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

>limps in circles, Marvin style, for a few minutes
There! You did it agin, Lass

And, if I'm not mistaken, you need this somewhere: )

The Mrs and I had a complete crack-up over breafast this morning. We were discussing the new faucet in the kitchen (from which the more Holmesy and awake may make out that I lost the fight with the old one ) which lets the water out with considerably more speed than the old one. Proof is in the fact that I had to wipe the kitchen table a few times last night before I picked up the fact.

Or it proves that I'm slow. But I digress.

At breakfast I was going to say something like (translating from Danish makes rather strange English happen here) "the water is pushed through faster" [der er mere skub på vandet].

What I said was (same warning), "somebody pushes the water through faster" [nogen skubber vandet igennem hurtigere]. Immediately, within pico seconds, my wife started performing the act of somebody working at the water works, pushing water through. "Oh, phew, it's hard work pushing all this water. OH NO, Mrs and Mr SG V wants some water now. Come quick, PUSH!"

And our kids think we're strange... Luckily, they're at my Mom's...

That's because you *are* strange, Santra!

Happy birthday to Bald Bloke!

Oooohhh!

*[tartaronne ] waves to Ottox*

Well, it has taken me an hour to read and partly comprehend, and it will take me at least an hour to compose my observations, thoughts and feelings about the Atelier and H2G2.

A couple of questions are floating around in my head.

Do I have a specific duty as a researcher to earn my right to be part of this community?

Is the Atelier the only place that should conform to a set of rules?

I haven't seen Hati's summerhouse been told off or criticised neither in the sauna, the library, the kitchen nor on the veranda. The same goes for Santra's outdoor bar, the Valhalla Inn, Pierce the Pirate's ship's many rooms....

*Takes a firm grip of herself and points to the endless list of to-dos*

Strange, moi?

Tartaronne, if you're looking for things to need to do, I'll always gladly sign you up to polish some glasses over at the Great Outdoor Bar

*speculates*

Does CLI do take-away bots?

I'm really thinking I've got to get to bed earlier one of these days.

Ah well.

Anyone interested in grading 70 papers on the relation of Islam to Judaism and Christianity as expressed in Sura 2 (The Heifer)? No? Really? How about if I ? Still no takers?

Damn.

Tell you what MR, I'll do 35 for a beer, a donut and a hug...

On the subject of personas: It never occured to me to be anything other than myself when I joined h2g2... but when I remember to use it there is a persona unique to the Atelier where I wear a kilt 24 hours a day and have much better muscle tone (i.e. some) than I do in real life.

I wouldn't like to see a major change here, but at the same time I wouldn't mind if there was. I'm here for the company, not the decor!

Anyway, the coporeal entity who controls Mr. Dreadful really needs to get a shift on and get ready for this weekends LARP event.

[David]

Morning all.

Thoughts on changing nature of the place... later.

Was that a passing Ottox?


* rolls-eyes *

As you explicitly asked for some lurkers' opinion:

I would find it tedious if lurkers left their calling cards - wouldn't the Salonistas then feel the obliged to greet them and be polite etc.? If I would read most parts of the conversations here I would maybe occasionaly put a *lurks* in, but can't really see what that would achieve. Consider yourselves lurked at

Lil's opinion of course weighs a lot as she's the hostess and feels responsible for the Atelier.

So the Atelier has evolved into something that is drifting away from what Lil intended and wants to stand in for.

But: it has evolved into something that is highly valued by the people posting here.

Yes, it seems like a place old and good friends can get together and either discuss a subject or some more private matters.

The people posting here know there's always somebody who's interested, who'll listen and offer response, be it as advice, sympathy or debate.

So it feels comfortable and like a place you can let your armour down. What an achievement!

As far as I could see newbies always got welcomed in a very friendly way, but did of course have to contribute to get into the discussion (which made the Salonistas easy prey for a troll they treated with heartwrenching patience and respect).

I know the picture has been used before, but it works: it's a bit like coming into a pub and there's a group of people talking to each other, obviously knowing each other.
Does that make them elitist? It makes them a group of friends, offering to each other the humour and seriousness only friends can offer.

"The newcomer can either push him/herself forward, which doesn't always feel comfortable, what with risk of rejection or being ignored."
Yes. That's how it is if you're getting into a group that had been talking before you arrived. I can't see anything wrong with that.

"Are we really so loveable that a newcomer should have to wade through 200 ephemeral posts just to find one with an interesting comment on a "topic" -- and then take the chance that their contribution will be buried under 25 more posts of what I did today?"
As it's expected that _all_ Salonistas keep up with what's been said: yes.

"The atelier is not the center of the h2g2 universe."
No. But it is a special, very valuable place within that universe.

"But let's think about our larger host, Hootoo and the beeb. Don't you think we owe them a little more than what we are now?"
I think by being that special place the Atelier enriches h2 and possibly the beeb in a way that hardly can be overrated.

I certainly do hope there will be a way to make Lil feel better about the Atelier again.

Oh, and: thanks for letting us lurk

sunny

*waves to Ottox and Sunny*

Oh my - there must be large holes in the Swiss cheese. They're coming out to post *faints*

Good points, btw

* waves to Hati *

boy, am I looking forward to coming back after the anagram phase to check _who_ had said what

* waves to Santra *

* waves to the other Salonistas and the lurkers *

* waves to Witty! *

Is it a full moon or something?

I've just had another cry. One of the admin staff has given me a box of chocolates for all the help I've given her and her department .

It is very dark here today. It's 11 in the morning and the street lights are on. I have a sense of impending doom.

Impending doom? But I am my library are nowhere near you? Or have the Powers That Be perhaps set up a new 'oop North' campus without telling me?

I'm glad the admin staff appreciate you and that you have a chance to show what you can do while the boss is away.

*waves a wing at the lurkers*

My eyes seem to be on a wet place these days, too.

*nudges the bumper-sized kleenex box towards Hati*

Perhaps I should buy shares in Kleenex .

*looks at the owl* I knew there was something to tell you. I can't get into our libraries here - my barcode card gets rejected and I have to go shame-faced to the desk where non-people go and argue my case until they give in and let me in by the special door. Also, I cannot log in to reserve books or check my library record. The system appears to be entirely ant-averse. Is this a general feature of libraries or am I being picked on?

sunny! Ottox! Thanks for the warmth and fuzziness, I need it today. It is nice to see you stop by.

I've been wondering why I haven't felt the need to compose a post expressing my opinion on the nature of the Atelier. As I read the blog I've been nodding my head agreeing and sometimes thinking 'not really' about some things, but not getting the urge to push the reply button. But I can't come out and say hi to some old friends and not comment on the subject at hand.

I feel like part of the furniture here. I am much more an observer than a participant and I learn so much from all of you. There are a couple of topics that will get me going (education, anyone?), but mostly I am a sponge. I wasn't here the day the Atelier opened, but shortly thereafter. It was precisely the way that intelligent conversation was combined with creative playfulness that attracted me. I love the scifi atmosphere and I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I was invited to my first formal adventure, a murder mystery that had some, but not all of its participants from the salon.

You know, when we have a great topic to discuss, the salonistas naturally fall into creating a great conversation. I think all we need to do is for each of us to make a concerted effort to introduce a new topic from time to time.