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

Welcome back cap'n!!

The more that come back, the merrier!!!!


pse look at http://groups.google.com/group/h2g2communityconsortium

!
GT

So pleased to see you here Frenchbean

I have never thought the Who's Online thingy gave a true picture, but I am seeing names I don't recognise and I have been here for a few years.

Welcome back everyone, and keep coming back till they get the message. I doubt we can change the course of events, but the more users online the better chance of someone else taking on the site IMHO.

'You don't know what you've got till it's gone' Big Yellow Taxi. Think on.

everyone,

Websailor

Point everyone in the direction of the consortium, and we will get more ammo!!



GT

>>
One thing that has always struck me as odd is that whilst the UK-based community has been paying for h2g2 via the licence fee, the rest of us enjoy it for free. I for one would happily pay a subscription.
<< Frenchbean

This has been mentioned a few time recently. I live in NZ. We *pay* for all bbc content on TV here (not individually, but the country pays for it one way or another). I don't know how the bbc world service radio works, but I'm pretty sure that RadioNZ will be paying for the content it uses from the bbc. I also rent and buy bbc dvds. I'm not freeloading here courtesy of British broadcasting fee payers*.

I (in Ireland) also pay the BBC through my Sky subscription.

Another old face turning up here. I'm the individual once known as Lux Rothchop (back in 2000/2001).

I was mainly active before the BBC took over, and didn't post much after DNA died, so I've been away a looong time. I'm struck by how similar the "feel" of this place has remained, although there aren't many of the original members still around.

Actually, having said that I just looked at the who's online thing and recognised 2 or 3 names. Even the old tell-us-a-joke thread is still going. Ten years....

h2g2 is a special place, and definitely worth preserving if at all possible. Let's hope the BBC can find a way of passing it on. There are lots of sites out there that rely on volunteer moderators to do most of the legwork and only have a few paid staff.

I hadn't thought about our BBC acquisitions Kea. When you put it like that, I'm not freeloading either However, I would still be happy to make an up-front contribution to h2g2.

See post 281 Addick!!

WE are fighting this shutdown!!



GT

We are certinaly proving one alternative option, GT. If the BBC can find an enthusiastic buyer that might be a better option still.

I do not mind paying subs, if that is what it comes to!!


GT

So what we have to reconcile is the following:

h2g2 needs to support itself
But we don't want money or Ads.

The Edited Guide is the nearest h2g2 has to a USP
But saying that's elitist because it's all about community

Yeah, that's going to be a problem.

I'm in the same boat as people like Awix and Ralph. I cut my writing chops here at h2g2, and I'm sad to see it go but I've moved on and can't commit to saving it. And I think you'll find lots of people in that position.

It's not helpful, but honestly? Should there not be some pragmatism? Shouldn't the community look for a way to sustain itself somewhere else, away from the EG and h2g2? Just in case a saviour doesn't appear?

Sure, attracting newbies can be difficult, but word of mouth is a powerful thing...

The community can get together on Facebook, if they don&#39;t want the Guide. We already have about 30 or 40 members on Facebook that I know of, although there&#39;s no non-BBC-organised group. You can chat to your heart&#39;s content there.

But without the Guide, I will not be part of the Community. The Guide&#39;s what it&#39;s all about.

In fact I wrote my first Entries before I even discovered h2g2. I had decided the only way to get them published was to set up a site called GGG - Gnomon&#39;s Guide to the Galaxy.

I may still do this.

>>..but word of mouth is a powerful thing... <<

Indeed, for in the beginning was the word.
And the word was an expression of an idea.
And ideas came forth from the word.
And some new ideas needed new words.
And like Mopsy, it just grew and grew.

~jwf~

Gnomon,

The discussions at h2g2c2 are revolving around the direction the edited guide and writing will go in, as well as the community. If we were just looking at starting another community website then it would be easy, anyone could do that. What we are looking at is finding a way to continue The Guide as a whole.

There are a number of models of funding being discussed, and a number of other websites that use them. A combination of donations, subscriptions for status (ie get a different colour and yes, if we are forced to taking advertising..

Sad Sad news, just read the back log, and i admire all your plans and schemes to push HooToo forward on its own

my down side is, at work i can only get BBC sites so as you all leave for pastures new, and a new independant h2g2, i'll place the chairs on the tables, sweep the floor, turn out the lights and sit here alone in the dark.

the up side is it might kick-start my reading again

Dr Zen, I know that. I was replying to Mr603, that said we should be providing a way of supporting the community away from the Edited Guide. I don&#39;t agree with that.

My wife has pointed out that you will need

- Public Liability Insurance in case anyone sues you. This will cover the cost of legal cases.
- House Rules which prohibit postings which support illegal activities, even such banal ones as smoking pot.
- Some sort of moderation to prevent the publication of pornographic material or material in breach of copyright, and to prevent the abuse of minors.

I think it would probably be safest to ban anything that BBC banned, as their lawyers are pretty good and they probably know what&#39;s most easily defended. It would be safest to ban children from whatever site you set up, because I don&#39;t think you could afford the 24-hour minute-by-minute monitoring of every post that would be necessary before you could think of letting children on the site.

All these things are already being thought about and discussed, Gnomon. You should take a look in if you haven't already - there's been quite a response in the past day/two days.

wonder if there is a way of linking on a server like seti that will use a bit of spare ram to do stuff with..the beeb did a package with get writing so its not unheard of

It's just after 8.00 am Wed. morning 26th. Jan 2011 here in the UK and we have 218 researchers logged on.

>>It's just after 8.00 am Wed. morning 26th. Jan 2011 here in the UK and we have 218 researchers logged on.<<

Proof that h2g2 is like the Church of England - nobody actually goes to the church but everybody likes to know it's still there.