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

Welcome to the continuing discussions of continuity issues.

In the last thread...
In addition to various other continuity issues, we discussed language, parrots, thread buzzing, youthful exuberance, and heard about the term 'retcom'.

... and so we continue...

I noticed that the election season is starting up here. I wonder if we'll start to see forums putting up 'No Canvassing' signs?

Funny you should mention that!

After the first ad bloomed at the Aroma Cafe, I contacted Monsy via my new toy, IM, to find out how they intend to handle that. Because it wouldn't be so much fun if the threads drowned in ads. As it is, we'll be seeing lots of brackets after names!

She said they are putting a page in place, which Peta will probably put a standing notice to on the front page, and they will try to corral the rhetoric there!

Good.
As a trip back to the last thread, I notice Bahb has been behaving recently, and at least Twinkie the Sax fairy has been sucked back into his sax. No more fairy dust. (however haven't checked todays cafe thread yet, so I might be wrong)

I spoke to Irv about the matter, and he implied I could lighten up about the dust, but he understands the menagerie problem.

But now I have a new matter to bring up for discussion. As you know, at the Aroma Cafe we have a pair of threads named Gents and Ladies that were not founded by the moderator, and which seem to be largely a compendium of dirty limericks, graffiti and wall epithets. I did the performance art to clean and repaint both "lavatories", but the researchers involved seem to have regarded it as a challenge. And so the two threads are thriving. Irv says, let them hang themselves.

But this morning, when I monitored the threads, I discover that one of them has put a smokestack on the cafe.

Honestly, if moderating the antics at the cafe are becoming such a source of unhappiness for you, if it were me, I'd bow out and let someone else handle it. Erect an SEP field around the whole thing. Keeping a bunch of overexuberant kids in line in an imaginary forum isn't really what you came to H2G2 for, is it?

I don't know how to lighten up enough, I guess. I was handed control of a very popular forum, together with Babel, who's been too busy of late to do more than drop in. And I don't want it to dissolve into chaos or dry up under my watch. I wouldn't worry nearly so much if it were my forum -- look what goes on sometimes at the Atelier!

I used to be terrified when I borrowed my dad's car, and exhausted at the end of a routine drive, simply because it wasn't my beast.

As a matter of fact, I have spoken to Irv about getting extra help, because I would rather concentrate on more substantive fora. But while I have the responsibility, yes, I want to keep the ship trim and square. The owner can relax HIS hand.

I find that running a cafe isn't as varied as I might like; it's very cyclical. Not that it doesn't have good reason to exist; the Cafe is a wonderful jumping-in point for newbies.

The more of us there are, unfortunately, the more there needs to be a more explicit consensus (if that's not an oxymoron) about threadiquette. Otherwise we're in danger of seeing established landmarks dissolve in a blizzard of well-meaning exuberance...

I am evidently one of nature's conservatives, or consevers, anyway.

You're doing great with the Caf� Lil. The mere fact that it's so busy says it's going well, and since it's a comfortable place for newcomers, you're going to get a lot of people who don't completely understand continunity as well as the Venerable One. And they will have to be gently informed, and repairs will have to be made. I think we almost have to accept that. I'll be happy to try to help out a little more in this area (I tried with the allergy comment on dust that Odradek picked up on and followed, and that might have helped put the fairy back in the sax.) Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. ----- On a different note entirely, I was kind of surprised today at the Classic Goo Fan Club by the comment that people might be offended by the term 'alabastard'. Here's the post that started it and my rant is two posts later. Reactions? http://www.h2g2.com/F44858?thread=57894&post=443883

I think it's a classic case of building a mountain out of a molehill. Who cares what skin you're using? Who is trying to eliminate choice? I don't think anyone out there complaining has the power over time and space required to alter my preferences.

Colonel Sellers, proud user of Alabastard.

And I'm using it on a Winbloze 95 machine with Nutscrape Communicator, too!

Well said, Colonel!
(using classic slime on a crabapple G3)

Unfortunately due to my current workload, I am switching between Classic Glue and Ala-Blast-er on a regular basis, sometimes I logon and go Aarrggghh, because I have left it in A, or go Whoops when I've left it in CG. At least we have the choice.(Thankfully! A has made my life slightly easier recently, but I am a CG fan.)

btw, smokestack problem now sorted.

Good try, Babel, but probably not a permanent solution. I have been thinking over the problem, and have decided that, because the Cafe is a Scorpio, it needs to acknowledge its very active id as represented by the Ladies and Gents threads which manifested spontaneously not long after the cafe was founded.

The analogy is sound, I think. In addition to the id threads, notice the continuous conscious activity in the form of the counter threads in which there is a conscious and healthy interaction with the rest of the the (h2g2) world. And then the superego is represented by the book club and poetry threads which CONTINUE to be posted to in spite of their near-impossible length, not to mention the Irving Washington Book Nook with its indelible connection to the parent body.

On top of all of this, the Cafe now also has a surreality thread, a representation of the subconscious or dream-making level of the psyche; the thread is called Hello??? for anyone who cares to check it out.

That the renascence of the surreality and lavatory threads seem to coincide with my caretakership may not be so much of a coincidence; I was, like the Aroma Cafe, born on November 7. It is typical of my own rather controlling nature to have attempted to literally whitewash the walls of the ladies and gents, and probably good for both anima and animus that both threads are equally attended by both genders.

In future I shall concentrate on individuation.

That's why she's the Venerable One. I never would have thought of the horoscope explanation. Still sorting it out in my head, but it seems to work.

Well, I've got my molecular bonding compound... Do you think I should give it a try on the space-time rift in the café, or let it play out another day or two first?

I think we should see if Odradek has some performance art of her own in mind. I sent Diogenes in after her, so I hope she picks up on that. I'm not so sure what to do with the sax. Perhaps I can put that on the cloth-covered table, too. Nice decorative piece...

An id-ego-superego explanation would hold good for anybody, regardless of horoscope, because that is straightforward analytic theory, but it is uncanny nonetheless. I shall certainly make sure that the stairs to the lavatories are kept unobstructed

Sounds like a good plan.

Glad you've got it worked out, then.

Redbeard: I like where you're going with the whole thing, but I think "crabapple" lacks oomph. May I suggest, in its place, "Crapple"?

Crapple it is, Colonel!

Another newbie arrives at the cafe and begins inventing problems. http://www.h2g2.com/F26140?thread=65692&post=484097 In this thread you see me cleaning up. The new researcher has evidently just got himself sainted and is now behaving exactly the way Fiend used to, which goes to show something about religions, but I digress. ZOE basically arrived through a hole in the roof (like, what hole and what about the rest of us?) and scattered newspapers all over the floor. He's a nice chap, I think, or chap-ess. I don't wish to frighten him off, and have made a comment, but his ignorance of the fans suggests he hasn't read too carefully. Dropping a repairman on the floor and not even stopping to pick him up is going too far. I'd like some help here. Could someone perhaps visit Zoe or suggest a solution? Actually, I need Irv to update the flippin' page...

Lil, I knew you were not going to be pleased about this incident. I was just beginning to become active on the fora when Redbeard arrived and you two created the continuity page. I've kept up to date on it and I've tried to be really careful myself when entering new fora so as not to rock any boats.

The reason I jumped in and rescued the "repairman" had to due with my reluctance to shunning the posting. As ZOE is a newbie, I didn't want to ~not~ acknowledge his post. In hindsight, I should have let you handle it, especially since you were online at the time.