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

I know it's annoying when things change, apparently for the worse. However, h2g2 could not have continued as it was - the money simply wasn't there. The BBC bought h2g2 so that it could continue, albeit in a slightly revised form. Really, it seems (to me, at least) to be the logical place for h2g2 to be - back where the Hitchhikers guide phenomena started.

The reason for the new, stricter terms and conditions is so that h2g2 complies with BBC guidelines, which I'm afraid it must do, if the site is to survive. They're blanket rules which cover all BBC sites, h2g2 included.

Linking with Fotango seemed like a good idea at the time - they were an investor, which h2g2 definitely needed, and they could also offer something more - a place to store graphics. But there is of course the problem of copyright. Unfortunately, it is all to easy to obtain images which are under copyright, and flaunt them as your own. There don't seem to be any ways of checking this, so of course all external graphics had to be removed when h2g2 moved. The only graphics that remain are the only ones that h2g2 can be sure of using without infringing copyright - ones produced by the h2g2 team.

Whether it's right or wrong, all the changes have a reason. However, h2g2 is continually evolving - all suggestions for future developements are welcomed. In fact, it is just those ideas that will really help to push h2g2 forward, and keep everyone interested. Things might not be ideal, but the site is still growing. And given the small team that actually gets paid for working on it, I think it's doing extremely well.

Justin

Hi Justin! Yeah, I know all the reasons! But this is a rather big problem for me, because the kind of thing that the BBC is doing is something that I have severe moral qualms against. Honestly I do. This kind of wanting to be protected against even the tiniest mishaps. It is obscene to me, when meanwhile millions of people worldwide are dying of things that are preventable except that the money and effort and interest is not available. People wanna be entertained but don't care if their brothers and sisters are being butchered. We are prevented from doing good because maybe, just maybe, we might use the power we need to do good for something that would perhaps be a little bit inconvenient. Even if a wrong thing is done now and then, address that particular wrong thing, don't become paranoid and prohibit and prevent everything that might lead to a mistake! More is involved here than just h2g2 or the blanket rules of the BBC. I say scrap the entire modern legal system, and scrap the economic system as well, start over and do it right this time. The BBC ought to be able to handle it if they lose a few million pounds in a lawsuit every now and then. Heaven knows, there are bigger risks than that, regular folks run the risk of getting killed everytime they sit down behind a steering wheel! But they still drive. The BBC should only worry about losing in a lawsuit if they were really in the wrong. They should make sure that their side isn't in the wrong and not worry about anything else. If they can lose while not being in the wrong then there is something wrong with the legal system! Ethics and principles and *TRUTH* don't even seem to come into it! What a nightmare. My suggestion for future developments - devise a better legal system and cultivate a bit of courage and fortitude! And worry about *people*, rather than about money! Suggested not just for the BBC but for the entire legal and business world!

I us people don't get some good and solid and sensible principles soon we're all going to come to a messy end. Excuse me for spoiling the fun, but it's the truth. The BBC may have saved h2g2, but who's gonna save the BBC??? They can still save themselves, if they would be willing to become less rigid!