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

One idea that has been thrown around durng the Magrethea project is a concept of a 'Community Central' page. Somewhere, one click off of the Front Page, that could give a newbie - or, indeed, any of us - an overview of where the active parts of h2g2 were, and where we could go to join in.

What do you guys think would be the sorts of things we could include, and how do you see it working, especially in the early days when we have only the tools that we currently have access to?

Vip

For now, we could set up an A page and ask nicely to have a link on the FP with the likes of Ask and SEx?

(Not me--I *really* don't have time right now. I really shouldn't be on here now)

I really liked the idea of a Community Central. However my concern is that if it's not part of the FP i.e. if it's merely a link off the FP instead, then the FP will be overwhelmingly about the EG. Given how much the community lost (was taken from the community really) in the past half dozen years I'd hate to see us make that mistake again.

I made the suggestion at the time that the FP acted as a portal to Community Central and the EG Central (or whatever it's called). It makes it very visible that there are two large, complementary aspects to hootoo* . The FP could then do the same things it does now in terms of highlighting EG stuff, but it could do the same for the CC too.


*there's a nice description of h2 as a peach, where the EG is the pit and the community is the flesh.

I thought this would be a good idea, particularly to help stickyness on the site... It could even jjust be a link on the frontpage to the community editors page/personal space, on which you'd have links which were fairly static, E.G., to teh post, ask h2g2 etc., but also dynamic links (which inititally at least would have to be created by hand), to active areas, E.G., a user-generated club/society, individual active conversations which were particularly good/interesting/active, links to any particularly important announcements/h2g2c2 journals/a pages, to current talking points (were we to still have those), etc... err if that makes sense... actually maybe a seperate entry would be better rahter than just the community editors hompage, though of course there'd be a link to the A page from there too...

I think it would be a great start to get community central together now as a useful place - wedon't need to wait until we own the site to get it working and useful.

What do you think?

What is the purpose of having a separate page to link to the likes of the Post, Talking Points etc when those are already linked on the FP? Would those links be taken off the FP?

What do you see the purpose of community central as being kea?

Well, my suggestion was just for now, while the BBC is still hosting us.

I would love to see a page together that was a currently, regularly updated Guide to the hoopiest places to hang out on h2g2.

So if I'm on h2g2 and I want to chat and have fun I know where to go, I also know where the serious debates are going on as well.

When Aly joined she said 'Everyone's very nice, but where is all the cool conversations you've been talking about'. 5 years ago when I finally persuaded my best friend to join up he said 'Where is all this stuff you've been going on about - I can't find it!'. I showed them both the best places to hang out, but that isn't always possible.

I guess I'd like to see a list of the most active placed on h2g2 - image your friend had just joined and you wanted to show them the best places to go...

>I showed them both the best places to hang out, but that isn't always possible. <

No because we are a community. You gradually get to know people. Aside from convos with people I like on their spaces, I reckon I spend most time on Ask.

And it's not just a question of 'hanging out' it's exploring convos.

These things take time.

Just like in real life.

And you often get lost. That's fun.

To my shame, and don't tell *anyone*, I visited the Pirate Ship for the first time ever earlier this week.

> but where is all the cool conversations you've been talking about'< Aly

I find that quite worrying that someone would say that.

For christ sakes its the adventure..the exploring. And within 5 seconds of being here you can get the tone..and know there is good stuff.

But I suppose for the future these things will change.

Pirate ship

Ask is a great springboard - that's why I recommend it to my newbies. But after that, I wouldn't really know where to look. You can click on people's names and read what they're reading, but after that there isn't a lot that obvious.

I agree that there's an element of getting to know people, but all that will mean is that unless a newbie has hours of time on their hands and a reason to think that there is more stuff to see, they'll think there's nothing going on here, and leave. Why would you take the time to look for stuff when everything you see is dead?

Hygienicdispenser said that when he joined up he only found stuff through hard work and a peverse pleasure in traversing old threads. And while he enjoyed that process, there will be 1000 who get confused or bored.

Perhaps a new tag down the side of a person's space*, in with Front Page, My Space, Who's Online ... And perhaps leading to some variant of the <./>Info</.> page? I don't know how useful the current 'Preferences' one is, as most settings and the like are met under the BBCiD 'Settings' on a top-bar. So slip a catchy enough title in there


*noting that I have always been a Brunel user and not familiar with the other skins

>>I would love to see a page together that was a currently, regularly updated Guide to the hoopiest places to hang out on h2g2.

I really like this idea too. My points still stand about segregating the Community off the FP, but I'll save that argument for later on

In the meantime, if we're working with the framework of the existing FP (although /dna or barlesque?), then if we set up another A page that was prominently linked off it, a Community Central page, what would it have on it?

Actually before we go there, at what point do you think H2g2 Future will have some control of the FP? If it's going to be a while, then the ComCentral page needs to be designed differently than if the FP can be changed relatively soon (say in July, assuming that's before we move, I'm guessing here).

kea I hardly understood a word of that post.



But

I'm getting that message.

I assume that we won't get control until we actually move (not sure when yet). But that's not confirmed.

I would like to see the Front Page kept as uncluttered as possible. It'll promote the newest Entries, for sure, and I would like to see a link to the Post and to the Community Central page. But not a lot more. You shouldn't have to scroll to see everything.

>> You shouldn't have to scroll to see everything
That just depends on the size and settings of your screen and the size of your browser window on that screen.

Interesting, barlesque is no longer linked off the FP.

In alabaster I can get the whole page in one and half space bars shifts.

Barlesque takes 2 1/2.

I'm on a laptop though.

Vip, what would you take off the FP the way it is now?