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

When I first became a researcher I was enamoured with the idea of having CREDENTIALS of a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Researcher. Just fantasizing of what doors such a thing would open for me... and all the free food I may be able to get.

I know of a way that the good folks in the Towers could provide us with Cards at very little cost: Have them generated on the fly here on the servers, and leave it to us to print them out. I know, not as sexy as a plastic job with a mag-stripe, but its something.

I had an idea to do this myself, thinking I could whip something up in JavaScript, hacking the h2g2 cookie for email address, and black-boxing the rest by trial and error. Too much work if you ask me. BUT if I had access to how h2g2 keeps track of user info, it would be cake. And a fun "toy" for other researchers.


Using the h2g2 cookie, or a valid login through user.cgi, a card could be generated from the user details.

This would be the handle, real name, the reasercher number, email address, and any "ribbons" (ACE, etc.) the researcher may have. This info could then be placed in arrangement on a printable "card" along with logo's and url's and all that good stuff.

A URL provided by the researcher to a picturte could complete the process, and facilitate using the card as a kind of press pass or whatever... that is prevent the 'loaning' of researcher credentials. If they do not have a picture to provide (or do not want to), there can be a generic substitute picture. (I'm thinking the green guy from the early covers of the HHGTTG novels)

These could even be linkable graphics to use on other websites for personal links on other websites. There could be many hotspots ont he card for different things. For example, clicking on the h2g2 logo would take you to the homepage, clicking on the researcher's picture, or name, or number could take you to the researcher's home spot on h2g2. There could even be a "don't panic" button to take people to the faq.

Heck given its 'virtual' nature, it could even have skins! (another item knowable from the user details)

Alas, I'll probably never see it though...

Interesting idea... a bit tricky depending on researchers' printing capabilities. My preference would really be in the nature of a novelty card, nicely laminated or credit-card-style, mostly for the fun of having it, but who knows how well it might actually work?

What your idea does though, is help out dealing with the cost of shipping. With researchers all over the world, just sending the card will add to the cost. Since with a physical card, they'd probably have a shipping cost depending on country, maybe those that didn't want to pay the shipping cost could print their own... combining the two ideas.

Another thing that would be needed in both versions of the card are some kind of anti-forgery aspect. Not sure what this would be though. I guess there could be a bar code, a PGP type signature. It would be easier to do with a physical card then we could have holograms or smartchips or magstripes. Not that there would be much use for those...

I just want to pull some weight and try to get free food with a h2g2 card.