Goodbye, So Long.....

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

...and thanks for all the fish!

 

This will be my last post as administrator of these forums, and I wanted to thank everybody for the many years of participation, comments, complaints, rants, and compliments. My first posts are 19 years old by now, and when I read them back I am happy to see that, basically, not a lot has changed. In fact, since I started moderating forums on CompuServe 29 years ago, my basic idea about moderation has never changed.  Simply be as open and honest as commercially possible; never be politically correct, and never be afraid to say no. Always stand in front of your moderators; I get paid to take shit; they do not. Moderate as little as possible; forums have a self-healing capacity.

 

Since I stepped down from the forums, they have not been a happy place, and my fingers are itching to start to mend bridges and restore confidence. But that would be incorrect. I have made my comments in private to the persons who will have to take over my role here. A forum is a combination of ideas about how it should look from the administrator and the community. With me gone, the forum will change. And that is as it should be. My opinions on that are of no importance. 

 

For me, our flight simulator hobby was always about the people, not so much the simulator. I simply like flightsimmers. That's why I organized so many events in the 1990s; it was just a way to get friends around. Flightsimmers have one thing in common; they want to learn and master new skills. I remember my first low-vis ILS landing. Dropping out of the clouds at 350 feet and seeing the runway (roughly) in front of you was a monumental event for me. I did a thing! Every simmer I know will always be willing to try something new. A more complex approach, a more complex aircraft, a manual circle to land. And this curiosity and willingness to learn makes flightsimmers people I tend to like. They are 'interesting.' After you discussed the latest PMDG release, you can easily discuss a book. Now I love my car enthusiast friends, but not many of them will understand the first line of this post.

 

That is why moderating forums was always a joy for me. I made very solid friends who I met on these forums. Others made me laugh; some made me think. Even dealing with the occasional troll was mostly fun. Occasionally being insulted comes with the job, and having fun made of my family name does not really upsets me. Heck, my father was called Ruud Kok, and his brother, called Dick Kok, emigrated to Canada!

 

Moderating these forums was a privilege. It was by far the best part of my job at Aerosoft. In my new job, I will most likely not interact with customers often. However, you will most likely see my name pop up, and if you visit events you will still see me with a new company name on the badge. 

 

Godspeed to all of you. 

 

[Tom A320 4915]

I read your name many years ago the first time before I even started to think of interacting on the forum here as well.

 

For me, you simply are "Mr. Aerosoft Forum", always have been and most likely always will be  

 

It was a huge pleassure to work more closely with you the last years, and I have to admit that I learned a thing or two from you when it comes to moderation. One thing is, that you always have been much more patient than I was. You always lead with good example and that is it what the community here will remember you for!

 

Looking forward to see you some time in the future at any of the events you actually initiated many years ago for the flight sim community in Europe.

 

Thanks for all, good luck and happiness in your new job and it was my pleassure to serve all the fish!

 

[SimWare 731]

Het allerbeste voor jou, Mathijs.

Bedankt voor alles.

[catchymussel 51]

Good luck in your new role!