Random Ramblings
Created | Updated Aug 22, 2010
Ich weiß es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh'n
Und dann werden tausend Märchen wahr.
(I know one day a miracle will happen
And then a thousand fairy tales will come true.)
Yes, it's true. Take an inconspicuous non-native speaker, let them join hootoo, let them find friends, improve their English and start taking an interest in writing – and bingo! Your future award-winning1Researcher may be born. After all, it happened to me, so anything is possible (and I didn't even have to kiss a frog to get my prince – err – prize)! 
But enough of me, many other things have been going on these past few weeks – if only I could recall what they were. 
Seriously, though, the tech team is working hard to improve the site. We got some new features, like the following badge which miraculously appeared on hundreds of Personal Spaces after the last server update:
That's a funny coincidence, because in the latest Peer Review discussion about ways to get new writers for the Edited Guide, a badge for fewer Edited Solo Entries than the 25 you had to write until now to get recognition was among the suggestions. Apart from that, the less said about that discussion, the better: as is the case all too often in this sort of discussion, some Researchers were annoyed and/or hurt. But I digress.
Another new feature is the Solo page, where all Researchers with Edited Solo Entries are listed, with the number of their Entries, counting down from (currently) 200 entries (Galaxy Babe) to one Edited Entry. There are only about 80 Researchers with more than 20 Entries, with seven of them having written more than 100. However, there are incredibly many Researchers with one Edited Entry, which is stunning. I think it is great to have this new badge.
The search function is now more comfortable, too – if you search for Edited Entries, that is. It's handy for authors and sub-eds who search for Entries to link to. If you don't need to do that, just uncheck the box, because there is a wealth of unedited Entries you'd otherwise miss, and that would be a real shame.
If you are an 'h2g2 oldie' like me (I've been here for six years now), you'll be used to Jim Lynn doing the tech stuff. However, Jim Lynn is busy with another project (I forgot what it was now, but not h2g2 related), and so it is Damnyoureyes who does all the magical techie things for the site (so OK, as always, the ugly bugs raised their heads after the recent server update, but then that's normal). Why don't you pop over to his space and say hello?
Which leads me nicely to yet another fantastic news. In case you missed the Announcement: we now have a new, permanent Italic. He's not new, in fact he's a returnee, and some Researchers even remember him (I'm not 'old' enough for that, though.)The name's Semple, Sam Semple. There is a welcome thread (or even several) on his PS. I have to admit that I'll miss Derek, which, according to Natalie, was a 'fake' account (or something to that effect) for temporary staff. I find it hard to believe that 'our' Derek never existed because I liked 'him'. Am I the only one who feels betrayed? Yeah, it's probably silly, but still.
Oh, and last but not least, I have a LotD for you. Enjoy.
