Everyone's an expert - talk is cheap

[Dave B]

  Too bad the techno wizards are so busy arguing who's smarter than who lately. For the newbies out there and even some seasoned veterans of this board I have to believe these insecure ego fights are intimidating those who are really proud of their accomplishments.

  There seems to be fewer project posts and photos lately and to me that is sad. We can all look up formulas and argue theory until we're blue in the face and it can make for entertaining reading but I just wish it would start and stay over here in "Rants and Opinons" where it belongs.

  For all of you out there building more than talking I say bring it on, post your projects, photos, successes and failures and do not be intimidated by a choice few who may never dirty their hands. You will always have my support.  Dave B.

[rossw]

Can't help think you're referring in part to me, dave.

My two-axis traxle is working, just finishing the control for it. Was planning on sharing it here, but won't be, same with numerous of my other projects. The IRC guys know me well enough and share in my work, but as far as this forum is concerned, I'm a non-participant, and quite frankly, am sorry that people who seem to have appreciated some of my input in the past won't get it here in the future.

[vawtman]

I agree Dave but do we need another b:>) session?

[TomW]

Dave;

I am probably guilty of the ranting part. I assure you I only wish we could just take a turn the theorists don't follow.

Since I believe this board is here to further DIY Electricity production, I get kinda put off by posts of steam, oil heaters, Over Unity [we had one this week] and all the academics. The train drivers fall into that category, IMHO.

I always bump "I built this" posts to the FP because thats the whole point.

I came on board here as an editor with the hope of guiding the board that was being overrun with OU types back to its roots. The building of rotating generating machines.

We have gotten so popular that it is a bit overwhelming. We come up top of list on mostly any RE search subject. This leads to a huge influx of folks with the wrong idea that they have some deity enforced right to pollute this resource with redundant questions that have already been well and truly answered.

I feel it is my mandated purpose here to steer this behemoth down the road that helps the most people achieve the goal of creating machines that they can extract electrical power from.

A good 90% of the comments I get personally tell me I am not hard core enough on my editing decisions. A couple percent of the feedback is bitching because I did something they didn't like.

These are usually members with no equity and very low or no post count before they bitch.

I get a good bit of back channel feedback from DanB and members. Dan did not like the "Locked, read this and repost" scheme at first but he seems to think it works at some level.

I can tell it works because very few of them got reposted so they must of either found their information or were just trolling for attention. That seems to be success to me?

As far as the arguing, it is there on most every board I use. The difference is this one here is run by a very laid back and easy going man [DanB] who took over a year to see Johnny Cool Pants for the [expletive deleted] he was. Eventually he got silenced after polluting the board for months. Thats the framework I work within. People get away with crap until they really go bad then things happen.

Personally, I think we need to split the board. One board for "doers" that is invite only to post  but readable by all. Another board for all the blowhards, wannabes and academics that has the same bar to membership this board has [none].

Thats not likely to happen but I could get an invite only board up and running in a few hours / a week or something if the interest was there.

All it would take is one simple rule to fix the arguing.

Post a comment that is off the original topic very far and the comment gets killed.

End of problem.

This would be another whiners complaint area who decides and using what criteria? If the post is about coil wiring is a comment about cabling off topic? Some of the best threads here have wandered far from the original post.

Not a lot of black and white here. Lots of grays.

I wish there was an easy solution to serve everyone who is serious about this subject. I see a lot of what I think of as "trolling for attention" postings. People who just want attention and will milk you dry if you let them.

Perhaps, if the users would be a bit more discriminating on answering or responding to those types the board would heal itself in time.

The last argument I was involved in here the "other guy" got pretty nasty with name calling. Most forums I am on that woulda got you gone forever as well as any trace of you. Doesn't happen here.

Anyway, Dave, as a builder I value your opinion because you are the kind of guy we are here for. Any ideas are welcome.

I could go on, but, regardless of what I actually say someone will twist it into something to bitch about. Just watch.

Good post, by the way. Stuff we need to deal with before its too late to salvage the good this board is.

TomW

[bob g]

from the other corner

1. i used to be a regular participant on this forum a few years ago, and the old one before that,,, i got very frustrated with the lack of sound science and particularly the OverUnity direction things were taking back then.

thank god that is all but gone!

2. having a moderator to steer things is always going to cause issues with somebody at one time or another,, i figure that is the price of admission

i belong to another forum which has a moderator that is a direct decendant of napolean i think,, he gets very anal about the darndest things,, TomW is a rank amateur in that department and everyone should be thankful he is.

3. being a moderator is a guarantee that somebody is always going to be po'd at you.

so it is a thankless job

btw,, thanks TomW!

4. yes,, i am guilty as charged at being a Theorist, but in my defense i have been a fabricator and mechanic for nearly 35 years now, and quite frankly there is not enough time in the day for me to build all i envision. add to that health issues and i am left alot like the old dog laying in the sun on the porch, being able only some days to lift my head and bark.
   
5. realizing that this board was set up for doer's is ok by me, that is why i don't interject as much as i would like to unless my experience can add to the discussion of provide some measure of interest to someone that is going down a difficult path.
   
   

anyway,, i like the board and will add to the "doer" discussion as soon as i can get something built

bob g

[jht1057]

Dave,

     I agree with you, I have only been a member here for not quite a year and the chastizing I have received for the few posts I have made has made me very hesitant to post anything I have done or made.

     I have degrees and background in engineering and mechanics, so my veiws, ideas and questions are highly educated. I have pictures I could post with thoughts and descriptions of what I have done and why I did what I did.

     However, I do not feel like being the latest prey for the preditors that seem to have nothing better to do than watch and wait for anything to come across the board that looks appetizing enough to chew up and spit out.

     As you have pointed out, the few that are kind, patient, and helpful seem to be holding back and staying away. That is a shame when there is a wealth of insight, experience and education attached to this board.

     I want to learn and share results with others, but the feeding frenzy caused by the ego wars is out of hand.

Tom,

     RE is far more than just windmills, the principles, theories and pursuits do cross many boundries. Isn't the idea to find the ways and means to get away from oil and other fossil fuel dependancy and make the world a better place for future generations? Whether it is wind, solar, water or steam, there are inovations yet to be discovered and this board could be the stepping stone or continue to stiffle the possibilities.

Jim T.

[commanda]

Personally, I'd like to thank TomW for doing a tireless and generally thankless job. Without Tom this place would have sunk into the quagmire long ago.

I personally don't post a lot anymore. Only when I have something constructive to add. I don't feel an overwhelming desire to add my 2 cents worth to every single thread.

I will, however, continue to post my projects in my diary.

This post actually deserves far more time and effort on my behalf than I can give it right now (having to make a living and all that).

Amanda

[DamonHD]

Hi Jim,

I have degrees too, but that doesn't automatically make your or my contributions valuable or our questions or subjects good or appropriate to this place.

I took the time to read through that "Asking Smart Questions" page that TomW has been pointing to of late.

I've been on the Net since it was possible (at least in the UK), and I've run an ISP, so I'm pretty familiar with netiquette, etc.

But I reckon that I learnt something again reading that page, and any of us feeling a sense of right or entitlement or learning or assumption that we even know how to ask questions right coming on could reread it and remember that this place doesn't charge.

One of my favourite tools on the Net seems to have been closed off as of tonight when I looked, presumably from overuse by ungrateful idiots.

Rgds

Damon

[pepa]

hi tom, pepa here, help me out here or did i miss something? why do we have wind, solar, hydro, steam, controls, mechanical, housing, heat, light, and water as part of the heading if you only want windmills only as post?

Since I believe this board is here to further DIY Electricity production, I get kinda put off by posts of steam, oil heaters, Over Unity [we had one this week] and all the academics. The train drivers fall into that category, IMHO.  

your statement didn't sound right to me, espically sense i like all of the above list and for danb off grid living, they all tie togather and have been posted by him in the past. i hope i read the statement wrong and if i did i apoligize. pepa

[Dave B]

  To those who build here and share their successes and failures I salute you. You are the type that give first and listen to others with open mind. That is how this board started in the true spirit of sharing and learning and is great fun.

  To those who like a true discussion this board is a great opportunity for you also and I can appreciate a good back and forth on a given topic and have learned much from this also.

  It is easy to critique other's projects but the people who attack with the "I'm right you're wrong" attitude is disrespectful. I know some cannot help themselves as this stems from insecurities that demand a power fix. I just wish this type of heated discussion could some how stay within those who wish to battle egos instead of contributing to the true spirit of the board.

  I don't have an answer, it's just so much more fun to work together.  Dave B.

 

[rossw]

In my opinion, its already been mentioned that many a good thread has meandered from the original post across other areas but contained a good many useful items.

I also see TomW (particularly, and the other editors to a less public extent) has having a thankless task of trying to keep the forum under some sort of order. A difficult and thankless task. You can please some of the people some of the time, none of the people all of the time and all of the people none of the time.

The site has (as far as I can see) always been mainly directed at wind turbines and generators in their various forms, crossing over in places to other forms of energy production, waste reduction etc - but certainly not the "main course" like blades, towers, generators etc.

I also think that if we all grew up and acted politely, reasonably and in a considered and constructive manner, there would be a lot more latitude given to off-core-subject discussion.

Remember, this is a free resource. Not anyones god-given-right to expect or demand anything. Asking a question, after properly researching it, providing full information of what you're trying to do  or whats not working, what you've done, tried, found etc, all relevant and pertinent details, and asked in a coherent manner will (I'm absolutey certain) get plenty of high-quality, relevant, useful replies.

 

[TomW]

pepa;

Thats a damned good question but those topics are so broad, where to draw a line that keeps us on track?

Some cheapskate trying to convert his propane space heater to natural gas to save money on a service call counts as topical?

Another person trying to save money on a service call wants to rewire their house and adds "solar panels"somewhere in the text. Is this topical?

In my view it boils down to "make your electricity from scratch" because thats what I see as the bottom line.

Its Dans board he can post anything he wants. And does. It is all topical because he is off grid. RossW who got into trouble awhile back for honest statements is also off grid. Both have more credibility that Joe Math head trying to gather info for his thesis.

I don't build so I try to avoid tossing in advice when those questions are asked.

I do fly 3 turbines and have 300 watts of solar and run RE every day so I will answer questions in those areas. I have experience in both signal and power electronics so I will advise in those areas.

Oh, not to brag but I also hold a pair of degrees that have "engineering" in the title. I just choose not to flaunt it.

So any suggestions are welcome because I, frankly, am at wits end on how to preserve the usefulness here and get our builders back on board.

The next surge will be cheap to fuel cars and how do we deal with that? Its related to RE.

Success is a curse. If we didn't show up in every RE search on Google it would be easier.

I honestly think we need to raise the bar to entry above internet and an email acct.

A waiting period after signup would encourage the new users to think rather than join and post an excited question.

These folks are not bad or anything just excited. A waiting period would help that.

TomW

[windstuffnow]

I have to agree Dave,

  Seems like in the past everyone from all walks posted their projects and what they were doing.  Everyone learned from them.  I really enjoyed comming here to see this.  I've been busy working on lots of projects some I could post but don't others I can't post.  

  I guess things have changed since us old timers started, asking stupid questions and getting civil answers to our problems... part of learning.  It seems like there is alot of "go do your reasearch before you ask", to me that's like a kick in the teeth to someone trying to get their feet wet.  I would do the research but never come back.  I, as everyone here, was a "newby" at one point in this game and giving back what others have taught us is part of it.  This forum, I believe, is meant to share information so others can follow along our old paths and hopefully avoid the quicksand some of us fell into along the way.  Posting projects inspired people as well.  

  Personally I don't see anything wrong with any kind of homebrewed electric be it steam, stirling, tree with a rope or what ever... some of the stuff others come up with is quite ingenious whether it works or not ideas can spring from it.

    That shouldn't stop those trying to learn and build... if you get kicked in the teeth find your info elswhere and build it anyway !  Make sure you have fun doing it !!

.

 

[rossw]

I guess things have changed since us old timers started, asking stupid questions and getting civil answers to our problems... part of learning.  It seems like there is alot of "go do your reasearch before you ask", to me that's like a kick in the teeth to someone trying to get their feet wet.  I would do the research but never come back.  I, as everyone here, was a "newby" at one point in this game and giving back what others have taught us is part of it.  This forum, I believe, is meant to share information so others can follow along our old paths and hopefully avoid the quicksand some of us fell into along the way.

I agree entirely... however the "problem" is that some of us (many of us?) work 18+ hours a day, 7 days a week. Our time is somewhat in short supply.

While we'd love to help (hell, drop into IRC sometime and see), answering EXACTLY the same question someone else asked (and got an answer to) last week, and the week before that, and the week before that, gets to be tiresome, disheartening and downright annoying.

IF the asker had any "respect" for their peers, the arduous task of reviewing previous articles, questions and answers, or heaven forbid, SEARCHING for related words would be a small price to pay.

I'm guessing the previous ugly thread was largely triggered by a recent spate of unresearched n00b questions and "I need an answer but I'm not prepared to look for it" posts we've been discussing in IRC of late. The whole "fl is not a wet-nurse nor a spoon-feeding station". The post of solareng struck a particularly raw series of nerves, which I don't intend dwelling on, but suffice to say I'd have had a very different reply if I saw any indication of having actually thought about the problem, researched it at all and shown why the usual way of doing it wasn't going to work.

Years of working with low-powered micros (8080, Z80, 2650 etc) taught me various tricks I'd have been happy to share, had I known that lack of cpu was an issue.

I too yearn for the board to return to its former glory. When men were gentlemen, respect was present, every mans opinion was equal.

Tom: I think you might be "on a winner" with the idea of an initial posting embargo. A new user should be discouraged  from posting unresearched questions while the overenthusiastic exuberance lingers!

[electronbaby]

I agree Dave. I have been more active lately, but its mostly been answering others questions. I dont mind doing it. If I have something to add, Ill say it. If I dont, or I dont agree with the way some one asked a question, I still have the right to not answer or post a reply. I feel this is better than bitching about it personally, but thats just me. I dont mind helping anyone out or pointing them in the right direction. I always try to post projects Im working on but there is alot. Ive been a member for over 5 years and i was on the old board as well. I live off grid and make a living with RE, Im pretty much all about this stuff, and Im proud to be part of this forum. The "DO-ers" are basically how the board started and I think that has to be understood. Im pretty sure by just having people post pictures and write-ups of their projects, the board will remain moving in a positive direction. Maybe Im wrong, but thats the way it seems.

Thanks Tom for trying to make some sense out of it. It is difficult, no argument there.

[Dave B]

Very well said, thank you for commenting.  Dave B.

[Volvo farmer]

All good points.

Here's my take. Back in 2004, I posted a real stupid question about why my Harbor Freight generator wouldn't start my air compressor. It had absolutely nothing to do with RE (except I planned to use the generator off-grid someday).

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/8/26/6740/13320

This was my first post on this board and I got fifteen responses on it, including several by the most helpful guy I have ever seen on the internet, Flux. Turns out the generator is too small to start the air compressor, DUH. Nobody locked my post, nobody told me to do my research, nobody told me I was off topic.

Well, I felt welcomed to the board with my first question. I felt at home. I read about crazy guys building solar panels with Ebay cells and copied them, soldered  over 450 of them together in 7 panels before I was done. These panels still supply some of my power.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/12/05630/1438

Well, I guess my point is... You never know who is going to come on board here and what their first post is going to be like. Here I am in 2008, totally off grid, already bought my EDTA, built my desulfator, built LED lightboards (none of of which I use), but I didn't know any of this stuff in 2004. I read a bunch of crazy posts from crazy people in here and followed my heart. I learned, for myself, by experimentation, ETDA: bunk. Desulfators: bunk. LED lightboards: maybe handy but not in my scheme.

I spent money, time and resources to learn these lessons for myself, due to posts I saw on this board that piqued my interest. I soldered components, learned theory, and made my own decision.

You have a thankless job. If you didn't love it, you would have been gone long ago. Keep in mind that if Fieldlines editors had shot me down in 2004, I likely would have been outa-here, because I am an independent soul, and have an aversion to people in power.

So... be careful out there. I could not do your job, but if I could, I would be more like Dan or Flux, being silent or helpful only. My personality is not like that though, and I have a need to be abrasive, which is why I am constantly in your face I suppose ;-)

[TomW]

VF;

Good points, also.

Your userid is 21XX and we are pushing 10,000 today.

For ease of some [gasp] math lets say 5X as many users. And the # of feeders to the fed is likely not the same ratio as then.

Fame has basically destroyed the board you and I joined. There is no going back so we try to move ahead the best we can.

Not much to say other than I am open to all ideas.

I am not much good at taking any grief from first time posters. Equity counts to me. You definitely fit that category. If you go back and look, I made some real bonehead questions in the beginning, too. Mostly I read everything here and then asked informed questions, or tried anyway.

That was then. This is now. Vastly different times.

Ok. We know parts of the problem. Now do we fix the blame or fix the problem?

I say fix the problem, who cares who caused it.

All good stuff to figure out.

I'm too burnt out for the day to make sense so gonna stop here.

TomW

[pepa]

Tom, your exp;anation makes sense but i hate to see a board that i like so much, going down hill. until resently i read every word that was posted on this site and gleaned a lot of good ideas it, but lately i have not felt as close to the people here as i did a short while ago and now only follow my favorite posters. you know that i have supported you completely in the past and still do.

i hope you find the cure soon. pepa

Flame wars and rude comments are NOT tolerated here, and the offending comments will be deleted immediately, but they are not

[TheCasualTraveler]

Good post Volvo.

     I think the spirit of this board is in the posts such as Flux's where if the poster has something helpful to add they do so and if not simply click past.

Commanda put it this way,

     I personally don't post a lot anymore. Only when I have something constructive to add. I don't feel an overwhelming desire to add my 2 cents worth to every single thread.

     I will, however, continue to post my projects in my diary.

Well said Commanda.

     I wonder if you add up all the posts asking "dumb" questions and cluttering the board, and then add up all the posts complaining about those posts, which would there be more of?

     I would like to thank everyone who takes the time to be helpful with such patience, especially Flux who has the wonderful knack of being able to tell you your being silly and leave you feeling good about it.

[DamonHD]

My strong instinct is to make the first posting hard: you have to have been a member for a little while (days), and/or read a certain number of other posters, and/or proven yourself to be a sensible human being to the satisfaction of the mods by posting an intro in a special area, or whatever.

It also helps keep down on SPAM, and could allow the other anti-SPAM mechanisms in use to be slackened off a little.

Rgds

Damon

[fcfcfc]

Hi TomW, Dave, etc.:

Computers and there associated apps are never easy. I was in I.T. professionally for 30+ years and still do my own "stuff" when I have to. Trying to keep this short, which is always a challenge for me, there is always a tug of war between division of information and not dividing it. Too few categories and there becomes to much in one spot to look at and try to find. Too many categories and you never no where to look to find anything. What might help address the organizational aspect and the doer's/talker's issue is simply have a COMPLETED PROJECTS page. This would NOT usurp any of your other pages for your "own stuff", but be for other people's completed projects. The definition of complete would be operational but not necessarily "tweaked". All types of completed projects would be there so as not to create a new deluge of categories. Another possibility depending on your boards software menuing capabilities, is create a drop tab sub menu choice under the existing categories and call it "COMPLETE". So when you mouse on Wind, a little block under it says "General" and "COMPLETE", Solar "GENERAL" and "COMPLETE" etc.. you get the idea, but I don't know your software capabilities.

This I think would NATURALLY create post "divisions" where they are most appreciated as opposed to a management intensive post movement etc.. job.

JMT...

.....Bill

[Drives]

I believe the waiting period is a good step in the right direction.  

Tom already knows this, but just to state my 2 cents, I support him totally, and thank him very much for all his effort.

If I was editor, I would kill many posts that he allows...I'm glad I'm not the Editor :-) Someone would kill me!  :-0

To maintain the integrity of the board without damaging it's spirit is an almost impossible feat.  

It would be an absolute disaster to lose some of the veteran experts because the board is boring, frustrating, etc.  

Some ideas:

I support a $1 yearly fee to be a member.  All the money should be equally split up amongst the editors & admin.  It would not begin to compensate them, but would filter out the people who are not serious.  I would be willing to donate $100.00 to cover the fee for the top 100 posters based off volume of posts.  People like FLUX, Ghurd, Windstuffnow, Commanda, etc.

I know the software does not allow it, (and I do like the board layout as it is), but a # of posts next to each name would be nice....it would surely allow me to recognize the first time posters vs. people who have been here awhile.

Is it possible to add a text box to people's "sign on" above their post (like next to the email address display) a title of their ranking.  What I mean, is if someone has posted/commented >100 times, they could put the word "veteran" next to their name.  It would be based off the honor system, but would allow us to realize who has put the time into the forum.

Another thought, I work as a consultant, (among other tasks) and charge large amounts of money for dispensing information I learned through experience to customers.  

I clearly realize how valuable this forum is!  Weekly, all of us are blessed by some incredible minds when they choose to post, and it is FREE!  I will always be very grateful for their time, and what they have taught me.

I was taught as a boy, you don't walk into a master craftsman's work shop and ask questions...you sweep his floor first, listen to what he tells you, put in your dues, then after an appropriate amount of time are you "Allowed" to ask a question.

Just some ideas....(I only have insulated underware...not nomex so please keep the blow torches on low flame)  LOL  

P.S.  Is this also a symptom of "Cabin Fever"?

[ghurd]

The $1 a year thing has a few problems.

PayPal would take half of it in fees, sometimes all of it, might be circumstances where DanB would owe PayPal over $1 to get $1!

Quite a few people are in places PayPal is not available.  Some people wouldn't trust it anyway.

It's illegal to send cash out of most countries.

If where I send controllers is any indicaion, a majority of users are non-US based.

Or the non-US people have a much harder time getting parts.  I'm not sure.

But I like the concept.

G-

[Drives]

G:

Excellent point!  Then I would suggest simple snail mail, send cash.  Fold a piece of paper around paper money equal to $1 USD.  Send it to a PO box in US.  Then that person takes money to bank, they convert it to USD, and that person distributes accordingly.  Yes, the bank will probably charge a fee, may need to investigate.

The $1 per person is not really enough money to compensate the editors & admin, it just a way to find out who is serious about being a member of this wonderful resource, and who just wants a quick answer.

For all the info I have learned on this board, I am very willing to pay $100 a year.  I still get a few magazine subscriptions every year (school kids fund raisers).  I usually don't have time to read them, and when I do, I don't learn nearly as much as I do here.  I don't give a second thought to spending $100 for them.

Just a thought.

[Old F]

A pay for play board  would open up a  whole new can of worms

You have some demanding answers for free now like it there right.

How would they act if they paid even 2 cents ?  

That scares me an I am fearless

[DamonHD]

Also, the value of $1 to some lazy westerner vs $1 to some developing-world user who is working hard and could really do with help is not even.

Forget the money idea: it'll cause more trouble than it's worth IMHO.

Just raise the hurdles against instant gratification: that is much more equitable to all users.

Rgds

Damon

[Drives]

OldF

I can see where you are coming from on this.  

My only point would be that the money spent is not for answers, rather the priveledge to post a question.  The info they get is provided free from the other members, and should always be treated as mushroom food until further research by the original poster.  :-)

Meaning the dollar you pay is for board maintance and up keep.  It has nothing to do with quality of answers.

Your point is well taken though, I can see some of the crazy newbies demanding $10,000.00 worth of info/engineering help after they pay $1.  LOL

Good discussion  (Thanks DaveB!)

[fungus]

I usually stay out of these sorts of discussions but here goes , this is my take on it ..

(First off, the editors do have my full support in what they do)

I've been reading fieldlines for quite a long time now, 2 years I think it is, and things like this always happens; someone starts up a big discussion about the board and how its run and then it goes back to 'normal'(if there is one) for a few months, but most of the time I see it no worse or better than what it was before, we are all talking about 'doers not talkers', so why not actually do that with the board and do something about it not spend 10+ threads arguing about the ins and outs of it, just like is constantly said not to w.r.t RE.

I can see quite a few problems with the attitude towards 'newbies' , while someone may be the greatest mechanical or electrical expert, with a lot of knowledge that can be shared with the group and helping other people, everyone is lacking in some side of knowledge , for some this is computers and a lot may not understand the functioning of the search engine, how to use it and the right keywords to use, or even how to find the search engine. Even doing a search often is hard to find the answers we need as the results aren't sorted in any coherent way in which people can get easy answers, so we cant rely on that and assume that someone hasnt done any research at all before posting a seemingly 'unintelligent' question. Also a lot of the policies that are in use here are scattered around in 5 or 6 different pages , and the part about research is hardly mentioned except in pages like this.

As far as I can see the board is about renewable energy - not just about 3-blade 3-phase axial flux windmills , 'Make your electricity from scratch!' is it not? So as far as I can see, renewable energy would have the definition of wind,solar,hydro,geo,wood , they are all renewable sources but maybe stuff like propane wouldnt be. But then this board has a lot of useful knowledge that can be easily applied to other fields such as that, and also the knowledge from other fields can cross over into RE.

It's not amazingly complex stuff here but it does need research, personally I read the board constantly for a few months before I even started to post anything and didnt give any advice until I was absolutely sure on what I was saying, it isnt very helpful when someone seeking complex advice gets a response along the lines of ' I havent read too much into this, but I think this might be related to what you're doing' etc etc. As I said, its not amazingly complex, for those who didnt know I am 15 years old, but have had a good interest and kept with the board through the 'rough' times and I've gained a lot of knowledge and interest from here and I hope this can continue to happen with other people.

I might post later with more ideas ..

About the age - dont hold it against me

[DamonHD]

I read the board constantly for a few months before I even started to post anything and didnt give any advice until I was absolutely sure on what I was saying

Wise beyond your years; yes, really!

Rgds

Damon

[alibro]

If the problem is caused by increased traffic then maybe the time has come to split the board. Part of the problems newbies have when they search, is that general searches bring up too many answers and because they are newbies they don't have the knowledge to know how to refine their queries so they just give up and post the question. If the board was split so that each section could be searched separately it might be easier to find stuff.

I don't know how easy it would be to do but I thought it was worth suggesting.

Alibro

[ghurd]

The new 'newbie' section is good.  I believe there were some very good questions in there from new members, who may have been afraid to ask anything before.

Wind and hydro often have the same problems.  Not sure splitting it up too much would help.

G-

[jmk]

 Fungus, I am amazed that a thirteen year old is interested in renewable energy let alone a fifteen year old. I thought the younger people who learned here were at least college students. You empress me. I think you are right on with the search being complicated. Most of the time I get zero results when I do a search. Then when you do it can be frustrating when you get a bunch and none of the results answered what your wondering. It is defiantly harder then looking something up in the yellow pages. I think it is a bonus that your young. Your going to be well educated by the time you graduate from high school. Maybe some day you might be the next Flux?