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

Great stuff, thank you Mala!

Oh, sure. I hate to merely complain about something () when I'm in a position to *do* something about it ()

Lest anyone get their hopes up, they're just quick & dirty stopgap things assembled from bits of old blobs, and I've not done them for *every* topic. But I think we've now got enough general category pictures to fit everything on the current ComingUp list, except ones I know someone's doing a blob for already

And then when the site gets redesigned, we can work on a proper solution . Or several.

This doesn't really answer why some entries seem to be picked by scouts when points in the peer review conversation haven't been addressed, and/or rushed through to front page without adequate sub-editing.

This makes a mockery of peer review as well as allowing edited guide entries containing grammatical and spelling mistakes.


I feel the guide is losing its quality if this is going to continue.

Fortunately, the curators can correct any mistakes which have slipped through.

Yes Bel, but that's got to used only as a last-ditch stopgap method of fixing booboos

I know, but now that we'll again be short of eds, I guess the curators will have to keep up the additional work for a while yet.

Well, the Entries were being rushed through for lack of pictures - so this should make it more likely, at least, that they all get subbed. PR isn't really meant to focus on spelling and grammar, anyway.

A few more people commenting in PR and some additional sub-eds wouldn't hurt, of course, as well as more people writing so there's more choice

Oh for a



The Curators can only fix typos, make corrections, etc, when they are pointed out at EF, I personally don't have enough Internet access time (school hols, queue for the PC etc) to read the upcoming entries.

(builder's brew)

Hello everyone,

During the current redesign process, we've been having a think about the h2g2 front page. (Natalie hinted at this earlier on).

The new designs (you can see the basic positional layout here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/blobs/new_design_wireframe_1.jpg) feature four large promos (which appear if you click on the tabs beneath the main promo picture – it's a bit like an index card system). We envisage using these to promote new Entries, but also other areas of the site, including the Post and the Underguide.

This means - in anticipation of all this - we'll be changing the focus a bit, both of our workloads and the homepage itself. The change coincides with a headcount issue, and so we think that the best solution going forward, at least for now, is to have a front page that changes weekly. When Natalie goes, I (Sam) will be overseeing a lot of other stuff off-site, new things that h2g2 has to be involved in to ensure its long-term survival (a redesign compliant with mandatory visual guidelines, a mandatory change in registration process etc). I will also be training up someone new in the mysterious ninja-like arts of h2g2. I won't be able to publish a new page every day and do everything else that needs to be done in order for the site to survive. Not to mention, getting ill, going on holiday etc...

This is absolutely not an indication that all's doom and gloom for h2g2! On the contrary, we had a great MOT and there's no question of us being closed down in the near future. Our Powers That Be recognise the value of this site.

The design of the homepage is such an improvement in terms of general dynamism that we think that the effects on h2g2 should be extremely positive. However, as with all periods of adjustment, it'll take some getting used to!

Then, once we've coped with all the changes that are coming, navigated some choppy waters for a bit - when we've attended to the core stability of the site - we can then increase our attention on publishing more frequently the front page and hopefully with more staff!

Sam.

(builder's brew)

<>

Are you looking for volunteers?

*grabs first position in queue for editorial tools*

Try and delegate as much as possible to us volunteers, Sam, as there's more of us than there are of you.

Waaaaait, does this mean only one new entry on the FP per week? That doesn't seem quite right. We're not being *that* lazy

GB, Gnomon, thank you, I'll delegate as much as I'm allowed to. And Mal, we'd look to publish more than one new Entry a week. The point is, we won't be able to manually editorialise the front page every day for a while but also the new front page design will remain dynamic throughout the week because of more links to ongoing fora, conversations etc.

Ah, right. Because it looks like there's only one slot for a new entry in that design, if the three other tabs are for other things

Once you know the dimensions and other requirements for new FP pictures, just let the CAs know and we'll see what we can do about default images for the various categories, so we don't get this problem again Unless we're completely changing the categorisation as well, of course

Hi Sam
I just love your phrase 'ninja-like arts of h2g2'


The management of change in any organisation is always going to be tricky - even more so if you are the only *head on the block* so to speak, so I wish you the very best in taking on this new role in these circumstances.

I endorse what has been said about delegation, but appreciate that many of the tasks cannot be done by the volunteers. So I hope the powers that be will appoint an additional staff member asap, for your sake!



As to the weekly change of the Front Page, maybe we will have a group of New Edited Guide entries all appearing each Monday, rather than one per day, as now?

Thanks Lanzababy
>>>As to the weekly change of the Front Page, maybe we will have a group of New Edited Guide entries all appearing each Monday, rather than one per day, as now?

That's actually a good idea.

no probs Sam

before I became a 'lady of leisure' I was a sort of specialist in managing change. So you have my sympathies!


and

Sam,

First, I think this announcement/conversation should be held more widely - not everyone reads Editorial Feedback.

Second, I'm genuinely concerned about the h2g2 Front Page only changing once per week. I'm guessing that many of h2g2's large readership access the site during their office lunch hour to read the day's new offerings. If there isn't anything new to grab them, then they will rapidly drift off to pastures new.

Now, you guys should have figures on Front Page hits, and I would ask you to carefully monitor site usage as you proceed. A redesign should be something which increases site activity, but if you can't back it up with content, then you might find otherwise. Remember what Bill Gates said: "Content is King".

Icy

On the other hand, some folk can't visit daily & will then miss out on seeing new entries if there are new ones every day. Surely it's OK if some items change & others don't? Or perhaps there could be a 'round up of the week' page showing all the 'quote of the day', links to each day's new entries etc?

One idea I liked (can't remember whose suggestion it was) was always to have the most recent five (say) entries on the FP. That day's Entry would be the most prominent, followed by the previous four. Each day, the Entries would move down one place, with the bottom one dropping off. This would also sit alongside the re-publicising of older entries.