Talk:Main Page

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Read more here..

 * Maybe the front page should be more informational for someone completely new to the subject? By adding a few beginners "Read more here" it would be more enjoyable, or something like that. My 2 cents! --Fat64 16:42, 18 February 2009 (PST)
 * The article "Evolve to freedom" seems like something not far from where I am getting. --Fat64 16:44, 18 February 2009 (PST)

Internationalization
As you probably know, Mediawiki the software you're using is the same as Wikipedia. So you can also use the multilanguage features used on Wikipedia. If you'll adopt that feature, each page could have a translation in a different language.

HTML disabled for non-sysops

 * Looks like you have $wgRawHtml enabled on a publicall editable wiki. That is really dangerous, it's really an invitation to mischif. For embedding videos, use a specialized extension . If you need full HTML every now and then, make sure it can only be defined by trusted people . -- Duesentrieb 20:56, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I added an extention called nukeHTMLPHP that's supposed to remove any html tags in edits from non-sysop users (<-like that) while letting sysop users add the html tags (like this). So if anyone needs to use HTML then talk to a wikisysop to enable the html on a page or section. As long as a non-sysop doesn't edit an html section then it should keep working after users edit other sections. -jeremy

ideas for products
I was searching for a stainless steel spray bottle but only found a few links
 * http://norbys.stores.yahoo.net/caststspbo11.html 10.99
 * http://www.enailsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=15698 35.96
 * http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=11318517&RN=937 9.99

This is a very small niche market that OSE can capture when metal working comes online. LuciaStove

Global Villages
would be good to point to a definition and stress on what "interconnectedness" of villages means. Franz 05:12, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Combined Greenhouse/Solar and Biofuel powered steam generator/distiller system
This is all a brainstorm/pipedream in my head at this point, so criticism, suggestions, refinements, and complimentary ideas/links are welcome.

All this talk of zero waste made me wonder why the combination of several elements to utilize waste streams hasn't been suggested.

In a nutshell, the goal is to combine a solar concentrator with a biofuel boiler to ensure a consistent flow of steam which would exert it's work on a turbine generator. The biofuel exhaust would be directed into a greenhouse or bio-reactor, functioning as a CO2 generator. The feedstock for the boiler would either mix filtered graywater with rainwater, or would have a separate side for graywater, engineered to be easily cleaned. The steam line would be connected to a condenser/heat exchanger, and the distilled water used where needed or recycled back into the system.

I figure you could work in some sort of still that takes advantage of waste heat to get ethanol for fuel, with an initial sustainable crop for feedstock. Watched a youtube video for understanding and I believe a small scale biorefinery that uses the leftover lignins as a main heatsource would be needed.

TLDR Recap

-   A steam boiler heated by both solar concentrator and biofuel burner (with exhaust gas directed into a greenhouse or algae bioreactor, maybe both with algae being on the end).

-   Heat exchangers where feasible, excess heat used for ethanol still or anything needing heat (interior heating).

-   Modular, easily replicable design. Emphasis on flexibility, simplicity, and effectiveness at actually performing in effective amounts.

-   An initial pre/post processing area for lignocellulose to be converted and fermented and further distillation of the low-yield stills.

-   The combined stills will use the fermented lignocellulose to make low proof ethanol, which will be fed into the post process solar/biofuel powered still to finish concentrating the ethanol.

Considerations and pitfalls


 * If it's even feasible or possible to do this. I'd imagine having to supplement the stills with more heat then the excess produced by the steam generator.


 * Figuring out the ratios, this includes a suitable crop for biomass for the stills and the land required, and if ethanol is even suitable.


 * Determining the most suitable and cost effective materials.


 * Incorporating permaculture principles to the stock crops, and picking stock crops suitable for permaculture.


 * This link is intriguing. Especially the bottom part talking about combining thermodynamic cycles.


 * A lot of different fields coming together. An expert in thermodynamics would do a lot to set me straight.


 * The design. I picture separate processes incorporated to capitalize on waste chains.


 * Variations for different climates, ecologies, and other natural resources available.


 * What biofuel to incorporate into the system. Lignocellulose needs a pretreatment. Algae has a few breakthroughs to make before becoming practical. If Ligno is used, a biorefinery would need to be made, and a decision would need to be made on what goes where and how to incorporate the waste CO2 with greenhouses.


 * And of course, the cost. Being able to fabricate a majority of the parts would be a major plus.

Windward
Haven't seen this mentioned on the site; http://www.windward.org/what01.htm "Building a working model of sustainable community"

"Windward is an intentional community located just north of the scenic Columbia River Gorge about 80 miles east of Portland, Oregon. So far, we've acquired 131 acres of pasture and forested land, put in basic services (septic and water systems, power and internet-access, etc.) and learned a lot in the doing of it all. While we still have work to do, we're proud of what we've accomplished, and excited about having reached the point where our renewable systems are coming on-line and we're able to turn our attention to building sustaibable housing.

Nature is complex, and the rule in working to master complex systems is that everything takes longer, costs more and turns out different than you thought going in. It's only by getting "hands on," and actually working and living with these systems, that the challenges can be overcome and their true potentials realized.

It's easy to see that change is coming at a feverish pace. What's harder to see is a way to ride that wave of change to a better place; to show that it is possible using appropriate technology to enhance the environment while creating a wholesome, satisfying and sustainable way of life. Put another way, we're working to demonstrate that it is possible to sustainably feed, clothe and fuel a village of twenty people on one hundred acres."

Looks like they've been at it for about 20 years.

Also this sounds like BS but possibly worth a look: A book of "Public Domain Inventions" for sale: "Renewing the Earth: Public Domain Inventions for a Sustainable Future" "solar-powered desalination and solar-powered steel foundries, from megascale seawall construction to pumping large water supplies without a pump"

RSS feeds for watchlist - MediaWiki upgrade
Hi there, I just registered here... would be nice to have feeds for watchlist, like recently almost all Wikimedia project and also OpenStreetMaps have. I guess this has something to do with the version of MediaWiki. I have no clue which revision or version has these feeds, but it would be nice to have them here. Like that, one is able to watch multiple wikis and does not have to visit the site to check whether something is happening. Cheers, --Kozuch 17:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

One Way to Go / Draft for Main Page Update
As per Rasmus's suggestion, here's a draft of the OSE main page that uses the same format as Ekopedia, which is essentially the format of Wikipedia's main page. This is one possibility for the needed update. The draft shows a potential layout but lacks functional links.

Main page ekopedia-like

I think it could be valuable to have all of the elements of the GVCS listed out like this, if the list is updated regularly to reflect the evolution of the project. What are the strong and weak points of this particular layout? Within this layout, what could be different/better? Beyond this layout, is there another way of arranging things that would be more intuitive? Marie.Byleen

Marie, I had started a prototype for the main page at Main Page Testing. You may want to take a look. --Elifarley 15:27, 4 February 2011 (PST)

@Elifarley I think the header you put together is much better. What stopped your work on the project of updating the main page? I'm trying to imagine a page that would serve the interests of rapid parallel development, and listing out the components of the GVCS lets people find what they are interested in and might be able to contribute to much more quickly. It also shows all visitors where the project is headed without a long explanation. I think the Ekopedia-templated page might be serviceable until the project evolves beyond its current scope, or until something better can be put together. Marie.Byleen 12:04, 5 February 2011 (PST)

@Marie, I moved over to other tasks... We may use P2P Foundation wiki as an inpiration: http://p2pfoundation.net/ See also P2P Foundation in a nutshell: http://p2pfoundation.net/In_a_Nutshell --Elifarley 15:20, 6 February 2011 (PST)

I started working on a Main Page redesign. It seems as if OSE is getting quite a bit more press, which leads more people here to the wiki (which is how I got here.) Unfortunately, if you're a new user who has just seen one or two of the GVCS videos, it's very hard to figure out the full scope of the project or how to get involved. I think a cleaner front page that directs new users a bit better would be helpful. I've started to put together a cleaner version of the Main Page that I would be interested in getting feedback on. I borrowed heavily from the current Main Page, Marie.Byleen's revision, and a couple of other wiki's I work on. Feel free to make suggestions or implement it as is if you see fit. --Grant Henninger 15:55, 15 February 2011 (PST)

There is a mistake in the product matrix; it should say CNC multimachine.

Not obvious how to sign up for the wiki
The link to sign up for the wiki is buried halfway down the "Get Inolved" page. It took me quite a while to find it. I suggest making a relatively obvious link at the top of the main page, a link at the top of the get involved page, and a link at the top of the crash course page. This would make it easier to register for the wiki. Jason 02:12, 21 May 2011 (PDT)

Standardizing the links from the Main page for better visibility
Along the lines as Jason said above, I suggest creating links from the GVCS tree diagram at the bottom to standardize the pages where the documentation will be found. Only one main page per GVCS unit, each of which is run from a template. For example, right now the CEB Press link in the tree takes me to the CEB Press Category page. The flow of people interested in browsing around the different GVCS pieces will find this more easily flowing if the link on the tree was to the main CEB Press page where the Bill of Materials, Building Instructions, etc were found.

Common place for questions
I think it would be useful to have a common place for questions, as the activity on the wiki is quite low. For example I had a question at Talk:Global Village Construction Set, and, as there are not so many people reading that page, it would be better to have a central place for asking questions. Or better, to just provide the links to the pages where the questions are put. Therefore it would be easy for anyone to see if there are new questions that might worth answering. Of course we can always use the forum for questions, but it won't be a good idea to fill it with threads for all the minor questions. Gonzo 23:17, 25 February 2012 (CET)

Which Energy System to Use
Hello i am working on an open souce project to creat the largest sanding machine in the world, but due to restrictions in how much energy can be drown from normal elecric power suppy i need a motor system running on zero or very low emitions as it will be working inside buildings, what im not sure of is to use battery which once ran out will take ages to charge, a power cable from a generater or one of the gas powers engines, i require about 32 HP i think and will be working in large halls like scahool halls with windows and doube doors open, any ideas the best place to start and the cheepest way to test without building a full scale modle, help would be appriciated as this has been a project i have wanted to complete for a number of years.