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

I'm not sure if their would be copyright infringment involved, (though I doubt it.)
but I thing you might want to look at Ambrose Beirce's Devil's Dictionary.
It was a series of articals submitted to a newspaper by famous misanthrope
Ambrose Beirce. (dead now over 100 years thus my doubts about rights probs.)
It's full of word definitions that are exactly the type of thing this site specializes in.

If they were published in a newspaper I would suspect copyright would still be in force, since newspapers tend to retain copyright.

But we'd rather have new articles than 100 year old articles.

Hmm, well it's your site, but these aren't perticularly time specific definitions. Have you read them?
The original publications where in 1911 a.d., and it turns out the estate rights have, in fact, elapsed. The whole collection can be had in a Dover Thrift Edition for $1, American.
Well, I've put in my two cents, even if you think the language is too archaic for this webpage I would recomend resurcher's look into it for insperation or whatever. It really is funny stuff.

Jim, perhaps my brain has siezed up (because I've been busy clicking URLs and forgetting to keep talking), but it seems to me that Endless has rather missed the point of this site. I am also under the impression that Endless is not alone in this affliction.

For the sake of Endless, and the dozens of people going "where's such-and-such definition from the Restaurant at the End of the Universe", and without trying to tread on anyone's toes who's actually to do with running this place, I'll have a bash at my definition of the point:

It seems to me that TDV is trying here to set up a new kind of environment for people to be creative in. The first hope is that we'll have fun trying to write new stuff (not type in old articles, however worthy). The second hope is that other people will enjoy what we write. If they find it useful, that's cool too - but DNA didn't write the original series to be useful, he wrote it to be entertaining.

By all means go back to historical sources to find your inspiration - without Romeo and Juliet there would be no West Side Story, without Tolkein no Terry Pratchett - but put something of yourself in. Then you can be truly proud of what comes out.

That's pretty-much correct, but we still feel that one goal is to create something useful *as well*. There's no reason why entertainment and information can't go hand-in-hand (apart from the funny looks they get).

Fair 'nuff. Think I overcorrected from my earlier stance that it should be primarily a Guide .

First and foremost I still think it should be well-written, and good to write for - if they come, they will help you build it .

I agree about the good writing. My naive hope is that h2g2 can encourage people to write well, and therefore increase the quality of writing on the Internet (and let's face it, the only way to go is up).