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

Hullo, Greebo... *waves*
Err, I appreciate very much the kind of things you do around here, the ones I know better being H2IQ and G & O's word games. I also really liked the bug races a while ago. Anyway competition spirit is fun.

But - there's a 'but' - is virtual money one of your best ideas? What for? So that we can have virtually rich hootooers, and virtually poor too? Is that *really* clever?

Perhaps we could also start selling food and drinks, <cheesecake in the cafés and bars of h2g2? Why not also start an ads market where everyone could buy his being mentioned on the somebody else's page?
Besides I wouldn't call it good taste to call this monetary unit DNA.

Don't misunderstand me. I don't hate money. I would even call it a good invention, and many people would argue on this. But it is not an absolute necessity. We can manage a virtual mini-society without it. We invent our own things here on h2g2, and thus became a unique place. And as for ideas we take from the RL society, let us pick them with eclectic care...

Now, if I seem to make a big fuss about a small thing. It seems important to me.

Hi Typolifi...

Me has read through your message... and think you have gotten the wrong idea about what the h2g2 virtual bank... it is not a stand alone idea... where people sign up and keep money... it is part of something me calls Smiley Racing A771167 ... which is rather similar to the bug races you liked... but more indepth...

The bank is basically a score board to keep tabs on how people who have signed up to play are doing... People get 100 DNA's in their bank account when they join... and they use this to place bets on races that are run most weeks... the bank you see on this page are the results of many weeks of betting...

Me thought long and hard about what to call the virtual money used... me wanted something that was not of the real world... but something integral to h2g2... and thought that Douglas Adams would not have minded his initials being used... no one else has complained at it being in poor taste... not even the italics... Abi has been signed up since the first race... and me does not truely see it as that way... sorry to have offended you... me has never desired in my ventures on h2g2 to upset anyone...

Web Bugs was an idea where people decided who was going to win a race... it was fun but limited... Smiley Racing goes one step further and allows you to put virtual money on who you think will win... The bank page... if it makes you feel better... think of it as a scoreboard... just allows those to have friendly competition with one another to try and get on the Top Earners List...

Never apologise for 'making a fuss' about something that you feel is important... me would much rather you express your concerns to me ... than bottle them up and simmer about them... me really hopes that me has addressed these worries of yours... and that you now see that me is not bringing a RL commercialism to h2g2... but just another fun game for others to enjoy...

Read through the Smiley Racing pages... as... from your message me doesn't think you have... and see if you still think the same... if you do... me will maybe have to re-think my idea...

Hugs... and love...

Greebs..xx

I'm not offended at all, really, and I like it too when people can exchange their views on a subject...

I actually came here *from* the smiley races page, and I know why you did this bank. But once one has won a good lot of DNAs, he may want to do something with them... Look, why don't you call them points or something?

Anyway thanks for your thorough reply.

hi typolifi

i've been loosing DNA's on h2g2 smiley races since it started. there havent been any problems so far that i am aware of, other than me going broke the other week and having to wate a bit before i can get another account.

there has been a long standing tradition on h2g2 that 'Moxons' are the currency in this virtual world, and they have actaully been used in real life meet ups as beer tokens. i could understand your concern if moxons had been used because then there would have been a danger of confusion. but DNA's are not used anywhere else on h2g2. and DNA is the name of the bit thingy that runs lots of community sites on bbci and that is obviously officialy approved.

i'm afraid i cant really see what the problem is. is it the whole issue of gambling?

FABT

FABT: The 'bad taste' bit was not at all about DNA as in 'powered by DNA' but as in 'dead in May 2001', if you see what I mean...

As for the rest, Greebo, well, forget it, perhaps I was wrong...

oh, sorry, i didnt explain very well. i meant, that since mr adams was dead, but because his initials had been used for the server without complaint or offense then there probably wouldnt be a problem here with the initials being used as a way of keeping score in a game. does that make more sense?

Oh!

I get it now. And you're actually right...

What exactly is a moxon?...