Posted: 4^th May 2006

An Apology and a Celebratory Remark

Before we can properly get underway with this week's editorial, I must apologise for the somewhat bare and slipshod nature of this week's edition of The Post. Unfortunately, real life has descended rather sharply upon my colleagues (not to mention Monday's unscheduled downtime), resulting in a time crunch and a scramble to get The Post together. Rest assured that regular service — including cartoons, photos and other absent elements — will resume next issue.

The point, of course, that must be touched upon in this editorial — and, indeed, the event that you all realise must be the focus of today's editorial — is h2g2's seventh birthday. On Friday last, 28 April, h2g2 became another year older. This fair site of ours has now seen seven years of ups and downs, of server troubles and complete disappearance from the Internet. Friendships have been made and deeper relationships forged. h2g2 babies and pets have their own Personal Spaces. Seven years ago last Friday the vision of a man called Douglas Noel Adams became reality.

Of course, we may ruminate all we like about whether h2g2 has fulfilled DNA's vision thus far and whether it can and does continue to do so. We can complain about downtime and profanity filters and the BBC's adminstration all we like. We can say that things aren't the same as they were before the Beeb took over and bemoan the departure of some of the founding Researchers.

But before we get too bogged down in pouting and sulking, I think we all have to acknowledge that we owe h2g2 an enormous debt. Granted, some Researchers aren't as immured in the site — dare I say 'obsessed' — as others. Some frequent only a few threads or have nurtured a single entry through to the Front Page; others spend hours here, have amassed a plethora of volunteer duties and devote their lives to this site. And whether for good or for ill, I have to say that I've fallen into the latter category. Perhaps I speak too much for myself and not entirely in my role as the Editor of The Post when saying this, but h2g2 has meant so much to me over the past months. It is my playing field and my workplace as I have grown taller and older and perhaps a little more mature. It has taught me everything from facts from history to important life lessons and for both types of knowledge I am eternally grateful. Of course, The Post has a huge debt to h2g2 as well, for the simple reason that we would not exist without it. I know I've enjoyed my tenure in this position and hope that I can speak for other editors, past and present, in that as well.

So happy birthday, h2g2! You make a poor, devoted soul very, very proud. Raise a glass, ladies and gentlemen, to the best website on the Net; here's to many more happy birthdays to come.

echomikeromeo

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