Rick Berry

Team Culturing Information

last updated: 2. April, 2011

WHO are you?

• Name/Nationality/Ethnicity - Rick Berry, United States of America -- Texas

• Location Panola County, Texas, USA (Northeast Texas)

• Contact Information -
  

Rick.Berry (at) Gmail (dot) com
903.224.5308 Google Voice (Voicemail & SMS _only_)

• Introductory Video -

• Resume/CV

• Hobbies and Pastimes -

I'm a nerd.
I've been using computers since 1981, and "online" since 1982.
I like designing things and building things and using my imagination and my skills to solve problems.
I love the outdoors, and have been trying to build up a small farm on my rural property, with a goal of increasing self-sufficiency and energy independence.

WHY are you motivated to support/develop this work?

• Do you endorse open source culture?

I believe that Open Source has a place in certain aspects of technology and can be a meaningful force for good in the destruction of scarcity.
Some intellectual property should receive copyright protection, and some should be "volunteered" as open content, given for the benefit of all.
How to decide which is which is still a thorny question.
But I absolutely believe that the open source initiative to create the GVCS is a force to be reckoned with and will meaningfully reduce poverty and suffering, IF WE DO IT RIGHT.

• Why are you interested in this work?

I want to help. See above. I think you need my skills, and I want to help.
I am well aware that I'm a privileged rich boy who has a very high standard of living. I think I should use some of my wealth to help improve the lives of others who don't have the luxury of a life of invention and contemplation in front of a computer.

• Are you interested in teaching about the GVCS?

YES.

• Are you interested in economic relocalization possibilities arising from the GVCS?'

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
Am I personally interested in relocating? Not really. Would I travel, or temporarily relocate to assist in training and developing communities with the GVCS? Yes, absolutely.

• Do you want to use the GVCS technologies yourself? Do you want to build them yourself?

YES! As soon as I finish the CAD work on the Liberator(s), I intend to build one and use it for myself. Likewise the Power Cube and possibly a version of the tractor.

• Are you interested in starting up enterprise using the GVCS technologies?

Possibly.
I intend to experiment with renting out my CEB Press when I'm not using it, and in taking it to disaster areas like Haiti to help in rebuilding, etc.

• Are you interested in having the GVCS technologies fabricated by your local custom fabricator?

I am interested in mostly building my GVCS tools myself. I have a workshop and lots of power tools and equipment, and intend to build my own machine shop.
I would certainly consider producing components for GVCS machines for others, whether for profit or at-cost.

• Are you interested in applying the GVCS to third world development? To redevelopment of crisis areas? To development of derelict areas in the developed world?

Yes. I have lived overseas in the past (Beirut, Athens, Tehran, Aberdeen) and traveled quite a bit, and seen that the way people live in other places is much different than the way they live in my home county. I would be interested in the possibility of working on projects for limited spans of time, but not permanently relocating.

• Are you interested in starting up Industry 2.0 flexible fabrication enterprises for your local community, by drawing from a global repository of freely down-loadable designs and fabricating using open source fabrication equipment?

Yes. I see a major opportunity from the intersection of old and new manufacturing technologies.

• Are you interested in the potential of the GVCS for developing local food systems?

Yes. Aquaculture, greenhouses, small-scale farming, methane digesters, solar, wind, etc. etc.

• Are you interested in doing academic studies/papers, publishing books, or doing other analysis of our efforts?

Yes, to the extent of my abilities and time, yes.

• Are you interested in financial investment opportunities arising from our work?

I'm not sure I understand the implications of the question.

• Are you interested in the distributive economic aspects of our work, and if so, how do you see this playing out?

I think the best possible outcome is a decrease in scarcity of basic necessities, benefiting all, rich and poor. "A rising tide raises all boats."

• Are you interested in building renewable energy production facilities based on open hardware (solar concentrator electric, wind, biomass power).

Yes. I think solar concentration is probably the best bet for small-holders.
Mirrors--> Salt "bomb" to hold heat --> steam engine for mechanical energy from heat --> electricity or other useful power (compressed air, etc)

• Are you interested in building resilient communities based on access to the GVCS?

Sure.

• Are you interested in creating a bug-out hut using GVCS technologies?

I'm more interested in creating a resilient home and farm structure, and "sheltering in place" instead of planning to bug out. Or, looked at another way, I've already bugged-out of the cities.
Another aspect is maintaining a network of community who mutually support each other in case of regional disaster.

• How do you think that the GVCS can help alleviate the instabilities of global monetary systems?

By creating wealth-producing machines for very little cash outlay, communities can thrive outside the "global markets" with less input and more wealth for all.

• How do you think that the GVCS can address issues related to resource conflicts?

By giving people the means to produce what they need themselves, we reduce pressure to take it from neighbors by warfare.

• How do you think that the GVCS can address issues of overpopulation?

This is a thorny question. Providing more food will increase population in developing areas. Only after the culture achieves stability and an end to subsistence will birthrate fall. With clean houses, abundant food and education, we can break the need for having large families for security.
It's a difficult problem, requiring a long-term strategy.

• How do you think that the GVCS can address issues of resource depletion and environmental degradation?

Yes, by reducing need for petroleum- and petrochemical-based fertilizers and breaking the grip of monoculture-big-agro.

• Other comments

I think you're on the right track with the GVCS, and I want to help.

WHAT

• What have you already contributed to the OSE project? (technical contributions, blogging about us, financial support, organizing events, translations, interviews, video editing, publications, publicity work, behind-the-scenes work, CAD work, wiki contributions, computer support, etc)

I'm working on the CAD drawings for the CEB Press. I think that's where I can make the fastest, most valuable contribution. I hope that my work with the CEB Press documentation engenders a trust in my skills and abilities, and will earn me a place on teams developing future components of the GVCS and other projects.
I also have skills with manual and CNC machining as well as metal fabrication, welding, carpentry, etc. so can be useful as a "strong back" as well.

Communications

• CAD, machine design, CNC programmer, machinist, illustrator, draftsman, technical writer, IT support, "effective communications" is my forté, whatever medium.

Organizational

• I've done some public speaking, and taken part as an officer in a non-profit group.
  

I have some project management experience.

Computer Support

• Sadly, GNU/Linux is something that I've been meaning to get into for some time, but the fact that most of my CAD tools are Windows based has trapped me in the Windows OS.

Finances

• No, only my own projects, none of which are monumental in scale or success at this point.

Sociology

• Sure, in theory. Not sure I want to live there while wrinkles are being ironed out. ;)

Home Economics

• Yes. I can cook, can cook large meals, plan meals for large groups, have tools for feeding large groups (propane stoves, ring burners, giant wok etc.) and could support an encampment at say, Burning Man or a disaster relief team in a 3rd-world country.
  

I can slaughter and butcher animals, and have handled animals up to goat/deer size (ie, not beef).
I know how to can (preserve in jars) using hot-water and pressure-cooker methods.
I can bake, a little, too, but need to learn to use a wood-fired oven/horno to do so.

Design

• Yes, to almost all of those, but only in a self-researched, self-driven project capacity.
  

I'm a professional CAD draftsman and designer, proficient in AutoCAD and SolidWorks, mainly, but know other tools like Office, Photoshop, etc.
I've done some architectural design, but not professionally, residential and commercial (steel)

Building

• General carpentry yes.
  

Can drive a tractor.
Can weld and cut w/ torchMachinist, manual and CNC, though not journeyman level (trained in college).
Chainsaw proficient
Woodworking, basic cabinetry, not finished carpenter.
CAD/CAM/CNC.
Basic 1st world plumbing (ie, buy plastic or metal parts, assemble them)

Electronics and Magnetics

• Only research (ie, Hugh Piggott etc)
  

No practical or design experience.
(I am an autodidact, and tend to learn skills as and when I need to use them)

Automation

• I've designed the mechanical systems of CNC machines, but not the electronics or drives.
  

I've programmed educational industrial robots in class.

Metallurgy

• Some training.
  

Blacksmithing, but only basic stuff.
Foundry, green sand, lost wax, aluminum, zinc, brass, bronze. No iron (yet!)

Engineering

• No, but I have tools that let me do certain tasks that would otherwise require a mechanical engineer, ie, stress analysis of structures and factor-of-safety.

HOW can you help?

• How are you interested in contributing to the work of GVCS development?

CAD, design, physical labor at the Factor-E-Farm, possibly producing components for other builders. I use SolidWorks.

• Can you volunteer to work with us, and if so, how many hours per week?

Varies. I will be working as I can on CAD and design projects.

• Are you interested in working with us for pay? If so, what services can you offer, and what is your hourly or per-project rate?

This is something we could discuss. No idea what sort of compensation I'd have to ask for. It depends on a lot of factors, such as whether I would leave my present job, etc.

• Are you interested in purchasing equipment from us to help bootstrap development?

Possibly, though in general, I'm the kind of guy who likes to build/source his own parts, mostly.

• Are you interested in bidding for consulting/design/prototyping work?

Yes

• Are you a True Fan? If not, why not?

Am I a money donor? No; I'm cash-poor at the moment. My current contribution is the value of my time in creating CAD products for the Liberator project and beyond.

• Would you like to see yourself working with us on a full-time basis?

Yeah, that would be really cool.

• Are you interested in using the technologies that we are developing directly?

Yes. I want to build my home and farm with these tools, and then use my skill to help others.

• Are you interested in being part of the world's first, open source, resilient community? The GVCS is the preparatory step for the OSE Village Experiment, a 2 year, immersion experiment (2013-2014) for testing whether a real, thriving, modern-day prototype community of 200 people can be built on 200 acres using local resources and open access to information? We are looking for approximately 200 people to fill a diverse array of roles, according to the Social Contract that is being developed. This may be the boldest social experiment on earth - a pioneering community whose goal is to extend the index of possibilities regarding harmonious existence of humans, ecology, and technology - as a beacon of light to benefit of all people on Earth.

Possibly. I know I want to visit, and see how that goes.
I can also see becoming a focus for "Factor-E-Farm South" at my location in East Texas (nearly due south of you in Missouri)