h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Unfortunately tonight is very busy and the usual welcoming committe have probably missed your arrival. In that case I shall just have to take it upon myself to offer a welcome.

The people who are supposed to welcome all new researchers are the Assistent Community Editors (or ACEs) They all have the letters ACE after their name to denote their status as official welcomers and are there to answer any questions you have or point you in the direction of someone who knows the answer. I can fulfill a similar role in this forum if you need to know anything. I'll try and respond as quickly as possible.

The ACEs homepage can be found on http://www.h2g2.com/A214796

And of course we usually use the main page for seeing the lateset entries and busiest forums. Peta's picks can be particularly interesting.

There is also a community newspaper to be found at http://www.h2g2.com/U54963

Feel free to jump into any conversation most of them are welcoming to outsiders even if it originally looks like just two people having a tete a tete, I should know I'm in enough of them.

And if you have any idea you want to jot down just slot it inot a guide entry. Full approval criteria have been tightened up a lot since the guide got going nearly a year ago but all entries stay on record permanently no matter what quality and can often provide some of the more interesting reading

Some of the best entries in fact have no intention of being submitted for approval but concentrate on the social cionversation possible on the site. Why not visit the pub one of the many bars at the Forum & Firkin http://www.h2g2.com/A187508

As a student I can usually be found there when I do get back online and it provides a good place to hear about some of the other events going on around the site.

Hope some of this is of use

thanks for all the help. i'm sure i'll be back to you for maorein a while. at the moment i'm heading off to london at least i will beearly tomorrow morning as i'm going to a few job interviews- but once i'm back i look forward to getting stuck into everything here.
hope to speak to you soon,
TAP.

Pleased to be of service, though I do tend to go on and on and on and on itn those little introduction pieces.

Good luck with the interviews. I'm glad to have that out of the way already, and will be starting a job this summer. Ah, the problems that accompany a sandwich degree...

Ah. hello, sorry I'm late... *raises hat apologetically*
Normally I would say "Welcome to h2g2" and point out some places of interest, but it seems DE has already done that, so I'll just offer my services should you need any kind of h2g2-related help.

thats very kind of you...i'm just sort of wandering around getting to grips with it all. i don't have much time on the net at the moment....the fishy things call!....but i plan to be around

I thought I recognised the name, I'd forgotten I'd said hi already though

Good! Ah, something DE didn't mention - keep an eye on the front page, http://www.h2g2.com/ because it gets updated daily with all the latest stuff.

That wasn't usually part of the official spiel when I wrote this....

I know, but don't tell anyone, it makes me feel important.

well we'll keep it our little secret!!!
whats the difference between a guide entry and an approved guide entry? i'm sure i could look it up but since i have your attention already......

Ooh, an official question!
Okay, an approved guide entry is one which has been submitted and accepted as an official part of the guide. If it hasn't been submitted for approval, or the sub-editors have decided it's not good enough, it stays as an ordinary guide entry. Does that make sense?

Guide entries can be written about anything, it doesn't have to be useful or relevant it can even break the guidelines set out by the editors. They will be published as you write them.

Approved entries are the official stuff, you hit the big time and get to have your name on that front page I forgot to mention. They are edited by the sub editors and the editorial staff to have a consistent "look". They also tend to be the pages people check first if they are looking for information on something. And thanks to the browse the guide function now, they are the easiest to find too

yeah but whats the difference....do you find one in a different place than the other?

All the guide entries on the front page are approved, but if you search for something you may well find yourself wandering into the murky world of unapproved articles too...

i see!
well i shall have to get my thinking cap on and start writing stuff!