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

We will of course continue with the existing volunteer schemes, but if you want to sign up as a new volunteer, or just confirm your interest in the existing schemes, then sign up here to help Gnomon, Jordan, Dmitri Gheorgheni and Lanzababy create the Guide.

I hope that all the existing team of Scouts and Sub-editors will carry on with their roles.

If you would like to put yourself forward as either a Scout or a Sub-editor please reply to this thread. Scouts, in particular, are needed.

This is an opportunity to develop the Guide, an exciting time lies ahead.

First, I have to say 'what a great Editorial Team'. I can't think of four better people to have involved - good luck with it!

Second, I'll be happy to continue to serve in any way I can: writing, subbing and scouting spring to mind, but I'll try to put writing first. You're going to need some of that.

Icy, you've got it: writing's got to be number one around here. h2g2's definitely going to appreciate its good writers even more now.

Can I put myself down as a volunteer?

I'd quite like to be involved in any attempt to keep a place for poetry here.

Of course you may, MVP.

I would also like to be considered for an editorial role.

shazzPRME

Yay!

Yhay..

Fresh blood

Er..

yes,

Sorry.

New volunteers. Excellent, all round then!

It's wonderful isn't it? I've not been this excited in ages!

Me neither..

Wonderful. Keep 'em coming.

It's great to see a mix of Post, UnderGuide and Edited Guide veterans volunteering as the Editorial Team will aim to represent and look after the needs of all genres of writing, in some ways.

In the next few days, we'll be able to open up an offsite forum hosted by noesis for Guide volunteers. (the delay is because we have to figure out how to work it first) I am the (self-appointed) shepherd of Guide volunteers to that forum, so I will be in touch about that. Once we get there, I suppose we can sort of start figuring out plans, roles, ideas, priorities, etc.

For now, let's bask in the glory of our victory just a little bit longer. After that, the hard work starts.

I think I'd like to volunteer.

"Think" because it's sort-of conditional on two things:
1. whether you'd want me
2. what there is to be edited.

1. Yes, Pin.

2. What do you mean?

By 2 I mean:

I would definitely like to be an Editor in a future Universal Edited Guide, especially one with a Showcase, which I think is an exciting concept.

If we are going to keep the existing format instead (ie a factual Edited Guide and a separate UnderGuide) then I think I'd want to know more about the plans and the outturn before commiting myself.

I could address this now (I just wrote and deleted a few paragraphs) but I don't want anyone to confuse my voice with that of a larger entity. Hopefully we'll have an FAQ up sharpish that will address these things.

Pin, I can only say that with things like the Unified Guide and the Showcase, we need you (and everyone else) to help build it. Nothing's set in stone, so we all have the opportunity to shape the stone before it sets. Better than chiseling away at the old BBC stone.

Okay, much too far with the rock metaphor. All that I'm saying is that I expect to see you when we open up the editorial volunteer forums.

*brushes away a few bits of rock dust*

We need people like you, Pinniped, who understand what good writing IS.
This is an opportunity to widen the remit of the Guide, and as Jordan said we will soon have a forum to begin discussing the way forward.

I'm glad that it's not just me who does that (ie writes a novel, realises it's completely inappropriate, deletes it).

So all that *I'm* saying is that your expectation will certainly be met.

Me too. It should be in the 'traditions' thread.

Sometimes it's the only way to be succinct. I was once told that whenever you've written a draft or designed a prototype, you should always completely destroy it in each case before you set about constructing the master version.

Fortunately a lot of options, including the Unified Guide Theory, have been discussed already and it is about time to start banging some nails in.
The 'Great Migration' aside there will be a lot of things to come to a consensus on and my feeling is we'll be getting a lot of 'Cast your vote here' requests on all kind of matters.
I'm happy we are moving forward and with the opportunity to help shape noohootoo.