Storm's OneDrive is closed

[Storm]

STORM'S ONEDRIVE IS CLOSED
(But flight plans are still available until further notice.)

On 2015-07-02 I received the following email from Microsoft:

We’ve received the attached notice that something on your OneDrive violates the Microsoft Services Agreement (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=232422). Sharing has been turned off for the file or files on your OneDrive.
To keep your account in good standing, we recommend that you review all your files and make sure they comply with the Microsoft Services Agreement. Repeated violations may result in loss of all sharing on OneDrive or permanent shutdown of your Microsoft account.
If this is related to a copyright infringement claim, see https://www.microsoft.com/info/MSDMCA.aspx
Thank you,
Microsoft Corporation

I have no idea to what this relates. They didn't tell me. It seemed to be something in my Vintage Hangar as no downloads from that folder were possible from anonymous accounts.

Nor did whoever complained and made this happen contact me personally first, as I'd requested in the READMEs. My original README said this:

WHY THESE PLANES ARE HERE

I'm a retired pilot/engineer/instructor and this is my private aircraft collection, based on freeware from around the world. I have a dozen or so friends at msFlights.net who share my enthusiasm for vintage airplanes, and this Skydrive (now OneDrive) seems like a good way to share that collection with them. All the work I put in is voluntary and there's never any money involved.

IF YOUR ORIGINAL DESIGN IS HERE

** If you think you're getting insufficient credit for your work, please let me know and I'll put that right. I do my best but sometimes someone's name may slip through.
** If you think I don't have permission to share your work, please be assured I will have tried to get that permission previously, but obviously the message didn't get through, or perhaps I misinterpreted your copyright notice. Please just let me know and I'll remove it from the Hangars, or I'll append a "with special permission" notice if you prefer.
** If you have updates I can share with my friends, we'd be delighted to see them! Please do check first how I've progressed your design - usually only in the panel and flight tuning - because you may like to incorporate my changes in your next release.

IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME

I recommend you do so via msFlights.net, as this collection is primarily offered as a service to that community.
Best wishes,
Storm

Apparently this was not sufficient.

This repository was created in good faith as a service to my little flying community. I was careful not to tread on anyone's toes, but apparently some people have very big toes.

I'm too old to be interested in fighting or arguing. I'm not interested in a repeat performance. I'm not interested in sorting this out piecemeal. Consequently I have removed all files from public access.

There was a lot of work involved for me, aircraft by aircraft, adding them to my OneDrive - sometimes as much as 4 weeks for particular aircraft I felt needed a lot of work to be useful to my community.

All water under the bridge.

I apologize to anyone who is inconvenienced by this.

NOTICE TO GROUP FLIGHT ORGANIZERS:
If your event links to a suitable free aircraft that could once have been downloaded from my OneDrive, please be advised that none of these are available anymore. You may wish to amend the wording of future events that you post.

Fly safely.

Storm

[WarHawK]

This is most likely automated from some immature individual making a report. Hopefully this gets resolved soon; I see your OneDrive to be a valuable resource to this community.

[Storm]

This is most likely automated from some immature individual making a report.

Possibly. Possibly not.

If it was someone taking a swipe at me, they'll be disappointed to learn they failed since I'm not affected. It was just a humble service, and I was never interested in kudos or reputation. I don't even find it an inconvenience as it saves me time I can spend on other things, since everyone knows I am incorrigibly lazy!

If it was someone taking a swipe at the community, one can only feel sorry for them as the impact is small. Most existing members will have downloaded what they need already so they won't miss it, and I haven't uploaded anything new apart from flight plans this year.

If it was someone with a genuine copyright grievance, they're quite justified in taking the course of action they did, despite other possibly mutually more beneficial options being available. They will be pleased to know their work is safeguarded.

So no big deal.

[Coast]

Possibly. Possibly not.

If it was someone taking a swipe at me, they'll be disappointed to learn they failed since I'm not affected. It was just a humble service, and I was never interested in kudos or reputation. I don't even find it an inconvenience as it saves me time I can spend on other things, since everyone knows I am incorrigibly lazy!

If it was someone taking a swipe at the community, one can only feel sorry for them as the impact is small. Most existing members will have downloaded what they need already so they won't miss it, and I haven't uploaded anything new apart from flight plans this year.

If it was someone with a genuine copyright grievance, they're quite justified in taking the course of action they did, despite other possibly mutually more beneficial options being available. They will be pleased to know their work is safeguarded.

So no big deal.

You have always been extremely generous to the members of this community, and this act, whatever it is, doesn't change a thing.

-Coast

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

^^^ What Coast said ! ^^^ (From all of us who fly your modifications and recomendations).

I have the install files garnered from Storm's OneDrive. I have Google drive. With Storm's permission, I'll take freeware file requests here in his thread. Some of those Storm enhanced and vetted freeware aircraft have become necessary staples in iconic group flight here in our community. I'm sure all the "regulars" have all the popular Storm modified aircraft but the more recently joined interested community members don't.

Storm, will you consider my thinly veiled proposition a request for your specific permission? You know I and others have always admired your extremely strict adherence to these freeware aircraft authors' terms of use and permitted methods of file dissemination.

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

Additionally, only tangentially relevant to my post #5 and Storm's OP, Bigbox hosts msFLIGHTS.net's Lockheed Martin PREPAR3D multiplayer service out of our Las Vegas IP address. It is therefore on line 24/7. BigBox is available and therefore capable of additional community utilization not requiring router ports 6112-6122 or the Steam specific 27016 (held in reserve as backup for msFlights.net North America Steam server). While I fully realize we have able and adequate file service from several of our facilities (TeamSpeak file browser, our website's vault, etc.) if there is reason and need for BigBox to locally host APPROPRIATE files, consider this that offer.

I will approach the staff about additional FSX-ESP graphics engine based sim programs' hosting soon. P3D server, as expected, has little traffic. While I intend to have BigBox serve P3D when not hosting anything else, there is ample opportunity to commandeer BigBox for VRS TacPack operations (I own one TacPack license on the community's behalf), special configuration FSX classic or FSX Steam group flight, high packet draw requirements such as cockpit sharing, etc.

[Karl]

Storm:

So sad to read this news. I can certainly appreciate your feelings. I will lend whatever support I can to help you and the community with this wonderful resource that you've created.

Off the top of my head I can think of a couple of ways that I could help. Provide you with a method of distribution on my data computer that you could control more completely than a "OneDrive". The service that I pay for that provides my email service is actually part of a web server package. I only use it for email. The web service is pretty robust I've been told by some people in the know who have looked at it. The files could easily be hosted there as well. I can help organize the members to petition MS communicate with us as to the nature of the material.

Let me know what you think.

[Travis]

Wow how sad this would happen. Luckily I downloaded the whole one drive in one package a few months ago : ) but for the people that don't have the material is who I feel bad for. A supreme collection that obviously from the supporting messages above, is a true asset to our community and really shows how much we have appreciated your work Storm, and for that and behalf of our community members, I sincerely thank you for your generosity, time, and support here. You make a true positive difference in our lives, which I don't believe you get enough credit for. Don't ever forget that my friend! "its only been a day and we already miss it." -Lazerbolt, and I couldn't agree with him more. I would like to come up with some other means of distribution, Since we all know very well how our friend that is meticulous about documentation wouldn't dare to do something like this, it would be nice if we could make a new Storms Drive based off maybe something like what Bob was saying like big box, or similar. Not a 3rd party company. Also something accessible exclusively to Storm and the server owner. I think we should get together and purchase him a domain as Storms Drive!
This all said only if it is agreed upon by him.

Added: Also could we use the File browser for group flights for the day of request. Example: I make a flight, with storms permission, request his stingray in the GRP FLT file browser, so the whole day before the flight people can get it from there, then after midnight eastern, it gets erased. I know we were trying to avoid the file browser, but I don't see how one file for 24 hours on occasion would cause harm.

[Kalo]

Wow, that's a shame! (the copyright cartel is interested in flightsim??). As others have said I would be willing to help you move files to our forum/vault. I know previously you said you would like an index page...I could set that up it shouldn't be too hard to make an index of downloads where each link goes to a forum post for more details and the download.

Currently we use OpenDrive to store files. Here is our public folder where anyone can upload/share files without an account: https://www.opendrive.com/folders?M1...Njc3NV9vb0s3dg

If you felt like it, OpenDrive has a nice windows download where you can browse/organize all the folders in our account from a regular windows File Explorer window which makes it pretty convenient.

[ak416]

Unfortunate, it was nice having everything in one place and with some of the additional fixes.

Word of caution though if you decide to rehost, be careful where it is hosted. I don't recommend putting them on the Open Drive, for example. Assuming the files were removed because a legitimate copyright holder did not want their work being shared, that is their right and there would be nothing stopping them from making another copyright claim on the Open Drive.

It's quite a task getting content removed because of copyright issues, so I would be really surprised if this was anything but a legit claim. Here is the that you would fill out to report something for copyright infringement on OneDrive, link

[Travis]

I hate to disagree with you AK, I could fill that form out with anyones info in about 5-10 min and check the "Good Faith" box, therefore removing me from legalities. I am sure Microsoft employees just read the report and take action without investigation until the supplier, (in this case storm) submits a false claim report. I am interested on which plane it was, I am sure everyone in this community would be more than happy to have it taken down if it bothers someone.

[Storm]

Thank you all for your kind words and generous offers. Some important points:

1. Please remember this is all no problem to me personally. I'm as happy as ever!
2. As a creator of original work myself, I have a strong respect for developer rights and copyrights. The fact that I give my work away freely for no charge does not invalidate different approaches by others who may wish to retain control or extract profit. I am always interested in safeguarding the rights of content developers.
3. The fact that I removed all access to OneDrive files, and not just the Vintage Hangar that seemed to be affected, was of course not an admission of any guilt but it was simply the way to cover all possible present and future scenarios. That way anyone who felt their work was inadvertently compromised by my OneDrive (if that was indeed the problem) can now rest in peace knowing their work is safe.
4. I am not asking for the old contents of my OneDrive to be hosted elsewhere. In fact I wish it to be known that I do not give anyone permission to do so, and that any files turning up elsewhere will neither be hosted at my request nor with my permission. There is no point in anyone else inheriting my problems or my perpetuating them.

The world is wide. There are many other ways that I feel able to contribute to the wonderful people in this community. I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to do so. :eagerness:

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

This is your call to make, Storm. We understand exactly what you have said here in your reply #12.

In fact I wish it to be known that I do not give anyone permission to do so, and that any files turning up elsewhere will neither be hosted at my request nor with my permission.

I therefore rescind my public and general offer of file hosting by individual request that I made in my post #5. This altering of my offer is a direct respect for your wishes. However...I will continue to be my old helpful self and I will without hesitation direct desirous pilots to the original freeware file locations for the affected aircraft. Your modifications of these installation files are your work to do with as you see fit. I promise you that any files that may turn up in any elsewheres over which I have control will NOT be posted with your permission nor at your request.

My post #6 in this thread is not directly related to your stipulations on freeware aircraft files in you OP and that offer by me to the community staff is still offered and valid.

[Storm]

Thank you Bob. Bear in mind it is public hosting that I'm neither requesting nor approving. Naturally I have no control over what individuals choose to share privately.

[Prdude62]

Sorry to hear what happened to your One Drive . I for one appreciated all that you do for the community by giving us these magnificent aircraft . It's sad that one individual did not appreciate the work you did for all of us as a community .