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

Entry: Handkerchiefs: pocket sized towels - A1003537
Author: xero - U222312

I thought this would adress an issue that many researchers must face; what do you do when you can't carry your towel? My answer has always been the handkerchief.

This is an interesting entry, but remember that h2g2 is not a DNA fansite. I think it was Ashley (The Italic) who hasn't read any of them. You may be well advised to either get rid of some of the references to HHGTTG or submit this to AWW.

Am I being too harsh?

I wondered about the references myself. I hoped they wouldn't be considered "excessive", as the rules so eloquently put it.

I don't mind them, but may alienate people who haven't read DNA's work

Do you think the editors will want them out? I figured that since this was a comparison between towels and handkerchiefs, in a sense, some reference to what DNA thought a towel was useful for would be appropriate for a complete comparison.

You may need to widen or explain the references to people who haven't read the books. There is at least one or two on this site who haven't and they would just be confused!

Glorious! Awesome choice of topic; I'm surprised no one thought of it before--congrats to you. I rather liked the DNA references in the entry--I say keep 'em in! The beginning of the introduction is a bit weak--maybe add more examples in the first paragraph where you suddenly find yourself towelless? As it is, it might generate some small confusion as to the role of presentations and public speaking in the entry. But maybe i'm just nitpicking. All in all, a highly excellent entry; am looking forward to more from you.

From Writing-Guidelines:

1. Write about reality.

The Edited Guide is a real-life guide to life, the universe and everything, it is not a work of fiction. If you would like to write fiction feel free to do so, but please don't ask us to edit it, especially if it makes gratuitous reference to Douglas Adams and his books. If you would like help with writing fiction, you'll find it at Another Galaxy Guide A665449

Now why didn't that A# translate into a link?

A665499

It didn't translate because there is no such page

And I agree about the entry. Whilst it is an entertaining read, it isn't written about reality, and hence not suitable for inclusion in the guide in its current form.

On the other hand, an entry all about handerkerchiefs their development, their history and their place in world culture (and why the word is so darned difficult to spell!) would be most welcome as no such entry yet exists. But such an entry would be very different from what we have here.

Vieneriffic, thanks. I agree, the intro could use some work.

GreyDesk, I don't see what is unrealistic about the entry, other DNA references. Unless, that is, you are comfortable carrying your towel around with you where ever you go. I, however, encounter situations where I can't have a towel in hand. In these, I do have a handkerchief with me.

What is unrealistic is that you are not writing from a point of view of reality. It reads very much as piece of DNA style fiction. Now as I said before there is nothing wrong with that at all, just it doesn't go into the Edited Guide.

You should take another look at what researcher U147203 said in the posts above mine. There are writing guidelines for pieces to be included in the Edited Guide. At the same time there also great places for the work that you've done.

If you wanted to take the idea for a handkerchiefs entry forward, a good example to look at would be this one about a "Very Brief History of the Pocket" - A798159

Hm, I was trying for something along the lines of Edited entry A138232.

Ah well, A138232 was written back in 1999 when the Editors didn't operate as stringent as they do nowadays. After all, the primary goal then was to get *something* into the Guide.

Well Sir, what do you think then? Is this entry no longer what may be accepted in h2g2? I worry that maybe we are taking ourselves a bit too seriously here lately.
, xero

hey, this entry *is* acceptable. Just, as Gosho pointed out in posting 8, the Editors frown upon gratuitous references to the Hitchhiker books. The Edited Guide is meant to be a real thing, dealing with the real world.

Of course you might insert a passing reference to HHTG but then it should be something like
'In the HHTG books by Douglas Noel Adams (deceased), towels are said to be the most useful item to take along. The books contain lots of examples for that, like bla-bla-bla etc, period. Outside fiction, towels really are useful and so are their smaller relatives, handkerchiefs. Now for the details: ....'

Or somesuch


Bossel

Are you going to do any more work on this entry xero? If not we'll have to ask you to remove it from Peer Review since it's not likely to be recommended in its current format.


Scout

xero has left the building.

Alright then

I propose a move. Flea market I think. What do the other scouts reckon? Back to entry or flea market?

One vote for back to entry here.


Scout