[GSBN] a Cob list serve

Thu Mar 13 14:47:59 UTC 2014

I share Graeme's feelings about two many lists and a broad interest.
Furthermore, we have been wanting a discussion forum where we can discuss
technical issues around engineering, materials testing protocols, getting
buildings permitted under Alternative Materials and Methods, etc.  GSBN is
already a vibrant group of professionals.  As we get closer to writing the
code for earthen materials, there may be great input from the straw bale
community who have already gone through the hurdles of the code who I'm
certain would have valuable input.  Trying to resurrect another list that
is open to the public, that is not very active, and doesn't already include
the skilled and experienced builders/designers/engineers that we are
wanting to reach feels like "reinventing the wheel".  I see a healthy list
growing on the other thread of "earth related practitioners."  I wonder how
many of you have been on the deatech cob list, and feel that it would be a
better venue.  There is a sort of rift in the cob community, with two
different leaderships.  There has always been the camp of: "anybody can
build with cob, design on the back of an envelope, screw the building
departments", etc. and this gotten a lot of people in trouble, and it
hasn't helped to bring cob into the mainstream or engender positive
feelings about alternative building materials among the very people we need
to have on our "side.  We are concerned that the last 20 years of cob
buildings include many that are unsafe (because of the disdain among the
leadership and teachers for engineering and best practices for
construction), and it only takes one falling down and hurting occupants to
kill the movement.

How about we simply have a protocol where cob or earth is in the title of
any thread, so it can be ignored by those who are not interested, and read
by those who are, not unlike if it was a thread on some other topic, such
as thermal performance, or any other topic that might be of interest to a
more limited audience.  Those of us on the "earth related practitioners"
list who might know of others out there that meet the criteria for GSBN
nomination, and are active in earth building, can bring them on board.

I welcome your continued discussion,
Misha

On Wed, Mar 12, 2014 at 10:36 PM, Graeme North <graeme at ecodesign.co.nz>wrote:

> Feile
>
> I am interested in cob, and strawbale and mud brick and light earth and
> unstabilised rammed earth and earth plasters and lime plasters and natural
> timber .. and etc etc - and really, don't want to have a separate list for
> each technique.
> I guess that is a problem with being a natural building generalist - but
> if I had a list for each of my natural building interests then I would be
> inclined to shake my head and give up as its easier I reckon.
> But then if the list gets too large in numbers it might be overwhelming
> too so I don't know the answer to that one either, but whatever it is -
> simplicity is a key consideration.
> At the moment I reckon that the GSBN list is working really well thanks to
> those who keep it going
>
>
> And now I know about the coblist I have joined it
>
> cheers
>
> Graeme
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 13/03/2014, at 2:51 PM, Sarah Machtey <mudhome at netzero.net> wrote:
>
> > I'd like to second everything Bill has said about the coblist. Shannon
> has always kept a pretty tight rein on it - keeping it on topic - so, as
> long as it remains low-traffic, I don't feel the need for a separate
> invitation-only list. What it could use, apparently, is a bit of
> inviting/publicizing to natural building professionals. Thanks for pointing
> that out, Misha and Feile. I had always just assumed that anyone interested
> in a cob list would do an internet search, find it, and subscribe.
> >
> > Sarah Machtey
> > SageEarth.com
> >
> >
> > From: Bill Christensen <lists at sustainablesources.com>
> > To: Feile Butler <feile at mudandwood.com>, Global Straw Building Network <
> GSBN at sustainablesources.com>
> > Subject: Re: [GSBN] a Cob list serve
> > Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:11:19 -0500
> >
> > Coblist is currently open to all.
> >
> > I think it's a small enough focus that there hasn't really been a need
> to do the invitation only thing.
> >
> > On 3/12/14 4:23 AM, Feile Butler wrote:
> >
> > Maybe we could reactivate this list? And I agree that it should not be
> cob only, but other forms of earth construction too.
> >
> > Graeme, I don't agree that it works when we all operate under GSBN using
> targeted email subject titles.
> >
> > A few times I have put questions out there that are more to do with
> earth than straw and I got either a tiny response (often off-list) or no
> response at all. What I love about GSBN is that the information is
> available to everyone on the list. But if people are not answering
> earth-related questions on-list or not answering the questions at all, then
> it isn't working to expand our knowledge and experience of earth-related
> materials.
> >
> > I almost got the feeling that it wasn't the done thing to bring up too
> many earth-related topics on a straw network. And also, the reality is that
> many excellent earth building specialists are not represented on the straw
> bale list. And there may well be plenty of straw balers who have no
> interest in earth-related topics and may not want their list highjacked
> (and I don't want to feel that I am highjacking a list).
> >
> > This came up at the Earth Building UK's directors' meeting last week
> too. The issue of invitation is important. Already I know of rammed earth
> specialists who do not want to share a list with
> rammed-earth-stabilised-with-cement specialists, because they say (and I
> actually agree) that it is no longer earth, but a form of concrete. I'm not
> sure how we would deal with subtleties like that.
> >
> > Do you have to be nominated to get on the coblist?
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Feile www.mudandwood.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----From: Bill Christensen To: Global Straw
> Building Network Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 4:12 AM Subject: Re:
> [GSBN] a Cob list serve
> >
> > There's already a Coblist out there... been around since 1996, according
> to the archives. I support making use of the existing resources instead of
> reinventing wheels, too. No sense in diluting a small community.
> >
> > Coblist mailing list Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
> >
> > It's not a high traffic list by any means, but there are sometimes
> interesting discussions there. It peaked around 2003 with 2146 messages,
> but now is down to less than a hundred a year. There's some good info in
> those archives, too, as I recall.
> >
> > Regarding the mailman-owner at sustainablesources.com and other such
> lists, I don't monitor those addresses. But you can always find me at this
> one and many other @greenbuilder.com addresses.
> >
> > On 3/11/14 6:50 PM, Misha Rauchwerger wrote:
> >
> > At the last board meeting of the Cob Research Institute we discussed the
> possibility of a dedicated cob list serve, similar to the GSBN, in that it
> would be primarily for professionals and specific to technical aspects of
> cob, engineering, permitting, testing, connection and other architectural
> details, etc. We didn't want to re-invent the wheel, or start yet another
> list unless there was interest. So I'm starting with you to explore the
> possibility and interest level.
> >
> > 1. It's possible to not limit it to cob, but could include earthen
> buildings in general 2. It should be by invitation only, but if it begins
> through GSBN, then members already in GSBN would be already on the list if
> they so chose 3. We would need a moderator 4. It could be it's own list, on
> the GSBN list with specific headers, or some other permutation that might
> be able to take advantage of the structure already set up by GSBN, but only
> received by members that wish to participate (if possible).
> >
> > We are excited to open up the dialogue about this and see where it goes.
> >
> > Misha Rauchwerger Built In Bliss
> > ____________________________________________________________
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