Focus On...
Created | Updated Mar 27, 2003
FOCUS ON...
The Post Needs You!!!
Well at least any of you that runs pubs, clubs, societies, fan sites and other places where h2g2 researchers congregate to have a good time with their fellow h2g2ers.
If you do run any page like that, then why not tell us about here in Focus On..., you get a whole page to advertise your creation, and no doubt you will get a few researchers heading your way to find out what all the fuss is about.
All you have to do is write up a description of your creation, add a few interesting titbits and send us your article to Shazz or Greebo. If you are not sure what to do then take a look at this, Contributing to The Post article which will tell you all the information you need.
So without further ado, this week we Focus On...
'The HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy Spaced Out Edition' sent in by spook
The Spaced Out Guide, as it is known, is basically what it says on the tin - a Guide that is Spaced Out, from everything else. This article will provide you with all the information you need to know about this new Guide.
What is it?
H2G2 is lacking an off the wall HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Not the new rubbish
version talked about in 'Mostly Harmless', or the one with all the sub editing and cuts etc. The
original one, when everyone was happy, and researchers researched, submitted their articles,
and they became part of the guide. This is what h2g2 is lacking.
The H2G2 Underguide could be a solution to this, but even so, there needs to be something
that is in it's nature, just totally wacky. This is it. The idea is that people write entries, in the
style of the original guide, humour etc, and they can/should be totally made up, then should be
submitted by posting a message on a relevant page. Copies of
those entries will be made, and then edited in only 2 ways - spelling and grammar. And maybe
layout, but hey, that don't really count. That entry will then be added to The HitchHiker's
Guide To The Galaxy Spaced Out Edition. Simple really.
Who runs it?
It will always be run by THE EDITOR - the most feared and ruthless researcher of them
all. The identity of THE EDITOR must always be kept a secret, and of course, over time, THE
EDITOR may change, and a new editor will appear, with a different style.
Why this?
Pretty simply - it is the wackiest and most outrageous thing around. This spaced out guide
will allow multiple entries on the same subject, will put together entries out of simple comments
made about other entries, will accept just about anything as long as it contains some
information that does not have to be true, and contains humour. Whether the humour works or
not doesn't matter, but something like this isn't going to work if the entries don't try and make
every living soul laugh their heads off!
Writing GuideLines
Everything is of course excepted into the Spaced Out Guide, however, if you are wondering
what to write, these guidelines may just give you some tiny bit of guidance.
- Write about anything
- Be as original or as unoriginal as you feel
- Write about what you feel like writing
- Plan your entry if you wish, or just click on Add Entry and write one straight away of the
top of your head - Write about what you're interested in if you want, but you don't have to
- Research your entry as much or as little as you like
- Be instructive, informative and factual if you want, but if you don't want to then,
don't - Write in your own style, or someone else's style, it doesn't matter
- Don't try to make your entry balanced, just write it how you want and leave it at
that - Try as hard as you like to be funny - everyone likes humour
- Write Entries of appropriate length
- Writing in any person you like
- Try and use good spelling and grammar
- Do not copy from other sources
Spook's Vision Of The Spaced Out Guide in The Context Of THHGTTG
Offices
The vision below may make things clearer for some people on the position of the Spaced Out
Guide in context with other things.
In those HitchHiker's Guide Offices, you have, on the top floor, the Edited Guide. People
submit factual entries for inclusion for it. some make it, some don't. Those that don't, either
get moved to the flea market, which is just a collection of rejects, dropped to the Underguide,
or away from the office block itself (i.e. away from the review forums).
On the bottom floor is the Underguide, where people submit entries that aren't ok for the
Edited Guide. Once again, some will be rejected and moved to flea market or away from the
officer block.
Now, on the middle floor is where I consider the Spaced Out Guide to be. There are no
rejections here. People can submit anything, fictional or factual, and it will be accepted. From
there, either I will recommend to the author or EG/UG scouts can post to the bottom of an
entry suggesting it be submitted to either the EG or UG, depending on type of entry. The
Spaced Out Guide becomes a place where guide entries can be submitted to become a part of
something, and from there their guides may become part of something bigger and more
official.
The Spaced Out Guide will also be a place where people can submit the stuff that did not
make it into either the EG or UG. The Spaced Out Guide becomes a hub for entries.
And Finally...
So what is everyone waiting for? Write a bunch of cool entries for this write now, make
them up quickly, make them funny, and submit them. This needs a large amount of input quickly,
so please don't wait around, become a researcher for the real guide. Hasn't that always been
your dream?
To read the entries in the Spaced Out Guide so far, visit the The Spaced Out Guide Menu System
Written by spook
