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PaperclipPerfector  8hr ago (text post)   203 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for September 6, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Is rooftop solar a good investment if you're a homeowner? Thinking about an install after getting a house.

It's heavily dependent on where you live and the local terrain.

If your property is:

  • Flat
  • Well-exposed to the sun
  • Up to code with modern wiring

You might be a good candidate.

If possible, try to line the work up with additional major work around the roof or your wiring to save on scheduling headaches and labor.

At my house, for example, I have trees on two sides of my property and I live on a slope that obscures the sun even further. This is compounded by being a very overcast region in terms of weather. The cost of the installation would exceed any reasonable ROI until either the cost of the install dips by ~40% or I have to get rid of the trees for other reasons.

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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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