@Paul-Smith-3
I just logged in to this forum for the first time in almost a year, and I actually laughed when I read through this thread.
Just search for posts with my username and you'll see that I was very much in the same boat that you are now last year. Obviously nothing has changed.
While doing a three week trip in the spring of 2025 in totally unfamiliar areas, and after spending MANY hours meticulously planning the trip in the online MRA route planner in advance, I experienced numerous MRA navigation issues that I documented to the forum that I took the time to do while on the trip. Not imagined issues.... documented oneswith screenshots and detailed explanations.
When I tried to discuss and understand how to work around these real issues here on the forum, I got the same type of useless responses that you just got from some of the "experienced" contributors. They seemingly didn't really read and/or understand what I was explaining, or they were purposely choosing to ignore it. It was very, very frustrating.
My perception was (and still is) that here on the forum it wasn't / isn't acceptable to post MRA issues or constructive criticism. If you did post an issue then it was assumed that you were either an idiot that couldn't read or comprehend the manual or MRA, or that you were just a complainer. I'm neither.
I finally gave up trying to get useful answers from this forum and used my backup Garmin XT using the .gpx files generated by MRA's route planner to finish the trip without surprises or issues.
I have lifetime subscriptions for all of the MRA products as I do believe in them. I'm very technically inclined and I am very familiar with most of the navigation apps and devices, their advantages and their weaknesses (MRA, Basecamp, Kurviger, multiple Garmin devices, Apple Carplay, DMD) etc.
I, like you, do read the manual thoroughly (which in MRA's case understandably does change constantly and isn't always current). I also personally take offense when someone lazily posts "RTFM" instead of taking the time to read and totally comprehend what I've taken the time to write and offer succinct advice on how to solve my issue.
IMO, this users' forum could, and would be MUCH more useful if the seasoned participants would be much less defensive about MRA's shortcomings, and offer direct, to-the-point help instead of condescending bulls***.
In 1996 (pre-Internet boom by a long shot) I started a technology businesses from the ground up culminating with over 30,000 subscription customers with an SAS business model and exiting with a sale to a global technology company. I'm not a technology rookie.
There's one thing that I learned very early on in my journey.... you can't fix a problem unless you 1) understand it and 2) admit that it's a problem. Ignoring a problem doesn't fix it..... ever!
Here's my recommendation..... If you, as experienced MRA users, wish to help MRA succeed, when a valid issue is raised on the forum your response should be "yes, we recognize that's a problem or limitation, and until it's resolved here's what we do to work around it."
I appreciate and respect that type of honest, intelligent and helpful response! I'm quite sure that others feel the same way!
Experienced MRA forum members that respond to forum posts regarding MRA problems or limitations with totally unhelpful and condescending replies, IMO, are ultimately being detrimental to the future success of MRA, and I'm sure that's not anyone's true intent!
MRA's developers, the program itself, and the MRA users overall are absolutely great. I would not take the time to write this if I didn't believe completely in the people and the product.
That said.... I have no doubt that I'm going to get blasted (again), but that's ok. Life goes on!
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