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

"Er, I *may* have seen the code, but let's pass that over as it was accidental."
Oooh, intrigue!

But as I say, we need to have the full design of the system - the setup of components, what functionality lies where and so forth.

Whoami's questions are a good start, but I think next step, now we have sorted that there are people interested and willing with various skill sets relevant to the task, is to work out how we are organised. We really need some structure so we don't duplicate things or end up going round in pointless circles.

Which is what I am saying about the techy side - we don't know what we're dealing with yet (not fully) and thus we can;t really say what we need to support it. I'm not actually sure, yet, what a full time techie would be doing. And, as I say, are we expecting to deliver H2G2 to the same levels of service as we currently get? Is that realistic?

Yes it's realistic. I know several techies who're more than capable of handling h2g2, and a few of them are actually looking for work at the moment.

Once the initial hoo-hah has died down, comments and suggestions will get more practical if people are willing.

All this relies on one main thing though, would the beeb give/sell us h2g2 over a larger financial offer from a larger corporation?

I don't see why they would.

What's more the question is why they would buy h2g2. What do we have to offer to a private, money-making organisation?

Easy, everybody wants the "Next Facebook"

I've lost count the number of times a client has asked for that, or claimed they've got the idea for that.

Commercially, there are many ways h2g2 can make money, and no I shan't say them in public where potential competitors/investors could nick them.

In which case I look forward to this evening's typing session.

There's no point finding out unless why ask. Why did they do the actual redesign? Wouldn't it have been easier to close us down completely?

It could very well be a case where the BBC isn't asking for much. This is an alternative to just straight out shutting us down.

The redesign has been promised us for several years. I expect that they funding was allocated back when the BBC Online was still expanding. This announcement is very new and they didn't have time to stop the redesign when it was almost complete.

The fact they didn't stop it could be because they're doing what I'm doing to my house - tarting it up to sell it. Would you buy something that looked as nasty as Brunel?

(as an aside, Mr Vip actually thought that Goo was the new skin. A timeless classic, that skin).

"Yes it's realistic. I know several techies who're more than capable of handling h2g2, and a few of them are actually looking for work at the moment."

I don't see how we can say that at the moment. Sure the talent is out there, in the current climate there's surely enough techies in all areas looking for work (certainly is in my neck of the woods) but costs/complexity are not yet known quantities.

Yeah, h2g2 could become commercially viable - but it'd have to change in the process. Not that I advocate fossilising it as it is, but I (for one) wouldn't want it to be the next facebook. For exactly the same reasons that I don't do facebook.

As for the beeb selling/giving to us - I think don't think we can ignore the stated requirement in such a deal of only going to someone who could maintain the community and protect it. We, as a community group, would have a large bonus in that category. I'm sure the beeb do not want the reflected anger or discontent of selling this place to someone who then tries to leverage it into something it isn't and hacks many of us off.

I'm not very experienced in the techy side of things, but I'd certainly be willing to put time and effort into other areas where I can help, whether it's design of merchandise, graphics and their optimisation for web, or even editorial things. That's what I do at w*rk these days.

But that's a step beyond what we need at the moment...

> Shall I start a list serve / yahoo group?

Yes, please. My gmail address is janna dot ostoya. My personal space also has links back to my fb and twitter and youtube accounts.

Janna Ostoya
the Happy Nerd

I think Ictoan raises good points, but I also think that we do have the ability. Several times over h2g2's life I've seen the business plans of how h2g2 is aimed to succeed and progress the community aspect (yes, they've used those words) and there were good ideas in there that never took off.

What we need to know really is, would we stand a chance pitching tender to the beeb for it? And then, we'd need to put the tender together.

Financially, I don't think it's too big a deal, and could easily be within our reach. Talent wise, definitely within our reach. Community wise, well yeah.

Anything I can do to help I will. I don't think that's much but I would be willing to donate at least.

I'd urge everyone to join our Google group :

https://groups.google.com/group/h2g2communityconsortium

I do want to keep things open, so we don't have a secret sect or anything, but we do need somewhere to share documents etc.

Count me in.

And I don't think the Beeb is trying to make any money off the sale of hootoo. They just don't want to pay to run it anymore. I'll bet if they don't find an outside buyer they will give it to us for a buck.

I don't have much in the way of technical skills, but I'm happy to contribute to community support areas.

There's not much I can do right now, other than getting the word out, but I will do that

*wanders off muttering about fb, lj, and xanga, wondering how many email addresses she has that are still good...*

You can set up a community network with unlimited membership for $200 a year
using Ning or something similar.
http://about.ning.com/plans/?xg_source=www.ning.com

They do all the tech stuff, we just need to produce the Guide as we do now.
A small annual donation would cover the cost, Say $5.00 each...

The BBC can try and sell the existing h2g2 site but who is going to put a
commercial value on it?

Here are Ning sites to look at http://www.ning.com/discover and here is a
typical site http://englishcompanion.ning.com/?xg_source=ningcom

Err, yes.

Just cos I don't log on very often doesn't mean I am not lurking.
I would very much like h2g2 to continue.

The power is ours! If we don't like who gets h2g2 we just all leave and they end up with no people at all.

Of course I would help if there's anything I can do.