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Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

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Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

Postby Michat » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:28 am

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Re: Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

Postby Hooray » Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:22 pm

nothing wrong about selling FlightGear on ebay - especially not because it's actually saying it IS FlightGear and not some "scam" selling outdated FG versions under a different name.

As long as it says FlightGear, it isn't even morally questionable.

In fact, what would be really useful is, people also selling git/fgdata on dvd/usb stick so that people can more easily get it without having to pay for bandwidth.
Thinking about it, a whole "development environment" on a USB stick (8-16 gb) could be really useful. I'd probably be willing to pay 20-50 USD for it if it's Linux-based, bootable and can be easily installed next to other OS. :D


Ideally, this would come with all the tools required for working on FG, compilers, IDEs, editors, GIMP, Inkscape, Blender and maybe even TerraGear :shock:

IIRC, a while back, Curt also listed official FG versions on ebay - just to provide some "competition" - and to help influence the market price.

Also $10 US (including shipping!) is perfectly reasonable for people who don't have DSL/cable internet, and who would otherwise have to pay for crazy amounts of bandwidth. In addition, some of these still advertize providing "Free Customer Support".

So with all these people selling FG on ebay, it's least for a reasonable fee (some only charge as little as <= $5 US).

The only problem I have is that they are selling outdated versions (FG 2.0) and claiming it to be "the latest".
Personally, I would suggest to request resellers to make some things explicitly clear, such as:
  • it's FlightGear that's being offered (or it's based on it)
  • FlightGear is a free flight simulator that can be downloaded from flightgear.org
  • the version of FlightGear for sale
  • the differences/advantages in comparison to simply downloading it from the official website

Charging for FlightGear is not generally wrong, as long as the customer/client actually receives a corresponding product and/or service, such as support for example.
I know for a fact that I wouldn't mind paying for certain OSS software as long as certain services are included. As a communtiy we are not particularly good at providing support to end users who are not very tech-savvy for example. There's tons of research and learning involved, including a really steep learning curve. If some commercial entity were to offer commercial-grade services to end users, that could actually be beneficial for FG as a whole.
Please don't send support requests by PM, instead post your questions on the forum so that all users can contribute and benefit
Thanks & all the best,
Hooray
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Re: Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

Postby Michat » Sat Jan 26, 2013 6:16 am

I'm totally agree with you, I didn't know FG was placed on Ebay too, for such a wonderful price-value rate. :shock: Low Fly by price :shock: .

Is a good idea to GIT from USB, a lot of people can't GIT and can be easy differentiated from the standard general FG packet.

I think is a pretty good good idea the usb key, but only for Linux?? There must be a license reason...



There are new ideas rounding freesoftware, I meet on internet a shop that sells freesoftware logos t-shirts, and I think objects too. They are doing great, giving good ideas for freesoftware project and buyers. They are giving culture, I mean cult object t-shirts and objects. No boring mugs just more culture against typical merchandising.

Free software is not a product now, whenever it's sold in horribles webstores or in software centers, now the product is the result of the sume of that freesoftware culture and effort. Smart, Cult, intelligent, fancy, fun, free, open, independent, solidarity and gently freedom.

http://www.zazzle.com/free+software+tshirts also see postals (postcards)

I believe in the freesoftware freehardware inter-cooperation. Good idea include GImp and others. There is a great value freesoftware family out there, we must improved that relations creating or becoming part of that freesoftware high value applications circuit.

My experience in FG tells me that about 90 % of new users are good teenagers mainly (future is FG) whose after no more than a month in FG they buy joystick for the first time.

I believe that FG can be a part of a joystick bundle promotion.
Hardware brands can benefit entering in a new market niche. FG give the software, and received money or promotional discounts. Is there a freehardware company selling jokes?.

Another strategic idea is that FG devs can share 3d models to use with the freehardware 3D printer http://www.lulzbot.com/ giving prestige and connection to both projects notoriously, and perhaps parts pieces for Curt's aircrafts :) Of course those models can also be shared on a mediagoblin federated server, so it could be seen rendered via web. https://gobblin.se/

FGFreeEmbassy foreign office. There is a free world out there. It's up to us, create better relations and released in coordination.

I vote for create a poll, not a typical poll if one change is approved or not, the truth is not democratic, I mean and intelligent and complex poll, lets try to:

1# create a poll for newbies after FG install, short, simple and gently, anonymous feedback is good. Web and or Forum.
2# create a strict poll detecting specific points of the general FG experience, pilots devs, fly, favorites planes, Bla Bla why, where, why, what, who..... and so on.. no personal data just experience.


More ideas please.... Comment....
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Re: Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

Postby Hooray » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:54 pm

I believe in the freesoftware freehardware inter-cooperation. Good idea include GImp and others. There is a great value freesoftware family out there, we must improved that relations creating or becoming part of that freesoftware high value applications circuit.


Regarding partnerships with hardware vendors, this has been previously discussed on the devel list, even dating as far back as 2004 ...
Most of the core developers back then were fairly strongly opposed to the idea of advertizing certain products or "bundles", this also included the addition of AdSense to the main website: http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear- ... 25271.html (which was also raised by vivian in the other thread here: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=18863 )

Obviously, Curt is the one who owns the domain and who pays for hosting and bandwidth, so he ended up adding AdSense.
It is my understanding that he uses some of this revenue to buy AdWords campaigns and to "fight" FPS scammers that way: http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear- ... 29652.html

So, in the meantime, Curt has actually explored some of these ideas, despite the original opposition:
http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear- ... 05714.html

And recently, after FSWeekend 2012, some core developers also mentioned being interested in such partnerships: http://www.mail-archive.com/flightgear- ... 38645.html

Regarding the other thread, I'm not disagreeing with anything said there - but obviously it is easy to ask for changes, without being the one willing to make these changes, and without being the one who is paying for bandwidth and hosting at the end of the day. While it is probably a pretty safe assumption that the FG website is paying for itself these days (especially given that huge hosting packages have become really cheap recently), this hasn't always been the case - and we should keep in mind that the website hasn't just been in place for 2-3 years only.


Finally, I'm personally not opposed to hardware partnerships - but obviously that requires more management than just running AdSense ads. Still, I do agree that the website doesn't look very professional currently - especially in comparison to other OSS projects and their websites. As you can see, there are people actually exploring these options. But at the end of the day, it's not ideas that matter, but implementing them :D
Please don't send support requests by PM, instead post your questions on the forum so that all users can contribute and benefit
Thanks & all the best,
Hooray
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Re: Who (everybody) is selling FG on Ebay?

Postby Michat » Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:05 am

All roads lead to Rome ¡

Reading you dev list links is obvious that I have not reinvented the wheel. But I'm gonna tell you how I can make that wheel turn, at least in the way that I can help directly, I hope so with a 800mhz pc now :roll: . 15 inches monitor.

I gonna proposed here in the forum a collaborative effort for the creation of desktops backgrounds. Lets give more culture for the users.

Those backgrounds must to satisfy some basic aspects, sorry I'll use my criteria to expose those initial basic aspects. It will be not a stupid poll if the colors are good or bad. Will be, I hope, a working group dedicated to improved FG in the graphic culture way.

Sometimes I feel bad talking about designs, here in FG, I know, there are people that can help in that way. And it's horrible when I try to help doing things, getting a mute as an answer or even once time telling me it seems I wish to organize all designs. Finally resulting final job is undone.

I'll try to rescue some of my old banners.

Lets see if we can give movement to FG culture graphic wheel.
50 cents more. :|
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