are running a flight simulation community. We will still be using FSopen software and listed on the front page of the FSopen website, we are still using the same server, we are still using Teampseak, Gordon and I are still running the community. The only thing we have changed is the name and a dedicated website. So using the name that we started with over six years ago we will continue to promote and provide the best that we can do. The community is still the same, a community I might say that Gordon built up from day one. Gordon and I will continue to put the time and effort into continuing our success. For further clarification speak to either myself or Gordon in Teamspeak. |
| Gordon Thorpe 2nd Aug 2012 15:58:39 | THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS THE NAME
THE VA. IS THE SAME NO NEED TO RE REDG. THE SERVER IS THE SAME THE COMMUNITY IS THE SAME ATC & PILOT TRAINING IS THE SAME THE CHANGE OF NAME IS SO PEOPLE DONT GET CONFUSED WITH FS OPEN THE SOFTWARE SIDE & FS OPEN PILOTS. THIS IS NOT JUST ME & LAURENCE IT WAS DAVES AS WELL |
| David Bartlam 2nd Aug 2012 16:26:30 | I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say you will be supported all the way. With what you have said, that clears up the confusion, for me anyway. I'd like to get more involved with events, making & organising them and getting people on board this new ride. I've been with FSOpen over a year now and despite jitters in the beginning where certain people gave me a hard time when I was doing ATC etc... I've enjoyed every minute of it.
What I would say though, for this new look, new name and new goals... I think that the virtual airline should come second to events and training. It's all very well that we have a VA and a superb idea. But if people wanted to just get in an aircraft and fly over a big distance, they'd do it on Free Flight or on VATSIM where airspace is controlled usually from A to B. |
| David Bartlam 2nd Aug 2012 16:34:30 | Can we get one last fly together before Monday? All available members in FSOpen skinned aircraft.... For the very last time |
Steff Missot 2nd Aug 2012 17:00:56 | I haven't got any mails :O |
| Nathan Roberts 2nd Aug 2012 19:59:33 | Didn't get the email either, but seems as it shouldn't be too much of a difference seen in regulars of the va.
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| Mick McG 2nd Aug 2012 23:01:00 | ^^ News to me too :(
Dave, Laurence, Goffa - seemingly not everyone has received an email about the changes! Doesn't something as big as this deserve a prominent news announcement somewhere on the forum by one of you guys rather than one entitled "RIP FSOpen" (tastefully created by Dave B). I understand the confusion issue and I can see how separating the two entities would solve the conflict of interests but it's a drastic move isn't it? Is it the reincarnation of FSOp or the resurrection of BVA? Whichever one it is, the real miracle will be if you succeed in your efforts to take everyone along. When the summer lull comes to an end and people dust off their joysticks as the nights draw in, how are the old returning FSO members (like me if I hadn't read this) going to know about the new BVA? Surely part of the attraction of FSO was it's association with Dave's software and the other initiatives he's developed. Will BVA be able distinguish itself effectively from all the other servers in the same way that FSO did? I hope it does, but I can't help thinking that this separation feels more like a divorce and our "no politics, just flying" slogan has, like Billy Connolly's dog, risen up and bitten us on the arse. |
| Laurence Woodside 3rd Aug 2012 02:03:03 | Hi Mick
To take your points one by one. The emails had been sent out to everyone who had a teamspeak account and had used the latest version of Pilot Assistant in the last three months or so to prevent hundreds and hundreds of emails going to software support users We had intended to put a post in the forum, however, a misunderstanding as to when the email was going out resulted in the former not occurring. My fault. However, the decision was taken to inform the membership by email in the full knowledge that we would have to make further clarification via the Forum, Teamspeak etc. "RIP FSopen" is a totally incorrect statement and somewhat unfair statement, to try and distinguish between the two sections there has been FSopen the software and software support, and FSpilots the flying community for over a year. Further FSopen.co.uk remains a website very much alive as a hosting platform offering Dave's software to users of FSX, as it always was intended to do. Separating the two entities was not a decision arrived at lightly, however as Dave stated previously it makes it unequivocally clear as to what each half of the equation does: software or flying community. Change is never easy when one becomes familiar with a particular brand but nothing has changed in our commitment to try to bring as varied and interesting sessions as we possibly can to the community. And nothing has changed in regard to Dave's software. All of the users of Dave's software, including our own, have been entitled to the exactly the same functionality in the latest software developments, as is indeed correct and proper, as in its commercial sense will secure its future continued development and support. We still continue to use FSopens software in the form of FSopen lite, (and if in anyway possible would like to explore the possibility of offering Open Clouds within the server in UK airspace in a mutually agreeable arrangement to the parties concerned.) We will continue to support FSopens platform and all its software whenever and wherever we can. And I do not believe that the ability to distinguish ourselves came from software alone nor from a lack of initiatives from all collaborating parties! We will have a listing on the front page of FSopen's front page showing the name and IP address of the server as usual. Yes it is a separation, however Divorce is indicative of a never the twain shall meet belief! Not so, this is business, as usual! |
| David Bartlam 3rd Aug 2012 16:06:18 | Just to clarify... The title is "RIP FSOpen?" That was basically me saying "Is this the end of FSOpen?" It was a question and not a statement :) |
| Christian Smith 3rd Aug 2012 16:40:04 | I can understand the need to differentiate the FSOpen.co.uk software and the FSOpen flying community and presumably this is where the change has been driven from. Without yet looking at the new website, I share Mick’s concern. “Will BVA be able distinguish itself effectively from all the other servers in the same way that FSO did?” – I think that Dave’s input, (and effectively the flying community then piggy-backing his products) was quite ideal for generating interest, and particularly, traffic to the fsopen.co.uk website- similar to (what I think) Mick is also suggesting. I appreciate this probably gave Dave more of a headache then ‘us’ though- with the requirement to split the forums up etc etc....For that reason I agree that things do seem like a divorce :p Nevertheless, hopefully everybody will find their way onto this server come autumn, I will undoubtedly be moving across then. With regards to the post heading- nope I don’t think it’s the end of the community, just the name were flying under. I’m sure the dedicated and regular members from over the years will all ‘jump site’ across to the new BVA address.
Back in the RW, I hope everyone is keeping well, and I look forward to speaking to you all again soon (Standard summer pressures / change in career direction / exams / stress, force lack of regular contact with you all at the moment sadly!) Best wishes, Christian |
| Martijn de Niet 3rd Aug 2012 22:06:10 | I did not have an e-mail either... gues im not a regular?? :P (or was) |
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