To all that posted tips!
 

You all had some great tips here! Someone also mentioned that someone should put these into fortune cookies.

So I started collecting 'tips'...I solicited them from other forums, my EAA chapter, my little brain, and anywhere else I could get some...

Now I have a bunch of them! I thought I would start a tiny little buisiness to see if I could make a little extra money to build a plane! Naturally setting all this up cost me probably more money than I'll make...but at least it makes my trip to OSH a write off!!!

So I'm asking the posters of tips here if I can use them? If you don't want me using your creative tip, tell me which one it is and if I used it i will delete it!

Thank you so much!

Mark

Hmmmm....
 

Hi Mark,

I'm all for folks figuring out a way to make a little money to pay for their projects....and quite frankly, the tips I have given here and in other places I have given away to the world for free, so I guess anyone can do whatever they want with them - including make money for themselves. I suppose I could have sold them myself, but chose not to....to be really fair, if I were doing what you're doing, my conscience would force me to at least give credit to the folks that gave the tips - maybe you're doing that, but you don't say. Asking folks to go through all the tips they have posted here and in other places, identify them, and then notify you not to use them seems just a little off to me....

I might be the only one that feels this seems a little funny, in which case, never mind....as I said, I give away my ideas pretty much for free (and that's all that some are worth...)

Paul

My 2 cents worth...
 

It seems to me that our gracious host has created this website as a free resource for anyone and everyone. True, he does offer us the option to donate, which many of us have done. But it's still free to anyone who wants to use it for free. I guess I have a fundamental problem with someone taking something that's free and then repackaging it as something for sale. I suppose if Doug doesn't have a problem with it, then go for it. But I have a problem with it.

I'm all for free enterprise and capitalism in America. I'm certainly supportive of raising money to build a plane! I just don't think this is quite the right way to do it.

My gut says you might sell some (maybe enough to break even). You certainly have permission to use anything I've typed. Like Paul said above, I doubt you'll get a lot of people sending you stuff - you'll have to search most of it out yourself.

No MSG was used typing this message.

b,
dr

I feel a little more strongly about it than the others.

What you are doing is just plain wrong. It is akin to going to multiple convenience stores and lifting donations out of the Lukemia jars and spending the cash for your own benefit.

It is not going to make you many friends. I would suggest you use a different approach for your funding.

your comments...
 

Thank you all for your comments. The reason I posted my original post is because I too feel it just may not be morally right to take your creative 'tips' and use them. I suppose in a way, I was asking your permission.

Remember all the 'fortunes' are simply a humorous look at the trails and tribulations of building and airplane and are in no way a serious guide to building.

I really thought it would just be a fun thing to do and people would get a kick out of seeing their idea in a fortune cookie. Would I make any money? The startup costs are a little over $1,200 so probably not! And believe me...the profit margin on a 30 cent cookie is pretty darn low! But like I said, personally it would be a ton of fun for me and it was worth me doing.

Since I really want to build my own RV someday and I don't want the whole RV community mad at me (ha) I will not continue with my idea.

In response to the comment below...thank you. Yes I had everyone's name that posted a tip and those names would have appeared as a 'thank you' on my website. I also thought I could have Doug pick a 'winner' and I could send that person a bunch that they could eat or pass out at a chapter meeting or something.

Thank you again for your comments!

Mark

Collecting and organizing tips
 

I respectfully disagree with Milt and agree with Paul and Doug. The effort you will expend to collect and organize these tips should justify your making any profit you can on them. The end result will be a value added collaboration with the value coming from your research and organization.

I also agree with Paul that you should give credit where credit is due and identify the source of the tips. I am sure you plan on doing this, and you don't need me to point out that you would not want to be seen as taking credit for others ideas. In some instances it will be hard to identify who actually originated an idea since often ideas are introduced by someone and refined by others.

Best of luck. I am not sure how successful this compendium will be when it is essentially available for free by using the "search" feature on this web site, but then I have a "low hanging fruit" approach to startup businesses -- i.e. how easy will it be to generate a decent return with minimal investment. (That comment is bound to get me in trouble, but what the heck.)

Antony

Personally, I have no problem with someone taking anything that I have posted and putting it on their web site, as long as credit is given to the original poster. I can understand why some people would be bothered by this though.

But, there are so many excellent free sources of info on the web that the market for purchased info will be quite low, IMHO. I doubt you'll ever make much money on the tips, or any ads (too low traffic) and the time spent working on the site would probably be better spent building the aircraft, or in an activity that would generate more revenue/hr.

There's a guy who took every good tip EVER on the RV List, catalogued them into a single searchable document and then gave it away for free. I know there's a copy on the file section of the YGroup but I'm not sure where else.

In the age of the incredible Google search engine, I'm not sure hard-copy RV ideas have significant value.

I usually just go up to the Google toolbar and type "can I use ProSeal as a laxative" or "if I accidentally spill oatmeal into my fuel tanks while building them, what should I do?" and it's amazing how quickly the answer appears.

Wish I'd thought of that Google thing first -- I'd have an engine and avionics by now. Well, actually I'd have several RVs and my own RV airport.

perhaps misunderstood?
 

Hi all,

Again, I am no longer proceeding with this idea. BUT I think everyone has the wrong idea of what I was going to do. Let me explain...

The 'tips' that are in the fortunes are not meant to be actual building tips. They are simply humorous, funny, and sometimes hilarious antidotes to building. Examples from here are "turn the compressor off before calling in sick" and "when someone starts talking about primer, run for the hills!"

The idea behind the fortune cookies is to have something funny to pass out to unsuspecting builders when they come to your house to inspect your project. Or to give away at chapter meetings and dinners, or pancake breakfasts, Young Eagle fly-ins, etc...

Yes you are correct, anyone can get online and see them. But somehow I just don't see the humor in passing around a computer after your chapter meeting and looking at list of quotes!

And believe this or not, there are actually people out there that are building airplanes that don't start with "RV..." that probably aren't on this forum to see them.

Sorry guys, I can't compile them all, pay for a logo, shipping materials, advertising, printing costs, website, and everything else and GIVE them away. Yes...I actually have to sell them. Your idea isn't exactly making someone rich sitting inside a 30 cent fortune cookie.

Instead, we'll just leave them in digital form on a single webpage where they will sit forever, be forgotten, and 80% of the homebuilders will never see and enjoy them.



Mark



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