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

So, the BBC might close down h2g2 because Wikipedia does the "guide to life" thing better. Oh, and it's open content, so it also does the public service thing better.

Solution: h2g2 isn't about the Edited Guide at all! It's about the community. And the h2g2 community is better at some things than the wikipedia community. Like doing my maths homework for me.

That's great. However, "community" is done better elsewhere too. This is hardly the only place online where folks can get together and chat and stuff. So I guess I don't see the gain here.

I
told
you
so

*sigh*

Yes, it isn't about the Edited Guide, and yes, some aspects of community are stifled by the limitations of the site.

The people here are really special, though. It's still worth it.

It's not possible to rank how well a site 'does' community. It's all in the eye of the beholder. I like the community here, and I've not come across anywhere else with a better community. Whether the features are there for a site to 'do' community better is irrelevant, because h2g2 has a great community, which obviously has kept quite a few people around. h2g2 is very much a niche website, I think... it doesn't strive to be the superlative community website on the internet - nor should it.

Good point, well made.

What used to be unusual about the h2g2 community was the combination of intelligence, stickiness and drift. Yes, you get the 2legs smileyfest threads which are as silly and self-indulgent as anything on facebook, but you also get real debate which ambles off in interesting directions in the way that real debates do. I've not found that elsewhere, though I haven't been looking that hard.

However, if you were wielding a financial axe you wouldn't know that h2g2 is in fact still unique (if it is). You'd just think "the kidz are all on facebook" and sharpen your axe.

Ben

These ax wielders - they think in misspellings? My god, we are in greater trouble than I thought.

I sincerely doubt that h2g2 is the only place for interesting and real debate on the world wide web, in fact I'm sure it isn't. But that doesn't mean it's not unique. Defining any community in terms of words and ideas, you'll probably be able to find another group which roughly meets the same description. I don't think it's a question of that. I think the only way to define a community is in terms of its constituent parts - its people. And frankly (you already brought up 2legs) they defy description.
h2g2 is special in a way for many of us because of the people we meet and how we interact, and not because our IQs are 10 points higher than anywhere else on the web outside of mensa.com Whatever the people who remain here have found, it is of some value to them that they can't find elsewhere.

Having said that, I don't know how to convince the BBC of that, or of its value. And you may be right about the ax.

Has something happened recently to make people think again that the axe is being sharpened?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/08/bbc.digitalmedia

and

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/15/bbc.digitalmedia

So nothing specific in there, but increasing pressure to provide political and financial value

B

Ah. Is it any more or less than other times though?

Who knows? I've not been paying close attention to be honest Kea.

Ben

I suggest a letter writing campian if you want to raise awareness.

Hmmmm personally I think awareness is the last thing we need....

I reckon that h2g2 is such a small part of the beebs online budget we probably have a reasonable shout of slipping under the radar. But if there is a big noise about us then we are *never* going to pass the "value" test.... IMHO anyhow....

FB

Except when they're doing budget and staffing cuts. Then h2 might be an easy target.

Well it seems to me to be a classic "risk/reward" calculation.

If the beeb are seriously thinking about ditching h2g2, will a letter writing campaign do anything at all to stop this?

My says not a rats chance in hell.

Is it possible that publicity might make people who we would rather didn't look a bit more closely at h2g2?

Quite possibly.


So my assessment is no reward, with possible risk. And as a Safety Rep I say (in the immortal worlds of Del Boy) "No way Pedro!"

FB

I think we need another Tonyfest. That way we'll all be having to much fun and won't have to worry about the axe until it's too late.

Sorry. I've been away alot this year. The site seems in the saddest state I've seen it.

Where is pedro, anyway?

At least the Della Wars are now forever ended eh Kea?