Split off from the topic SOTM archiving on the wiki.
I've created a Wikipedia sandbox page with some updated text to bring the article into 2019 first: link here.
Only copied sections I changed, either for misc cleanup or new text. Only text.
- Small update to flight dynamics (JSBSim / YASIM), partly based on observing the talk page. A bit more visual cues/rendering.
-Small intro to physics of flight.
-Added a paragraph on atmospheric physics. +bit on celestial simulation(not much written about it ). +Explanation of live METAR.
-Added visual cues and rendering section
-Misc and additions to history, intro.
The approach I took was to not hide reality of the thing being simulated - even though flying games & (maybe) other sims may find it convenient to ignoring parts. The added text on FG is shortish, but can be expanded. I took the approach of briefly describing flight and atmosphere physics first to clear up any unituitive misconceptions, and save .
Thoughts? Feel free to edit the sandbox (if that's possible), PM me or post here with advice on the approach & corrections to text.
-Atmosphere physics: enough? Other references? I can expand each sentence in 1st paragraph with a subsection 2-4 sentences long if needed. Can also write an example of it in action if it's appropriate.
-Rendering & visual cues: Things missing? inaccuracies?
It's a start. Lots of to do for anyone. Other areas I haven't touched that should exist like systems and modelling capability (e.g. it's noteworthy that a scripting language was created with FGs requirements).
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Incidentally the main article is waiting on wikipedia bureaucracy to finish . A person who only deletes gaming content according to his talk page [1] based on a game article requirements format, and has a talk page full of complaints [2],
has deleted most of the article (existing text and images, including a bit of new text from me) [3]. The other text on his talk page says he is often away because of RL He also doesn't appear to understand commercial re-distribution of already freely distributed product and has added use by institutions next to sale by scams.
Based on the talk page archive, it appears the WP flightsim project(??) noticed and told him to strongly to revert but there hasn't been any edits despite the RFC notice on the talk page [link]. Not sure what happens next.
I had intended to work on the main page bit by bit, and ask for input here when done, but used a sandbox instead.
The reason I worked a bit on history and updated JSBSim was the talk page I saw, with the gaming person asserting FG was not noteworthy as he couldn't easily find gaming sources. Perhaps it should be more clear FG isn't a game, maybe with quoted text from the flightgear.org/about page.
Is there a benefit in the medium term in the article falling under the WP gaming project given past neglect and lack of knowledge of outside closed source windows-gaming? Maybe there should be with an asterisk with advice? Just flightsim project should be sufficient going by the format of the MSFS page, or maybe with any simulation/aerospace related projects added?
After the current updates are finalised I'll also quote the RPS articles on the scam and their ethical criticism, to replace text the person deleted for PoV instead of looking for other sources discussing the ethics of the matter to quote.
After a bit of use.. the new wiki visual editor has a pretty low barrier of entry, easier than a forum post with no markup. It also has built in search for cross-references that's useful, and some auto-fill for website references that I haven't fully learned.
Kind regards