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

Looking at the two aforementioned online encyclopaedias, it seems that h2g2 already has its own user-friendly, helpful, and often humorous style - some articles even make a lot more sense on h2g2 than on wiki.

Allowing the writing of both factual and documentary Edited Guide entries seems a little odd to me, as h2g2 is doing quite nicely with a factual EG. Maybe we could have a documentary-style section - perhaps the 'DG', to coin a phrase?

Alex

Here here! (re: this *vs* that)

And when you consider all the other 'areas' on H2G2 (UG, AWW, The Post...and the good ol' Personal Space & Journals), well, this sure ain't Wikipedia!


m

It's probably a bit like the Humans and the Dolphins - the wikis probably look at h2g2 and think that their place is better for the same reasons...

you're quite likely right. but y'know, i like it here in the ocean.


m

it's especially funny coming form me here in the far-from-the-ocean southern part of Poland!

It's nice to hear an appreciation of aquatic life from a landlocked researcher

I live on an 'island' (well the UK is more or less), but sadly I've never seen a dolphin, especially in the river Thames...

Well, if it's any consolation, I'vve never been to the UK.

In my former life (as an American) I did live in Florida for 14 years, and as communications director for Sea World for nearly five of them I saw moer than my fair share of dolphins.

One of the true high points in my life!

I apologize for my truly awful typing tonight. My fingers are being most anti-social and for some reason my proofreading skills have gone on unannounced holiday.

Life's not fair - you've seen dolphins AND you've never had to go to the UK.

Dno't wrr=oyy - my typign is jsuyd as baaf.

I've had a look at your personal space - I really don't blame you for leaving...

You know I have encountered quite a few people who have dumped h2g2 for wiki (lucinda springs to mind) but not the other way around.

Interesting - I'm managing to stay a member of both. I think I'm clear in my mind what the differences are, and PROD is basically an explanation: h2g2 has to be different, original and entertaining, as well as factual - it includes the less conventional things like instruction manuals, advice sections, recipes and tourist guides that Wikipedia will never have.

If h2g2 does get too rigid and factual, as PROD is trying to avoid, then it'll become just like Wikipedia - and that would be pointless, since WP has far more entries and is better at churning out articles galore. In other words, you could say that Wikipedia is quantity; h2g2 is quality. Both have their place, though - go to WP if you're fact-finding or researching; go to hootoo if you're in need of practical advice, a good laugh, or an introduction to a subject that you can understand.

As a fairly decent illustration of my point, take a look at A3556820 - this is an article that goes through places in Ohio that share a name with places in Europe. It's succint - it gets through a lot of places in one meaningful entry, it has a characteristic style, and incorporates humour.

What does WP have? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Ohio is its alternative: a vast list of all/most Ohioan () cities, each of which has its own standard-formatting article. That's great for a no-frills encylcopedia, but h2g2 is different.

I had a dabble in WP, but I found it elitist and unwelcoming - somebody actually said my contributions should be deleted because I was new to wikipedia!!

h2g2 is a *nice* place. It's fun to explore, useful, and I have "met" some very nice, welcoming human beings.

For reference purposes only, WP is useful if I am looking for dry facts. If I am looking for stuff I can actually enjoy reading, I come here.