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

I think I see the problem with this whole DNA/multiple sites thing: it's decentralized. It's like a donut: centered around something that isn't there. We need some sort of DNA HQ to connect all the sites and serve a directory and a home for features shared by all DNA sites, especially help pages and perhaps certain volunteer schemes. Thoughts?

-Spike A.

(oh, and is this posted in the right place?)

You're assuming that all the sites have the same purpose, but just different skins. That's wrong. Each DNA site will have its own specific purpose - a reason for people participating. Just because they happen all to run on the same infrastructure doesn't mean they have any more link than that.

It's like saying there should be a central hub for every site on the web, just because they all use HTTP.

DNA is just another community application. If it needs a hub, it should be for *all* community aspects of BBCi - like the 'Communicate' page, probably.

Well...I do see your point, but keep a few things in mind. First, that DNA sites are a lot more connected than all HTTP sites. Second, there are unofficial hubs for the web: Yahoo, Google Directory, and the Open Directory to name a few. They're not central, but only because they can't be. It just seems like there should be a site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ with at least a directory of DNA sites and maybe help pages for DNA features. Right now it leads to h2g2, and the idea (I thought) was that DNA not be centered around h2g2.

-Spike A.

But that's like saying that there should be a hub at www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/

DNA is an engine - a technology - it isn't a project. Any hub should incorporate *all* the BBC's community areas, like message boards, chatrooms, video nation, etc.

Oh. Well, that's a different perspective. If that's the idea, then you're right. So, is 360 h2g2's 'sister site'? Are these two more 'connected' than other 360 sites, or is this just a misnomer?

-Spike A.

360 shares editorial staff, and was created by one of the founders of h2g2, so its position as a sister site comes from that.

Sense of Place, on the other hand, has no connection to h2g2, and uses DNA simply because it's the best technology for achieving their goals.

Fair enough. Thanks for the clarification!

-Spike A.

It is rather amusing to read this old post where Spike is saying you need a hub and the italic is aying they don't and now the top staff
have left h2g2 to work at (dramatic pause) The Hub.