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

sleap well Lil

I did..

<I know who *I'd* put on the naughty step! But I don't have the power, or the friends in high places.

Good point Della also may i add that it is the same name's on here that do all the moaning .

Valleyspookhunter, don't let yourself fall into that way of thinking. The people who moan the most are the people who care about the site the most.

I reported Tig because I cared enough about the site that I didn't want people spouting homophobic rhetoric all over the place.

No reasearchers have more power than others, it's all in Della's head.

yeh Jimster I think I would like to talk privatly I tried to do e mail today but couldnt do it , but I think I can help a newbie ie think about an english driving license versus a japanese one think some of these problems could be sorted out here ps sorry busy tomorrow, This isnt going to help post nr 1 but i might help a newbie in . got really angree from reading post 412 para 3 to somewhere around 450 and what are you gonna do give people stripes on there hootoo tee shirts or a patch in their own page . you could think about giving a newbie a red L sign before their name just to help more experianced posters to watch out for them hope you understand this but its my feelings n im way over the top again ie drink so ban me I dont care but thats the way I feel

"No reasearchers have more power than others, it's all in Della's head.

Oh yeah, Mr D. that's exactly what az *wants* you to think. No one cvan resist the power of az's mind control ring

Well, of *course* that's what I want him to think, blicky, and you too . . . just don't mention the tin foil hat . . . oops . . .


az

hey blicky what numbers your face on

Pardon

If you're asking about the photos on az's friends page on fotki Im on the first page but cant remember the number. Have fun looking.

ok ,What I am trying to say is, over here to get a license which costs a minimum of 2000 pounds you have to take lessonsand you have to pass each step .The first 13 if you get it right first time ,are taken at the license centre in a very small space every thing is there ie traffic llights rail crossings etc but its too small .When you pass that then you go out on the road with an instructer for another 10 hrs minimum any mistakes any where and it costs more money todo it again when you get your license you have to have a yellow and green heart shape on your car front and back for 1 yr . Now what upsetts me with this is there are to many people out there driving at 35 kph changing down braking and start to turn right then start , indicating, or even they just stop no pulling over get out and go into a shop .I think these things happen because when they start to learn to drive there is not enough space between left turns or stop signs etc I like the english way ie red L plates you can see them coming or steer clear what ever .Please dont restrict a newbie give us a newbie mark or something I like red L plates hope you can make sence of my rambling

I think that Jimster's (rather ill-judged) post about creating different classes of researchers was not a serious suggestion, Moonraker.

I think this for two reasons:

(1) the implementation and consequences of his proposal were so ill-thought out that I tremble at the idea of taking it seriously and

(2) he later told us that it was designed to provoke debate.

Even so, I still think it was ill-judged, because you, and others, continue to be disturbed by it.


Having invoked DNA's name earlier, I am now reading "Wish You Were Here" which is Douglas Adams' biography. One of the reasons I am reading it is to try to discern just what he wanted from the site. Better minds than mine have already tried and failed, but I am now curious.

Ben

To be fair, B, what Douglas wanted from the site was a series of restaurant reviews. It was Mark Moxon who came up with the idea of the Edited Guide, which gave the site its focus and which Douglas approved of. The wider aim of the site has always been to promote good quality, original writing.

And to clarify (as some people still seem to have missed the point even after I clarified it almost straight away), I was not for a second suggesting that we would restrict newbies; that goes against the current bbc.co.uk strategy.

But this discussion began when a small group of Researchers (whose contributions to the Edited Guide have in the past been invaluable) decided to hound from the site one member who has (to date) never contributed to the Edited Guide. As the discussion went on (across multiple threads), one person took the approach that they had the right to demand this person is banned - citing their own contributions to the site as evidence of investment in h2g2.

Some sites do indeed operate a reward system where you get access to certain features according to the value of your posts; h2g2 does not. But as some people clearly thought the value of their contributions was such that they ahd the right to bully - no hiding the fact, that's what was happening - led me to ask whether other people shared this view.

I'm glad to see the answer came back as no.

Meanwhile, the person who inspired this whole debate is being shown how to write some superb material about his own circumstances, this conversation has generated some great ideas and I've had a valuable lesson in the difference between how a post is written and how it's read.

As the topic seems to have drifted dramatically towards general site policy discussions, I'm probably going to bow out at this point. I'll stay subscribed but if anyone has questions about other matters, feel free to drop us a line in Feedback.

Cheers all,

Jimster

Well done Jimster, this whole thing has been enlightning, thanks

Well said, Jimster!

"It was Mark Moxon who came up with the idea of the Edited Guide"

Well no, it wasn't. The Edited Guide was there right from the start - why else would Edited entries have a status value of 1 in the database? We had an editorial process from day one, although we didn't have an active editorial team, so entries were cherry-picked from the submissions queue by whoever had the time in between their other jobs.

Once Mark was hired as editor he was able to concentrate on the editorial process, first going through the submissions queue, and then starting the subeditors scheme which allowed the guide to scale up. Then Peer Review came out of vegiman's idea of Field Critics, and we're more or less at the editorial process as it currently stands.

So although Mark was instrumental in refining the editorial process (and boy did it need refining - the first version had 13 steps between submission and becoming Edited, but that was simplified before we ever launched) he didn't come up with the idea of the Edited Guide. That was always there, right from the start.

Sorry, Jim's absolutely right. Many apologies there. I think what I should have said is that Mark was the person who shaped what the Edited Guide ultimately became.

Is it Saturday yet? Nurse - the screens!

Traveller in Time reading
"Just a matter of interpretation of what you said, I read it as: The targets for what is to be an Edited Entry was changed by 'Mark Moxon'

And take a rest next days, both "

You'll all be pleased to know I'm on leave next Monday and Tuesday

>> Some sites do indeed operate a reward system where you get access to certain features according to the value of your posts; h2g2 does not. But as some people clearly thought the value of their contributions was such that they ahd the right to bully - no hiding the fact, that's what was happening - led me to ask whether other people shared this view.<<

This discussion really made me sick, I unsubscribed from every thread where this view was hawked, and only started lurking on this thread recently again,hoping people had come to their senses.
I'm glad to learn that you say it's not really your opinion, Jimster, because that was what made me wonder most about my 'right' to be on this sight.

I wasn't aware of any bullying, I was aware of the fact that the opinions of well respected researchers, regardless of writing 7,000,000 Guide entries or not, were being ignored.