Gnomon's h2g2 Dates
Created | Updated Mar 7, 2014
1 September 2000
I stumbled across h2g2 and decided it would be worth investigating. h2g2 was all Alabaster in those days. I set up my account and created my Personal Space A428807. I created my first Guide Entry The Equal Temperament Scale by cutting and pasting something I had written earlier.
Later the same day, I posted my first comment in a conversation:
4 September 2000
I wrote my first Guide Entry within h2g2: A430264 (since deleted) Unusual Musical Instruments. This was submitted to Peer Review on 26 September and accepted on 2 October 2000. It went on to be the Edited Entry A486074.
25 January 2001
My entry on Hedgehogs hit the front page at about 11am. Later the same day, the whole of www.h2g2.com disappeared, to be replaced by a message that the site was temporarily closed. This remained for about 6 weeks in the grim incident which I named "The Interregnum", but elsewhere was known as "Rupert".
13 March 2001
h2g2 re-appeared as www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2 with a slightly changed appearance. Now there was moderation, we weren't allowed to advertise, and we could no longer include off-site pictures on our web pages, so all the photos we had assembled were useless. All our old conversations had disappeared, to re-appear when they had been checked for naughty bits. One conversation took nearly two years to recover. For most purposes, though, the site worked as before, and boy were we relieved to have it back!
28 January 2002
My records show that DNA 1.0 was released this day, but I don't know now what the significance of that is.
20 July 2002 - Official Summer Meet, London
This was the first meet I ever attended. With Azara. We met up at the bandstand in Hyde Park and then someone, probably Abi, led us to a spot over on the south side in sight of the Albert Memorial, where people played softball and we all sat around and chatted.
Met Also Ran, Hoovooloo (later SoRB, now Twiggster/Twiglet), Anna, Mina.
Then went to the Leicester Arms, a pub just north of Picadilly Circus, where we had a room upstairs booked. There was a buffet of sandwiches. I ended up sitting at a table with Bossel, Trillian's Child and Zarquon's Singing Fish (ZSF). There was a quiz.
25 January 2003 - Official Winter Meet, London
Assembled at Somerset House. Abi gave us a guided tour around the Temple area of London, this ended at the Shakespeare's Head pub, where non-tour members had assembled.
Then we all headed to the 'Penderel's Oak' pub somewhere nearby, where we had booked the downstairs room.
28 June 2003 - Official Summer Meet, London
With Azara.
Once again, softball in Hyde Park, and croquet, followed by an evening in the pub: the Penderel's Oak.
Met Recumbentman.
Irish Meet, 2003
1 Dec 2003
I introduced the EF: prefix for postings in Editorial Feedback: F479967?thread=352351. This was acknowledged by the Eds the next day: F479967?thread=352789.
10 January 2004 - London Winter Meet
With Azara.
The party started with a tour of the Science Museum. Then we headed to the Penderel's Oak pub for an evening get together, with a quiz by Master B.
26 September 2004
My 100th solo edited entry is published, and I am given the role of 'Guest Editor' for the day. I got to write the introductions to the three pieces on the front page.
8 January 2005 - London Winter Meet
With Azara. Met up in front of the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square and went on a tour of the building. Went with Zarquon's Singing Fish, Little Fish, Recumbentman and Trillian's Child around the gallery. Lunch in a crypt under St Martin's in the Fields.
Then proceeded to the Bell, Book and Candle, near St Paul's, where I met someone who was just leaving. Took lovely picture of Seraphina.
29 May 2005
Finally got pissed off so much with the site that I decided to give it all up. But I didn't.
26 October 2006 - London Autumn Meet
With Azara.
This was the first of the Autumn/Spring series, and followed on just a few months after the last of the Winter/Summer series, so very few people attended.
MMF took us on a trip around the London Wetlands Centre. Met Wilma there but she had to go. Then we headed into Central London where we met up in the Shakespeare's Head pub for a very small party.
18 May 2007
My three-part Belzoni entry hit the front page and occupied all three spaces!
7 August 2007
I applied to join the h2g2 sub-editors and was quickly accepted. Within a few months I have sub-edited 50 entries.
14 Jan 2008
Once again I decide to resign from h2g2. This time I survive for a couple of months without it, but I miss my friends. When a real-life friend dies unexpectedly at the end of March, I decide I should be with my h2g2 friends and re-appear on site.
26 April 2008 - London Spring Meet
h2g2 London Spring Meet. We all get together at the British Museum. Present and correct: MMF, Galaxy Babe, Zarquon's Singing Fish and Little Fish, Wilma, B'Elana, Dragonqueen, lil, Vicki Virago. Went back to Shakespeare's Head pub. Roymondo, 2Legs, ReddyFreddy, Titania, Thatprat either there or turn up later. Next morning, go on trip to Victoria & Albert Museum with B'Elana.
Met B'Elana, lil, Vicki Virago, h5Ringer for first time, as well as the usuals: GB, Wilma, Bald Bloke.
5 June 2008
Faced with a combined assault from Galaxy Babe and B'Elana at the Spring Meet, I agreed to start writing for The Post on a regular basis. My first article was A36713801.
12-13 July 2008 - Hull Summer Meet
Met Moonhogg, Jimcracker, TB Falsename, Prof Chaos, Straight Talker (ST) (now BMT), Scorpio Witch for first time. On the Sunday, wandered around the docks and quayside area of Hull. Stayed in Hull North hotel.
22-23 November 2008 - Hull Winter Meet
Almost an exact replay of the Spring meet, with many of the same people there. New to the fray was Wand'rin Star, who I had met previously in Dublin, but not at a meet. On the Sunday, went to The Deep. Nautiluses! Couldn't get booking in Hull North Hotel, so although we had the meal there, many of us stayed in Hull West.
25-26 July 2009 - Hull Summer Meet
With Azara. In Hull West Hotel. Walk around the forest at the north end of the Humber Bridge. The Hull Transport Museum.
Mannheim Meet, 2010
18 January 2011 - Barlesque
BBC unveil the new Barlesque system for h2g2, full of bugs.
24 January 2011 - BBC Announce 'Disposal' of h2g2
BBC announce plan to 'dispose of' h2g2.
Early Summer 2011 - London Meet
Walking tour around and around Trafalgar Square by MMF. Tea/coffee in National Gallery, at which Mrs Zen/Dr Zen ask me to be Guide Editor. Get together in Shakespeare's Head.
21 June 2011
BBC announces that Not Panicking Ltd. has won the bid to take over h2g2.
31 August 2011
BBC signs contract with Not Panicking Ltd. and passes ownership of the site to them. BBC agrees to manage the site for another month.
3 October 2011
Due date for BBC shutdown of h2g2. Soon after this, the Not Panicking Ltd. version should be up and running.
