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

BMT, this really is a time for us to rally together and work out how we can at least keep the community going. You acting like a spoiled child won't help anything.

BMT - so, pray tell, what do you think should happen? Someone should just pay for the server space or admin for h2g2?

It it's moved, it'll NEED funding. That's the way the world works. It won't work as a subscription model, so it's Ads and donations. Neither of which need to be too intrusive, and neither of which will DESTROY h2g2.

Unless you've got a magic free solution nobody else can see?

I belong to two social networking sites hosted by Ning. They are both free to users. The owners keep them ad free and free to users by selling a calendar each year...

You know what I am really sad. Hootoo has been part of my life for the best part of a decade but the reality is the writing has been on the walls for ages.

I guess we are all thrown by the redesign and the MOT, but the tories are in charge now and the BBC was always going to take a hammering and stuff like H2G2 were always going to be at risk.

My sympathies go out to the staff.

Hopefully we can keep the friendships we started here in the wider internet. Reddyfreddy suggestedo n another thread setting up some sort of h2g2 bloggers network so we can keep in contact that way and it might be osmethig some of us can look at.

for hootoo

FB

I'll do what I can to help, including chipping in to a pool to raise money for the community to buy the site if that becomes necessary.

The only surprise to me about this development is that anyone is surprised. Thanks BBC for trying to find us a new home rather than arbitrarily shutting us down.

We are a community and we CAN get through this. I personally wouldn't be able to afford a monthly charge, but could maybe manage the occasional donation. There are browser add-ons that can block advertisements etc, so that's not a big deal either.

mini

Everyone take a deep breath. We're all very upset. Particularly as we found out via the news pages, rather than being told in person beforehand, which would have been courteous, Nick.

The problem with h2g2 is its uniqueness. It needs a huge amount of storage space and accepts contributions from all over the world, yet no one wants it to be a pay product or see the introduction of adverts.

The reason we "clung" to the bbc was that they had the decency and wisdom to see the problem and offer us a home. Turning us out on the street now is, frankly, shameful behaviour and I'm only glad DNA isn't here to see it. I never dreamt the bbc would go back on their word like this and I am more shocked that I know how to express.

The question now is, how much bandwidth do we need and where can we find it? Frankly, unless we have a secret millionaire benefactor who can give us a few servers, I'm not sure how we can survive.

I suppose we could have a whip round or invite paying subscribers. There must be enough members that the cost need not be too high. After all, virtually all the workers are voluntary already. I pay ten pound a year for my email, so paying a small amount for h2g2 wouldn't kill me.

But the way this is being handled is already appalling and I am angry beyond belief. Shame on you, bbc. Shame on you.

P.S. What the hell is 606 and why should i care about it?

"P.S. What the hell is 606 and why should i care about it?"
Sport related forums and you shouldn't

"But the way this is being handled is already appalling and I am angry beyond belief. Shame on you, bbc. Shame on you"

The government's just cut the online budget by £35m, so BBC can't compete with Murdoch's empire. What exactly would you want them to do? Drop the more high profile, high traffic parts of the site? That'd be suicide.

>I know this news will come as a shock to you.<

Not in the slightest Nick Reynolds.

em6, I think it&#39;s being handled rather well.

Nick is clearly available to answer our questions rather than being in meetings all day, which is a strong mark of respect. Kudos to him for that.

The BBC is NOT pulling the plug but trying to find a buyer or some other arrangement.

And the new skin and under the bonnet refurb means that we we won&#39;t produce an instant "omg - NO" in the mind of any potential sugar-daddy.

Ben

As I see it, everyone want's h2 to continue, if it does a lot of pride may have to be swallowed for this to happen. Yes I can see how having a site paid for by advertising will be annnoying but who hear has the money to run a site or is willing to pay a lofty monthly subscription to catch up with friends, write a blog or 2 and play some games, all which can be done for nothing on social networking sites and blog site, which are free.
While the Edited Entries are fun to read and write, let's not kid ourselves, we're never going to be able to compete with Wiki, no matter how good or correct the pieces are.

So what do we do?
set up an alternative site paid for by advertising
Set up a site and pay a subscription
Say, "well it's been fun, see you on Twitter/Facebook/Blogspot/Live Journal
Wail, gnash teeth, scream, shout, throw tantrums and blame the BBC
Or work together in the time h2g2 has left to keep it going and make Douglas adams proud of what his fans can do when they pull together

Sports forum and no.

>So what do we do?

Well it's very easy for me. I won't be paying my Licence Fee next year.

I wonder what the 606ers say about us...

Well said, Reefgirl.

We can do this! Us, the community can take save h2g2. Are you with us? Please let us know, please let us know if you have skills that can help us.

So far I have set up a page http://www.bbc.co.uk/entry/A80173361 and a gmail address [email protected]

We can do this.

Thanks Vip

I must say I rather like 606 and I am personally pretty sad it is going.

Wonder if all hootoo's right wing beeb bashers will be on thread to celebrate "market forces" being applied to this site

FB

>>so BBC can't compete with Murdoch's empire<

I think it's the other way around - Murdoch can't hope to compete with the BBC, nor can the Mail or any of Dirty Desmond's publications. That's why there has been so much clamour for the Beeb to be shrunk.

Take the iPlayer for example, it was an absolute game-changer and the Beebs competitors have been chasing ever since.

I'll be hanging on if I can at all - 11+ years here is some investment. And the community is something beyond belief!

What I utterly fail to understand, as has already been said, is first doing the MOT with flying colours, then spending all the efforts in the nes site and then, then, deciding "oh, well ... not after all."

But then I never claimed to understand politicians Can I that the bugs and quirks in the new site may be ironed out before any giving away to a new suitor??