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

Entry: Keeping a Hamster as a Pet Part 1 - A23642174
Author: fur_balls - U3556885

This entry went into the writing workshop as one and is now coming into peer review in three parts. This is part one, obviously.

The first thing I thought when I found out that this Entry - now three Entries - had entered PR, was that I would come over here and give them a good looking at, providing plenty of corrections and advice on style. The only problem is that I'd probably end up crushing the life out of your Entry - it's different to most in that it's not dryly factual in the least, nor is it tight prose - what I mean is it isn't entirely well-written, but it is a good piece of informative writing. So I'll just say 'well done' and leave it at that. Oh and don't write in capital letters and put footnotes straight after the word they refer to.

Alex

Thank you very much for your input. I am only a little hamster and I am learning skills of putting together guide entries. I am sure I will improve with time and all you help is valued.

Maximus A.
Chairman

I enjoyed this f-b, I have robowskis myself all male - they all fought each other and they are now in separate cages.

Couple of typos

'habbit' --> habit

footnote 4 Your hamster will establish a regular place where for their toilet --> remove the where...

Looking forward to reading the next two parts

Oh, yes, that's something else I forgot to mention: you say they are solitary but you don't actually point out that they have to be in separate cages (except for mating) if you keep more than one. I don't know from which age on, though.

"they have to be in separate cages (except for mating)"

Nice entries, furballs, but I do agree with Magwitch in the other PR thread and Alex here. I believe they would be better trimmed, tightened and put into one entry. You also need to go through them making sure you are not duplicating any information in A1097246 (as well as linking to it, as suggested by Gnomon in the EGWW thread).

A very good start though

W

Alex said: <<"they have to be in separate cages (except for mating)" >>

Such un-Scoutly behaviour in PR!

*giggles*

I'm sorry - it was just that you stated the obvious in such a way that had be practically rolling on the floor with laughter. I do apologise. *sniggers*

Anyway, no more chat

Oops - I meant B'El, not you

Hello. Sorry it has taken us so long to respond to your suggestions. The corrections that we can see have now been made (hope we have sorted out all the footnotes). With regard to the number of entries, we honestly felt that as one entry it was long and rather unweildy, and we certainly would have found it difficult to read if someone else had written it. Obviously, though, more thought needs to be put into properly linking the entries and we will work on that.

There's no rush, fur balls, it is *your* entry, afterall I will have another look at these and see if there is scope to, perhaps, trim them into two distinct entries rather than the three.

We have looked at all three entries to see where they could be broken down into two, but we still think the current size is more manageable for people. We have also written a new ending for this entry, linking it to the other two and setting them up. WHat do people think?

As I said in the other thread, these will do nicely now.

"You will always get one that tries to be a Houdini. You can fill them up with up to 6-8 inches of woodshavings"

Is that really the best way to stop the escapists?

Seriously, though, this is still a good piece of writing with little actually wrong with it.

If I shoved six-eight inches of sawdust into you I doubt you'd be quite so agile

Thanks Alex, I'm glad you like the entry.

Added a sentence to address Bel's concern about putting more than one hamster in each tank.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

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