Defending the Citadel
Created | Updated Feb 6, 2011
We've all heard the news: H2G2, our virtual home, is in danger.
Most of us feel like those facing foreclosure due to the collapsing real estate market – can we refinance? If we have to move to a dinky apartment, what do we take with us? Can we afford storage space for our treasures? How will we keep in touch with our friends? What will the big, bad world look like out there, with no familiar four walls to come home to?
Someone once said, 'Home is the place where, when you come, they have to let you in.' We don't want to lose this home. Quite apart from its utility as an information-providing website, H2G2 is a virtual home for the hearts and minds of thousands of thinking people around the globe.
What are we doing to defend it?
Defending the Citadel
When the news broke, there was the usual Hootooer reaction. As one cyberbeing, the Researcher Corporate turned from whingeing about the aesthetic quality of Prussian blue to doing what they do first and best: ignoring the sign on the Front Page.
You know the one. The one that says 'Don't Panic'.
After about 500 posts of 'I can't believe the BBC/social media people/British government did this to us', followed by, 'It's because people cuss/don't log on enough/didn't write enough guide entries/voted for the wrong party', everybody finally settled down to a more reasonable reaction.
They blamed 2legs, and got on with trying to save the site.
Web-savvy, well-connected, and totally organized people (of the sort Zaphod Beeblebrox would have on his galactic A-list) ran out and started the H2G2 Community Consortium, an activist group dedicated to preserving H2G2. As of this writing, they are going great guns and setting Twitter ablaze. Whatever happens, and whoever takes over the site, H2G2 will be better for their amazing efforts.
If you're reading this, and you haven't signed up yet, be sure to visit their Google Group to keep abreast of late-breaking developments. They might find something for you to do, and besides, it's what Ford Prefect would have done (as soon as he'd finished eating all the sandwiches at the buffet).
Those of us lacking time, money, clout, or British citizenship have been busy keeping on, keeping on – writing for the site, keeping in touch, keeping our fingers crossed/thumbs pressed. A few have found other outlets for their nervous energies. I shall share some of them here.
Art, Art, Art
Tavaron is a design genius. In addition to churning out winning t-shirt designs, this artist has also done the stunning background to the H2G2 Guide Twitter page. This is putting our best foot forward – we look professional. We look important. Darn it, we look downright hoopy.
If you have art to offer, please let them know. I am doing my part by not offering any Gheorgheniplexes.
Offsite Storage and Advertising
We're not panicking. Not at all. The reason some of us are starting to copy and paste late into the night is not because we think our content will go the way of the dodo. We are doing this backup storage – on free blogspaces – in order to advertise H2G2.
On my blogspace Gheorgheniviews I'm shilling for us with might and main. 'Come over and see us,' I'm saying. I haven't got that much loaded yet – I'm a slow worker – and I've only had 50 pageviews in two days, but it's a start. Once I get the Guide Entries up, I'm going to work on some other aspects of my H2G2 oeuvre, such as a certain weird rpg. I don't want to exclude the silly demographic, which, after all, is who I mostly appeal to.
Other serious and talented Researchers are doing the same. We're linking to each other. We intend to blind the world with our science. Speaking of science, Tufty has a Guide Entry blog full of medical wonders. Check it out.
Bel's blog of Approved Entries will fascinate you – and make you hungry. Bring your appetite.
Lil is reportedly making a Guide Entry blog, as well. True to form, she claims to have 'lost the address' of this blog, bless her. When she pushes the right buttons again, we will pass on the information.
What to Do
DON'T
- Give up the ship.
- Delete your PS and entries.
- Cry.
- Panic.
DO
- Keep up with developments via H2G2 and the Consortium's Google Group.
- Share all your good ideas.
- Encourage your H2G2 friends.
- Keep a stiff upper lip and remember that the Galaxy wasn't built in a day (it took at least a week).
And if you want to share an initiative with us, just remember to contact 
.
Here's to our future!
