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

If they're referring to it being used in computing terminology, do they have another word we can use instead?

If they are, and if they don't, then that won't have any effect at all.

I agree with most of the others though. Especially "very unique". That's just a total corruption of the language, that.

The person who suggested 'bots' for the list did suggest an alternative: 'robots'! His complaint was that 'bots' is a lazy, ugly abbreviation.

I must say that I tend to agree with him. 'Robot' is a glamorous, exciting word, especially if you're a sci-fi fan. Why cut it off in its prime?

why, that would be like getting a fish to eat and you find it has its head on, wouldn't it? Or a christmas turkey with the Giblet... Hurray for lazy Abbr.s! Hail Procrastinators!

aka (",)

Sorry, aka - or should I say Also Known As? I'm not against all abbreviations, so please don't take it personally!

Actually, I now feel a bit foolish for agreeing with the criticism of 'bots' and then immediately going on to talk about 'sci-fi fans'! Oh well...

Ah, but a 'bot' and a 'robot' aren't the same thing. In my understanding of the word, a 'bot' is a piece of AI software which is inserted into a multiplayer game on a computer in order to simulate the presence of an extra human player. Robots are physical objects with motors and stuff - very different indeed. Different terms for different things.

Ormy! (the same ormondroyd who has a slight mention in my article you might have noticed.. and no that's not a quick plug to get another definite reader honest! ) Certainly not! You must never ever ever *ever*! call me "Also Known As".. especially not AKA either.. also if you want to get in my good books you understand the smiley (",) afterwards and will use it in front of, when addressing or passing comment about me


and that was so bigly-worded i think i'll do a fake disclaimer joke like the one in this week's so long... in the post hmm.. maybe not..

Your article is very good I enjoy it - and now for a topical joke; the new term for spending money shall be known as..






"EUROnating"

(wow.. that's 3 post articles plugged in less than 2 minutes typing!)

Well i'd better go lie down now.. I feel a little overworking and over excitement about the h2g2 post coming on..

*collapses into own state of happiness.
Commonly known as "Sleep" *

Did I mention i'm into the analysis of dreams?

aka, sweetie, I think the joke is: following the change in currency we'll no longer be able to spend a penny we'll have to Euronate. Is that mentioned in another entry I've not read yet and I'm I being boringly repetitive? Probably

May I add one more word to the list to be banished? "conflict" - conflicts are what occur when I disagree with someone, the name for situations in which large numbers of military forces set about killing each other with weapons is "war". Let's call war, war. A nasty word for nasty events. We don't need euphimisms.

Well, the actual joke can be found in this week's So long and thanks for laughing if you put aside a short while to read the fantastic weekly e-paper of this excellent web community

hehe.. "Sweetie".. Tell me, Deackie
I'm not sure if I've told you already, but, how do you picture 'me'? Agewise, lookswise etc.. Most of the time the analysis of the mental image somebody puts in your head is fairly accurate.. which is slightly frightening.. Though some think the ability to do this just reflects on the strength of your mind.. ie If you're a psychic (ok easy shot but y'know...) Say, Uri Geller, who, as I recall, doesn't spend a lot of time guessing what people look like, but he could probably get it accurate- more so than say, your average 100% skeptic atheist negative world viewing old fashioned bloke down the pub - - If we have anyone like that on h2g2 they're surely in disguise because I haven't met them...

(and it'd be interesting to hear Ormy and who else is in this thread? I'm sorry but the one who started this thread - all your viewpoints on what you think I look like age and look and everthing else wise.. )

aka (",)

my gorgeous aka I have indeed put aside time to read The Post but I always start with Notes From a Small Planet as it's my favourite bit. (cheers Ormy for another great edition ) I have now read So Long and Thanks for all the Laughing and I didn't see the joke in there. I fear I'm losing my, what's-it-called?

aka, forgive me if I'm wrong but aren't you about 15 and male? I don't usually form mental images of researchers' appearances but build up knowledge of their personalities as demonstrated in conversations. And I'm sorry, but I think you deserved to be called sweetie, or would you prefer 'love'? If you like I may even stretch to a duck

gorgeous aka now?

Anyways I think it was in so long... but it might've even been in the Miscellaneous chat (http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/miscChat) Thread "Tell us a Joke"

Anyway, I don't mind what you call me, just as long as its nothing negative

and no, you're right I'm male, 15 and well I won't describe what I look like just yet Because I want to see other peoples personal mental views first

aka (",)

PS: Deackie, I don't have a mental image of you to be honest; I think Its just with people I talk to often and people I see talking (No I'm not a Lurker ) But after I've known you a while I'll tell you if I have a mental image of you then

my gorgeous, sweet aka, I definitely have a mental image When you've decided what I'm like, pop by my space and let me know Are you going to the meet on 26th? I'm sure after then everyone will know what I look like despite trying my hardest to avoid any cameras.

I'm not going to any type of thing where I will be with people who I've only ever met on the big bad internet until I'm 18 and able to fend for myself..

parents' views, not mine

3 years.. That's too long!!

And yeah.. that's Always the way.. The camera loves you, but you're not totally enthusastic about `it'

aka (",)

PS: I actually managed to find the community photos page and seen Mina, Abi, and Mr. Moxon himself If I find the link to the forum where I said what I thought they were like before I saw the page I'll tell you..

Can't you drag a responsible adult along to keep you safe? Or failing the availability of a responsible adult, bring one or both of your parents

Nah.. they'd just embarrass me... Honest..

Anyway, beats being caught by the dreaded h2g2 community photos camera! (You know.. that big special red camera in the glass case at the towers, in a locked desk drawer with a note on the desk saying "Beware of the donkey?" - Hail Douglas Adams! [although i twisted that line a little])

aka (",)

Wow! I must have done something right this week! This is the longest thread I've seen attached to 'Notes From A Small Planet' in ages! Thank you all for the nice things you've said about the column!

deackie, nice to see you! Yes, I couldn't agree more about 'conflict'. That belongs alongside 'friendly fire' and all the other offensive military euphemisms. Quite right - the word for war is 'war'.

MaW: I have always freely admitted my ignorance when it comes to technological matters, but I'm sure you're right about the difference between a robot and a bot. However, 'bot' does sound like an abbreviation. If it isn't short for 'robot', is it short for something else?

aka (",): I did, seriously, read in a reputable newspaper that when the name for the new European currency was being discussed, the Greek representatives didn't like 'euro' because the word sounds very like the Greek word for urine! However, the British delegates apparently pointed out that we'd been calling our small coins 'pee' (as in 'two pounds and 50 pee') for ages, and it hadn't made the British economy go down the tubes any faster than usual!

Nice to see you again too Ormondroyd My Grandfather was recently telling me an awful story about 'friendly fire' that related to when he was stationed in the West Country during WWII. The US troops were practicing landing on one of the local beaches. To make the practice more authentic, other US troops fired at them while they landed and mines were set to go off. Sadly the timing of the training went wrong and hundreds of men were killed by the 'friendly fire'. If that's 'friendly fire' I'd hate to discover the result of unfriendly fire.

Re. aka's comments on mental pictures built up of researchers. Ormy, your name reminds me of the characters in a children's programme I was very fond of when I was a child: Orm and Cheep. I don't know whether you ever saw the programme. Don't worry, it's not an unpleasant image, just an rather cuddly, friendly but slightly slow thinking one

Cuddly... (looks at stomach) ...well, that could be a nice way of putting it.

Friendly... most of the time, as long as you don't catch me when I've got a or when Bradford City have just lost again.

Slightly slow thinking... yes, quite a bit of the time!

Yep, sounds like that show could have been about me!

I forgot to mention that orm was a worm and cheep was a rather fluffy young bird

cuddly is one euphemism that deserves to be kept

Oh well, at least I got to co-star with a cute chick...

Ormy: 'bot' may have started out as being short for 'robot', but as with so many terms in the computing world, it's now a word all of its own with a different meaning.