Secret experiments forum?

[Rotary-Motion]

spose keep open but big disclaimer warning notice maybe?

and im secretly working in my van today planning where to stick everything tightly...

[Tony]

It's interesting there is some support for this idea.

Yes, I get totally what people are saying about an open forum, but we know what we write is indexed by search engines and non-members can casually cruise through without even logging in and see it all.  Which is fine for discussing how best to follow well established processes and tweaks to those.

The oil sourcing and collections forum is already hidden from non-members (and thus search engines) as it's almost commercially sensitive information.  Otherwise, that's like broadcasting to anyone that wants to know (ebay listers, rival collectors) what the value of oil is, which is eminently foolish.

Discussing wild ideas for the process via PMs is not as useful as having a board for discussions.  More eyes and ideas are always good.

There are some ideas that are truly commercially sensitive, such as the work done by Carrington that he has kindly shared with a few of us on the understanding it won't be published, which we should not discuss even on a limited forum, as that would break his trust.

But for everything else that is a little "experimental" in my mind it does make sense to apply some restriction - which could be as simple as registered members only, like our oil sourcing board is, or slightly more restrictive based on post count - at the risk of excluding a few people just because they don't post as much (which may be unfair).

Either the idea is a failure in which case there is no need to publish it, or the idea is a success in which case either the thread can be moved to the search indexed, public boards or a new thread started.

We'd need to agree two things

- whether we want such a board (some interest here suggests it might be useful)
- how to apply restrictions (least restrictive forum members only vs post count vs invite only group)

[Chug]

I say keep on experimenting and keep it on the open forum, many heads are better than one to thrash out an idea and there is too much secrecy around in the world as it is.

[Julian]

EDIT ... This response is to Tony's post, not Chug's.  Totally agree with Chug's comments. ... EDIT

No, completely disagree ... totally flies in the face of running the forum in an open and free manner which was the intention from the outset.  The support is only from those who would most likely be included.

The oil collection board is open to anyone who cares to register we could have a dozen Agri-moles checking it daily and we'd never know.

Setting the criteria is even more of a minefield.  It'll create an "elite" and probably cause bad feeling amongst those precluded.

To my knowledge there have only been three "secret experiments" (unless there are some to which I've not been privy ... in which case I feel hurt and excluded!)

One which has been published post trials and has proved very successful.  I don't have a problem with not being included in the trials, I'm just grateful to those who did the experimentation and the originator of the idea.

There's one I have trialed that I believe a few others were going to try and which I've been told can be published. However in my opinion there are dangers involved which could make publication be considered irresponsible ... it's a though one.

And recently Nige, who has openly given his reasons for wanting a just few people to do initial trails.  I respect Nige's comments, but I feel publication with the originators acknowledgement and permission would have been a better route to dissemination.  Or, better still, get the originator to publish on here ... one for you to pursue, Nige.

I think elite boards, are over reaction to just a few recent events.

[Tony]

Well argued sir.

[Carrington]

Hi all
I have had a chat today with the originator of Nigel's trials and the reason he didn't post it up himself was he wasn't sure if the results he was getting where correct
Having spoken to him I believe the result are positive and will have a chat with Nigel probably tomorrow with regards to posting them up.

With regards to some of my ideas involving acids I feel more confident approaching a few people of the public forum purely for safety reasons and once it's decided that it works then go public with all the warning's and maybe come up with a safer way of doing it (instead of tip it in and run )

Paul

[photoman290]

With regards to some of my ideas involving acids I feel more confident approaching a few people of the public forum purely for safety reasons and once it's decided that it works then go public with all the warning's and maybe come up with a safer way of doing it (instead of tip it in and run )

Paul

get someone else to tip it in?

[nigelb]

If it had been an experiment that I'd have trialled then I would have had no issues with making some sort of statement.

I'm pleased that Paul has spoken to Chad and I look forward to giving this "adjustment" a go when I next brew...looking like Sunday now with a visit to Bertles and Keith mapped in for Saturday.

I'm looking forward to the results from the guys who have been messaged and are brewing this week to see if a positive outcome can be repeated.

Nige

[K.H]

With regards to some of my ideas involving acids I feel more confident approaching a few people of the public forum purely for safety reasons and once it's decided that it works then go public with all the warning's and maybe come up with a safer way of doing it (instead of tip it in and run )

Paul

get someone else to tip it in?

I propose Bob as "head of wiki safety",i like the way he thinks

[Carrington]

I like the idea of safety officer , I can come up with loads of dangerous stuff and let the safety officer sort it out
(Right I'm off now to get the nitric acid and glycerine )

[K.H]

Thats 2 votes for Bob then,he doesnt have to agree,we just say see/sue Bob he's head of safety

[1958steveflying]

I think plenty of trialling goes on that does not reach the forum because it is public yet generally would greatly benefit the many great minds on here, I don't think "secretive" is the right word.  Certain discussions about trials and test's could be better kept away from general public access for pretty obvious reasons, but open to anyone who is a registered member.
  Anyone who wants to be secretive can contact whom ever they want to be privy to it by other means.

[Head Womble]

There's quite a differing of opinion on this,
but the general surgestion is it should be kept from public vue until testing has proven it to work.

Now I think we also need to risk acess all methods before going public,
think of it this way if we advocate something that could quite easily blowup in someones face if they got it slightly wrong,
causing blindness and major burns, who could be held responcable, the forum owner ?

Ps. my spell check isn't working for some reason.

[K.H]

But surely making bio in any form is dangerous?
I'm easy on whether a section is private or not but i want people to feel free to suggest new ideas no matter how mad

[K.H]

There's quite a differing of opinion on this,
but the general surgestion is it should be kept from public vue until testing has proven it to work.

Now I think we also need to risk acess all methods before going public,
think of it this way if we advocate something that could quite easily blowup in someones face if they got it slightly wrong,
causing blindness and major burns, who could be held responcable, the forum owner ?

Ps. my spell check isn't working for some reason.

I know its part of your work and also my other halfs but i hate the words "risk assessment" makes me queasy!