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

We're entering the second round of discussion now, but I haven't seen anywhere an official line on the first round...

Will anything actually happen? What might be possible and what is not? Is Hootoo doomed whatever?

Until we know roughly what is on the cards, it's difficult to know whether these contributions are worthwhile.

Sprout

These contributions are most definitely worthwhile. We actually collate them, analyse them and build up our case here in the wider Future Media and Technology department (within whose waters, h2g2 is but a very small fish).

Until recently, the site has been pretty much ignored. It has not been a priority. In-house, we do a lot of stuff to make our case heard; meetings, writing proposals, etc. Things can take an awfully long time in a massive department like this one. But recently - thanks in part to feedback like we have here on this talking point, and in conjunction with the other stuff we as staff can do within the department - there appears to be a change of heart about 'what to do with h2g2'.

Of course we can't guarantee anything, but we have a series of meetings coming up and we're hopeful to hear some positive noises which may well lead to positive change on-site. We've been desperate for this. We don't want change for change's sake, but we need to catch up with the times a bit, develop the site and give the h2g2 community more tools and flexibility to express itself. The key for us as staff - what our own 'powers-that-be' have to know - is what is the value of h2g2 to the wider BBC? For us, it's the community and the wonderfully high standard of interaction, writing, contributing, sharing and general behaviour that characterise it.

To survive, we have to bring h2g2 closer to the BBC and to its content. This may offer us some great opportunites to develop the site - maybe even using the h2g2 community as a test-bed for all BBC social media stuff. We really want to make personal spaces more dynamic, more fun. We don't want to replicate facebook, myspace etc. We want to keep what works on h2g2. But we have to change, we have to be valuable to the BBC. We have to help it develop. Our argument has always been that the BBC owns one of the most amazing, self-policing communties and that it should be 'loved' and valued more. We can't guarantee a single thing but we genuinely have been seeing a bit more love lately. Thank you, as ever, for the continued feedback.

Thanks - that's very interesting.

Sprout

*waits with bated breath*

Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

Sprout‘s question is a good one and Derek’s reply is interesting.

Personally I'm one of those that has held the opinion it's only a matter of time before the plug gets pulled on H2 as an unnecessary expense to the BBC. But at least these comments give some food for thought and a bit of hope if some sort of a case can be made for H2 being of some direct ongoing value to them.

Going purely on the above comments then, and at risk of being laughed off the site, here's my two pennorth:

I would have thought that the BBC might have recognised that in H2 they have a largely untapped source of would-be writers and ideas. I don't know how many unsolicited scripts etc the BBC already receives, I‘m sure it‘s quite a few, but surely new ideas must be their life-blood and a few more cannot be a bad thing. It seems to me that H2 could be a portal for budding writers while being a source of ideas for the Beeb.

Would it not be possible to organise a H2 page or section in which the BBC could solicit ideas for specific, or even general formats of programmes and where a researcher might suggest their ideas. That could be for almost any type of programme from Reality TV to a different format Sitcom. The Beeb would have to see what fitted their bill, but even if only one or two ideas progressed a bit further it would be worthwhile.

I seem to recall that there was, in the dim and distance past, a suggestion that the BBC might publish selected EG entries as a book/collection. I don't think anything came of that as far as I remember, but what about suggesting that EG entries might be published in say, the Radio Times. It would provide copy for that or any other publication while giving H2 some publicity.

There are those Researchers who have advocated a relaxation of the EG guidelines to accommodate a greater scope of entries and more creative writing. Some time ago I had the idea that that the Alternative Guide could organise a seasonal short story competition. My thoughts were along the lines of say, a ghost story for Christmas. That sort of writing could possibly provide ideas that could be adapted to a program format and could be passed on to the (w)right hands in the BBC to be vetted.

I once asked the question in 'Ask' 'Do you have a book in you' and was surprised by the number of positive responses. Many of them, like myself, were in the 99% who had thought about it, gone part way towards it, but hadn't completed. I feel fairly sure that many would be able to come up with different ideas that they might submit if they thought that it would be considered for use by the BBC.

Just a thought
DK

My first thought when I saw the link to this on the front page *again* was 'are we ever going to do anything but talk about this?'. Seeing that my question had been asked last round I checked out Derek's answer, and bumped it up for anyone else thinking the same thing.

I was also wondering if there was any further news, what became of the upcoming meetings?

No great news to report so far, other than what I can only report as a willingness from our own PTB to breathe some new life into the site. But when that will happen I don't know. Things happen very slowly in the Beeb. Think oil tankers doing three-point turns. We feel as if we're making slow but steady progress and we'll definitely report back any news as and when it occurs.

So how's it going now? There's been mention of positive meetings (F19585?thread=6448703) and some recent additions to the Front Page (A49885195), but no groundbreaking changes as far as I know.

Alex