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

This could also become UP material!

It appears that you are much more experienced with keeping the humour in line with what I am told are Guide guidelines. Some commentors have said that my series on survival techniques is often too silly. You have maintained the fun, without out crossing what one commentor called my style: 'a few inches on the wrong side of the line'.

If you are looking for even more complete coverage of tables, you might also consider tables with attached seating (picnic tables), useless tables (glass topped, one-or-two-legged-up-against-the-wall tables, coffee tables that you cannot put coffee on without coasters), work tables (potting tables, kitchen counters and islands, workbenches), unrelated underground water tables, and group-sex tables (conference tables).

Let me know if a week is too long, or too short a time to check back in for another read.

Thanks for the insight, FordsTowel. I'm sure the humour is something I'll be tweeking until the very end to get it just right.

I don't believe in useless tables. But you do mention a number of tables I should include, and a couple of issues that should receive coverage. I'll try to incorporate them as I go along.

I'm updating the entry today, but it still won't be anywhere near finished. Probably a week is a good period to wait between checks.

Thanks for popping by.

League tables? or did I miss them?

great entry

No, you didn't miss them. I left them out!

I suppose at least a mention should go into the organizational tables area. *sigh* And there I thought I was being thorough.

By the way, Joanna, could you check the maths bit? I know I will have to rewrite because it's endlessly confusing that you guys say 'maths' when we in America say 'math.' But besides that, did I get it more or less right, do you think?

I think its fine *has books with scary maths tables in*

Let us know if you decide that your desire for thoroughness has been satiated.

I noticed the backgammon table as an example of specialty game tables. As much as I enjoy backgammon, and I do, the more time-honored example might be the chess table (or, checker table?).

The piece has really grown well. I'm not sure what might be left to add: Airliner seat-back tables?; surgical or examination tables (basically workbenches for doctors} with or without stirrups; impromptu lap tables (laptops, books, briefcases, boxes, etc.); washroom diaper changing tables; water tables; word tables; magician's tables; ... ... ...

Just unnecessarily making life more difficult.



Can we expect an entry on chairs?

Word tables?

A word table is simply word placed in tabular form. This can be something as simple as a word list for early English classes, or a linked tabulature of word and ther meanings (like a glossary) or their foreign equivalents (a translation table).
On line, they can also be used to take the web-surfer to various points as in:

http://www.m-w.com/lighter/shak/words5.htm

Here are a couple of other sites the use some form of 'word table':

http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/webads/word_table.html

http://smtexas.org/faculty/rummel/Rocketry.htm

You may like something on this site, regarding tables:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/table.html


PS: I'm pretty sure you mentioned 'Table of contents'? Right?

Thanks for the lesson on word tables, FordsTowel. It seems to be something under the heading of the organizational table.

I do indeed have information about the Table of Contents. I do not, however, have anything on chess tables, turning the tables, or any many other things you've mentioned or linked to. Another update is apparently called for.

First, I want to finish reading up on the significance of the Round Table. I found a site that lists references to it in some two dozen versions of the Arthurian legend. In many cases, the round table is said to have been based on the table used for Jesus' last supper. Hmm.

More info on the 'Round Table' would be most excellent. I would find suspect, however, any reference to the shape of a table used 2000 years ago.
I trust your due diligence and attention to detail, even on so pedesterian a subject as you felt you had chosen. (so much for choosing a bland topic, eh?)

So, write away; I look forward to hearing of your findings.

At this point, I think the general outline of the entry is complete. I have finished a rough draft on the sections on the Periodic Table of the Elements and the Round Table. I've added mentions of various other tables. And I've more carefully described the shape of the Round Table as given in various accounts.

The next version will include the additional passing mention of several more lesser types of tables, a discussion of the verb phrase 'to turn the tables (on someone)' and a careful spelling and grammar check.

At that point, I'll go ahead and submit the entry to Peer Review. The big question remaining for me, though, is whether this should really be a single entry. It is terribly long. It could be divided into (furniture)Tables and (conceptual)Tables. And the Round Table section could conceivably be its own entry. Any opinions?

Hmmm,
If memory serves, the word count looked to be around 6,000 (give or take a footnote). My recollection of Guide standards suggested a 2,000 word limit or risk a sub-editor breaking it up for you.

My advice would be to find a way to segment it that works for you.

Perhaps pulling out specialty tables might also be necessary (ie. tables with wheels [carts, gurneys, car dashboards, etc.], tables that are not stand alone devices [airplane meal tables, school desks with attached seats, and the like]; or, perhaps work tables as opposed to rest-stuff-on-top-of-it tables.

Meanwhile, I have to go see what geometric shape a non-round Round Table would take!

I love what you've done with your table, Arthur.

Hi again, Fragilis,

When I got to 'Siege Perilous' I noticed a space missing after the closing quote. But, I was halted there by trying to remember what I had known about this seat.

It seems to me that this seat was at the Grail Table, and not the Round Table. Could be my overactive imagination. It's been so long that I've quite forgot many of the details. I do remember a guy named 'Joe' who designed the grail table, and I think that this spot was reserved for the guy who finally found the cup.

Joe, of Arimathea, kept the hoity-toity Grail Table for the spiritual bunch, while the rest of us ragamuffins sat at the more secular round one. ( We jokingly referred to it as the kiddies' table )

Of course it has been a long, long time, and I could be completely mistaken. I could never even figure out who Lancelot was. The guy kept borrowing other people's armor and shields. Something about being incommunicado, or incognito; something like that.

Boy, you are bringing back old memories.

Fragilis,

I was recently discussing my series on Wilderness Survival with another researcher. Their suggestion was that my series would more likely get picked as a large entry (in which I could indicate preferred break-points), than if several editors would have to look at it.

Just a thought for your Tables project.

Hmm. Based on that, I'll likely leave this project as one monstrous entry. I just hope it won't be too daunting for the casual reader.

I have considered recombining my six entry series; but, to do so would mean that I think it actually has a chance of being picked up.

As I am assured by so many that it is not likely ever to meet Guide requirements/standards, I might as well leave it available in its current, easier to digest, chunks. (plus, I rather liked the linking I did.)

Today I added bits a section on environmentalist's use of tables. And I added a reference to the Grail Table(s) in the Round Table section.

I now declare the writing phase to be over. The entry has tons of information and is fairly polished, though not perfect. Please feel free to pipe up now if you see spelling or grammar errors. For my part, I'm sure I'll continue to make small adjustments as I move on.

The next stage will involve deciding how to package the entry and put it into Peer Review. I may link from this conversation to one or more entries that are shorter in length. This may involve dividing the content into smaller chunks, removing snippets of content here and there, and/or rewording sentences to remove as many words as possible.

I'll likely leave this first draft entry as it is for future reference. I would prefer not to delete content that I might later want to include.

I mostly skimmed the fresh bits, and I wonder if this is correct?

'in which the blood of Christ was recently corrected. '

Is this meant to be 'collected.'?

Oops! Yes, you're quite right. It flew right past my spellchecker. I'll go fix that right away.

Um, I'm not particularly religious, but even I would submit that Christ's blood didn't need any particular 'correcting.'