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

Any general comments here please. Any suggestions for Help Pages to update should be posted in the Challenge Update thread

Only one comment:

Brilliant start, Alex.

You've put a lot of work into this already. It needs publicising now, and a couple of people to get cracking and show how it should be done. I'll have a browse and choose one shortly.

(well that was more than one comment)

Icy

Oh, one radical idea.

Why don't we post a sample of existing help page entries into Peer Review - just to see what comments people come up with?

Nah, I'd rather get opinions on a cleaned-up version. Otherwise, I'm hoping that once volunteers start threads to go with their updates, other Researchers will post their opinions there.

This really needs publicising...

We've probably just missed tomorrow's h2g2 Post.

I'll mention it on my PS when I get a minute. Oh, how about a groovy badge that people can put on their PS if they're involved?

I'd like to see a few ACEs involved at the outset, as they must have seen what newbies find confusing.

I'll work on a badge. I've sent an email to the Scouts and Subs, with a request that the email is sent to the other groups (including ACEs ). Skanky says there'll be a plug in tomorrow's .

I can work on a badge if you'd rather have a shiny new one. But I suppose working on the actual content is more important

Nice one.

I've just baggsied one (to test the system, really)

It works!

A shiny new badge would be great if you've got the time, Mal
(The blob I'm using now was nicked from a Community art page somewhere)

Of course it works, Icy. I wrote it.

I wrote a similar thing once which corrupted the h2g2 database

Mr Lynn wasn't impressed.

Will give it some thought.

And I'll start with the Artists' Homepage.

The idea is great (do we really need a badge, though?).
I'll have a closer look when I have a bit more time.

Of course we need a badge! But first we have to decide what colour it will be

Seriously, though, the project might get taken more seriously if it has a shiny badge. It's not at the top of the list, but since Mal offered...

First up, apologies if I've misunderstood something here but why is this project restricted to volunteer's only as opposed to researchers?
As I understand it, the aim is to make it easier for the 'end user' to find their way round in a more simplified way so shouldn't there be some sort of input/survey of what the 'end user' would like to see rather than just re-writing stuff as seen by the few?

Hi ST

The project is, for the moment, restricted to volunteers in order to ensure a high level of experience. I knew it would be controversial, and I'm willing to discuss it and determine a better way of doing things - this isn't intended to be a dictatorial system, hence this thread.

In terms of the end users, it would be nice to survey their feelings. At the moment the plan is to get comments on updates in two places - here on a dedicated thread while the update is being written, and in Peer Review once the update is submitted. There's a pile of comments from new users on the <./>Welcome</.> page and on A868098, though sifting through them might take some time. If you can think of a good way to survey users, give us a shout.

Okay, thanks for that. I'll wait and see what changes are proposed then and may input some ideas then.

A non (actually former) volunteer popping in with a brief comment:

"The project is, for the moment, restricted to volunteers in order to ensure a high level of experience."

Really? I've encountered a couple of people who appear to be involved in the ACE scheme who've been around for a year or less. Meanwhile, there are researchers (such as myself) who are not involved in any volunteer schemes due only to time constraints but who have been actively involved with the community for several years. Are these people really considered inexperienced, and their input undesirable? I, for one, might have been able to volunteer the time required to update one of these help pages, though I don't have time to devote to any of the volunteer schemes.

Just from a lowly researcher with a mere six-years-five-months community involvement and an obvious lack of "experience"...

I don't know any Aces who've only been around for a year or less, but then you never get to know any new ones these days.

I think Alex clearly said in his reply to ST that the volunteers were just a starting point. After all, he had to start somewhere asking for support.

Oh come on pc, I've already explained :

(a) it's just while the project is starting off,
(b) that comments are welcome, and
(c) that it's not a dictatorship.

Plus I imply that I feel volunteers should have enough experience, but I definitely don't claim there's any lack of experience on the part of ex-volunteers and other long-standing hootooers (I haven't even mentioned them yet).

Besides, you haven't even offered your help yet, so why do you think you're unwelcome? If you want to help by updating a page or make a suggestion as to the experience matter (how about volunteer, ex-volunteer or 'x' years on hootoo?)

I'm doing this for h2g2's sake and not because I get kicks out of it, so let's all work together on this, eh?

I was pretty sure I read the word "restricted" in Alex's reply- I must have misread.

No worries, though- for quite some time I've been anxious to help where and when I can, but I'm certainly not going to butt in where my help isn't needed. That was part of the reason I handed in my ACEs badge in 2004 to begin with.

Regarding length of service- I do know of one ACE who was allowed to become one with less than a year on site, but I suppose that's neither here nor there anyway. My point was probably more along the lines that length of time on site might also be a good factor to consider when accepting or declining an offer to participate.

And on that note, I'll and leave you to it.