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

Hello, community!

Sorry to bother you all, but I wanted to pop on by to ask you essentially about your group, for an article I want to write for the Post . I started posting this over in the thingite campaign, F63252?thread=6926859 and am hoping this will grow. My intention ultimately is to give community groups a voice in the post, and hopefully "join the dots" of the communities. I'm fascinated by popular areas of h2g2, and where they now reside. I was pointed in your direction, and wanted to see what people here think. I'm sure this is different for everyone, but I was wondering whether some people who use this group could tell me about it.

Not to limit, but to give a taste of what I'm after I'd ask the questions : What is it that makes this group great to you? What's happened lately that's made you want to post to the group? What made you join the group? Which people have affected you most in the group? Has it made your h2g2 experience different/better/sideways ? Or anything that you'd like to say about the group.

I'm also interested in any other groups you may be involved in, and perhaps what inspires you about them?

Again sorry for the intrusion, hopefully you'll find this productive So you happy people, take it away

Hi Terran. It's nice to hear from you. I'll wait and let Asteroid Lil go first. She's our hostess.

Terran, I'll be happy to give you the background and backstory for the atelier. But generally, I have to say up front that this forum is one of the nicest things that has ever come about by my actions. Which isn't quite the boast it seems, since its success is entirely because of the caliber of entities who attend and call themselves salonistas.

If you follow the offsite link from the forum's main page, you'll find it graphically intense, complete with floor plan and all. I began it way back in the day when we charter members role-played a lot, and Amy Ant and I delineated much of the geography of H2G2 Island. This history persists in how the forum is organized, with different threads occurring in different rooms throughout the atelier. There is also a handful of "creations", characters who are animated by the salonistas who created them. This includes several maid bots, Matina chief among them, two unaus (Mindspring and Ripley), and a very large thesaurus which is quartered at a nearby farm.

But as time has passed and many new salonistas have joined the salon, the role-playing aspect has diminished -- some are here only for conversation and tend to ignore all the imaginary stuff. And so we converse with each other about everything from weather and food and drink to really substantive stuff.

At the moment Solnushka has been point entity for a discussion about the acquisition of reading skills, whilst at the same time we're deciding which of a putative seven dwarves we would be, and we're all having a good old rant about the evils of Powerpoint.

The main thread here at the atelier is called a conversation, and conversations are numbered in hexadecimal because your hostess was once a programmer. We will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Atelier when we get to 100X.

Ten years! We've witnessed each others' marriages, divorces, births, deaths, family quarrels, illness, miracles and stupendous events. And the wheel keeps on turning.

Terran, I've been a 'salonista' for 7 years. Not as long as some, but long enough to think of the atelier as a welcoming, comfortable retreat filled with friends.

I found the atelier through Titania, who was my first h2g2 friend. She was a member and thought I might enjoy it. She was correct. I took to it immediately. Everyone was so welcoming, and the topics were things that interested me. So I stayed, and am still here.

Lil mentioned the role plays. They confused me at first. Then when I got my bearings, it turned into great fun. The problem is that they are time consuming, and time became a precious commodity for me.

I don't know if any single regular member of the atelier has had more of an impact on me than the others. The truth is, I love these guys. I've had the good fortune of meeting many of them in person. The thing is, we have a history. Continuity might be a better word.

h2g2 in general has been a positive experience for me. But the atelier and the residents thereof mean more to me than any other group on h2g2. I love that we can take a controversial topic and discuss it without shouting and name-calling. I love that if I'm in a serious mood, I can find someone here to be serious with me. If I'm feeling silly, then I can be that here, as well. I like knowing that because of our shared history, I can mention personal things and have them understood.

If forced to pick one event that involved the atelier that illustrates the relationships we have with one another, it would have to be the first trip I made to England. That was just a few months after my husband died. Salonistas thought I needed cheering up. They encouraged me to visit and then set out to arrange an absolutely marvelous vacation for me. Teuchter met my plane and from that moment until Kelli put me on a flight back home, these wonderful people just enfolded me in their arms and treated me like visiting royalty.

Titania came over from Sweden, which was just amazing to me. You have no idea how much I appreciated that. Besides Teuchter and Kelli, Amy Ant, Ben and Z all hosted me and planned sightseeing trips and events for me. I love gardening, so Teuchter arranged for me to attend the Chelsea Flower Show. That was a thrill. The silliest sightseeing event was a trip to Stonehenge in the rain in fancy dress. Mr. D was a manky pirate, Z was a wizard, Ben was a flapper, Teuchter was a tie-dyed hippie. Mrs D was also there. What a hoot! I did London, Oxford, York, Leeds, Birmingham, Warwick, Bradford. We did gardens and museums. Even went punting. Thanks Phil. We even had a mini-meet in London that ended with us visiting the Hitchhiker's exhibit at the Science Museum and watching the movie together upstairs on the Imax screen. How perfect is that? The trip was just what I needed. Exhausting, but absolutely wonderful.

Right. So what does all this have to do with anything, you ask? The point is that if I hadn't been a member of the atelier, I never would have had the courage to climb on that plane and head across the Atlantic all by myself. It got me away from home and gave me the opportunity to just have fun. It made me realize that I was just fine, that my life would go on, that my huisband's death was a beginning, not an ending.

If all this sounds sentimental, then so be it. This group - individually and collectively - are important to me. They're my pals. And every single one of them that I've met personally, from trips to England and New Mexico to Texas to hosting them at my house have turned out to be just as generous, interesting and fun as they are online.

I did a bit of figuring earlier today. I have more genuine friends in the atelier than I have where I live. I think that says it all.

What Hypatia said. It would be too much to say that the Atelier is my spiritual home, but it is were many of my dearest friends are.

I told a colleague the other day that I was part of a conversation that has been going 24/7 for almost 10 years and she was both awestruck and envious.

Think about it! 10 years! As Lil has said, we've seen each other through good times and bad, so the relationship is oddly matrimonial: for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health.

I think it is most like a common room in a well established university. It is a palce where disciplines, outlooks and beliefs may appear to be in conflict, but these are tempered by an underlying courtesy and respect. Or like long-term colleagues in a stable organisation, where you know and adjust for each others' quirks and foibles and value each other for what you contribute and those same quirks and foibles.

Witty. The Atelier is witty. It's clever. It's funny. It's frivolous. It's rude. It makes me feel connected.

But really, I think, it's down to a mix of duration and friendship. I took a two year break and stepped right in like I'd never been away.

Did someone call me?

Oh! ~That~ kind of witty!

In addition to all that was stated above, it is the underlying respect and outward civility that makes the Atelier so remarkable to me. I can count on my fellow Salonistas to offer support as needed, whether it be a , a or a .

Both kinds of witty, Witty!

One thing that I should add is that the respect-and-good-manners thing has not come about by chance. The Atelier has had its fair share of trolls, some more effective than others, though as time's gone by we've learned better how to deal with them. But the fact that this is a hosted space is important and Lil has set the bar very high in terms of courtesy and good manners, and then lets us get on with it.

I am curious to see what other Salonistas think, and what quirks and foibles they treasure. I was particularly amused by Santra "doing a Santra" (ie logging in from an airport) in tribute to Teuchter's tribute to him.

B

* pulls up a clean sheet of paper, licks her pencil and wonders what she can add to what's already been said about the Salon

I suppose, in a nutshell, it's where I go for company and stimulation; for amusement and empathy; for role-playing and the kind of intelligent silliness which makes one hug oneself with glee. I like to learn about other people's views and experiences and to see things from a different angle.

Ok, that was rather a large nut but, best of all, this happens in an atmosphere of civilised acceptance of those differing views and opinions. We're a tolerant bunch, except for trolling, flaming and bad manners.
We welcome everyone to the Salon. Some "get it" and stay, others move on to places which meet their own particular needs - and several are just plain daunted by the speed at which the conversations go and the post-counter clicks.

My friends are there, some of whom I've met in RL, the rest of whom I hope to meet personally one of these days.
Amongst many other important and meaningful things, the Salon has given me cyber-nephews, the big sister I never had and the opportunity to be a bridesmaid at the best wedding I've been to in years.

The Salon is a place where age-sex-location isn't terribly relevant though I love the fact that Salonistas post from so many different parts of the world.
Apart from us Brits, we have Americans from all over the US, a broad spectrum of Scandinavians and other Europeans - and Santra, Globetrotter Extrordinaire, who has posted from nearly every continent in the course of his work-related travels.
Age doesn't matter; we've had Salonistas in their sixties and some in their teens, with every decade in between.


I'm greatly appreciative of the efforts that the earliest Salonistas put into establishing such a place, especially those of our hostess, Asteroid Lil.

>Santra, Globetrotter Extrordinaire
Well, I'm true to form - just back home after hurling through the skies for 13 out of the last 17 hours in pressureised metal tubes. And the first thing I do is to dive into the salon. Tells you much about it.

(and I have to say that the Mrs is still at w**k )

More may come once I've had a decent amount of sleep. But I'll join in the rejoicing of the creation. We could discuss anywhere but the location created, the characters roaming in it and the etiquete made to ooze from its walls means a lot to the continuous wellbeing of the Salon.

Ahh there you are, I wondered where you'd slipped off to. I often use the analogy of likening H2G2 to a pub; with regulars, visitors, life stuff and the occasional squabble. The Atelier then, is like a good club; a home from home with traditions, quirkiness, excellent service from the staff, comfortable armchairs and most importantly good manners. Of course the essential element is the members. They provide the intellectual stimulus, the colour, the warmth, the humour and humanity. Strangers and visitors are always made welcome and gently reminded of the rules. We don't need bouncers, we skillfully manoeuvre rowdies towards the door where an orange button is deployed.

I'm not sure how long I've been hanging around the old joint but it must be 4 or 5 years, possibly more, time has little relevance when you are amongst friends. The Atelier is my first port of call when I log on every morning and I pop in and out all day. The conversations can be intensive and challenging or exceedingly giggly. Roll playing adds to the general confusion. Chaos rules ko.

In RL I have always had a group of friends wherever I have lived and worked. I've been home for a few years now and my buddies in the pub, at teatimes, keep me sane at the end of the working day. Mrs WA worries if I'm away from them for more than a week or two. My friends in the Atelier are just as comforting with the luxury of being able to engage or not depending on my mood.

Wow I must say you've all given me a lot of food for thought. I'd been aware of this place for a while, but I didn't realise what a strong base of people existed here

If only everywhere on h2g2 was like this! The Atelier does seem very cleverly constructed, and to last as long as it has - well I take my hat off to all of you.

A most impressive response! I'm going to hopefully find other places on h2g2 who will give me feedback, but I think I'll struggle to find somewhere where the feedback is so passionate and thoughtful!

If it's not impolite, I'd be interested to hear anywhere else you frequent - just at least so I have another destination to find more community feedback?

I feel like I should be getting cuttings from this group to spread across h2g2, as I'm very impressed

You are most complimentary, Terran!

I should have mentioned earlier, the first post of any conversation thread consists of a reprise of the previous conversation, including who attended. That might give you an idea of the size of the group.

Several salonistas only recently visited their own personal spaces after a long period away and were surprised to find badges and the like -- usually they just come here, bypassing the front page as well as their personal space. In some ways, since HooToo has been left to its own auto-moderated devices for so long, the Atelier is a bit of a lifeboat for what's left of the old guard.

So I in turn will be greatly interested to hear about what other active fora you find. I used to frequent a lot of other fora, but most of them are shuttered and inactive.

I was a very early member of h2g2. I was active in many conversations, active in writing for the guide with a couple of edited entries to my credit. I found Lil's through various means, and I joined the conversation fairly early. That was nine years ago or so. Trends came and went. My visits to other areas ebbed and flowed. In time, I found myself primarily reading and posting to the Atelier.

In that time I have made friends I intend to keep for life. We've been through good times and bad. We've seen the site shuttered with TDV went under. We weathered the storms of horribly managed moderation policies. We watched our friends grow and sometimes leave. All through it we have talked. We discuss things of great import. We discuss the minutiae of our lives. We stand by each other in times of personal loss or tragedy. We cheer for our accomplishments. We live together in this little corner of the internet and thrive through our words. We each have expanded our collective world views to include a multinational perspective. While we argue at times, we do so respectfully and sometimes can help each other come to mutually agreeable views. We learn about places we might not be able to go to in our lives, or better still are introduced to places that we would never have gone without our friends there. I've traveled across the continent on which I live to do nothing but visit Salonistas. I've gone on a road trip of over a thousand miles with a fellow salonista solely to visit our Hostess. I've seen places I might never have thought of, done things I would have never considered, and have plans to investigate other new and wonderful experiences based only on my relationships created in the Salon.

Any more I don't actively participate in any other groups on the Guide. The fact of the matter is that the guide today is not what it was over a decade ago. For better or worse I don't find that it fits me as well as it used to. The salon, on the other hand, has been my haven and home online for over a decade.

I'd like to make another comment, then I'll shut up. At various times the atelier has been accused of being "too exclusive". That is very far from the truth. We welcome new members and are genuinely delighted when a new poster decides to stick around. But we don't appreciate rudness. So if we are exclusive, it is because we expect people to behave like adults and treat one another with respect.

There aren't any other actual groups I belong to, Terran. I spend time in the atelier and in friend's journals.

I've only been here a couple of years but, I just *love* this place. It feels like home. I can disappear for days and be welcomed 'home'.

We give s s s and we *mean* it - because we care.

I feel respected and loved here which is odd, given that I've never met any of them - I have spoken to a lot more than one, though, both literally and interwebwise.

I cannot add anything more than the longer serving Salonistas have already said. They've heard about my familial deaths, births and weddings and have supported me through some rather odd times


I wouldn't have it any other way

"I'd like to make another comment, then I'll shut up."

Please don't shut up! The more people talk the better! This is exactly what I'm trying to get at really. My hope is really to find where people are "hiding" - if that's the correct term. I want to find out were people are, and see if they can find a voice in the post - if they haven't already found one. And even if they have, a more community group orientated voice.

Whatever this group is doing is clearly working for its members.

"So I in turn will be greatly interested to hear about what other active fora you find. I used to frequent a lot of other fora, but most of them are shuttered and inactive."

Me too! I feel a little like a deep sea Captain, going to the depths to seek out lost civilisations and such like! I'll let you know what I find out

The only other place I really hang out is my own Great Outdoor, mainly at the bar F95740?thread=200932. Lighter fare, I'd say - but that, too, has its advantages. Have reached 33000 posts and a bit so far

And then I enjoy the Tell Us A Joke thread

There is not much I can add to whats already been said . The salon is a truly remarkable place .

I've been thinking, typing, previewing, deleting, thinking, typing etc. etc.

Others have expressed it much better than I can.

But there is absolutely *no* other place on h2g2 besides the Atelier where I would willingly plough through hundreds of new postings after being offline for a while just to catch up with what's happened to each and everyone of my friends.

Backlog - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.