Outside Services Vendors for 2023

[some seeing eye]

https://burningman.org/event/participat ... providers/

[Elorrum]

Interesting lists. Trash hauling, dome and shade structures, potties, water, a few generator power providers, telecom, fresh produce delivery. Not certain what is actually new, or if I’m just getting aware of service providers. Curious what the expectations of telecom services should be on a primitive desert camping trip. Answer: it isn’t a primitive desert camping trip, it’s a temporary resort for many attendees, and they sky is the limit if people can afford it.

[Papa Bear]

Maybe I’m blind, but I don’t see “telecom” anywhere on that list.

[burner von braun]

Perhaps "Unlimited Communications" company?

The way I see it though, it really is an important infrastructure to have, for EAS and other communication that keeps the place running.

Not to say that it doesn't have some people using it more for their personal enjoyment. I'm unfamiliar with any of the details on this one.

[some seeing eye]

Any telecom service for now would go through hdiss as allowed by the BORG and BLM.

The BLM does not regulate satellite Internet in BRC.

So I would suspect it is a case of mistaken identity when actually a telecom provider is only allowed to provide generators to BRC.

There are BMORG Outside Services videos out there discussing philosophy.

[Elorrum]

Unlimited communications. I see, maybe they are just bringing generators. I am unclear then if this program means anybody that wants to can contract with the approved providers? I guess I figured that was the case and jumped to conclusions.

[Chowski]

Phew! At least the filthy poors have to bring their own bikes and water and coffee. We wouldn’t want to inconvenience the parasite airport class, but fuck everybody else.

[Token]

I thought they were scaling back all this nonsense.

Trucking, machinery and maybe sanitation … I understand those …

The rest is entitled fluff.

[ygmir]

I thought they were scaling back all this nonsense.

Trucking, machinery and maybe sanitation … I understand those …

The rest is entitled fluff.

sort of a political stunt, IMHO: state you are doing a thing (scaling back), but actually increase it, and depend on no one actually noticing, and once it's done, it's too late. you get the kudos for "scaling back" and the backlash for not is minimal...

[some seeing eye]

Excellent questioning discussion all.

In my view, the whole questioning camps with Outside Services was launched by ePlayan Jackass and Sherpa Beth in 2024. THANK YOU Mr Jackass!

Jackass: https://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic ... 69&t=71740
Sherpa Beth's lament you can find by search.

From 2014 the internal burning man process realizing a problem and involving the community launched. It was in the cultural rethink.

To me, this discussion by the Burning Man OSS manager captures it where we arrived in 2018.



Since then, OSS has narrowed. You can see it by the archive of OSS vendors by year.

Each year the BLM solicits new OSS vendors to get their 3% - I think that is the number. The BMORG is part of the process to contain solicitation to the culture.

I would add and I have no inside information, the BORG can see fossil fuel generation through OSS generator vendors, on-playa fuel services, and theme camp applications.

[Token]

Stories, excuses, blah, blah …

The bottom line:

There are us Old-Fucks that have been to BM and built big-ass shit without OSS.

Call me jaded, call me burnier than thou …

It is commodification!

And BTW, us old-farts did it when “phone” meant something totally different, and emailing vendors was a: “Say what”?

OK, rant off … For a radical experiment in Culture, the BORG sure does cling to the comforts of conformity.

[ygmir]

Stories, excuses, blah, blah …

The bottom line:

There are us Old-Fucks that have been to BM and built big-ass shit without OSS.

Call me jaded, call me burnier than thou …

It is commodification!

And BTW, us old-farts did it when “phone” meant something totally different, and emailing vendors was a: “Say what”?

OK, rant off … For a radical experiment in Culture, the BORG sure does cling to the comforts of conformity.

I'd say the equation is pretty simple: comfort x conformity + the appearance of social credit = profit

[Papa Bear]

Unlimited communications. I see, maybe they are just bringing generators. I am unclear then if this program means anybody that wants to can contract with the approved providers?

OSS vendors are only allowed to provide services for their listed area - so yes, just generators. That was a loophole they closed a few years back - the original intent was just to support big things like generators, but didn’t think to explicitly limit it at first. So vendors who provided things like generators discovered that camps would pay them to also bring other stuff too (like Segways, etc). The org caught on, and shut it down.

Theme camps can contract with the vendors listed for the specific categories listed. Note that some categories do require pre-approval.

The org is aware of the OSS contracts out there, and camps that are deemed overly reliant on OSS will draw the attention of placement - especially if the use of OSS appears to be primarily for making things cushy for their own members rather than supporting whatever the camps offering is.

[Papa Bear]

I thought they were scaling back all this nonsense.

Trucking, machinery and maybe sanitation … I understand those …

The rest is entitled fluff.

They have, dramatically. I would add fuel to your list - that’s got permit implications written all over it. Fire authorities don’t like camps storing large quantities of fuel in the city.

Potable water deliveries I also get, though my camp handles our own. That’s a lot of weight to haul if you are hauling water tanks, and I wouldn’t trust most burners to do it on that road. People can bring their own in smaller quantities, but then you get a lot of plastic waste.

I don’t know about produce delivery, but it wouldn’t shock me if the only camps approved to use it are the “farmers market” camps, and otherwise just supports commissary.

No idea about stretch tents and domes, or whether that’s just delivery of the materials vs. setup services.

[Papa Bear]

sort of a political stunt, IMHO: state you are doing a thing (scaling back), but actually increase it, and depend on no one actually noticing, and once it's done, it's too late. you get the kudos for "scaling back" and the backlash for not is minimal...

That would perhaps be reasonable if they were expanding OSS, but it is very clearly the opposite. They have scaled OSS back, dramatically. One huge example is that predelivered housing of any kind (RVs, yurts, whatever) is no longer permitted.

They’ve also cracked down on any kind of commerce happening outside of OSS, which used to be rampant. If a camp pays for their own trucker to deliver stuff, or staff to come help set up or cook, or anything else that constitutes a good or service provided on playa, they can lose their good standing with placement as well as be fined by the BLM. Doesn’t matter if the actual transaction is handled off playa, it’s still forbidden - which is why bike rental camps are no longer a thing.

[The Rod]

From a FB group this morning. In the comments it is stated that they will be offering diesel only and for amounts greater than 25gal at a time.

[some seeing eye]

Good catch, hahaha, Unlimited Communications for the price of your unlimited soul. Just sign

[Elorrum]

Sort of shoots a hole in a previous post that insists none of the providers are playing outside of their designated category.

[Papa Bear]

Sort of shoots a hole in a previous post that insists none of the providers are playing outside of their designated category.

It’s possible the OSS page just hasn’t been updated yet to include them in the fuel category - it does mention that there are “some businesses that still need to be added pending their required documentation”. There’s a process to getting pages on the website updated; it isn’t always quick.

Or they could be violating the terms of the OSS contract, in which case I imagine OSS will be having a chat with them soon. But given that they stated they just inked the contract, my guess is the former is more likely.

Either way, fuel was already an OSS category, and is perhaps the easiest category to justify.

[Papa Bear]

OK, after talking with some people in the know, I have an update.

The Unlimited Communications offer is legit, though it probably shouldn't have been advertised quite in the way it was. Unlimited Communications is an approved OSS vendor for generators, and this year OSS generator providers are also being allowed to do fuel delivery.

If anyone has any specific questions about that change, or about the OSS program or providers in general, the email address to reach out to is [email protected] .