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

This idea grew out of a question by Jordan about attracting new members to h2g2. So whereas we will want to promote it in the Post and other places on site, like our personal journals, we also need to find a way to promote it in other places as well.

I am in a position to promote literary contests locally. I can also create a flyer and e-mail it to my public library director's list, asking them to promote it in their libraries, also. If we have a good flyer I imagine we could take copies to local libraries and schools anyplace in the world.

Do we need an actual contest web site that would be listed in Google, etc? As most of you know, my html skills are limited. We would need someone to create the site and maintain it for us. Even if we stay completely within h2g2, I'll need a volunteer to do the Guide ML.

I am far from wealthy. My expenses are going to have to be reasonable. So, we need ideas that won't bankrupt me and put Alabaster House into foreclosure.

I honestly don't have either the free time or the technical knowhow to help maintain an offsite web page. I could probably help with GuideML markup, but I can't volunteer to be the sole contributor in that regard- I don't always have control over my workload and so can't promise a consistent amount of free time to devote to hootoo projects.

That said, if we were to create flyers I am sure I could get them up here and there- be it at library branches or bookshop/ coffee house bulletin boards, etc. I'd be willing to send it out via email and/or as a MySpace bulletin, as well. Every bit helps.

I'm not wealthy, either, but I'll do what I can.

You can count in for promoting.

If needed, I could even write a Post article myself, all I'd need to know are the facts.

Not sure about prizes, I think we once discussed it for some Post competition but nothing ever came of it. Maybe the eds could provide some badges, though.

Bel

Hi Bel. Thanks so much. As soon as we have some particulars worked out, it would be great to have the contest announced first in the Post.

I don't mind paying for prizes as long as they are reasonably priced. I'm hoping not to spend more than $500. The idea of cash prizes is attractive, but with our members using such a wide variety of currencies, that isn't really practical. I do want the prizes to be something people will want to win.

I like the idea of giving h2g2 stuff for the honorable mentions. I had permission from Jimster to use the logo on the shirts I did for the h2g2 meet I sponsored here in WC. If there isn't any available merchandise, I could always order some made up.

If there was an item that is on the inexpensive side that we could send to everyone who submits an entry, that would be nice.

We could ask the eds if they could shell out a t-shirt each for the winners, and they've been known to generously distribute the round ph2g2 pin badges for meets, for instance. I'd be happy to address them once we know a little more.

Great. Thanks again. This is starting to get exciting!

let's hope the feedback will be worth all the effort you put into it.
I would try to recruit some friends, but as this is in English, none of my friends are interested.
Don't know about our local school, though - do you think I should ask?

The language problem is one I thought about last night around 3 AM when I couldn't sleep. But since the site is in English, we have no choice except to require that entries be in English. Bel, you and Titania and Hati and many others use such wonderful English that I often forget it isn't your first language.

Here we have classes in German, French, Spanish, etc. Are there similar English classes in European countries? If so, perhaps teachers in those classes would be interested in this as a writing project. Knowing how to contact them would be the problem.

Oh, I didn't expect them to submit in any other langauge than English. We do have classes who do English at a higher level than the others (called 'leistungskurs), and I thought I could go to our öocal school and ask the director and the teachers who hhold these classes if they'd be interested. I could imagine they are, various pupils go to the USA for a year etc.

That sounds like a good idea. As soon as the rules, etc. are worked out and we get a decent flyer made up, we can post it so that people can print as many off as they need.

I can ask my sister, too, although she's currently preparing for her teacher exam, which means lack of time, but she has an account here so knows a bit about h2g2 - amybe she can promote it at her school.

It would be fabulous to get entries from several countries. I hope the word gets out about the contest. If the first one is a success, we can make it an annual event.

I think we should first have a concept, then drum up the volunteers, and then go ahead and promote the contest.

I think I can get the people at wired coffee A37676677 to pass out flyers

Hyp, I think it's very generous of you to pay for prizes, but I don't think it should rest solely on your shoulders. Unfortunately I can't afford to help, but could we get some kind of grant from the BBC? We are promoting their site after all.

As for promoting, I am willing to go to the powers that be at my library to ask if we can put up flyers and what not. I'm not expecting a positive response though. The rule is it has to be "community based, non-profit" they do make exceptions for literary contests, so they may accept this. I'm just a bit worried, because the promotional department tends to be a bit draconian. We don't have a lot of freedom in what we display in the branches, or how we do it. The head of the department has been known to come into branches, unannounced, and take down posters and displays that don't meet with her approval.

I'm hoping they do see this as a positive thing and we can promote it, as not only could we put up fliers, but we could promote it on our website too. As it really has nothing to do with our library, and we get nothing out of it, I can't see it happening.

Sorry to sound so cynical, but that's the environment I currently find myself working in.
I will give it a go though!

Oh, and I can definitely promote it on my blog (as much good as that will do).

I have one other thing to add to the brew ... I have a domain name brewing towards acceptance. At a host site that has very minimal annual charges, and unlimited resources as a part of the account. Once cleared through the WWW system, it's wide open for some trusted guru to shape into a place for entrants to post their works. And if said guru (sure ain't me !!!) can design the place right, forums and discussions and votes can follow.

I offer to cover the annual cost of the site (should now be good through July '09 minimal) for so long as I participate in h2g2. The folks who know ME, and not propogated versions, know that this offer is as dependable as the rise and set of the sun.

I'm not entirely sure why we would want to attract new people to h2g2, then host submissions and discussions on another domain when we have all the means to do it here, but then this is Hyp's baby, maybe she'll know?

My understanding was that the winning entries would be published in the sections they won in, that is UG, possibly EG and maybe The Post.

Why do the various volunteer groups, the <./>ACE</.>s, the Scouts, the Sub-Eds, etc work well off-line, in Yahoo groups? Because h2g2 does not yet offer side forums for discrete discussions. And for the same reason that a few folks I know of that avoid the <./>Photographer</.> group, they don't wish to have an e-mail inundated with every comment and post of the whole group. A separate site, without moderation but options for an unfiltered opinion, that can not reflect on the BBCi and their legal concerns ...

Simply, the site will be there. If no one feels a want or need to use it, that's fine. It will be there for the first year at least.

I'm getting ready for another teen book club. i would really like to get a couple of the members to submit entries. I'll do my best.

Thanks for the offer of the bandwidth, Nick. Whether we set it up on h2g2 or someplace else, we're going to have to create a place for submissions. I suppose the question becomes do we want the entries available to the entire membership before the judges have a chance to make their decisions. With the Post Christmas Poem, everyone has the chance to vote so all the entries are put up in advance. I don't think that is practical for this type of contest. I think we need judges for this.

I do like the way the Post contest has you send the entries to their e-mail address rather than posting it directly on site.

Allof this clearly will require some thought.

I'll try to spell it out a bit more clearly ...

An internet domain now exists, and will for a year. It has only my primary controls attached to it. It has essentially unlimited capabilities for creating forums, chats, libraries, what-ever can be hosted. The creation and use of this vast space is what I offer to who-ever has skills and knowledge to set it up as a useful repository of literary entries, ... Maybe with 'threads' attached to each, for opinions and such. It is a blank-slate waiting to be used.

It can readily be referred to from h2g2, as a place to post a submission and a place for volunteers to pass judgement. Pretty much design it and use it as better minds than mine wish.