Do you support Artisan?

Help keep Artisan free for personal and 

commercial use by sending a donation

Readers of my blogs about coffee and viewers of the videos frequently send me questions for more specific information when they are working on their own build-it-yourself roaster projects or when they have a  FZ-94 roaster like mine and they plan to do some modifications like I did.

Since I am grateful for all I've learned from friends, especially along some steep learning curves, I am more than happy to help out others as well. Sharing information helps along everyone's coffee experience and if we all do it, we keep raising the bar, improving coffee quality in our lives.

I do prefer to help out others who also post their experiences online for others to find.

Some post stuff on Instagram and on Facebook but Facebook is one huge waterfall of personal information, cat pictures and 'shocking' videos so any relevant information is quickly flushed down the timeline while Instagram is better for communicating a mood or an inspiration than for actually explaining something that's as complex as computer assisted coffee roasting.

In my view, a blog or web page is a better alternative for such information. Sure, there is no continuous stream of passers-by clicking 'like' on all you do but a relevant post on a blog can easily be found using Google and these few visitors are likely to be readers who are sincerely interested in what you're saying.

Another thing I usually, at some point, ask fellow roasters who email me to ask feedback on their mods, profiles and purchases, is

Do you support Artisan?

Because practically all roasters that I know use Artisan.

Some use 'the other program' as well, like an SCA teacher I know who roasts with commercial software while teaching the use of Artisan (for free) to aspiring roastmasters on smaller machines in his school or in very remote countries as part of a development support program on behalf of the European Union.

Often the response I get is that yes, one wholeheartedly supports Artisan, that is, one applauds the makers of the program, one is very happy with it and 'pays back' by telling others how great it is and these others might at some point do the same, so in effect this means that... no support is provided.

Some give a one-time donation and assume that they are part of an ever growing mass of users who all send a one-time donation, thus generating a chain letter type windfall that will keep the program blasting forward.

That does not cut it either.

Just like your landlord expects more than a one time rent payment for your house and the bank needs monthly payments for allowing you to keep "your" house, Artisan needs a periodical donation to keep existing and growing.

I have a recurring reminder note in my diary to donate € 75 every 3 months.  One fellow roaster who roasts much more donates that in a year, but he is just starting up his growing roastery business and much of the margin is ploughed back into the company so for now he has little to spare.

Whatever you do, it's wise and in your own self interest to donate what you think is an honest and reasonable recurring amount.

If you don't, the software can't remain to be developed because no one will do it.

And then on your laptop after the next, in the long run, Artisan won't run anymore and instead you will find the other REAL commercial alternative software brand ready for your subscription, the investors rubbing their hands and welcoming you with a lustful grin ;-)

Happy roasting!