My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!
My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!
we CAN build a better world
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Ernie and Erica
Wood burning stoves, Rocket Mass Heaters, DIY,
Stove plans, Boat plans, General permiculture information, Arts and crafts, Fire science, Find it at www.ernieanderica.info
paul wheaton wrote:I think there is a bizarre bunch of things going on with all this stuff that most of you don't know about.
#1
Ernie and Erica would teach people, for free, for years. I posted videos for free. And because there were places where a few people did not understand the physics or the math, they would say mean and hurtful things. But smarter folks would understand and have great success.
Eventually the message was optimized so that people had less fuel for their ugliness.
So the first message is, keep in mind that those people that try to help others for free tend to get an ugly shit storm for payment.
#2
I am dumbfounded at the number of fire themed bucket-of-horrors that are created and the creator proudly yells "rocket mass heater!" --- no, that is not a rocket mass heater. You need to come up with your own name for that freak show of flaming death.
#3
I have managed on-line forums for over 25 years. So I am used to people contacting me outside of the forums to ask me questions that really belong in the forums. And I am a mega hard ass about it and say: If you ask me your question in the forum, I will answer you in the forum at no charge. Outside of the forum, it would seem that you are asking me for a private consultation, and I charge $160 per hour for that.
It is bizarre the number of people who email me (or send a PM from all sorts of PM services) and say "you don't know me, but I have a question about rocket mass heaters." I tell them the above and their response is "I don't like forums, can't you just answer my questions over email?" "Yes, I can. Here is my paypal account, please send me $160." "That is ridiculously rude beyond words! How do you expect to change the world with an attitude like that?"
The answer, of course, is that I cannot help 20,000 people if my time is consumed by one person. Posts in the forums help thousands.
Ernie and Erica get bombarded with similar stuff in their email. I try to tell them to charge these folks or direct them back to the forums. Usually they remember, but sometimes they are too softhearted. And being softhearted is nearly always punished.
#4
These are growing pains. This is a technology with a popularity that is growing exponentially. The people that are involved are being run ragged. There is just not enough time in the day to personally help everybody. And a lot of folks that have come to the forums to learn, and have left once their rocket mass heater is working well. They do not feel the same compulsion to help others. Especially when helping people seems to always come with so much pain.
It isn't really the fault of the newbie. They're new! They don't know all this stuff that is happening. Since they are new, they probably think there are only 12 of these build each year and they will be one of the 12! So, surely, the great experts will be excited to hear about their efforts! The reality is that there are thousands being build this year - probably five times more this year than last year. And a lot of those people are seeking help privately - and want it for free.
All of the people in the rocket mass heater world are trying to figure out ways to cope with the freakishly massive demands on their time. As the crowds grow ever larger, the previous techniques will fail, nerves will get frayed, and new techniques will need to be tried under the banner of "trial and error" - and the "error" part will surely lead to more stumbles.
An ever growing massive gob of less-than-perfect human beings trying to collectively move forward.
#5
I would like to ask people to try to use a slight language differentiation. A "rocket stove" is for cooking - typically outdoors. A "rocket mass heater" is based on rocket stove technology, but is for heating your home - typically indoors. Calling it a "rocket stove mass heater" is okay. But when you say you want to heat your home with a "rocket stove" then a lot of people get concerned about the smoke and gasses that will build up in your house and then everybody will die. Adhering to this tiny bit of vocabulary stuff soothes a lot of problems.
Ask me about food.
How Permies.com Works (lots of useful links)
Ask me about food.
How Permies.com Works (lots of useful links)
Name calling and rude comments should be grounds for getting kicked off any Forum.
The "Gold Crowns" consider the people who ask questions about how to do something "less than perfect" or "less smart".
My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!
Ask me about food.
How Permies.com Works (lots of useful links)
Name calling and rude comments should be grounds for getting kicked off any Forum.
The "Gold Crowns" consider the people who ask questions about how to do something "less than perfect" or "less smart".
http://wildernessreturn.wordpress.com/
my wilderness return story and adveture
we CAN build a better world
Sustainable Plantations and Agroforestry in Costa Rica
Need more info?
Ernie and Erica
Wood burning stoves, Rocket Mass Heaters, DIY,
Stove plans, Boat plans, General permiculture information, Arts and crafts, Fire science, Find it at www.ernieanderica.info
Projects, plans, resources - now on the Permies.com digital marketplace.
Try the Everything Combo as a reference guide.
Sustainable Plantations and Agroforestry in Costa Rica
Sustainable Plantations and Agroforestry in Costa Rica
Fred Morgan wrote:ask questions of people a little better than you
Idle dreamer
Intermountain (Cascades and Coast range) oak savannah, 550 - 600 ft elevation. USDA zone 7a. Arid summers, soggy winters
we CAN build a better world
Ask me about food.
How Permies.com Works (lots of useful links)
I brought this back from the farm where they grow the tiny ads:
Rocket Mass Heater Jamboree And Updates
https://permies.com/t/170234/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Jamboree-Updates
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