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

As to "weak" in quotes, it is my experience that this is a way to indicate a "tongue-in-cheek" kind of remark.
but if I loose many readers, I could end with "not-so-weak" instead of assuming such understanding is "normal."

Entry: From A “Weak” Mark in the Sand, the World Changes - A87767130
Author: AE Hill - U14997160

I quite like the title, I find it intriguing. However, it might be as well to put a sub-title into the body of the entry itself, just to help the search engines find readers for this piece?

Heya, I like this entry. I think the gist behind it is very good and something that isn't normally covered. The Raspberry Pi is a wonderful little computer, and to let you into a secret we're currently setting one up to run a h2g2 test server. Okay, it's not that much of a secret but we're keeping it a bit quite until we're sure we can do it

I like the way this entry has a more holistic approach to the history of the Pi, starting with the Pythons, moving to the programming language ( which I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan off, but don't have a problem with ) through to finally the Raspberry Pi. These are all milestones in geek history in their own way. Lines in the sand that say "We are Here. But next week we'll be over there!"

I think there's entries covering each of the separate topics you touch on, if not there should be, but the way you connect them is really good. Keeping it in your own words and tone conveys across that it is a personal piece, and I think it works very well like that.

There's a few things we tend to do different from how you currently have, and might be worth bringing in as long as you don't lose your tone. Things like links don't tend to be separate, but linked words within the main text. And the way that quotes are done. Have a bit of a read at the latest new entries, and a bit of a poke around some of the other entries in Peer Review to see what's being said there, and keep asking in here. Peer Review can be quite vibrant, and very helpful when you get this lot going

Oh, and welcome to h2g2. If you've got any technical questions about it, just drop by my space and ask!

Running a server through a Pi. Well now I'm gobsmacked.

Well, technically it's a linux computer, and you can install apache and php on those quite easily.
There are a couple of problems though, the first is disk space. There isn't enough really, especially not for the Guide. So we're having to strip out everything in the linux that's not needed, and everything in apache and php that's not needed. And then use an external drive for the Guide itself.
That's reasonable easy enough, but the serious problem is speed. The Pi is a much slower machine than a standard server, which is one reason we're trying to use it.
Years ago people started becoming sloppy with their code because the computers were getting faster and faster and could make up for it, but then mobiles started being used more and more, and all these sloppily built websites just don't work well on them. So, the idea is we build the new Guide on a Pi, and make it run quick on that, and when we put it on a full fat server it should be blisteringly quick.

In theory.

As this is off topic I moved my reply over to:

Raspberry Pi as h2g2 server at http://www.h2g2.com/forum/F12549/thread/T8296383/

Just a note to say that I read this article and rather liked it.

Z

Thanks for the note!
Coming from a pre-doc I am truly humbled.
Any comments are welcome.
Everyone's perspective is significant to my process.

It looks as though I may be out on a limb here, but with all due respect to Lil's request to be kind to a newbie - with which I would almost always concur - in this case it has to be said that the content of this Entry is utter jibberish.

I assume you did not find h2g2 jibberish, some did. I trust it was not just your incurable Mahleria but I found your post almost helpful, thank you. Could you be a bit more specific? You see everyone has preferences and I wonder what filter aroused your jibberish filter. As a newbie I placed the entry here as suggested, but perhaps you think I should withdraw from this forum. Perhaps this better fits the Alternative Writing peer review. I do hope you have something meaningful to add to the conversation.

The content is geeky. Only gibberish to non-s. That is why I have bowed out of this review process; 'if you don't get it, that's because you aren't being targeted'.

Concise but thought provoking .

To and non- , the idea that silly irreverent comedy holds the potential to change the history of humanity could be considered by some as profound or gibberish. I for one would debate the need for more s although I admit to being ish.

“What the world needs…” [oh what a lovely tune] is more . can see the need for change. can communicate. can stimulate. are . are . are better appreciated when dead and gone.

Do you remember, “Dead Poets Society.”

Live long and prosper.

You might want to check out . It is a little bit of everything. You can get to it by clicking on the front page name 'The Post' to get there. There are art and funny articles there. Something for everybody and if you like something you can connect to all the older items by clicking on the links at the bottom of the article to get to archived material. Much handier than the search box.

As others already said it's always good to see new people in PR.

Unfortunately I must say that for me this Entry does bring up more questions than it answers. It seems to be an Entry for people who already know everything about Python and the Raspberry Pi. For people like me on the other hand it is only confusing.

I want to give a few examples to telly ou which problems I have:

'Consider a short story about the Python connections.'
Connections with what?

' it did come to influence one Guido van Rossum'
Who is that? Did he invent Python? Or the Raspberry Pi?

Is 'Python Raspberry' an official name for something? Or did you invent it? And what is it?

And what does the Raspberry Pi have to do with Python? I thought the Raspberry Pi is hardware? Is Python maybe used on it like BIOS is used? I really have no idea. Or is there no connection at all?

'In 2011 the World quakes as the Raspberry Pi is coming forth. In 2012 it came forth unto the world.'
So which year was it?

'This new mark in the sands of History looks to reshape the landscape of young minds and more.'
In which way? I have no idea why it really is important.
And was it really all influenced by Monty Python or just by the name?

I'm sorry, I really don't understand this Entry at all.

Perhaps I failed to communicate well, that is a concern that I intend to address here.
It is also possible that your frame of mind was not simpatico with the style I offered.
The Art and Science of Communication is a vast subject.

If I have information I want to transmit, many assumptions are required.
In the case of human communication, many of these assumptions are trivialized because of a natural process to make them intuitive or subconscious.

Some very fundamental assumptions are required by both the transmitter and receiver.
In Radio, the assumption is that if the receiver wants to receive what was transmitted, then the receiver must be tuned to the frequency of the transmission.
Even more than that, the style of encoding information must be matched by the receiver.
In Radio, two common broadcasts are encoded as ether amplitude modulated or frequency modulated.
Some receivers can switch between these modes of signal encoding, but if the receiver is in the older amplitude modulation mode, it would only detect gibberish even if it could be tuned to the frequency of the transmitter.
When information transmitted is received as gibberish, the problem [if there is one] is that the transmitter is using the wrong mode or the receiver is using the wrong mode or that one of the two is malfunctioning.
In human communications there is far more to the story.
The information is further encoded into some language that must be decoded by the receiver.
Not only English versus Hebrew, but what version of English.
Even more assumptions to consider the situation, is this a University, Public Broadcast, or neighborhood chat situation?
All of that minutia could point to an understanding of how a newbie needs to adjust.

To be a bit more specific, if you have a problem with the word “Connections” being used as a subject, then what is at fault? Did you notice that the word was put in bold to help clarify that potential misunderstanding? Perhaps I could have used a different device.

When I introduced the name “Guido van Rossum” I told you all I intended you to know. I told you that he created the Python programming language. If you do not understand much about computers, I still assume you can understand that there is something called a “programming language.”

'Python Raspberry’ is technically a misquote. In one place I wrote, “Perhaps a Python raspberry was needed.” I wrote that right after defining what precisely I meant by a “raspberry” (not Raspberry). That raspberry information was placed right after declaring a need for, “Python, the programming language” Thus I assume the reader to be able to understand what I specifically denote as a pall, when I then put the two together. Perhaps the turn of phrase was too powerful for your mind. Shall I dumb down the wording?

As the subject is “connections” it is a serious problem that you [the reader] fail to understand the connection between Raspberry Pi the hardware, and Python, programming language. I assume you fail to understand what a programming language is to a computer. If you cannot figure that out, then it is up to you to turn off or tune in.

As to your lack in understanding the difference between “coming” and “came” I take this to be strong evidence that you are trying to subvert this website. Is that true?

If you fail to appreciate that young minds are valuable, I am sorry for you.

I must admit, we have a failure to communicate.

Thanks for trying.

First of all I think you should recognize that often telling things in simple words is much more helpful to a reader than trying to sound far too elaborate or original. One example is unfortunately your paragraph about radios.

Sorry, I wondered all the time why you put 'Connections' into bold because it didn't make any sense to me.


'When I introduced the name “Guido van Rossum” I told you all I intended you to know. I told you that he created the Python programming language.'
No, you didn't. I'm sorry but for me you did not tell that. The only thing you told me was that there was once a guy with that name, but as I said above you did not tell what he did. You instead assumed that I would know.


You defined what a raspberry is? I did not see that, sorry, what is it? Or do you mena the computer?

I am sorry but I *do* understand what a programming language is. But you say with no sentence at all what the connection between Python and the Raspberry Pi is so I can only guess.

'As to your lack in understanding the difference between “coming” and “came” I take this to be strong evidence that you are trying to subvert this website. Is that true?'
I am NOT a native English speaker as many on this site are NOT from the UK or any other English speaking country. I am here now for about 7 years and am perfectly able to communicate in English. I do NOT AT ALL try to subvert this website.

I only tried to help you by writing an honest and clearly worded review of your Entry, I am sorry if this insulted you.

"As to your lack in understanding the difference between “coming” and “came” I take this to be strong evidence that you are trying to subvert this website. Is that true?"


AE, not all the users of h2g2 are native English speakers, although given how fluent they are it's often hard to remember

A thousand pardons.

I must admit to being in awe of multilingual communicators.
I would add that I consider it a valid criticism of many English speakers [especially Yanks] that we do not make the effort to learn more languages.
I assure you that I admire your abilities and your attempt to communicate.

It would seem I did get the wrong idea. Please remember I did acknowledge a failure to be able to communicate without assigning blame.

I am happy to understand that this misunderstanding was not an attempt to cause problems.
But as to being “perfectly able to communicate in English” I submit that in communication theory such is imposable. I certainly do not claim anything close to perfection. I found it rather amazing when I learned that language is much more than fifty percent redundant. Such redundancy is required because so much information is lost or misinterpreted.

Then there is the nuance of language. Wit is of negative value if you misunderstand tense [a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time] to be emotional aghast. Do I put “the” reader off if use the word “Aghast?”

If the intent is to be simple and blunt, what assumptions should I make?
When I included the paragraph referring to Radio, I was not trying to be obtuse. In fact, I trying to blatantly simplistic. Still, my style does include a tendency to use or abuse vocabulary. Using a word like “obtuse” instead of “weird” depends upon the transmitter and the receiver.

I want to write something that is at once entertaining and thought provoking. It would seem that I am in a forum better described as about fact rather than the joy of communication.

A thousand pardons.

No confusion did I intend to cause.

As to my phrasing, I assure you that it is obtuse, sorry.

But as to your specific questions, it seems you did not read my words. This may be incorrect.
At one point I quoted the article about Python, the programming language. This was questioned, so I used the tradition of this site to “link” to that information and deleted the quote. There also seems to be a technical problem with this site regarding “links.”

You are therefore right, the connection between Guido and the name of Python, the programming language, is now only clarified in the “link.” Sorry.

As to defining raspberry: I wrote, “Could or would that be a raspberry [a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt]?” The structure is clear to me that I knew the primary definition of raspberry was not intended and I specified a cry. Perhaps that literary device is too tricky. After review, it seems appropriate.

The lack of knowledge about Python, the programming language, was a concern to a University. That concern prompted the brainstorm that defined what a “Raspberry Pi” would become. I wrote, “It would have to be cheap, Python programmable, and inspirational.”

I failed to communicate with you.

I was my problem that I thought you were making comments that showed you did not read my words. Thanks again for trying. Your comments do teach me much about communicating. For that I am grateful.

Still, my conclusion is that no communication is perfect and never will be perfect. Like other artforms, it will be liked by some and hated by others.

Communicating is also about talking in a way that other people understand. You now know that I am speaking English as a second language but still you don't try at all to make yourself more understandable by talking in a way that is more 'normal' and less full of expressions that you must know sound strange to me.

This is also one of the problems of your Entry, as I already said above. You have to write it in a more 'normal' way. Maybe read a few Approved Entries and try to see how it is done there.

And as for assumptions (which you mentioned earlier):
Try to assume that your readers know nothing at all about the topic. And don't explain by posting links, rather tell in your Entry about what information can be found in the link and give the link in *addition*. Never make reading a link essential to the understanding of an Entry. You should at least give a short summary.

Some of what you said in your last post really explains things more clearly and you should say the same in your Entry (the thing about the University that invented the raspberry pi to teach their students Python for instance).

Please note changes, thank you.

1. Re-reference of Guido.

2. Clarification of University people's intention to impact people long before they apply by creating a Raspberry Pi play thing.

Thank you all for your input.