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

Jabberwock, I envy you because you have *some* impact on your government. It's a vote, but it has *some* impact. I don't live there, so I don't even have that. Good luck to you, as I think you're going to need it as the Depression continues to unfold. It's unfolding here in the U.S., too. I live in a metropolitan area that enjoys lower unemployment than the U.S. as a whole, and yet the library I retired from will like lose even *more* of its budget five months from now. Sunday hours are being staffed by volunteers now.

Depressions are forces of nature. You don't just stop them, as they break through at some other weak spot in the fabric of things....

I do not know ehether to get mad



Or just get



GT

H2G2C2 is forming.. http://groups.google.com/group/h2g2communityconsortium

and on h2g2.

It will involve a donation perhaps, but first we need to find out the technical details so we can get a good pitch together to convince hte beeb we can do this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A80173361

£145.50 on its way. You can't put to high a price on sanity.

'But then I never claimed to understand politicians'

I'm not sure that this one is down to the politicians but to overpaid Reithian apparatchiks who have turned a public service broadcaster into a dumbed down clone of the commercial television sector. If they want to be such then privatise them root and branch..

Let's get some perspective - h2g2 has an active community of around 200. At any one time, no more than 50 people will be online (and that's being generous). The BBC has core areas which are enjoyed by millions of people at a time. We really are insignificant by comparison. Those millions of users and tens of millions of licence-fee payers are entitled to question why the BBC pays for such a small community. I've seen comments around here that estimate running costs into the hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum. I don't know if that's accurate but it indicates running this place is costlier than many of us imagine.

We should look at this as an opportunity. We are a (small but imperfectly formed) community based on a wonderful idea. Ideas don't die when the community supports them. I have no knowledge or skills to impart when it comes to setting up h2g2mk3, but I will support any such ventures in any other way I can.

Don't panic

My brain is utterly frazzled at present at working stuff out, but if there is a clear 'Donate' button I'll send it.

>We really are insignificant by comparison.<

You can't measure something quality by quantative methods.

"At any one time, no more than 50 people will be online (and that&#39;s being generous). "

When the new sign-in system was announced, on an arbitrary lunch time, I took a snapshot of "Who's Online" to see how many people would be affected by the changes in the name rules. I limited it to this site, ("&thissite=1") and there were well over 150 people logged in at the time. It wasn't a special occasion, just an average afternoon five minutes or so after an announcement. I believe that a lot more people would have been logged in in the evening.

>> You can't measure something quality by quantative methods. <<
Yes!

That's why I've always objected to the notion that
a picture is worth a thousand words. Some pictures
are worth a whole lot more and some aren't worth the
paper they're printed on.

You're right though, h2g2 is priceless!

It even was when we weren't allowed to post links to pictures.
http://public.fotki.com/azahar/h2g2_friends/jwf.html#media
For the record I lost that beard and fifty pounds more than
5 years ago.


~jwf~

swl

'The BBC has core areas which are enjoyed by millions of people at a time. We really are insignificant by comparison. Those millions of users and tens of millions of licence-fee payers are entitled to question why the BBC pays for such a small community'

I don't watch the BBC's video or listen to its audio output. Am I then entitled to ask why I am forced to pay a hypothecated poll tax to support the viewing/listening habits these millions?

It's now Tuesday 25 January 2011. It is the 10th Anniversary of the BBC takeover of h2g2 from Douglas Adams.

Happy Anniversary

hi gnomon

//It is the 10th Anniversary of the BBC takeover of h2g2 from Douglas Adams.//

Do you know /why/ the BBC took it over? I has never seemed quite their thing.

Because Douglas asked them to. And at the time it seemed like something the BBC could nurture.

And they did. I missed the actual shut down and reopening, but when my browser redirected me here from www.h2g2.com (thanks Jim) it was quite active.

hi jim

Thanks. A very different BBC from the one we have now, presumably.

Please! I have inherited Winnie the Pooh's little brain of small space.

Could we just have one 'h2g2 demise' thread I can follow?

I don't want to spam, but could someone link them all together to make one logical, sensible thread that makes it seem as though we know what we are aiming for, rather than a scatological random approach?

Or is that to much to ask of the ?

MMF

'I have inherited Winnie the Pooh's little brain of small space.'

Then you are well qualified to become a senior executive at the BBC

How do you know I'm not?

Because I created this thread! Doh!!!

Means I think! Occasionally!

MMF