tlhfirelion, looks like you're the one out of line. You mentioned in your first post that you were in the planning stages of your house. Panelcrafters took the opportunity to recommend that you super insulate. If you do a little research on your own you'll find out that super insulating does not equate to SIPS. He pushed no product.

In his second post he said "Did I mention SIPS?" In other words he was pointing out that he initially never said anything about SIPS. He elaborated a bit more about his recommendation in your planning stage to super insulate, whatever construction method you choose. He still pushed no product.

I can't understand why in a public forum you would go out of your way to alienate professionals who contribute here simply for the sake of better building. These fora are for the benefit of many. The discussion is read by many more who don't even post. To limit the discussion to what you think is relevant is contrary to the whole purpose of anybody being here. Yes, let's hope the conversation stays close to the matter at hand. But Panelcrafters' contribution may spark a comment by somebody else which gets around to the answer you're looking for. He asked where you were building in his first post. This may have a bearing on the gas versus electric question.

His "signature" that automatically appends to every post he makes is something to the effect of "If you aren't building with SIPs or ICF, why bother?"

If someone misconstrues that signature "tag line" as part of the intentional content of the post, it really comes across as a constant and rather judgmental sales pitch.

I, for one, don't generally get offended by the sales guys, and many open my eyes to VERY good information that I wouldn't have found on my on, BUT when they start attacking each other and going back and forth about each side negative selling against the other (as has happened in several threads in the recent past), it gets really tiresome and a small "straw" like that signature in his posts can seem too much to bear...

When firelion retorted that he wasn't going to build with SIPs or ICF, I took it as a reaction to the sales pitch contained in the signature of the other guy's posts...

At any rate, this thread has probably run its course... I should probably ask for feedback on my passive solar design ideas in a new thread.

But tlhfirelion *is* planning an ICF home. Look at his initial post.