Permies favours perennial discussion

Because I cannot find the thread where Paul said this, I wanted to mention that Permies is a place for perennial discussion.

What that means, is we are creating a permaculture resource as well as a place where we can share neat things with each other.  It's okay to revive old threads and keep the conversation going.  

I love perennial threads for plant breeding. I am still contributing to discussions that were started a decade ago, that follow the ongoing evolution of some of my collaborative plant breeding projects.

COVID-19 is affecting all our lives.  Members here have lost jobs and loved ones and it's only just starting.  Uncertainty of shopping, supply chains, schools haunts us all.  People are afraid.  These are difficult times.

As a high-risk individual, I'm watching the news closely.  But permies is my happy place I can shut out the fear of the world and focus on solutions.  Everlasting solutions that are applicable today, yesterday, and tomorrow.  I like to imagine, that many people seek refuge and community in these uncertain times and that permies can provide what they need.

In 40 years from now, will anyone care about COVID except as a historical footnote like the flu pandemic of 1918-19?  I've been wondering, how can we transform this immediate threat into something more perennial?

We already have many, many, perhaps too many, threads about COVID.  It's a worrying topic and doubly so for the moderators as we are worried for our family and friends, and in some cases, grieving.  Then we come here and see some of our online friends being less than excellent with each other.  It's a double dose and it's fatiguing.  


My thoughts today: here are some questions to ask yourself when starting a thread inspired by the current crisis
1. does this topic help infect brains with permaculture?
2. is there a way to transform this topic into something more perennial?  Something more general that would have been fun to read a year ago and just as much fun after this crisis is over?
3. is it solution-focused?  Does it offer or ask for ideas to make the world a better place?
4. or is it being angry at bad guys - and if so, perhaps it's time to save the draft and sleep on it before deciding to post.  

Through kindness and community, we can make permies a happy place where people can find solutions.  

At this time, talking about COVID on the permies forums is okay (within the limits of the publishing standards).  I'm just musing about where permies will be in 20 years and what will our future selves be interested in?  Viruses are forever, but specific pandemics come and go.  

I love that old threads are still open to be posted on, just because a thread on apples is 7 years old doesn't mean it isn't still relevant or useful!

A few years ago, somebody told me that there is a really great and active community on facebook for rocket mass heaters.   I pointed out that if you have a discussion on facebook, about 300 people see it and in a couple of days the discussion is gone.  But if you have the same discussion on permies, the same number of people see it during the discussion, but over the next year that number will grow to about 1500.  And the discussion can continue for years to come.  And permies doesn't sell your information or listen to your conversations.   Even more:  will there be a day where you will have to pay facebook for access?

So maybe that group on facebook encourages a certain flavor of discussion than what we encourage here.  Diversity is good.  And it is only natural for me to think this site is better - because it is better by my standards.  

Yes, permies favors perennial discussion.  Many of the topics will be just as wonderful 20 years later.  And as the years pass, there will be some newer information.