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

Maybe it's just me, but . . .

It doesn't feel the same here anymore. I feel like all the places I used to go that were full of people and busy with discussions are empty now.

Did a whole lot of people not make it through the transition? Are they all gathered somewhere else on the site, in places that never interested me before the change?

Did I just lose interest during the down-time?


It just feels kind of small and narrow and empty to me now.



Maybe I should post this in Ask.

I felt like that a couple of years ago. I realised that most of the role-playing threads were gone and so were quite a few of the societies that I'd been a part of. That was a more long term change though, not the same as this.

It does feel a bit small at the moment. I'm hoping that as we get out of this horrid transition phase and settle back down to something spproaching normality people will start to expand again.

Well I'm glad you posted it here so I can respond.

Maybe we should hold fire in terms of judgements for a month.

I know I'm utterly unable to do that because unfortunately once again I am annoyingly unwell as the world judges these things.

It does feel weird.

I hope I am able to post here as its a personal thread and we are friends.

Effers

Always welcome.

Some people we haven't seen for years are back, but yes, the frantic activity of the past while has certainly died down.

TRiG.

I think part of it is that I spent a nice time away and now this place doesn't seem so attractive anymore. I wonder if some of the familiars don't feel the same way.

I made an efforton an occupy thread to put forward the view from where I live and was fairly summarily dismissed with tired prejudice and assumption. Maybe in the old days I would have tried to remain engaged but I just don't feel like it now.

I admit I feel more engaged with Peer Review than I do in Ask. There I feel like I'm helping to create something, but on Ask there are too few people at the moment. I think it'll get better in time when our numbers creep back up to where they used to be.

I was going to say when did you last see 100 people online, but the 'Who's Online' tool has been broken for so long I have no idea!

It saddens me a lot I can't take part in any general discussion for a week..but it probably does make sense as I'm so unstable.

But one has to bite the bullet of what the new thing is. And everyone is feeling strange.

But at least I'm still here at all.

I'll be reading your posts anhaga on the discussion threads I can't post to at present. I always enjoy so much reading your posts.

And yes it's early days..

I keep reading that 'occupied' thread and still don't understand how the term 'occupied' is used.

It's as if suddenly it's assumed everyone knows what it means.

I don't.

I got a bit of a telling off about my behaviour there.

But I just don't understand the free and easy way some people are using the word. To me that is a power trip..

I seriously am tomorrow going to ask people in my community if they fully understand its use. I've been listening to mostly music for weeks because of mental health struggles..and only a little bit of news.

But I realise already how excluded from h2g2 I am because of it. And some one today posted something quite nasty to me about avoiding world news.

But you could imagine that they might the next moment be defending indigenous peoples.

Sometimes I completely give up here.

http://occupywallst.org/ is one of the top hits on google. I hope it helps a bit. It's not something I've kept up with much either, in honesty.

Actually, just pop in 'occupy' into google and have a look at the news headlines. It's enlightening to see that it's not all just about Wall Street, it's happening in a lot of places.

Yes but what does Wall Street have to do with my or anyone else in my community's lives?

I've never once had a discussion about Wall Street with anyone.

And even our stock exchange and economy is much more intimately involved with the EU.

But I absolutely will tomorrow ask people about 'Occupy'..to check out how much it is to do with me avoiding the News, as was suggested to me...or just that people in Peckham don't give a ts about Wall street and occupy.

You're making it sound like a reality tv phenomenon.

My friend who is incredibly radical in her politics and art..has never once used that silly word.

And she puts her body and soul on the line regularly.

She done loads in South Africa on various trips...also in Canada to do with BP.

But you won't see her posting on places like this....when she's not working..she's enjoying a bit of time with her boy friend. And he's even more radical but about as mentally ill as me

One thing I noticed in my brief time on that 'Occupy' thread, Effers, is how `phenomenally little the ones who pretended to know about the 'movement' actually know about it. I was impressed that somebody was aware that it started in response to the Canadian-based anti-consumerist magazine 'Adbusters' (available at every single corporate news stand in the country, for a price ), but was `pretty unimpressed by their very superficial knowledge of what was actually going on in the 'movement'. It is fundamentally a U.S. thing, as should be evident by the fact that it was called, from it's beginning in the magazine, 'Occupy Wall Street' and despite the claim that it has expanded into a global phenomenon, outside of the U.S. it's been either the usual anarchist window smashing or a gaggle of protesters camping out in a park for a night or two. As I tried to `point out on the thread, `political/economic situations are not the same everywhere and different responses to those situations are appropriate in different places. But, no, all problems are caused by the 1% and corporations and we gotta stick it to da man!

I can't be bothered.

Yes you can be bothered here.

I'm a complete idiot about all this sloganising and politics stuff even when I'm not listening to the news much for weeks.

To me yes there is a sense of something like 'occupy' emerging..from some original thing..but it shouldn't become some set in stone thing that means people like me..or old people..or uneducated people should be made to feel stupid for not having the first clue what it's about.

I got to feel like a total and absolute fool on h2g2 for not knowing about 'Occupy".

And for why?

I've been mentally unwell for sometime...and don't listen to News. I got humiliated by someone for not listening to News.

Lots of people don't. Or even if they do don't give a dam about Wall Street etc. They have more pressing concerns in their lives.

I really hope crp like that stops in the future on h2g2. People shouldn't be made to feel stupid for not keeping up with the latest news to do with the US.

Also they don't even seem to have a full clue about BP.

I made the `point over there that very, very few of the educated, engaged peo`ple I talk to know or care much of anything about the Occu`py thing. Outside of the U.S. the ones who know about it are news junkies like me, `political junkies like me, or quasi-`professional or `professional `protesters or wannabe `protesters (not like me).

I fear that most of the hootooers who `pretend to be u`p on it fall into the very last category.

~People who around me who are busy working, parenting, enjoying life and trying to make life a little better for their neighbours aren't `paying much attention to the occupiers.

I went by the Occu`py Edmonton web`page a little while ago and looked at the most recent collection of `photos from the 'movement'. One `photo had at least a dozen `peo`ple in it. In another there's a sign which reads:

No income tax
re`place waste
world currency
open borders
equal `pay for
equal work
discover
free energy




I'm sure the rich 1% would love that 'no income tax' bit.


'If you go carryin' pictures of Chairman Mao . . .'

Hi anhaga, I disagree with alot (but not all) of your assessment of both Occupy and the people in those threads (and am dismayed that you have such a low opinion of me and my understanding of the world). But I do apologise for coming on so strong on those threads in response to your posts. It was ill considered and prompted by things going on here in RL.

It is a weird time on h2, and I'm missing the spark that's usually present in Ask. I think part of it is that so many are tied up still with the transition. I do think that it's only a matter of time until we get busy again though. There are alot of people still turning up.

kind regards,
kea.

kea I know you are posting to anhaga here..but I am also part of this thread.

I found the treatment I had on that thread utterly alienating. And nothing like I would get in real life from people are into those type of politics.

Emotional people like me...and most artists do tend to be can get nastily hurt by the personal way of being treated.

anhaga has a different personality type to me..but he's a very creative person..and I see exactly where he is coming from..and thank god he's on h2g2.

Yes it is a weird time for all of us.

And I still hope you and I can make it up a bit in some way eventually.

And no I'm looking for stuff from you as I said before. Just 2 way friendship.

You usually ignore me..or post something I can't relate to.

But whatever you want to do its fine.

**

But yes you have your own thing to do with anhaga as well. Hope its okay for me to post here to you.

Oh well who knows if anything will appear or when?

I just cannot believe I'm considered such a dangerous person here..that it can take ages for stuff to even appear on these threads.

It is very very unpleasant. And nothing like treatment I'd get in real life from good people.