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

You can still do projects, they just won't be official, you won't get a badge, you will only get them on the front page as and when each part is picked, subbed, and approved, but you can still have multiple entries on a topic, with links between them (the links may have to be done once all of them are edited, but that shouldn't be a problem)

Tango

Well Mina had better get a move on subbing mine then. She's been subbing it for well over six weeks now.

At least you had time to do your project I started mine two weeks ago, so I'll have to hurry if I can't ignore deadlines

My only concerns about this is that it could push other authors off the frontpage if a single author releases a set of 5 (or more) articles into PR at once, and they end up getting picked and edited close together. I would think that adding necessary links as they're frontpaged would only create _more_ work for the italics, not less, either that or these would have to be classed as updates and put through some system other than <./>Feedback-Editorial</.>.

My final worry is that this could encourage some authors to write more, firstly delaying other author's entries in PR, then on the frontpage, and only encouraging the feeling that the number of authors actually contributing to the EG is falling

spelugx -- hurting performance in the simplest way, saying: '<wow: isn't the site fast tonight!'

Do you think the editorial process is at/near its limits then? I would have thought PR could cope with the extra entries... And i doubt all the entries of a project would get to the FP at the same time.

Tango

I just assumed that the university was being closed due to a lack of time on the part of the editors (from comments elsewhere), but if the editorial process isn't at it's limits that suggests spare capacity for the university (which would then mean that it's being closed because there's something really amazingly wonderful round the corner ).

It is rare for one author to have multiple articles on the frontpage (although as a subeditor I've had three entries edited by myself appear at once), so I was more just thinking that having they appear close together (perhaps over a week or two) would still reduce the number of other authors appearing. Personally, I'd perfer to encourage more authors, rather than more articles.

spelugx

I've had three one day but that was pre-Peer Review. I have had two one in collaboration since though on a number of occasions

I've had one long entry split into several parts, appearing on successive days.

A major criticism of the University was that the entries were not peer reviewed. PR can make such a difference even to an already excellent entry.

I effectively had a university project in Piet Hein and its three linked standalone entries, and I was worried about how they would appear on the front page if/when they were all picked.

The main entry on Piet Hein was picked first, and eventually appeared on the front page. Before it was published all the other parts had been picked and gained recommended status with a new EG entry number so the links were added in, and researchers could link to them from the publication of the first entry. The others are still queuing, two pending, one still with sub editor, so I don't think there are any authors being pushed out by my self-styled project (no badge for me )

The point is that projects need not overwhelm the front page and push others aside - each part ought to stand alone and be judged on its own merits, and go through PR at its own pace. If there were a wealth of entries to be published I think it would be wise to have a variable limit on the number published each day.

On another discussion it has been mentioned that there are not enough 'quality' entries in PR for all scouts to pick three every four weeks, and some scouts are picking before entries are 'ripe'

Pimms Lettuce

I think people will write better without a deadline

I've got a few noticeable themes in my writing, like the Wright Brothers and American Sitcoms. I think the PR system will work just fine

Blast!

I've got a whole bunch of entries finished but the entire project will never be ready in time.

So I guess I'll be flooding PR once I give the done ones a final once-over...

- X

I don't quite get it.

I guess, that postings at The Univerity of life are still possible and that the section itself remains.
But that researchers of h2g2 can't write new entries in that section.

Maybe the whole aim of the project of h2g2 was a bit too high.


Greatings from floating Amsterdam.....

I've never been such a great fan of the University for the very reason that there's no Peer Review. Having a single route process is as much to be celebrated as the loss of the Uni is to be mourned.

If it means more stuff lands up in Peer Review, so much the better. More to choose from!

WhoamI?

When we say that we're not accepting any more submissions after Monday, we mean that after that time we're not accepting any more *new* projects. We will be processing the ones that have already been proposed, are in the finishing stages and are being subbed. You could risk proposing a project before Monday, but you'll have to get it done quickly - I can see that we've had a couple of submissions overnight.

If you would like to finish your project quickly, why not think about handing over a smaller project? A project of three entries would be better than no project at all.

I should add that if you want related entries to link to each other once they've all been on the Front Page, then you can post in Editorial Feedback and let us know. We'll be more than happy to do it. If you give us the code so we've only got to copy and paste, we'll be even happier.

Whoami? - i've always supported the university as it allows usualy ends up with a subject being well covered by multiple entries, however, the no review bit did bother me which is why sugested a long time ago for there to be a university review. i guess it'll never happen now though...

spook

Although I haven't submitted a new project to the Univ. for a while, I thoroughly enjoyed organising two collaborative projects (complete with all the hassles of multiple entries). Thank you very, very much tothe Italics and all who helped realise the University of Life.

Now onward to better things .... given that we can get multiple entries with working cross-references "projects" can still be undertaken, and submitted to Peer Review one entry at a time. I agree that having the one system of review has to be a good thing.

Thanks again for the Uni. It was real good in its day.

Mina, shouldn't the text on the University page be changed? At the moment it reads:

"The University is currently under revision because we are going to be making some improvements to the way that it runs.

Please continue to work on your projects and submit new ones; we will discuss any changes that affect projects currently in the University with the Researchers involved once we've relaunched."

Thanks Ottox - it's on my list of things to do. With luck I'll get to it today.