This project succeeded in updating 29 help pages. Thanks to Icy North, Matt the Hoopy, Jhawkesby and Malabarista for their help. The project has now been superseded by new efforts to keep h2g2's Help system relevant.
Some of h2g2's Help Pages remain largely unchanged since the site's earlier years and aren't as good as they could be. The Help Page Update Project aims to re-write them in order to make the site more accessible and easier for new users to understand.
- Update a Help Page
If you want to update a Help Page, please do. Any update does of course have to be perfect in terms of spelling, punctuation and grammar - no pressure, huh? There are many Help Pages of varying sizes, ranging from less than 300 words up to around 3,000.
- Comment on Updates
If you don't feel up to updating a Help Page, please do comment on updates both here and in Peer Review.
There's also a Challenge Update thread to suggest pages that need updating, and a Comments Please thread for anything else you want to say.
- Get the Badge
See A28751132 to get the GuideML for the project's badges.
Help is available, so don't be shy. All updates must pass through Peer Review to the satisfaction of the h2g2 Community, and the h2g2 Editors will have the final say. The project has the Editors' support provided the updates are similar in nature to my update of the Writing Guidelines - hence, some simple rules:
- Don't change the meaning, just make it easier to understand.
- However, do correct any painfully out-of-date references.
- Try to reduce wordiness.
- Make the chunks bite-size and make it easy to find answers to the questions newbies might ask.
- Leave alone anything pertaining to terms and conditions, legal stuff, copyright, suspensions or moderation.
- There is no rule six1.
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| How to Update a Help Page |  |
- Step One
Find yourself a Help Page to re-write from the list below. It may make sense to take on entries that rely on one another.
- Step Two
For each update, create a brand new Entry with a title like this:
Help Page Update: *Writing for the Edited Guide*
- Step Three
Use this box to notify the project for each entry:
HPU: Writing for the Edited Guide
*Please add this for Named Entries (You know, like 'Writing-Guidelines'. There's a list at NamedEntries.)
Use the <./>tags</.> so that the Named Entry displays as a link in the conversation thread.
A-numbers for Named Entries can be found in the title bar (in Brunel) or by using the Search function.
For example:
HPU: Thanks for Registering with h2g2 - Welcome!
I intend to update "Thanks for Registering with h2g2 - Welcome!".
The old version is at A53146 aka Welcome.
My update can be found at A42180176.
Alex
U566116
Once you've done this, others can post their opinions as to flaws in the old version, and you can keep us all informed as to your progress.
Step ThreeOnce the update is ready, let me know and I'll give it a quick once over to check that it conforms to the project's aims. Don't forget to untick the 'Not for Review' box. Once there's room in Peer Review (we try not to overload it with updates) I'll submit it to Peer Review, and once the rest of h2g2 are happy I'll let the h2g2 Editors know via Editorial Feedback. The Eds will then decide whether it's suitable. You won't necessarily be credited on the Help Page for your work (it depends on the type of page), but you will gain credit here.
Thanks for your help.
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| Help Pages Updated/Needing an Update | |
The following table has been edited to remove entries that are less suitable for update. The original, full table of Help Pages has been moved here.
= Update Completed
X = Not Available for Updating
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| Name | Word Count/Update Status |
|
| Welcome! | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| Some Things You Can Do on h2g2 | New Page by Alex Tufty Ashman |
|
| The Don't Panic Help Centre | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
|
| The h2g2 Tour - An Introduction to h2g2 | \ |
| The h2g2 Tour - Reading the Guide | | |
| The h2g2 Tour - Talking About the Guide | | |
| The h2g2 Tour - Contributing to the Guide | |--- Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| The h2g2 Tour - Registering as an h2g2 Researcher | | |
| The h2g2 Tour - Your Personal Space | | |
| The h2g2 Tour - How to Find Out More | / |
|
 h2g2 FAQ Index | [1,507]2 |
| h2g2 FAQ: All About h2g2 | [1,215] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Registration and Membership | [1,335] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Exploring h2g2 | [2,735] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Your Personal Preferences | [882] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Your Personal Space | [1,562] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Conversations on h2g2 | [2,770] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Guide Entries | [1,620] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Your Journal | [578] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Contributing to h2g2 | Updated by Jhawkesby |
| h2g2 FAQ: The Editorial Process | Updated by Icy North |
| h2g2 FAQ: Review Forums | [2,157] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Technical Questions | [1,284] |
| h2g2 FAQ: GuideML | [1,255] |
| h2g2 FAQ: Cool Little Things | Updated by Jhawkesby |
| h2g2 FAQ: Miscellaneous Questions | Updated by Jhawkesby |
|
| The h2g2 Volunteers | Updated by Matt the Hoopy |
|
| Why be an Ace? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
|
| Why be a Community Artist? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
| What do the Community Artists do? | Updated by Malabarista |
|
| Why be a Guru? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
|
| Why be a Scout? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
| What do the Scouts do? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
|
| Why be a Sub-editor? | Updated by Alex 'Tufty' Ashman |
| What do the Sub-editors do? | [1,324] |
|
| What is an h2g2 University Project? | [1,740] |
|
| Write an Entry | [~] |
|
| Contributing to the Guide | Updated by Icy North |
| Learning to Write on h2g2 | [1,085] |
| How to Write Entries in GuideML | Updated by Jhawkesby |
| How to Write Postings and Entries in Plain Text | [394] |
| Reading the Guide | [907] |
| Talking About the Guide - the h2g2 Community | [618] |
|
| Writing for the Edited Guide | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| English Usage in the Edited Guide | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| Using Approved GuideML in the Edited Guide | [3,388] |
| What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended? | [540] |
|
| Peer Review | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| Edited Guide Writing Workshop | Updated by Alex Tufty Ashman |
| Alternative Writing Workshop | [2,058] |
| Flea Market | Updated by Matt the Hoopy |
|
| h2g2 Feedback | [625] \ |
| h2g2 Feedback - Editorial Feedback | [698] | |
| h2g2 Feedback - Community Soapbox | [667] | |
| h2g2 Feedback - Design Feedback | [700] | |
| h2g2 Feedback - Project Feedback | [684] |--- To be Updated Together3 |
| h2g2 Feedback - Technical Feedback | [712] | |
| h2g2 Feedback - Feature Suggestions | [720] | |
| h2g2 Feedback - Bug Reports | [715] / |
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| The GuideML Clinic | [773] |
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This section is here to keep track of some of the suggestions Researchers have made:
