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

Are you a member of a club? - Not a club as such, more like a loose-knit group just-barely-organized mostly to accomplish something, no matter how insane.

What's it called? - We were supposed to have a name?

What's it like? - It's different at different times. Sometimes it's a little like being a minor rock star, or maybe just a roadie, but nonetheless, kind of glorious, with plenty of free beer and back-washed glamour, or was it the other way around? Sometimes it's just a lot of thankless, exhausting work. Sometimes things work out wonderfully well, sometimes they don't come together. Occasionally, it is like sweeping a truckload of cooked noodles uphill.

Can we join? - Are you crazy? Well, then, sure.

Is better to follow the example, quoted above, of the wonderful Mr Marx (Groucho not Karl, who wasn't known for his hilarious after-dinner bon mots) and follow your own path? - I think the kind of club Mr. G. Marx was poking fun at was the kind where privileged persons pay membership and dues for the privilege of hanging out with their privileged friends. (Did I mention privilege?) Gaining entry to such a club depended not only on having enough cash on hand, but also belonging to a certain ethnic group, religion, socioeconomic strata, and other accidents of birth.

Is setting yourself apart from the crowd the key to success and betterment? - Almost never. We are gregarious beings; we survive and succeed by forming connections and relationships.

Or is it possible to belong to a group without sacrificing your individuality? To have your cake and jolly well eat it. - Cake? Did someone mention ?

I'm going to go with "yes." To a degree, associating with others means conforming to some group norm, explicit or implicit. For example, a h2g2 group value might have something to do with clear written communications. Therefore to participate in this group, I should make every attempt to express my individual thoughts/observations/research in clear written form.


Happy Nerd