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

Hi,

Following last month's announcement about H2G2 I promised I would update you on significant developments.

In today's New Media Age magazine the following appears:

"H2G2

BBC Online is offering an opportunity to buy its popular community site H2G2.

The site was founded by Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy author and digital innovator Douglas Adams as a "constantly expanding, user-generated guide to life, the universe and everything."

The H2G2 community is the heart of the site and largely self-managing. We are looking for interested parties who will respect the site’s traditions and work with the community.

Any new owner will also be expected to move the site onto a technical platform which is independent from BBC Online.

Interested parties can obtain further information from:

Nick Reynolds
Social Media Executive, BBC Online
BC4 D5
Broadcast Centre
White City
W12 7TP
[email protected]

Closing date for enquiries: 17th March 2011"

This is the first stage of the formal process for a possible sale of H2G2.

I'm sure you will have a lot of questions. But this is now a formal process and subject to confidentiality, fair trading and other legal requirements, so it may be difficult for me to answer all (or even any) of them in comments. I know some of you will find this frustrating but I’d ask for extra patience and restraint (and I know the H2G2 community is a model of good behaviour) while the process goes on. As you can see from the wording of the advert we will be expecting any potential buyer to work with the community and respect the site's traditions.

One question you are bound to ask is when will a decision be made? I can tell you that you that we hope to have made a decision by June of this year, although if a sale is possible it will take longer than that to implement it. If that changes I'll let you know. While the process goes on we will be keeping H2G2 open and maintaining it.

And when I think there is something I can usefully tell you about progress I will.

Thanks
Nick Reynolds
Social Media Executive, BBC Online

Thanks for letting us know, Nick. Here's hoping that you are inundated with offers!


geggs

""Here's hoping that you are inundated with offers!""

lets hope not!!!!

it gives the comunity a better chance of getting it at a knock down price then

Well, several offers that he can reject as completely inappropriate, leaving the field clear for those that are genuinely good. Like, you know, h2g2c2 or Robbie Stamp.


Geggs

cheers Nick for the info!

I too hope there is plenty of interest - from the right sort of people of course!

I'm sure there must be those out there that could do wonderful things for this site and keep the community on board - and I for one will be plenty happy to support any such bid. Not everyone out there will be bad for us, I'm sure (especially given the Beebs stated requirements re: community and traditions).

The community bid is not necessarily the best bet for this site and the community going forwards. And I say that as someone who supports the community bid.

The Consortium have also stated from the beginning that we'd rather work *with* a potential buyer who has the same ideals and visions that trying to do it ourselves, it'd be a lot of work.

However... if there's just the one or two buyers then the initial investment costs would be a lot lower meaning more money could be put into developing h2g2 instead of just buying it.

Well, as long as the prospective buyer is listening to the Community I do not see a problem. We (the Community) can make it easy for the new owner to run the site because of the number of Volunteers and the (mostly) established communication structure.
So... Here's to Teh Future

Martin
---
I know where my towel is. It says so on the towel. How about You ? http://www.mapservices.org/myguestmap/map/h2g2

Nick, is it enough to post it in New Media Age? Sounds a bit hippy to me. Will the large corporates see it there?

Phew, some timescales and deadlines. Useful stuff.

So we have until March to convince anyone who looks at the site that we are still fantastic!

Thanks for the news, Nick!

is this it???

http://www.nma.co.uk/

can't see any hootoo ad in it!!!

>> I know the H2G2 community is a model of good behaviour

So why do I suddenly feel the need to start a food fight?

<

>> I know the H2G2 community is a model of good behaviour
>So why do I suddenly feel the need to start a food fight?

As long as it isn't a frood fight .

On the whole the Community is the most civilised online group of people I've seen in the past decade or so. The support, understanding and the insightful conversations along with good reading keep me coming back.

for yourself! (ehm... an expression maybe not quite well translated from the Dutch "Applaus voor jezelf").


Martin
---
I thought I heard a Dolphin Whistle...

Stop it Mrs, Z. Potential owners will be reading this. We should all be on our best behaviour.

Oh, and some of those Personal Spaces could do with tidying, too.

Best bib and tucker, and remember to smile

Really, you *don&#39;t* want to see me smile

Good point.

My personal space is LOVELY. Very clean and shiny. No sign of a flan or a tomato anywhere.

Taff - the ad is in the print version of NMA not online.

Thanks

"is this it???

http://www.nma.co.uk/

can't see any hootoo ad in it!!!"

If you search for "h2g2" the most recent result is from 2005, and says: "...the BBC announces a mobile edition of the 'Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy'..."

Which is why Nick just said that it was in the print editon, not the online edition. ..

Peet, it's in the print edition: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F77636?thread=8072491&show=20&skip=0#p106476891 B