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

Change your name to Bumblebee The First and we'll all call you B1 for short!
*crosses to kitchen*
Matina, I need for you to make several batches of brownies today, and then a few pans of apple spice cake. Remember to add vanilla to the brownie mix so they taste more chocolate-y. And I'll have some OJ and toast with grape jam, in the salon.


Sorry not to get back here again last night, but I was deeply into Sistine Billy, worked until 2 am. I see Valis has taken Ubik back home; sure tired out Springie, having a playmate!

So, what's been happening? Everybody voting?

there's some good advice.

*Irv, happy to finally have his network connection working after 24 hours or so, comes back in*

Lil, you sure know how to run a fast moving thread!

I'd flip if I found another Quorthon. That would be the coolest thing ever.

And, oi, Lil, stop ignoring me! Tell me bout Gemini rising please

*wakes up, discovering she's fallen asleep while cuddling Springie - sooo relaxing, you should try it!*

Hi all!

Matina, a Y of champagne, please..

[P]

*flutter of wings*

G'evening all,

Matina a Y of champagne, please.

*Kasia wonders, what did Loony meant, when he earlier said, that he blossomed, as Kasia leaved...?*

Hi Titania, how are you?

Hi Kasia!

Just fine, and how are you?

Matina, another Y of champagne, please...

Kasia, lets go outside and watch the fire flies...

Okay, Titania, lets go outside.

My RL starts geting busy in politics. Not only on h2g2 we have elections (that's fun), but also IRL the campaign starts and it makes me nuts. Can you imagine, that one of the candidates is supposed to be arrested - there is a warrant of arrest after him! Isn't this just unreal?!

Wow! This forum is a LOT busier than any of my others!

Quorthon, there is another Quorthon on h2g2, but he or she has never posted anything. I am not ignoring you on the question of Gemini rising. I'm just waiting for you to get irritated enough to email me with more details. You know I can't make generalizations off just one detail.

Irv, I can't help it. I love having company.

Now that the campaign is over and the voting is going on, there is a topic I would like to raise for discussion. It was a little too sensitive before because it was the candidate I support who was the subject of several assassination attempts. But Redbeard and I agreed that we ought to get the sense of the community on the subject and find a consensus the same way we do on other mattes of threadiquette and continuity.

The topic is death in h2g2. Murder, or being killed in action.

Matina, have you done all the baking?
Matina: Né, Kiría.

Excellent. Please bring us the apple spice cake, sliced, and wrap the brownies in foil. Efkharistó.

It's been another Billy day, so I'll stop before I start talking about it.

Simulposted, Jo.

Us adults are pretty garrulous.

Could you specify that, Lil?

*happily ignorant of most things, except continuity, which she appreciates more than expected*

I think, I know what you mean, Lil.

Where is the limit in having fun at places like h2g2. Methinks, this limit is death, or violence in general. Although it is happening 'only' in words and is a kind of play, it is no good, because in my definition violence starts with verbal thinks - always and it grows through them.

Violence is extremely disagreeable in a restaurant or cafe setting. But there are threads where, when you join, you have the expectation of a sword fight or spaceship duel, or the possibility of a sticky end. I'm not talking about rocknroll exuberance here, which is eminently represented by our QMike, but what I think the participants often call being "deaded".

Can you be deaded against your will? If you are involved in a space war in thread X, is it legal for someone to follow you into thread Y and "dead" you there? We're talking about real researchers, now.

*Matina brings apple spice cake sliced into squares, made from bramley apples, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg*

I agree with you, Kasia - the main rule should always be CONSIDERATION'

Violence grows in your thoughts and shows in your actions. I can't contribute more at this time.

[Amy}

I hope to be around later on.

Still interested in spaceships.

IMNSHO you can only be deaded with your compliance -- clever ways out should always be permitted. Hence my constant evasion of NYC on Friday despite his attempts to stamp on me, squash me with a brick and kill me (and DD) with a hand grenade. Note that Celery supporters Krylma Leader (Affy) and Big Bad Werewolf (GL) are as guilty (more guilty?) of deading as anyone. I have never deaded anyone although I had a good go at Evil Leazes once.

New Town Library and Museum http://www.h2g2.com/A413290 open to interested and discerning parties if anyone wants a walk into The Town.

G'morning all. Lovely day in Xenaland. Now there's a lady who knows how to kill with class.

Kasia, I was just having a bit of fun with your imaginative use of the Queen's English (leaved should have been leaves, I used blossomed as a metaphor for arriving)

Which brings me to a suggestion for Bumblebee's naming crisis. Maybe change to "Queen Bee". I feel that name has a certain up-market, under-stated elegance to it.


Long time researchers Ginger The Feisty and Doug Dastardly, who first met on h2g2 about 12 months ago, are getting married at the weekend. The pre-nupital party and a wedding card to sign can be found at http://www.h2g2.com/A421912

On Violence on H2G2:

I believe that the reason the Celery specifically was the target of so many attacks was that he wasn't a real researcher, so people felt they didn't have to ask his permission. That and he's winning on the poll, so he seems like a threat.

Having my own H2G2 alter-ego who does get into duels and such, I must say that most of it is in good fun. Like when BlueBottle was "Deaded" for a while and then came back. Actually The Masque and Chrome101 have been having a duel going for months now, and since neither one wants to dead the other without permission, they're now both lying on the ground, each confession to mortal woundings and begging for an ambulance! Like you all say, there should always be a way out, in part because if you dead someone, and they don't like it, they can continue to post and you feel like an idiot. (not *you*, but you know what I mean)

Violence is common in our society, and for some reason men in particular seem to have a need to compete, to conquer, and to destroy that just isn't called upon in todays society -- probably dating back to when they had to kill food and predators for survival. So we watch violent movies, and we "dead" eachother in a virtual enviornment where no one can get hurt. At least, those of us who don't want to hurt anyone do. Those who aren't so adept at dealing with pent up agressions end up in gangs, bar fights, and the like in real life. Often they turn to the military, where their tendancies are incouraged, and released even in peacetime.

All in all, I'd say the "violence" on H2G2 is a lot healthier than real violence, and a lot less expensive than smashing my guitar against a wall. In the end, even if it bothers people, unless it crosses a line it's within the Terms and Conditions, and there's nothing we can do about it. I agree that the proper place for these things is in story threads like the Mangar/Raven battle, or Red's "duel" with Chrome. If it gets into other areas, that borders on harassment, and if you reported it to Peta could be grounds for banning the offender from H2G2. We all know someone who has been banned for something much LESS offensive.

Jeez, I've taken both sides here, haven't I? My point is that there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. Okay. I'm done.