Robbie Asay

We are also interested in moving to the UP, from Arizona!  We miss snow!

Bee-Pie Phillips wrote:My nephew was murdered last Saturday (13 August 2022). I still can't believe it.

That's awful!  I wish the best for you and your family.  There really are no words.  😭

I've been living in a van or trailer the last 6 years.  I was excited about it at first but when reality hit, I really hate it.  I miss having a bathroom, I miss having a wood stove and most importantly I miss having a kitchen. A real kitchen.  Maybe I'm spoiled now but having those amenities really is important to me. So is a huge garden. I desperately want to grow my food, save seeds, eat healthier, etc.

I have a silver lining at the end of the tunnel.  I got in contact with my boyfriend from high school.  One of the first things he told me was that he always felt we should have been together.  I agreed.  My last boyfriend told me as he walked out the door that he always felt like there was a 3rd person there.  I decided then not to have another relationship.  Well, I lied but at least it's now with the one I never let go. 😉

Good thing too.  I was diagnosed with cancer and he's been with me every step of the way.  There's no way I could've handled this alone.  I won't say that I'm cancer free now, but I'm as close to it as I can get for the moment.  Endometrial cancer is weird.

Here's hoping we can get to our permie dreams soon.  It will be easier with both of us doing it rather than alone.  That's another good thing, we're not alone anymore.  He's been in the van with me since early April.  It's tight, but the 4 of us(cat and dog too) are together.

Take care all.

Hi everyone!  Long time no activity!  I would like to know if there are others in Nevada.  I was going to buy property in NM but my brother is retiring in Nevada and I want to be closer to him.  He was going to try and get property on Lake Tahoe but it's too much so he'll be trying to be close.  I'll have to find a place much cheaper and want to grow produce.

I'd like to hook up with other like minded people in western NV.

I thought about buying in the area but I'm concerned about the amount of fracking in the county.  Has anyone else looked into this?

Lol cute email Paul!  I'm sorry I'm not active like I once was.  I was going to buy that property in NM but had to change course.  I've been homeless and very busy just existing while trying to change my lot.  I'm looking forward to trying out the apartment projects as they are more in reach for me.

It's literally becoming life and death.  The food I can afford and what I was getting from the food bank is killing me while I become more chemically sensitive.  Growing my own food would be the most economical.  I'm in the proverbial catch 22.  I hope I can get the book soon.  Good luck!

Reading this is great!  I tried to do this years ago but many local laws frowned upon these kinds of living situations.  Then I survived the tornado in Springfield and there was no more "affordable" housing.  I wish you all the best in your hookups!  I used to live in Easthampton and LOVE the winters there!  I've been through Chester!  Beautiful country!  You all are making me miss it!

Trace Oswald wrote:

Robbie Asay wrote:with those that became entitled to tell us how to run things because they paid for it.  

In fairness, that is a different situation in my mind.  If people directly help you pay for something, I believe they should have some say in how things are run.  If they help pay indirectly, like purchasing videos that Paul made or something, I don't believe that entitles anyone to have any say.

When people join a discussion board they do so because they have an interest.  If they decide to stay it's because there's something they like about it that warrants sticking around, such as the community that develops.  Most often that's a direct result of the owners vision and why they started the board.  That doesn't mean that they aren't open to suggestion but it does mean that they aren't obligated to use those suggestions no matter how good they may appear to the person making them.

The same is true when asking for funds to pay for the site in some way.  If people enjoy the content that much that they are willing to volunteer some cash for it, that's exactly what it is, you are contributing to assist in the continuation of what you like.  Many times there are goodies offered and maybe tier packages based on the amount paid.  But one thing is very clear; you are only getting what is offered and what you pay for.  At no time is that an invitation to be able to influence the direction of the board. The owner still owns the board, you aren't buying a stake in it and one is not being offered.   This is a unfortunate but common misconception.  

If I help someone pay their rent they are under no obligation to allow me to tell them how to keep their house.  I merely assisted them in being able to continue to live there because their friendship(or in this case community) is worth it.

r ranson wrote:My understanding is that permies runs in the red - Paul pays for it out of pocket.

I often wonder what would happen if it didn't.  If it was 100% community funded.

But for now, we do the best we can with what we have.  Moderating is a soft science and every situation is unique.  

We had community donations and it was a double edge sword.  On one hand the site was funded most of the time.  On the other it took an extreme amount of work and encouragement to get there then deal with those that became entitled to tell us how to run things because they paid for it.

Moderating is often a thankless job because those who can't see behind the curtain also can't see how much work it takes to hash things out objectively.  They don't understand that discussion boards are NOT subject to free speech, don't understand how free speech works(because a discussion board is not a government entity) and only see the end result.  

I was a moderator back in the dial up days and an admin later.  This isn't my first rodeo posting to this kind of topic.   My favorite analogy has always been something like this:

This website/forum is a privately owned entity much like your house or the apartment you lease. This is Paul's space or intellectual property.  It's his online living room that he has invited others to hold conversations.

In the same way that you would not enter someone's home or private space and tell them how to run it or else you'll leave, its disrespectful to do so here.

I always invited those who disagreed to start their own forums if they didn't like the way I ran them.   To this day as far as I'm aware no one has, or if they did they weren't as successful.  Many who disagree aren't willing to do the work themselves, yet are willing enough to disagree in someone else's privately owned space when things don't suit them.

Hi to everyone! I know I'm not on hardly at all but I read a lot!