Newbies: how to navigate the site efficiently

This is most likely not a new topic but it seemed the only way I could get where I would like to and maybe need to go.

It is apparent to me that my web page roaming skills leave something to be desired.

So, I'm roaming around the different forums and threads but can not figure out how to find the appropriate thread, to ask questions that relate to maybe a video or a book or an offer that is say a few years old, according to the last post, but appears to be still available. As an example, I am considering the 2 chamber cob oven but couldn't find a place to ask, "Can it be made smaller than the, as I understand it, 8' oven size? From the plans in the book or is there an alternative book/plans that show this info?

Is there a "how to navigate permies.com" or a "faq page for newbies". The amount of information is incredible, awesome, and overwhelmingly head exploding and I want to spend more time doing what I came here to do rather than chase my tail around trying to figure out how it works. But, maybe it's just me with this issue, I have so many issues, OOOHHH the voices, if you know what I mean.

I could really use some help as I try to put my skull back together, maybe with duct tape and willow to make it a little, or a lot larger, and maybe not quite as perfect as it was, so that it can be large enough to stuff it full of all the stuff that I want to cram in there.

cheers   james

james cox wrote:This is most likely not a new topic but it seemed the only way I could get where I would like to and maybe need to go.

It is apparent to me that my web page roaming skills leave something to be desired.

Are you, perchance, on a mobile device? We've been working toward revamping that for a while, but funding and time have made it quite difficult! Some people find it easer to scroll down to the bottom of any permies page and click the "Desktop View" link down there. You might find desktop view a bit more intuitive!

So, I'm roaming around the different forums and threads but can not figure out how to find the appropriate thread, to ask questions that relate to maybe a video or a book or an offer that is say a few years old, according to the last post, but appears to be still available. As an example, I am considering the 2 chamber cob oven but couldn't find a place to ask, "Can it be made smaller than the, as I understand it, 8' oven size? From the plans in the book or is there an alternative book/plans that show this info?

Cob oven stuff is likely found in the Energy Category. But, you can't easily post to a category. So when you go to the Energy category, you'll want to select a forum. I'm not very knowledgable about Cob Ovens, but I think that's a type of rocket stove? If it is, go ahead and post it in Rocket Stoves forum!

If  you're not sure, you could instead post it in Wood Burning Stoves forum. Or just post it somewhere and hope a helpful moderator comes along and moves it to the right place. Sometimes people will post and click the "Report" button on their post and say something like, "I'm not sure if I posted this in the right forum. If there's a better forum, please move it there. Thank you!"

You can also feel free to bump old threads. We totally cool with that here! We like keeping information organized and easy for people to access, so if it makes sense to bump an old thread with a reply, go for it!

If the 2-chamber cob stove is the same as double chamber cob oven plans - download, you can reply to that thread, or to any of the other threads about the double chamber cob oven, like these:

Double chamber cob oven - Key proportions?
Double chamber cob oven also used as water heater?
Double Chamber Cob Oven

Or create your own new thread! (I found all of those above threads by searching google, but you can also find our Advanced Search here: https://permies.com/forums/search/)

I feel like I've probably given you way too much information. Sorry about that! Please feel free to ask questions!

Is there a "how to navigate permies.com" or a "faq page for newbies".

Yes, sir, there is! We actually have a few!

How permies.com works - links to useful threads Has links to threads on everything from how to add images to posts, how to format posts, what is permaculture, our publishing standards, and a whole lot more!

Permies FAQ Which has a lot of the same above information, but doesn't require you to click a bunch of threads to get an overview!

Universal Welcome Page Lots of information about the forum in a more narrative format

I could really use some help as I try to put my skull back together, maybe with duct tape and willow to make it a little, or a lot larger, and maybe not quite as perfect as it was, so that it can be large enough to stuff it full of all the stuff that I want to cram in there.

No worries! I had the same issues when I first came here like........9 years ago? (You can see my similar post from way back then here, and that's how the How permies.com works thread came about ) You're not alone!

Nicole Alderman wrote:

james cox wrote:This is most likely not a new topic but it seemed the only way I could get where I would like to and maybe need to go.

It is apparent to me that my web page roaming skills leave something to be desired.

Are you, perchance, on a mobile device? We've been working toward revamping that for a while, but funding and time have made it quite difficult! Some people find it easer to scroll down to the bottom of any permies page and click the "Desktop View" link down there. You might find desktop view a bit more intuitive!

So, I'm roaming around the different forums and threads but can not figure out how to find the appropriate thread, to ask questions that relate to maybe a video or a book or an offer that is say a few years old, according to the last post, but appears to be still available. As an example, I am considering the 2 chamber cob oven but couldn't find a place to ask, "Can it be made smaller than the, as I understand it, 8' oven size? From the plans in the book or is there an alternative book/plans that show this info?

Cob oven stuff is likely found in the Energy Category. But, you can't easily post to a category. So when you go to the Energy category, you'll want to select a forum. I'm not very knowledgable about Cob Ovens, but I think that's a type of rocket stove? If it is, go ahead and post it in Rocket Stoves forum!

If  you're not sure, you could instead post it in Wood Burning Stoves forum. Or just post it somewhere and hope a helpful moderator comes along and moves it to the right place. Sometimes people will post and click the "Report" button on their post and say something like, "I'm not sure if I posted this in the right forum. If there's a better forum, please move it there. Thank you!"

You can also feel free to bump old threads. We totally cool with that here! We like keeping information organized and easy for people to access, so if it makes sense to bump an old thread with a reply, go for it!

If the 2-chamber cob stove is the same as double chamber cob oven plans - download, you can reply to that thread, or to any of the other threads about the double chamber cob oven, like these:

Double chamber cob oven - Key proportions?
Double chamber cob oven also used as water heater?
Double Chamber Cob Oven

Or create your own new thread! (I found all of those above threads by searching google, but you can also find our Advanced Search here: https://permies.com/forums/search/)

I feel like I've probably given you way too much information. Sorry about that! Please feel free to ask questions!

Is there a "how to navigate permies.com" or a "faq page for newbies".

Yes, sir, there is! We actually have a few!

How permies.com works - links to useful threads Has links to threads on everything from how to add images to posts, how to format posts, what is permaculture, our publishing standards, and a whole lot more!

Permies FAQ Which has a lot of the same above information, but doesn't require you to click a bunch of threads to get an overview!

Universal Welcome Page Lots of information about the forum in a more narrative format

I could really use some help as I try to put my skull back together, maybe with duct tape and willow to make it a little, or a lot larger, and maybe not quite as perfect as it was, so that it can be large enough to stuff it full of all the stuff that I want to cram in there.

No worries! I had the same issues when I first came here like........9 years ago? (You can see my similar post from way back then here, and that's how the How permies.com works thread came about ) You're not alone!

Thanks for the sweet response and definitely not too much info.
I found the permie faq originally but did not find it helpful and after your response I went to look for these you have posted but did not find them in any thread, proly right in front of me, which is the worst place it could be for me to find it.
I, so far, have only used the computer for this website not mobile.
Q. What is the $3 for an apple used for?
Q. What's bump?
Q. Why mostly, and then I guess how,  would I use google to find a thread in an existing site?
Q. I tried to do what you did with the excerpt thing but as you can see did not get it right, so how does that work?
Enough q for now.
cheers   james

james cox wrote:Q. What is the $3 for an apple used for?

Hmmm, I think you might be thinking about PIE , rather than apples ? Apples are kind of like "thumbs-up"--they're a way of saying, "This is a great post!" Everyone can give a thumbs-up, but only Moderators (called "Gardeners" and "Stewards"), as well as Pollinators (who aren't moderators, but have made lots of great threads and been really helpful) can give out apples. So, if you get an apple, it means that a long-time, generally awesome permies thought your post was awesome!

PIE, on the other hand, is something anyone can buy or give away. You get one free slice of pie when once you get 20 apples. After than, pie's a bit harder to come by. You either buy it, or someone gives it to you. Sometimes people will give you pie to thank you for a great post, or as a way to say, "I'm so sorry you're going through a hard time." It's really up to the person.

Each slice of PIE lasts one month. PIE also gives you access to some cool stuff, as well as some other nifty benefits  (You can learn more about PIE here)

Q. What's bump?

"Bump" is just a silly internet term for when you reply to a thread an it "bumps" it up higher in the Recent Topics. This gets more people to see it, because most people come to permies and look to see what new things have been posted.

Q. Why mostly, and then I guess how,  would I use google to find a thread in an existing site?

Sometimes you get more or different results that way. Sometimes it's just easier to type search words into a search engine like Google or Duck Duck Go and click the links from there.

When I search google for things on permies, I usually do it one of two ways:

I type something like "2 chamber cob oven permies" into the search engine. That usually works pretty well.

Sometimes, I'll be more specific and do something like "2 chamber cob oven site:permies.com." When you put the "site:permies.com" at the end of a google search, that will search ONLY that site for results.

Sometimes, Google doesn't give me anything useful, so I'll use permies search engine. Sometimes I use both just to get more results. Our search engine here on permies usually only searches each post for specific words, rather than the whole thread. For example, maybe I searched "2 chamber cob stove" on our permies search engine. It might not find the right thread because no one ever used the word "stove" along with "2 chamber cob". Google, on the other hand, might realize that someone else said "stove" in a different post in the thread, and find the thread for you!

Q. I tried to do what you did with the excerpt thing but as you can see did not get it right, so how does that work?

It looks to me that you replied successfully to this post! Was that what you were trying to do, or were you trying something else?

Nah yeah, mate. The $3 question was about pie. I like to know what the cash is going for when I buy something like that. so ie is it world domination(like funding this web site) or something else less nefarious like product from columbia, eh? Which also begs the question, if they are only good for a month how do you accumulate them to purchase stuff?

The excerpt/reply was supposed to include only one of you answers and I got more than that.

It's bin a pleasure, Nicole, thanks for the help.

cheers  james

Like I said, right in front of me. I finally saw the pie link and low and behold, answers, nice. Very tasty.
cheers  james

james cox wrote:Nah yeah, mate. The $3 question was about pie. I like to know what the cash is going for when I buy something like that. so ie is it world domination(like funding this web site) or something else less nefarious like product from columbia, eh?

PIE directly helps support permies! It pays our server bills and keeps our website running. So, yes, it supports Paul's World Domination, but I'm pretty sure it only goes toward this aspect of World Domination, rather than his projects at Wheaton Labs or the creation of his DVDs or books. Pie is kind of our "donate to permies.com" button. In fact, we have a whole thread all about how you can use pie to  Donate to permies.com and get fun stuff in the process!

james cox wrote: Which also begs the question, if they are only good for a month how do you accumulate them to purchase stuff?

You can buy more than one slice at a time! But, a lot of things in the digital market here on permies can be bought with credit card (via paypal), paypal, or even with bitcoin. I personally have never bought anything with my PIE. Like a dragon, I hoard my pie so that I get the perks of PIE, and every so often distribute a piece here or there to some awesome post or to send someone a "I'm so sorry you're going through such a hard time" note.

If you have 12 slices of pie, only one...decomposes?...every month. The others will stay.....vacuumed sealed??....until the next month. So, 12 slices of pie gives you 12 months of pie benefits. If you give someone a piece of pie from your stash, you'll then have 11 months of pie benefits.

james cox wrote:The excerpt/reply was supposed to include only one of you answers and I got more than that.

Ah! When you hit "quote" on a post, it puts the post you quoted in some fancy code that looks something like this:

[ quote=Nicole Alderman] Bla-bla-bla, yackity smackity [ /quote]

You can cut however much of their message out of there, so it only has a snippet of their words. Or--like I've done when replying to your post--write or copy the code to go around other things you want to quote.

This has been super fun and even better, educationalinformativemindexpanding stuff. Hope you like my german form of english, where you combine a bunch of words together to one meaning, if that's really what happens.
Hopefully it will help other, slower newbies like me in the future.

Maybe there should be a thread cald newbies, especially for those of us that are spelling challenged. How would you go about moving this thread to a new thread called newbies if the above thought is a good idea?

james cox wrote:Maybe there should be a thread cald newbies, especially for those of us that are spelling challenged. How would you go about moving this thread to a new thread called newbies if the above thought is a good idea?

Welcome to Permies James! Thanks for some great questions. We sometimes forget how we all struggled as newbies to navigate around the site. Hopefully you'll soon find your way round. If you're struggling don't be afraid to ask,.This thread is already in the right part of the site: the forum called "tinkering with this site". This is the place to ask about anything about Permies, or anything you see here that you don't understand the meaning of. If you want to now clarify what the thread is about to make it easier for newbies to find, you may be able (as thread starter) to change the title to reflect what the thread has become. Different users have different powers of editing, so I'll change it for you just now.

james cox wrote:Maybe there should be a thread cald newbies, especially for those of us that are spelling challenged. How would you go about moving this thread to a new thread called newbies if the above thought is a good idea?

We have a forum for "newbies" or what that matter anyone that wants to post an introduction:

https://permies.com/f/68/introductions

I saw you mentioned books and videos and yes, we have a forum for those:

https://permies.com/f/83/books

https://permies.com/f/84/videos

Anne and Nancy
thanks for the sweet words, although i joined a little more than a year ago(i just saw a post of mine from that long ago and had comletely forgotten it) i just started using the site more after the kickstarter for the hellen atthowe master gardener course and actually reading some of the permies dailies. been busy in our new domicile.
Anne thanks for the links.
Nancy thanks for the offer to change the thread name but i guess i think it's okay. but if you were to give me some suggestions of new names i might get why. and then i thought, "go here first, newbie" or some such thing. is that the kind of thing you were thinkin but probably even better?
cheers james

I've just put 'Newbies' at the front end of the title. That will high light it and make it easier for people to find.
Really if the FAQ doesn't give what people need, then people asking questions makes us think that maybe another thread need adding to that. The FAQ is visible at the top when you look at the tinkering forum. We are discussing ways of making it easier for people to find.

thanks for that. anything that helps others get up to speed.

Hey, kind of a dumb question:
I don't do credit cards and stuff, but do you know if I can donate to Permies.com using a prepaid gift card?
I would like to contribute as I gain so much from this wonderful site.  

George Tyler wrote:Hey, kind of a dumb question:
I don't do credit cards and stuff, but do you know if I can donate to Permies.com using a prepaid gift card?
I would like to contribute as I gain so much from this wonderful site.  

More on donation here! Prepaid gift card, mostly amazon one, seems to be happily received

donating to the empire

Thanks Nichole for the explanation of apples. I was looking for that because I had a vague idea of what they are but wanted to nail it down. One of the fun things on here that is kind of mysterious.