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

Hello all. Now you've had a little time to explore the redesigned site http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2 and start feeding back to us about any issues you have found - and please keep doing that at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/feedback/four - we thought we'd post to talk about some of the new pages you might have found, as well as some of the changes in terminology you may have seen around the site.

Most of the changes were covered in the post we made back in November when the Read Only Beta went live called 'So What's Changed?': F77636?thread=7874423

The main differences are cosmetic: h2g2 becoming H2G2, Edited Guide Entries becoming Approved Entries, Guide Entries becoming just Entries, losing 'Life' 'The Universe and 'Everything' as the top level of our Categories http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/categories/

These have been done, as outlined in that post, in an effort to make the site easier for newcomers to grasp and find their way around, and help them start contributing. It is also in that spirit that we've formally retired the phrase 'Edited Guide'. We'd like you to think of H2G2 itself as now being the 'Edited Guide' and Entries you write that pass through the editorial process as becoming part of the Approved part of the site. H2G2 remains 'the guide to life, the universe and everything, written by you', and we'll be keeping that as our slogan, so the 'guide' will still be in there, though less explicitly. Obviously the concept of contributing to the Edited Guide is a long-standing one, and will take time to get used to, but the principle is still the same, it's just the terminology that has changed. We've done this to help people grasp what H2G2 is, and that distinction between the Edited Guide and h2g2 the site was always a difficult one for newbies to fathom and therefore a possible barrier to entry. You're obviously free to stick to the old terms if you want, but formally we'll be using these phrases on site, so it would be great if you could give them a go.

For the Scouts among you, one other slight difference is that instead of 'Recommending' Entries you will be 'Picking' them for inclusion in the Approved part of the site. To this end the 'Recommend Entry' button has been replaced with SCOUT PICK on the new site, but is still in the right hand column of Entries. And underneath the bonnet the functions are exactly the same as they were before.

We've had to change the name to avoid confusion with the BBC Online's existing Recommends functionality, which you may have seen on services such as BBC iPlayer. The Entries you Pick will be visible on our new Scout Picks page (the new Scout Recommendations page) here http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/scout_picks We would really like you to start trying out the process on the new site and letting us know how you find it.

The other new editorial pages (which replace counterparts on the old site) include:
Coming Up on H2G2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/coming_up

Solo Approved Entries (a list of Researchers with the highest number of Approved Entries - well done Galaxy Babe!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/solo

This Month on H2G2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/month

H2G2 Info:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/info

We've thought long and hard about these changes, and none were done on a whim. We've said this before, but we care deeply about this site and want to see it thrive and grow, and these steps have been done to assist that process.

Please keep general comments about the redesign coming this this thread F77636?thread=8010317, bugs feedback to http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/feedback/four , but we will leave this thread open for comments about the above changes in terminology.

Thanks
Sam and Chris
The H2G2 Editors

There is some discussion elsewhere about the 'new' term 'subscribe'
and the Personal Space section 'Subscriptions'.

Perhaps you can clarify that as well.
What it does, how it works, how not to look silly for having none.

thanx
~jwf~

Hi Sam and Chris,

Thanks for letting us know what's happening on the Editorial side re the changes

I am concerned about the changes that are affecting the community. Apart from the look (which is the most obvious change), I'm noticing the occasional improvement in functionality but overwhelmingly I'm seeing things we've lost.

It reminds me of the days when things would be changed on site over time, and no-one would tell us, we just figured it out ourselves. Only this time we've lost a whole bunch of functionality in one go I'm really concerned that these losses are either invisible to TPTB, or not considered important.

I know you've been very busy with the change and ironing out the bugs. I'm concerned though that those losses of functionality are barely even being acknowledged, let alone addressed. I'm sure this will happen over time, but it seems like some of the issues were raised in the test run in November, so if there's been no explanation about them in the past few months when will we get one?

I'm not going to go into the details here, as you've asked this thread to be kept on topic to the OP (I'll comment on in the new Feedback). But I have to say as someone who believes strongly that the without the community there is no Approved Guide that there is a danger here of more loss to the moral and participation of the community and that would be a backward step.

I've been generally positive about the redesign, including the new look, and see the redesign as an opportunity to increase the vibrancy and life of the site again. So it's telling that I'm typing this in alabaster (I don't think I'm the only one who's still using dna/h2g2 by choice).

I'd really appreciate some indication from you as the Editors as to when and how the issues being raised are going to be addressed. I'm sorry to be posting about all these negatives but I'm worried if we all get used to the new site that is functioning badly from a user point of view that this will be a serious undermining of the community.

thanks,
kea.

In your post 1 some links do not work.
If I click REPLY on your post 1 I am told that I am replying to post 2 and displays that for reference.
Doesn't help when I am want to cut and paste the links that don't work.

jwf, have a look here: F77636?thread=4754497

and here: A28647642

This feature has been on h2g2 for three years, but could only be seen and used in brunel.

Wish there was a balance somewhere between Block All Subscriptions
and Block Specific Users.

I'm happy to have people read most of my entries but occasionally
I like to use the space to experiment with poems or make personal
notes which I wouldn't want popping up on other peoples' pages.

Will the new 'hide' function (formerly delete but not really deleted)
prevent new entries from being seen by others as it used to. I used
to 'hide' works in progress at least until they were ready for prime time
and then 'uncancel' the deletion.

And some entries of course are personal notations and ramblings.
It would be nice to be able to 'hide' these specifically rather
than Block All Subscriptions.


~j~

Bel - You do realise the the New H2G2 doesn't recognise links to threads.
eg your link in the above thread - F77636?thread=4754497

the all "new H2G2" is a load of old wink!its just pants! Beta version more like Crap version

waits to be modded

AB, no, I didn't think about it, sorry. I'm currently back in brunel, the new site is tiring to use.

jwf, there is a 'Hide' function in the new version? I haven't seen that yet.

I just tried to post this from the Beta version but the
idiot bot blocked it:
WHY?
>>
Neither have I but someone said there was.

Otherwise, all your entries are public all the time
even works in progress. DELETE and UNCANCEL
was how we used to keep things safe until they were
ready for prime time, or to be published in the Post.

And another thing...
Somebody explained Subscriptions to me but now Ive
discovered Bookmarks. Is this another Brunel feature
we never knew about?


~jwf~ (posting from the Beta pages and curious to see
how this looks in Alabaster)
<<

It being the weekend I suspect there is no point in banging
my head against the wild blue for a few days.

~j~

You can't post smileys using barlesque. You also can't post fake smileys like . The filter blocks them.

I'm going to try to be optimistic and hope that they'll fix things like the missing convo popup and all these pesky bugs, but I do find it very telling that they considered the new design "alive and kicking" when people aren't even able to use smilies or make a readable entry in text only mode.

Apparenlty you can use the shorthand code for the smileys in barlesque eg ; - ) without the spaces.

The editors still use links to a specific threads in their post one.
Do they realise that links like F77636?thread=7874423 do not work in their New H2G2. The only change we have here in the old h2g2 is that anyone using an apostrophy in the New H2G2 corrupts the message here with &#39;
The Editors obviously made Post 1 using the old system.

They probably don't realise because it's the weekend and they're not online

the new one is a load of old WINK!


waits again to be modded




RJR getting tired of all this!

Why can't stuff be left alone, all this constant change, the chase for efficency can't be good, gad almighty sod this i'm off

Get your point Kea but they posted on Friday
Smileys entered here on the old h2g2 make the transfer to the New H2G2. Thread links play up a bit and apostrophies play havoc
It's a question of Left hand not knowing what the Right hand is doing.
In the end if the buggere can't become debuggers I hope they just let sleeping dogs lie.

I seem to remember it was late on Friday though, so I doubt they've seen your posts telling them about the broken link.

Rev, we can't be bothered to push the Yikes button because you would then just have something else to rant about.

Please try to be constructive. We know you didn't want a change because you were so vocal about it before. It's happening. It's not happening quite the way we wanted it to.

Please try to stop whining - you sound like a spoilt child and I'm sure that's not the way you want to come across, is it?