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

Just having a quite moment over here. I've very sad, and even though a save of h2g2 looks potentially promising, this is still the end of something. For 8 years I've been coming here often as a break from a relatively stressful life, and even at its quietest there always something to do here, of a quality that is rare online, and also reasonably rare in my life (the degree of hardcore silliness I've experienced only on one other setting). It's really hard thinking about not being able to do that soon. People say that "it's just a website", and maybe it is for them. But I don't think I'm alone in having this place as a central part of my life. Still, as well as being heartbroken, I'm also strangely buoyant. Mostly I think because of the community's response, and how we've just almost immediately gone into solution mode. There is such goodwill here, and all sorts of researchers I haven't seen for yonks are turning up. Stuff that's not just cheering me up, but making me feel actually pretty good: Nick Reynolds: >> This will probably be my last comment today but I would just like to say one thing on a personal note. H2G2 is the best behaved and most civilised community I've ever encountered. The way that you have reacted to the news is a great credit to you. I can't promise that I will be able to bring you all to a happy conclusion. But I can promise you that I'm going to work very hard to try and make that happen. It's the least you deserve. << http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F77636?thread=8018187&skip=0&show=200#p105572996 Jim Lynn: << I might have got my dates wrong, but isn't tomorrow (25th Jan) the tenth anniversary of the day the BBC officially took on h2g2 (and therefore the beginning of the period known as Rupert)? << http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F77636?thread=8018187&skip=0&show=200#p105578374 Jim again: >> Well, it was first discussed sometime around October 2000. I believe Douglas met Ashley Highfield, then the new head of BBC Online, at an event, and they got talking, and Douglas mentioned that h2g2 wasn't doing too well raising money. Ashley saw potential in the site (and the underlying technology we'd built) and started trying to make a deal to buy the site, the tech and some of the people running it. The deal was signed on 25th Jan 2001. This was a deal that took place over Christmas (which knocks out a month, practically speaking) and all told took around three months from start to finish. During which time those of us working for h2g2 weren't getting paid (the BBC promised to pay us if the deal happened). I've since learned that it takes longer to order stationery at the BBC. That deal should have been impossible to do in that time. But Ashley Highfield was new to the BBC so no-one had told him it was impossible. I fear it couldn't happen today. Luckily, though, this time h2g2 is going in the opposite direction, which I hope is an easier prospect. << http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F77636?thread=8018187&skip=0&show=200#p105587682 A few comments were made about that being bad timing, but this is a Good Omen, I'm sure!

8 years and I never came across this page before:

>>
We are Temporarily Closed
Please Don't Panic!

h2g2 will be unavailable for a short period, but we will be back very soon. We're very sorry for the inconvenience.
<<

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A685497

I don't have anything especially useful to say, but somehow just posting a smiley or something didn't seem right. So I'll just sit here quietly, if you don't mind.

*sits in corner, trying to be a bit zen about things*

I know exactly what you mean about coming to h2g2 for a bit of a boost from the stresses of real life Kea. I only wish I had found h2g2 a lot earlier than I did.

Once, way back in time when the internet was just beginning, I was part of a group of colleagues who developed a tiny little circle of online friends, and the fun and support we gave each other was incredible. Sadly it didn't last, but ever since then I'd been looking for the same sort of intelligent and amusing and kind folk that I knew were out there somewhere. So I latched onto h2g2 as soon as I came across it.

My hopes are that somehow h2g2 will be saved, but I am very doubtful that the consortium of researchers has got what it takes to do it alone. I read that the developers had been working for 8 months, 8 - 10 hour days trying to sort out the new website and it's still unstable. I can't see how volunteers could manage to do all the nuts and bolts purely on a volunteer basis.

Maybe a commercial new owner will be found, and the BBC will hand everything over, lock stock and barrel. Let's hope so. But in the meantime there are lots of little life pods being launched with groups of people, such as the Atelier moving to Facebook for instance.

We will become the diaspora that once was h2g2.

We are still here, and might as well enjoy it in our usual hootoo fashion! Join the Unoffical Hootoo Sit-in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F16034?thread=8020360 Please excuse the extended link, I'm not sure if those reading in barlesque can use the short ones

Hey you two

I think even if we don't get to take the whole of h2g2 with us, there's no reason the community can't stay intact on something considerably better than FB. I have no doubt that we have the combined skills to run a bloody good online community.

lil, I missed you without your matt!

*runs off to look at link*

In the meantime kea, you are more than welcome to contact me on: [email protected]

I don't want to lose contact with you

Lanzababy already knows where to find me

Thanks lil


Here's some more from Jim Lynn (post 42 ):

>> Subject: So long, thanks for all the fish
Posted Yesterday by Whisky

Next obvious question, which I'm not sure you'll be allowed/able to answer Jim... If the guide did get handed over/sold to someone else, would the transfer include the DNA software behind it, or just the database and users?

Given what DNA's actually capable of, it might actually be commercially worth someone's while to agree to keep the guide running if they were to get their hands on the software.


Read the First Reply to this Posting

Subject: So long, thanks for all the fish
Posted Yesterday by Jim Lynn
This is a reply to this Posting

Posting 42


That sort of question is one the lawyers would have to answer. I'm utterly out of the loop on this one.

If it were down to me...

I'd hack out the core bits of DNA that h2g2 needs into a separate bit of software, then get the BBC to open-source that, along with releasing all the existing h2g2 data under a suitable Creative Commons license.

The new redesign, if it remained, would have to be refactored, as that relies on the BBC's templating architecture, but to be honest, I'd redo all the skins in something new (and because it's me, that would probably be ASP MVC 3).

We'd need our own user registration system (perhaps something based on OpenID, perhaps not) to replace BBC ID.

After that, it just needs enough server horsepower to keep the site running.

Then you just need to worry about paying for server repairs, bandwidth, scaling (if you're lucky). And let the newly autonomous community take the guide in new and more wonderful directions.

Please note: All this is my personal speculation, and I'm not speaking in any official capacity.
<<

How cool is that, that Jim Lynn is still here and still keen. Brilliant.



Someone I don't think I know, who posted a blog on shutting down h2g2:

http://reverttosaved.com/2011/01/24/rip-dnas-h2g2-and-why-axing-the-bbcs-community-websites-is-a-huge-mistake/

have faith Or at least a widely over optamistic sense of the positive I'm very supprised in what a bit over 24 hours at the response the google group endevour has revealed, both from within the h2g2 community itself (current and old user's alike), and also from people who arn't even h2g2 researchers offering help and assistance, plus the positive sounds we've heard from Jim and Nick, on site...
Though at the moment its a bit of a waiting game, as both Nick and Jim (who had a meeting this morning I believe), can't say anymore for the time being in terms of specifics as the BBC legal people are of course looking at matters... Plus, of course, nighthoover still hasn't arrived

I'm really impressed by the response of 99.9% of the community. The positive nature of the threads is a great credit to h2g2 and must surely mean that a solution can be found?

And I'm happy to be one of a number of oldies who have come back to lend a voice and a hand where possible.

Frenchbean

It is very strange to be seeing all these names online who I thought had long ago been lost never to return
think even if we do* loose h2g2 entirely, and either can't rescue it as it is, or have it taken over by a non evil person/company, the community should (if not the guide itself), be able to live on, as that woudl be the easiest option to set up, in terms of coding a new forum and hosting it
At the moment though, I think the likelyhood of rescue, from one quarter or another, seems very likely.... Things are most definately afoot and the bluebirds (plus nighthoover) are surely on their way

Hate to tell you this 2legs, but n*ghth**v*r is dead.

Nice to see you back Frenchbean It's so wonderful to see so many people again.

I'm feeling cautiously optimistic now too. And I agree 2legs, whatever else happens this community will survive. So long as we can survive the explosion of threads

"nighthoover's alive!"
(said as in the way that, err 'Gorden's alive', I think by Brian blessard in the moovie Flash Gorden)...
Seriously... I'm sure its in the BBC legal proviso, that they can't actually close h2g2 until after nighthoover' returns

Yeh, I think the community will easily find a new home, even if the entire site can't be saved (and I'm still optamistic that it can be; both from what Jim Lynn and Nick have said, plus seeing the speed at which the goodle groups discussion of the community owned site is going...)

I really am quite impressed - and heartened - by the community response. Feel rather awkward for not actually taking a part in it, but to be honest, there isn't really much I can do; although if we ( 'we'? 'they'?) do manage to move the site to a subscription-based sort of model somewhere else, I'll be more than happy to subscribe, even on my meager student funds. Like I said on my journal, even though I've mostly been away for the last few years, this place means a lot to me.

Hi Lady P Like you I've come back to lend support. Even if I can't do much that is constructive, I think that the upsurge in activity on h2g2 will help demonstrate the importance of the site, so I'm posting regularly again.

I'm even sketching out an EG entry

Onwards and upwards..
Fb

Onwards and upwards... and to insanity and beyond!

One of the things that everyone can do is get involved in the discussions like the one about what is *it* we're trying to save, where should h2g2 go from here (figuratively), etc. We all have perspectives on the site and what's good about it. Now's the time to talk about that

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F20154027?thread=8022966 Like that one? There are so many threads now it's a challenge to keep up.

Exactly.... Even if the currently ongoing negotiations do* find a buyer for the site, and we're rescued that way (all the indications from Nick and Jim seem to be hinting at this, though they're kept from being able to say too much by the legal teams and their trained attack badgers), all the currently ongoing discussions over aspects of the site as it is, may be of great use in any new owner wanting to say 'hey what's it all about', and, of course, if not, then its the plan which the consortium will be using for its own attempt to take the site on, should the current 'fficial' discussions fail