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

least they answered you B'El

I guess I ain't secretary for S.H.A.D.O.W. for nothing.

(and no, you ain't thick, I did the same as you and what is happening for both of us is not being clearly explained although I suspect your analysis is correct)

>>>I checked, and it shows my h2g2 username - even with added tagline, although that's much longer than 30 characters. But then I upgraded back then. So can I take it that my name will remain as it is although I left the field blank back then?

As I understand it, because you must have changed your h2g2 UserName at some point *after* upgrading your account to iD - i.e., it was the last thing you did, then it's displaying.

So, if you were to log in to a BBC iD site like Blogs or the iPlayer message board, and you were to change your iD settings (i.e. fill in the blank 'Name' field with a sub-30 character display name) that would be the name that would appear as your h2g2 UserName. However, you could then overwrite that name again by going into your h2g2 Preferences and give yourself a longer display name if you wished (that's the new temporary fix for h2g2 users).

Sorry Ictoan! I'm trying to answer here as much as I can but I've already had two meetings and I need some lunch, I'm hungry! Apologies for missing your post. I *think* our reply to B'El's will answer yours.

Don't worry, like I say, us S.H.A.D.O.W. members are used to it

And yes, it does answer it - I think. Don't remember chaning my nickname on h2g2 in a long time. But hey, it works, and that is the main thing!

<>

That's us permanently ignored.

At least i'm the S.H.A.D.O.W barman so can offer people

Hi everybody and apologies for any confusion. It is I confess a bit complicated.

However to summarise the best I can - if you have upgraded to BBC iD:

- don't leave your BBC iD name blank, put something in it

- if you need to have a name longer than 30 characters then the place to achieve that is in your h2g2 settings.

Also someone is asking about the results of the MOT. Try this post:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/08/h2g2_an_update.html

Thanks for posting the link Nick, though would ahve been nice to have seen it earlier (obvo not your fault though).

In any case the general idea seems to have come accross quite well - 150k users per week isn;t bad.
Bit more love and care from auntie beeb would always be appreciated.

One question that needs a clear answer:

Will those accounts which are not updated (upgraded, re-registered, whatever) simply disappear? Obviously this would be a good way to purge inactive accounts (there are thousands, many never fully activated).

But it would prove fatal for those who tend to come and go, sometimes away for months, even years at a time.

I am particularly concerned for U187783, a legacy account for which none of the original members can recall the login name or the password. It would be a shame to have all that history disappear.


~jwf~

And what will happen to U183456? His user space has already been nearly entirely erased. Will it go away altogether?

And what about the Uspaces of "retired" researchers? While they may not return, their Uspaces are vital to anyone wanting to read their writings and posts.

I agree that all the Uspaces of those that never posted or wrote can be deleted, but they're not really taking up any space anyway.

Storage space is now so affordable that it can be considered as infinite and endless. There is little need to conserve it. We are many years passed the time that we'd have to consider whether a year field should contain two digits or four. Since this site is almost entirely text, it's even sillier to worry about it. How much space would all the guide entries, edited or not, take up? Would it fill a DVD?

christ almighty.............. more trivvia, middle management krappie, B/S............. its all falling to bits, nuff'in new there then

The "Fools Guild" shall survive
we do go where others fear

Unless there's been a major shift in h2g2 policy, Researchers' personal spaces are never deleted. Even those belonging to Researchers who have never posted, Researchers who have died, Researchers who've been banned.

Look at U183456. Granted nighthoover never altered his userspace but it should still list his conversations. He only posted twice, but he did post.

That is an erased userspace.

The guy has a cult following. It's probably been in erased in his own interest - you can't reall use that as an example.

I don't recall reading anywhere that old accounts are to be deleted. The pre-SSO ones are still there, aren't they? If it works the same way as SSO they'll just remain inactive until a user comes back, goes through the new iD process and joins back up.

Thanks for the link, Nick. I did search BBCi but obviously under the wrong search terms.

I don't think it was done in anyone's interest. Certainly can't think of anyway it would be in nighthoover's interest to delete his uspace. I think it may have been done to all unedited userspaces after SSO.

>> ...done to all unedited userspaces after SSO. <<

That is my concern for the future login system.
Any account not updated to the new specs will simply disappear.
Yes? No?

And if yes, how can we protect our absent friends and legacy projects?
The notion of being erased, as if they never existed is unthinkable.


~jwf~

I've no idea what's happened to Nighthoover's space, but there are spaces aplenty around h2g2 where the Researcher hasn't posted for years, both before and after SSO, and where all conversations and entries are still there. Maybe TPTB made an exception and granted Nightoover's wish to delete the account

Not only before and after SSO, btw, but both before and after the BBC's acquisition of h2g2.

*Still confused & thick also*

Ah well, since i have neither a ferret nor mandolin now & haven't made real cheesebox in a year, i guess it doesn't matter.

All things must pass, including bullmanure.

I suppose it's my own fault, since i don't own a mobile phone or television & am running this computer on Solar Power....

zdt

I ain't posted in years