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

Very interesting!

But as with all big books - the encyclopaedias and the Bible - if you make the pages thin enough, make the font small enough and the margins narrow enough and publish it all in multiple volumes in hardback, it usually fits OK doesn't it?

Typesetting has finite capabilities. I once had a dictionary that you could fit on three fingers (my fingers), and before I lost it, it was difficult to read and strained the eyes because of some 'clever' typesetting.

By the way, we have an entry on Typesetting. A896231

Even if it were possible, I think I'd only buy a book of selections that would be less expensive, more brief, and possibly more entertaining. After all, why buy an expensive encyclopedia set when it's on the internet?

You have a point! So we'd probably make a selection of the best Edited Entries then... How could we possibly choose?

That's a very good question. There are loads of possibilities. Of course, a simple collection of EG gems wouldn't be the only option, but even then:

1) Popular vote along the lines of the 'Have You Missed?' - a bit like Book of the Future's ratings system, although there would have to be some kind of nominations phase. This option might wind up being all rather mainstream and not bring up some of the quirkier options - and rather restricts the results since there'd be a commitment to honour the peoples' choice that might cause editorial difficulties later on.

2) Nomination and selection by Editors - pretty self-explanatory, but possibly too centralised for some tastes and might cause unnecessary friction.

3) A detailed search of the EG and discussion by a volunteer committee of Researchers. This would give an indirect say to the Researchers and would result in a well thought-out collection, but would too many want to get involved? Is there potential for accusations of élitism?

I'm sure there are other conceivable ways, and each one would take some organisation. Other options include a themed selection (again via one of the routes again). In fact, they're endless. But whatever, the selection ought to work better as a collection than if they were selected by the Infinite Improbability Drive.

Anyway, this is entirely academic at the moment. I suggest maintaining an interest and throwing a few ideas around, but ultimately waiting for an official response. That's not to say that we should place any pressure upon getting a quick answer. For something like this, a quick answer just isn't a possibility.

Effectively, we've just got to sit back and wait. Although doubtless the TPTB will be aware of this thread and are plotting something by way of an eventual response. They always are - not that I mean that in an evil way...

Whoami?

But who would decide which method of deciding to use?(!)

I honestly wouldn't know - that's not a decision that can be taken outside of Bush House, I guess...

Whoami?

I should like to ask, what would happen if I or a group of h2g2 researchers were just suddenly to start posting all their guide entries and perhaps even all of their conversations in both English and a foreign language?

What would happen?


Ich will fragen, was würde geschehen, wenn ich, oder eine Gruppe von h2g2 Forschers, gerecht plötzlich alle ihre Artikels, und vielleicht sogar alle ihre Gespräche, in beide Englisch und eine Fremdsprache einreichen?

Was wurde geschehen?

The theory is simple: anything in a foreign language is liable to be hidden by the moderators. It's important to remember that the BBC can take *nothing* on trust - including simultaneous translations. Therefore, foreign language content is moderated because it is not possible to fund moderation in all of the world's various languages.

Whoami?
h2g2 Guru

I see. So that is what happens.

Although, I have seen many other threads that happily translate everything into French without being moderated...

And also; suppose that if everybody suddenly started translating their guide entries or conversations anyway; what would happen after the moderation was complete in each case?

If you 'yikesed' the postings, they'd be failed. Moderation on h2g2 is reactive - nothing is checked unless it's referred, and so conversations can take place but it's A Bad Thing on the official <./>HouseRules</.> and so it isn't something to get involved in. If you use English then your contribution is more likely to remain for the benefit of all...

Whoami?
h2g2 Guru

"If you 'yikesed' the postings, they'd be failed."

I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by 'failed'.

"If you use English then your contribution is more likely to remain for the benefit of all..."

Well, I would argue that whilst a good portion of the population of this planet can speak at least some English, the total amount of English speakers, I believe, including those with English as their second language, is only about a third of the entire world population. Thus, two-thirds of the planet would in fact find my English contributions of no benefit to them whatsoever!

But never mind. I am still unsure of why my post was moderated when the Language Thing posts are not. I scrutinised a German dictionary just to get my translation correct!

There is an exception on Language Thing posts (I was in the thread where Jimster said so - remember it well) because they provide a translation for their various posts.

Baryonic - give it up mate. This site is not going to become multilingual anytime soon if ever.

If the mountain will not go to Mohammed; Mohammed should go to the mountain. Thus, if we are not to make this site multilingual; we should make the people unilingual.

So which will happen first: h2g2 becomes multilingual, or English becomes the official language of Earth?!

The last!

Don't forget that this site is run by the BBC, and so it's paid for by the licence-fee paying public. And while the UK is indeed multi-lingual, the official language of the country is English. So it's likely to stay the official language of all it's community areas. If you use something other than English on the messageboards, and on some of the other DNA sites, it's immediately failed, even if it's only one or two words. Let's think ourselves lucky that that doesn't happen here.

I suppose you are right. I just don't really believe that constructing:

"an unconventional guide to life, the universe and everything, an encyclopaedic project where entries are written by people from all over the world"

in the very words of the introduction of the h2g2 tour, is possible with an English majority. It is especially difficult to write about places we have never been to or communities we are distant from, for example, which is why it would be a good thing to have a good balance of mutli-cultured peoples. It is certainly a difficult thing to cover the 'everything' part of the description; it's like trying to write a book about every breed of dog when you've only ever seen a labrador.

But I shall quibble no more! This fact doesn't stop h2g2 from being a thriving, vibrant and educational community with a great potential and a wonderful social atmosphere - and I mean that. The BBC is really doing a great job.