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

So, how long is "In due course"?

Oh, and if a researcher fails to register in time, will there be any way they can be subsequently linked to their previous h2g2 content? Or will those researchers be left behind?

yeah... how long is the due course?

and, actually more importantly, does that data base HAVE to be deleted?

i mean, couldnt someone come along next year or the year after
email address and password in hand
and actually be able to satisfy all the criteria to get reinstated?

really...

i mean, i have stuff in my little storage unit that i havent accessed in 10 years
paperwork etc from a 'previous life' before i moved here
and i know what some of the stuff is even

and IF i had been a member here in 2001
that necessary info would be in one of those boxes
and IF i happened to come across hootoo as noohootoo
and go... ohhhh... i used to be....

it would be nice if i could relog in again



possible?

I've understood from previous discussions that noohootoo tech will be finding solutions for people that can't access their content, and that includes old researchers returning later. I'd like to see that reconfirmed though, given that the BBC is proposing a cut off point and then deletion of login details.

ah yes well...

now that worries me though
what kind of proof would be required?

having the original email WITH password and login name
(login name is not necessarily what everyone sees)
is the ultimate and in my opinion only proof

carrying my analogy further
i would hate it if i discovered someone else had claimed my identity before i got to noohootoo

now... if someone had a physical presence
with other researchers who also had physical presences
photographs, meetings, real life experiences
real life vouchers
irrefutable

then of course that would be proof too

and heres another thing...
evidently there is some amount of ...prestige
connected to having the earlier U numbers

whats to keep someone from wheedling one of those
that belonged to a not very active early researcher

and then trading on that prestige of having been here back in the day



any scenario we can think of its just not a good trade off
no one needs to be reinstated so badly with their original account
if it means the process can allow fakers to gain access

and heres a tricky little question
somewhat lawyerly and/or ethical...

IF we are going to, in the future, negotiate with old researchers
who are petitioning to have their old accounts reinstated...
AND award some reinstatements without the email/login name/password
taking the RISK that some mistakes may be made
(ie some old accounts given to folks they dont belong to)


then is it ETHICAL or LEGAL to delete the data by which they can prove who they are?

"In due course" is a nice ambiguous phrase that gives us room to manouvre. We like it.

The BBC have a cut off point in mind for when they no longer wish to be hosting h2g2, and we intend to be.

That point isn't a "by this date" so there is no exact date to ask about, is a "by then or as soon as with a little leeway" And that's the date that we were told right at the very beginning of this way back in January.

Once the time's up though, it's not a "no more", we're working with the BBC techs (great guys) to put something in place that will still allow people to sign in through BBCiD and be redirected over to the new site/servers with their identity proved.

We've also been looking into and working on methods to prove identity through knowing someone through that "real life" thing I keep hearing about.

With regard to account hijacking, we've come up with a few ways to work around this and we're reasonably confident that it's going to be more hassle than it's worth. Yes, there's seen to be a bit of "prestige" about having a five figure u number (I have one myself) but really it's the user that gains the prestige, not the number. Most people on site these days don't know me. I went off for a while into serious lurk mode. So, just because I have a five figure number do I have prestige? I doubt it. But anyhow, we've been looking into methods and we're pretty confident about it.

*bows down before Pastey*

Thank you oh illustrious one

Thanks Pastey

You've probably already thought of this, but what happens to people with timed suspensions? Can they register on noohootoo while still under suspension?

And people on premod? I assume they can register, but the CEs will have to put them back on premod manually?

As far as we believe and are intending, because the site is planned to transfer "as-is" all suspensions and pre-mods etc etc can be transferred too. The accounts themselves aren't being recreated, just the login system.

Final decisions on stuff like bans etc are being worked out by the new community and mod teams.

> So, just because I have a five figure number do I have prestige?

You have prestige, alright, but I don't know to what extent it's related to your U-number.

TRiG.