 As someone with a deep interest in the history of 400 scale it is disappointing to see that Waffle has decided to hide the public facing information on the DIMA database website. Further he has been blaming me for those actions. As is usually the case in these situations the real reasons are more complicated and have little to do with me directly, however I'm an easy target. So here is the truth as to my involvement. NOTE: Since Waffle has felt the need to post screenshots of private messages between the two of us I guess he's fine with me doing the same? DIMA Background I believe that a functioning model database is a massive resource to collectors and I want there to be one, preferably one that is modern, up to date and useful. To that end I had been helping Waffle with DIMA for years. DIMA is primarily a database to power Waffle's retail store. It isn't some altruistic vision. He started the public facing side of it when it looked like the DAC forum, and the associated wings900 database it has, were going to close. Unfortunately, his divisive nature and the survival of DAC meant it never really took off. Nonetheless, he kept the DIMA database going as it powered sales to his store and he needs the back-end database it uses to run the store front-end. Any models in the database added over the past 4 or 5 years that Waffle doesn't sell (all Aeroclassics, most of the Pandas and anything unusual) has been entered by me because I believe in the role a model database has to play. I did this for free. All the data in the DIMA database has been provided by model manufacturers publically as part of their release announcements. It is widely available on the forums (DAC and MAF) and other retailer stores, who do exactly the same thing but don't have the public database. A good chunk of it is a copy of the old wings900 DAC database, which is still available. DIMA Closure Threats Waffle informed me, in one of his fits of rage, in early 2024, that the DIMA database would be taken down because he was angry at his customers and comments people made on the Facebook groups. He didn't feel that he was getting the respect or thanks he deserved.   A New Database In March a guy called JayMadDog started a thread on the MAF forum saying he wanted to create a new model database. I had no involvement with this in anyway. At the time I decided not to get involved. It looked like a massive job and I didn't think I had the time. By the start of June the new database had come a long way, without my help, and had a lot of cool new functionality plus a reasonably complete database. Plus he's got Gemini Jets permission to use their data and images. The number one issue was a lack of images, something I could help with as I have contacts with manufacturers and a big collection of my own. Given the benefits of the new platform I started to think maybe I should help and mentioned this to Waffle on June 1st. This was the response:    Since Waffle took my DIMA access away it basically made my decision for me as I wanted a useful up-to-date db to use and without me populating the data on DIMA that wouldn't be the place. Progress at MADb I started helping Jay with MADb going through the 400 scale records manually and updating them where there were errors, adding missing records etc. Most of all I started adding photographs. I began a thread on the MAF forum to chart my progress here. Waffle's reaction to this has been to hide all the DIMA records (his website so his choice) and blame me for stealing his data. I want to reiterate that:
Since Waffle posted that screenshot of our private conversation you might be interested to read how it ended:  Summary I'll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions as to why Waffle took DIMA 'down' (the reality is it is still up and he's still going to use it he just doesn't want you to). It doesn't make any sense to me other than due to the reasons he himself gave above. It certainly doesn't hinder MADb in anyway, but he is obviously angry that there is a competing database out there, albeit one that is not for profit. If he has issues with where MADb got some of their data then he can take it up with them as it isn't my database.
Regardless I continue to have no ownership of MADb whatsoever and was just helping out getting the database up to standard. Comments are closed.
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I'm Richard Stretton, an aviation enthusiast and major collector of 400 scale model aircraft. This blog discusses ongoing events in the world of 400 scale. This site is free. Please donate to keep it going.
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