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

Entry: What to consider before getting a tattoo. - A87798442
Author: Freewayriding - U14998677

A few pointers from a researcher with ink!

Hurrah!

You did write another Entry. Well done FWR

I like the structure, you seem to have covered all the variations. I'm not sure about the sections being numbered, I think they'd work fine with just sub-headers - or bold as you have now. The sub ed can fix the GuideML.

Just a few bits to tidy

Tattoos have been recorded as far back as 3000bc

> 3,000BC

And, it would be good to have a bit more information, ie some examples - ( I seem to remember people mummified or dug out of glaciers or peat bogs being tattooed?)

Originally believed to be the mark of feared warriors, great priests and magicians, or in some cultures, royalty.

This isn't a full sentence, can you complete it by adding something like [They were] at the beginning? Again, this would read better if you amplified it a bit.

What seems cool and trendy when [youre] >[you're] in your teens may look, well really silly on a 60 year old. Avoid making decisions if you are under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (even prescribed drugs may alter [you] > [your] perceptions).

>>> I am not really sure about the word [well] in the middle of this first sentence, but it would work better if you put another comma right after it. Or just leave the word 'well' out.


Summing up - I found this really interesting, as it told me more than I already knew. I've not been able to go home (to Lanzarote) for a whole year now, but when I'm there it is incredible to see some of the worst fails of tattooing possible, when all ages remove their outer clothing on the beach. As there are also many tattoo parlours (good ones) people get tempted by the holiday atmosphere too. Not me! ... so far.

Oh, and you might like this photo which is a caution in its own right.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=507103955984335&set=a.203305253030875.59286.183457778348956&type=1&theater

courtesy of Facebook/Society for Editors and Proofreaders

Great link, Lanza. That was some ink.

Interesting and thoughtful entry, Freewayriding. I have often had some of those same thoughts. Particularly of getting lovers names---this should be one of those things that should be avoided. Nobody needs excess baggage in future relationships that it would bring. I am too much a coward to even consider getting a tatoo. I am too painadverse to go to dentists unless a tooth is really awful.

thanks guys, thats not the worst Ive seen, but comes close ( had a mate who did his own in a irror and actually spelled his own name incorrectly)

will have a tweak

and its not as bad as the dentist!

tend to write as words pop into my befuddled head!

sorry!

Lucky

off to Tenerife on Friday I'll keep a look out for cider drinking loons!

hi
I don't have a tattoo and I don't consider getting one, but I think this is an interesting Entry.

It is obviously the case that some places on your body hurt more if you get them tattooed than others, maybe you should say something about that? I think it could be important if you want to decide about your first tattoo.
Also I guess you should consider the right size. If you don't easily take the pain it wouldn't be wise to choose a huge motif which takes a few sessions to finish and in the end you can't do it and end up with a tattoo that is only half done.
You are also talking about getting problems in restaurants or at work. I think here it is again important to think about where your tattoo should be. Some places are easily covered with a shirt or long trousers and you don't have to worry about anything.

These are just the thoughts of an outsider, it's your decision if you want to put any of it into your Entry.

thank you for the comments, all valid points, tweeking as we speak!

Hi FWR good to see you back in Peer Review

One question, I notice you use the term (updated) in your title, did you mean for this to be an update of A146530 ? If so you should have included the link in your first message here.

You give all the classic arguments about not getting a tattoo, and what not to have permanently etched into your skin. This is all well and good, but I think I have read them on a few dozen other sites. I would really like to read a paragraph or two on why someone should consider getting a tattoo, what might be an appropriate design and location. After all we are a guide

I remember as a kid my mother always told me that anyone who had a tattoo would soon regret having gotten one. After about 50 years it suddenly occurred to me that regretting not having a tattoo was just as bad, so why not go for the ink?

I did get one with my wife's name, but only after our 25th wedding anniversary, I figured after that much time she had already left a few permanent marks on my life anyway

Just a few thoughts

F S

Nice to see that 'a few dozen other sites' offer similar advice, fools never differ!

Good point on the why should you get one, the positives as it where, however as a responsible(ish) adult I would hate to think that someone ran out and had an awful tatt done just because they'd read my positive thoughts!

I was once asked in a pub by a friend of our if I could design a tattoo that combined American Indian dream catchers and motorbikes. Over a few drinks, ok a lot of drinks, I outlined a rough design that she was pleased with, I advised her that the tattoo artist would sort out the rough edges and firm up the design.

She unfortunately went to a trendy get rich quick studio and all they did was transfer my rough sketch onto tracers film and started inking..honest you could almost see the B &H logo on the cigarette packet I' d used to doodle on. So it's not a light decision to say hey there great go get one...incidentally Florida's the most expensive place I've ever been to for bespoke designs!

Thanks for the comments

Lucky

Will take the updated bit off, sorry!
Still getting used to how you guys like things done.

>Good point on the why should you get one, the positives as it where, however as a responsible(ish) adult I would hate to think that someone ran out and had an awful tatt done just because they'd read my positive thoughts!



That is exactly the point. In your Entry you already have a section titled 'So you’ve made your mind up?'

At this stage I can see no problem with giving a little good advice, as the reader has already made up their mind to go for the ink.

My thought is to recommend something large enough to to be clear, and most important something our new candidate understands and wants to explain to anyone who asks them about it. If you can't or don't want to explain your tattoo you should not have put it on your body. If anybody decides to get inked on the basis of this Entry, is it not important that they know how to do it properly?

On the second point of the 'update' you should leave the title in tact and agree with me that this is exactly what you meant. Otherwise you are writing a redundant entry and this will be thrown out whenever someone notices (as I have already given the link it in inevitable)


F S

thanks mate, changed the title back (hope only you noticed!) and have also put a bit in about why you may choose to go under the needle..harder than it looks starting an avalanche!

thanks again for reading. Have one of my journal entries in the Post this week, really really pleased ( even though they my screen name wrong!) Hey its a start! lol

Hi

Mostly a bit of advice to Florida Sailor here

FWR's entry is sufficiently different than A146530. Nor should it be considered to be a replacement, in fact these historic early Entries should not be altered unless they're so bad they need removing, as they are part of our heritage. We tend to mark them 'Mostly Harmless' and leave them well alone.



Also, we're a Guide, not an encyclopedia and I really feel that FWR's entry was a well balanced piece on first submission to Peer Review. Sometimes, reviewers do get carried away in their earnestness to get authors to include every last known factoid - and this really does cut down on the immediacy and freshness of the writing. The author's own voice is lost in all the rewrites. It may seem like helpfulness, but too many cooks spoil the broth and I am beginning to worry that FWR is dancing to too many masters.

(sorry for all the metaphors guys)

So, I would suggest to FWR that adding parts about why you 'should' get a tattoo, will weaken this Entry. Honestly - please don't do it!

If people want a tattoo there are thousands of other inky sites out there encouraging you to do just that. Let's just go with what you had in mind in the first place, please




oh and Yay! for becoming a Post contributor! Well done you!

Different than? DIFFERENT THAN?

*apoplexy*

*head explodes*

Where's my beer?

Here HD thank you - and do take the position of sub editing my late night posts, please! Situation vacant.
I'm not perfect you know.

"Sometimes, reviewers do get carried away in their earnestness to get authors to include every last known factoid - and this really does cut down on the immediacy and freshness of the writing. The author's own voice is lost in all the rewrites. It may seem like helpfulness, but too many cooks spoil the broth and I am beginning to worry that FWR is dancing to too many masters."

Seconded.

I think this would be better with instead of 'heart'. The code for doing this is not normally allowed in Edited/Approved Entries - we don't want the Edited Guide full of smileys - but, speaking as an ex-Guide Editor, I think an exception would be made in this case.

The code for a heart is {SMILEY TYPE="love"/} with angle brackets instead of the curly brackets.

(The angle brackets cause problems in conversations, so I'm not using them here.)

thanks guys, head is a little wrecked again...was wondering how you insert a heart on text!

Insert heart like this < heart > only without the spaces

Once you are more proficient in GuideML you will be able to use the code Gnomon gave above


lil