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

This is a courtesy post designed to inform you that
your poem is strongly being considered for an upcoming
issue of CAC Continuum.

This is a recording.

It is satisfying even to know it is being considered. I am new to h2g2 and still confused about some things. I know I came across the CAC but now i cannot find it. Where does it fit into the whole scheme of things?

Ed, never mind, I found the CAC and that is exactly where I wanted to be. I was and am still a little confused as to where something goes when it is posted, contributed or is a conversation. But, I will hang in like i did with the GuideML until I get it down. Harry

Aha, I see you've spotted tonsil's response.
I'll leave you in his capable hands.

If he ignores you or you should ever get lost you can always click here for the <./>AggGag</.>/CAC-C homepage.

Getting familiar with h2g2 and all the Forums and Links and replies and everything, takes a long time. Be patient and enjoy. And when you can't be patient and need to ask, ask.

~jwf~

Thank you for your advice and help. One thing I do have is patience.
Through the years I have found it to be a reliable substitute for success, ambition and even sex, or am i confusing it with senility?
2
You realize, of course, that I had to make the reference to E=MC
or I would have had a nonsensical verse--" Some found joy, others fear beyond compare"--that might have caused people to think I am eccentric.

As opposed to whom?

Ed (tonsils ?) I have spent some time enjoying the Guide and the Post, particularly the Continum and noticed -jwf- comments on the enterplay of graphics and text. I am experimenting with it. I did not know if my poem was being viewed by others, so I copied it to my space and added graphics. I am still getting familiar with GuideML so what you see is my best effort as of now. I would appreciate your looking at it and telling me if I am going in the right directions or if I have lost my way.

-jwf- I have been surfing the h2g2 and particularly the last edition of the Post abpit which you made an estensive comment about the need to incorporate text and graphics in the presentations. I was did not know if my poem was being viewed as it was, so I copied it to My Space and added graphics, as best as i could with my present knowledge of GuideML. I would appreciate your checking it out at My Space and telling me if I am going in the right direction or if I am totally lost in the universe. This is fun either way.

>> the need to incorporate text and graphics <<

First let me tell you straight away, never take me too seriously. I am but a vibration of that Cosmic Sense of Humour you describe on your homepage . My motto is 'Really Nothing Really Matters Really'.

That said, I am concerned that your interpretation of my comments was that there is a 'need' to incorporate graphix. I would never have said there was a need, merely a strong desire, a want for something more than text. I mean we don't 'need' the internet. It's more bloody trouble than it's worth. But since we have it, maybe we ought to make use of its potential, hang a few pictures, a bit of bunting here and there.

And that said, then wow, I like the way you've selected the images to fit the poem. Very creative.

Now, I really hate to tell you the poem is good enough that it doesn't NEED them. You obviously spent some time on it, and I'm going with the idea that you WANTED to do that, not that it needed doing. Certainly not because I said it needed it.

Now at the risk of further confusing you on this issue, my honest editorial judgement is that now the pictures are getting the way of the peom. Wait! Stop! Don't touch it!

I mean they are the right pictures, and they work. But from a design perspective some are too large for the standard size text of the poem. The poem is being subordinated to the graphix. They should support and enhance the text not dominate and obscure it. This can be fixed.

What we need is someone with some expertise in GDML formatting to show you how to increase the FONT size and change the colour and style of the text, or, to make some of the pictures smaller or on one side or the other [See the and GDML tags on the GDML Help page]

You have already demonstrated some GDML skills on your homepage (watch that yellow font it doesn't read well on an alabaster white background) and the feature works well in the poem.

It's a real tuff balancing act to get GDML to do 'surrounds' and 'overlays' and other stuff. I dunno how to do it. My own homepage is the result of much trial and error and getting lucky with some default settings. And it looks pretty crappy in any other skin besides the Alabaster I set it in.

So, I'm thinking we should ask the Post Editor shazz if she has any suggestions, maybe she'll refer us to one of the Community Artists. They are conscious of the four skins used around here and design for all of them.

Meanwhile I'd be happy if it ran as originally created as a text poem. The layout, in whatever text you used originally, was quite readable. Then later we can run it with all its new and improved graphic glory. That will give you a chance to figure out more about GDML and get a better visual balance so that the pictures compliment the poem without distraction.

I am struck that my enthusiasm for cyberspace 'decorations' came across as an edict, as if I was setting new standards for CAC-C. It is especially ironic that the one future entry that already stands on its own as plain text - your original poem - is the one that suddenly 'wants' to add more visuals. It doesn't need them. Then I saw what you had done and yes it could work. It could help to get people to 'read a poem'.


~jwf~

I really do agree. That is why I moved it to My Space instead of editing the original. I really felt I was the prisoner of the GuideML and I do feel the pictures (size and placement) get in the way of the text.
I am going to leave it on My Space just to play around with. I still need to spend more time reading and trying. I would appreicate any help that might be that given to any researcher.
I once had a friend who, when told that he had said something worthwhile, replied, "You just don't know how great and powerful I am." Maybe you should ponder upon how great and powerful you are within CAC

To Jwf: Watch your mouth.

To Kentucky Colonel: I am running the original.

Just plain TR will do.

This year I am playing with the name tag format,
with wonderfully confusing results!

*watches mouth, notices drool*

Yeah I see what you mean.



I'm glad the poem will run as originally created!
But I have been thinking further about the effect the graphix have.

It comes down to the new version making the text of the poem seem like 'captions' for the miscellaneous graphic blobs instead of the blobs acting as illustrations for the poem.

Changing the font size to something bigger will help to eleviate some of that visual 'suggestion', but I think that reducing the images by perhaps 50% in some cases would help. And perhaps if the images were stacked left and right of the full body text, the poem would remain a cohesive unit and not be so broken up into 'captions'.

Hope that makes sense...
And wish I knew how to do that.
But it can be done with some GDML code. I've seen examples around here but never checked out how it's done.

In some cases like the two sizes of the CAC-C logo,
BIG =
SMALL =
it does require a second smaller (or larger) version of the blob being created by the Artists. But if I spot an example of the other way I'll post the link here.


~jwf~

BTW
The Colonel will be pleased to know that once he has been published in CAC-C he is entitled to post either of those blobs on his homepage and claim membership in the Committee for Alien Content.

Another useful tool is the named link to the <./>AggGag</.>/CAC-C homepage, which can be created in any posting to any conversation thread by typing " < . / > AggGag < /. > / CAC - C " without all those spaces I've used to prevent it from self activating and looking like the active one above.

peace
jwf

Thanks so much for you help and suggesttions. I am leaving the illustrated poem on my monepage just so I can do some of the experimenting you suggest as I get better acuainted with GML. I do want to try the named parameter to AGA-CAC as I will be sending it to a number of people when the poem is published. I like the original format. We are together on the "captions" aspect. I knew there was something I didn't like and that was it after you pointed it out.
Is there a regular weekly publishing date for The Post? I have looked but not been able to find it. I am having trouble with my ISP and surfing is difficulte. Again, many thanks.
I have to go now, it looks from the news that Dummy may have to fire Rummy and I want to be in the cheering section.

>> Dummy may have to fire Rummy <<


Made my day that did!

A new issue of The H2G2 Post is put online every Thursday morning and the submissions deadline is the Monday previous. That means we have to have the CAC-C page ready by each Monday, so we try to stay a week ahead of the game.

~jwf~

I am impressed that you can create such a good publication in the span of time. Given that newspapers can, they have mega-bucks, but all this is voluntary. That really means somthing----I will try to figure out what (LOL)