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

While h2g2 is tearing itself a new one and losing some old ones, I thought I'd try something productive...

Based on a very quick and absolutely inaccurate count, I'd say around 70 people have me on their friends list. Surely some of you are willing to spend some time as a miner for the h2g2 UnderGuide? Quite simply, it's the most enriching thing I've ever done on the internet and some of my best friendships here were made in the mines of the UG.

One of the wonderful things about the UG is that its volunteers come and go as they wish. You get a badge, and you keep it forever (unless you want it taken away, I guess... that's not happened ). As a miner you can help pick entries whenever you feel like it, or forgo a round if you don't feel like it. As a polisher you can polish an entry one month and take a four month break if you like. It's all very flexible.
(and, having been on more than a half dozen offsite hootoo forums, I can say that when the UG's is busy, it's easily the most entertaining of them)

You don't have to be an AWW regular to join, or really ever go into the AWW. Some of our best miners were complete newbies with regard to the creative side of hootoo. You don't even have to be that smart - just look at me!

Anyone, anyone within earshot right now of my journals is encouraged to join the miners (A1092494 and A1092539) and/or the polishers (A1092548 and A1092575). If of my current or former UG compatriots are within earshot, maybe they could give some testimonials of this too oft-concealed and buried side of h2g2 Or else.

- UG Ed in charge of Volunteers.

Actually it is indeed a very fulfilling and worthwhile thing to get involved with.

I would come back myself but I am spending my time volunteering in other areas of h2g2

Mort served the UG for a while before bailing out right before the launch

M., are you aware how long it takes to polish an entry? The last one I did (a few nights ago) took about 15 minutes total. It's not a huge burden

(and yes, I am trying to make you feel uncomfortable )

Aww - I thought after my second more encouraging post you would be nice to me

Fair play to you Jodan - you are persistant

Ha! Fat chance. I can keep it up for two more years too! And two years after that, and two years more...

If I had all the time in the world, Jodan, you know I would devote it to hootoo. And as I've already got a hand in the EG and the Post, the UG would of course be the next logical step.

Maybe in the summer?

I'm sorry, I wish I could be more helpful.

No problem. You've got your hands full

Oh, by the way, EMR, Shazz, Awix and Reefgirl were all invited to the UG offsite group during their tenures so you're certainly welcome I invited Shazz at first because I sensed she was skeptical of the UG at first and I wanted to show we weren't scheming behind her back It became a great way for the UG and Post to communicate with each other - to avoid duplicating entries within a short period of time.

Potential miners - you get all the free drinks you can hold at the Pig and Slag. Well, free to you. They are put on Jodan's tab.

Pah.

Just submitting entries to the AWW or commenting on ones already there are two good ways to contributing to the UG without that awful burden of a shiny purple badge, of course.

I wish I could... maybe I'll do some off-season mining during break...

*sing song* You know you want to.

Since he's threatening us to give testimonials, may I just say that he's absolutely right about not being smart?

...Oh, yeah, and he's right about the UG too. Don't let them fool you - creative writing is the living heart of hootoo.

Because if it's not creative, what is it?

So there you have it. Be smarter than Jodan. Sign up.

Pin

Or wear a tie.

All kidding aside, everyone should spend some time in the AWW just reading and enjoying the entries. You might be surprised at the variety. Or be inspired to add some entries of your own. I don't get over there as often as I should. I'll try to do more reading and commenting.

*Deep breath*

As someone entirely guilty of not doing nearly often enough what Hypatia just rightly recommended - I don't see myself volunteering to be a miner. It just wouldn't be right.

But polishing, on the other hand - I think I could polish. I'll certainly give it a go *marches off after the link*

And now I've replied to your thing on the volunteer thing Trin

Mining is a largely thankless task (if you don't count the free sheep humping ). It takes a bit of work to truly find a gem in the mines of the AWW, but that's a wunnerful feeling. We do seem to get a lot more polisher volunteers than miners, but sometimes I can shame them into doing a bit of mining once they've got their feet in the door.

I've been active for the UG in waves...right now I'm doing polishing but no mining...other times I do mining but no polishing.

I think the AWW is a great thing and is woefully under-inspected by the average hootooer! There's great stuff in there! Sure there's some rubbish too, but you get that with all our review forums and the good stuff really can add something to your day if not your week.

I retrieved a few things out of the WW today and copied them and put them in the AWW and nobody has said anything about them yet! This makes me sad. I am myself guilty of neglecting the AWW at the moment but anyone with the time I URGE to take a look in there, even if you usually feel it's not for you.

I know that a lot of people say that they don't go in the AWW because they have other forums for their creative writing. That's great! But remember all the people who review your work on those forums? Why not do the same here? You will know how great it is when someone tells you that they enjoyed your piece.

Go forth!

Kat

Dammit, I really need to start unsubscribing from some things... that's the second time in as many days I've missed a good, interesting post in my MP list.

The AWW's fun. The difference between PR and the AWW is that with PR you can pretty much tell which entries are worth reading by looking at title and author. With the AWW, it's all an adventure I guess that's why it's called mining. I don't know - I didn't coin the term. Also less pressure in the AWW than PR, I think. Both in the way you comment and the entries you put in.

My biggest problem is that I say to myself 'I will reply to that later' and then it disappears into the mist.

I have purposely left messages unread so it is flagged on my pop-up convo list reminding me to reply - but again it isn't long before it gets lost in the backlog.