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

Hello Purple! Nice sub-editing, you've managed to make a complicated entry a bit more readable. You even explained the term nanobots (at least I can't remember writing that)!

But (and it's not a very big one) you've somehow introduced linebreaks (or carriage returns or whatever they're called) in the GuideML code. This wouldn't be a problem at all (almost) if it weren't for the sensitive footnote pop-ups where these actually show up (at least in Internet Explorer), making the layout of those handy yellow pop-up boxes a mess. Try putting the mouse cursor over one of those footnote numbers in the text and you'll see what I mean (hopefully). Can you still edit the entry, or is it out of your hands now?

The linebreaks rear their ugly heads in the Singularitarians section, right before footnote number 4. Since there's a break between "AI" and "" in the code, there is a space between "AI" and "4".

Another minor nitpick: There is no space after footnote reference number six (between "6" and "than").

And is a footnote within a footnote really allowed? Maybe footnote number five should be converted to a parenthesised (is that a word?) sentence.

There are no other problems as far as I can see. And I've looked, mind you.

I'm just looking over this now and I'll incorporate the comments made above.

By the way, are you happy for me to ask the artist to put in the graph as linked to from the top of the page *as well as* the table?

Let me know either way.

Ashley

You've fixed it! Thanks, those details were kind of bugging me as I'm very much of a perfectionist... I only see two problems now. In footnote number three, it says "Gary goo" -- it's "gray goo". The other is in footnote number four; the reference to Engines of Creation sounds as if the whole chapter is about the active shield concept, when it's actually just a part of it. Maybe it should say something like "see chapter 11 of..." or "in chapter 11 of...". It's an extemely minor detail, I know.

As for the graph... Um, my request originally said that I wanted to ~replace~ the table by a graph, but Purple seems to think that it'd be fine either way. I think the Entry would seem cluttered if there's both a graph and a table to describe the same thing. Plus I think the graph is a ~much~ better way to show the difference. Thus, the answer is no, I'd rather have just the graph. However, this would of course mean that you'd have to change every reference to the table into a reference to the graph.

In addition, since there's a sigmoidal curve in the graph as well, I would very much like it if you added a paragraph directly after the graph:

Given only a few points from a curve, there are several ways to extrapolate. In addition to comparing the growth of different functions, the graph above shows that the seemingly hyperbolic growth could in fact be exponential or even sigmoidal. This is discussed below.

Or something to that effect. Otherwise, I'm worried that readers will be left in the dark for too long and start wondering what the heck that last curve means. Also, a graph would make footnote number 5 redundant; it could be removed or just replaced by a reference to the graph.

I'm probably the fussiest Researcher around.

Thanks for the feedback. I will leave the table and the graph in - it won't look cluttered - the art team are good at that

Secondly, if you want to add a paragraph, please put it in this thread and then I'll stick it in.

I'll make all the changes when I hear from you next.

Cheers

Ashley

Ok. Actually, the paragraph I want to add (~IF~ the graph will be added) is in my previous posting, along with the other changes I'd like to see if the graph will be added.

Here's that paragraph again.

---BEGIN PARAGRAPH---
Given only a few points from a curve, there are several ways to extrapolate. In addition to comparing the growth of different functions, the graph above shows that the seemingly hyperbolic growth could in fact be exponential or even sigmoidal. This is discussed below.
---END PARAGRAPH---

And, as I said, a graph would make footnote number 5 redundant; it could be removed or just replaced by a reference to the graph.

That's all, not counting "Gary goo" and the reference to Engines of Creation in footnote 4.

You've been really helpful. Thanks.

Gary goo This'd presumably be the result of going to a conference for people called Gary and pulping them, or something?

Eww... That wouldn't be very nice, now would it?

Nice to see you here, Lucinda! Checking up on one of your protegé Entries?

Make that "protégé". At least that's how you spell it in French.

Not nice if your name is Gary...

Saw the entry appear on my space, so I thought I'd have a look to see how the sub-ed had mutilated it...

I see. You are an experienced Researcher, battling the evil forces of the Sub-Eds, eh? Hang on. Sub-Ed = Under-Edward? As in under the command of the Evil Overlord Edward? I think I'm on to something big here. Now if I could just understand how this all relates to the Gary goo problem...

I think you might have something there... obviously all the cattle mutilations are actually Under-Edwards who've mistaken a cow for an entry (or perhaps they thought it was a cow of an entry?) - and Gary must have been one of the couner-revolutionaries who was "liquidised" by Ed... but where do the ACEs fit in? Obviously the E stands for Edward, but what about the 'A' and 'C'?

Well, my educated guess is that ACE is short for Armed Cattle of Edward, which ties in with your cow mutilation theory. Apparently, the Sub-Eds have been experimenting on cows in order to create super-strong, super-intelligent cybercows. Yes... Yes, it all makes sense now!

There is no cow level. Moo?

{if you don't play any Blizzard games, then that line will make no sense. Never mind, you're not missing much...}

I've played some Blizzard games, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Somehow, it reminds me of when you're turned into a chicken in Heretic as punishment for punching in a cheat code from Doom. I loved that.

Ashley? You still there? Is this entry in the Artists' Queue (or whatever it's called) now? Since this is my very first entry, I'm not familiar with the intricate details of the process. In fact, I couldn't find a good explanation for the Pending status anywhere. It only says "we're working on it in-house", but I seem to remember that someone mentioned a number of different in-house queues...

It's in our 'Going Live' Queue and it's on my list of to do...

Promise

Ok, I'll just have to trust you on that one.

'You can trust me - I'm an h2g2 Bold Italic'

ahem...

I love the fact that there is a distinct hierarchical system here at h2g2.

The graph is there - is there anything that needs doing to this entry (then I can remove the paragraph from the top)

Cheers guys