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

Ask has been the place to ask questions *and* play silly games for at least the last couple of years. I don't see this changing, are you saying you do? Wasn't there a suggestion the last time this came up that there should be a dedicated games forum where all those silly 'what did your cat have for breakfast' threads could be put. It was suggested that it is given the same visibility as Ask - did anything ever come of that?

I remember the comments about a games forum when I was an italic - I wanted to set one up, other Editors disagreed. In the end it kind of lost impetous and drifted away. I still say that there should be a move to stop using Ask h2g2 as a dumping ground for everything that's posted in the wrong place. Abi and I used to move stuff to Misc Chat, not Ask h2g2 (unless it was clearly a questions) - it's a little more work for the person moving the thread, but I think it's worth it.

And I still think that there should be a 'word games' forum.

When I want to know what's wrong with my computer, then the Forum is the wrong place. But if Ask h2g2 is filled with 'rubbish' (for want of a better word), then people will stop using it, and there will be nowhere for people to go to find help and offer advice.

Unlike a message board, we don't have topics - only entries. And if I ask on a computer-type entry what's wrong with my computer, it's very likely that there will never be any answer. I know there are clubs, but again, people move on and leave and no-one is subscribed anymore, even if they are easy to find.

We need somewhere to go and ask stuff, so please, don't contribute to turning Ask h2g2 into an off-topic chatter forum.

Hmm my is the reason "Ask" has such a plethora of "silly games" is that it is so visable.

When people set up a game or a silly thread what they are hoping is that lots of people will reply to it. And as "Ask" is almost always top of the "busiest" list it will by nature attact that sort of thread. Whatever it is called.

Anywhere popular and easily accesably (the type of place where people can ask questions say) I think will always end up like Ask.

We have a good thing at the Forum. I think most people have probably heard of it now and it is usually on the "busiest convos" list. And I sure as heck dont want silly games here.

"so please, don't contribute to turning Ask h2g2 into an off-topic chatter forum"

I'm pretty insulted that you are accusing me of this. I defended Ask vociferously last time around, just befre the forum was set up, and almost left the site over the whole issue so please be careful what you accuse me of.

At that time it was suggested that MiscChat be given greater prominance and that threads wrongly started in Ask be moved there. The italics at the time seemed unwilling to start moving all the trivial thread to miscchat because there were so many of them and the prevailing view seemed to be that ask would sort itself out so AO moved to set up the forum to get away from the silliness. At the time I argued that the setting up of the forum would drag most of the serious threads away from Ask and it would become inevitable that it would appear that all the threads left in ask would be trivial. This largely seems to have happened. I still go to ask if I have a question I need help with and so do other researchers - but frequently you find that the thread disaapears under all the queries about what your bowel is processing right now.

I'm going for a cup of , am currently feeling rather cross.

I wasn't actually accusing you of anything! I was just asking generally that people don't ask for this kind of thread to be dumped there.

Sorry if you took it that I meant you personally...

For me this thread is indicative of what I like about the "Forum", even a silly thread ends up being interesting discussion.

If there where a separation between three threads "Forum" "Misc Chat and Games" "Ask Questions" say people could subscibe to the ones they were interested in.

Personally I would be subscribed to the "Forum" and "Ask Questions" ones but not the "Misc Chat" one. At the moment I dont subscribe to "Ask" even though I am interested in the proper Q threads becuase I get fed up with all the rubbish.

I am not particularly interested in "Mornington Crescent" or "What Pen are you writing with Now" type threads.

I expect everyone has unsubscribed after seeing the first few posts.

I used to subscribe to Ask - I stopped when I became an italic and never started again. The same thing happened with PR - unsubbed and never subbed back, although I do tend to check both pages regularly to see if there is anything there.

And I really am sorry for upsetting you Kelli, it wasn't my intention to insult you, or accuse you of anything.

Someone has made a page amalgamating links to games (quite a few are on h2g2 friends) haven't they?

I think people use Ask because, as has been said, it features prominently in the busiest conversations. Perhaps people don't make use of the 'talk' button to find other locations such as 'How do I?', which I think is a pity. I would support creation of a new Misc section. I'm finding Ask so busy, there are pages of recent convos to look through & some threads with good potential or people genuinely wanting info probably get lost.

<./>Search?searchstring=games+threads&searchtype=forum&dosearch=Search+the+Conversation+Forums</.> revealed (among others) the following threads...

F19585?thread=395663
Subject: What happened?Everyone is asking intelligent questions again and no games threads in sight
Posted Mar 16, 2004 by Incognitas.Chairthingy of S.H.A.D.O.W. Yippee! she's back!!
34 replies (over 2 days)

F19585?thread=276633
Subject: Would a 'games' forum clear up ask h2g2
Posted May 14, 2003 by ~jwf~
13 replies (all in one day)

F19585?thread=453093
Subject: What are all these games doing in askh2g2?
Posted Jul 24, 2004 by Katiecat
11 replies (over 3 days)


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More than once, A1041625 h2g2 Game Addicts Support Group was linked to - sometimes with a suggestion that the Italics could be approached to make it an official page, an idea that would get my vote

As a relative newbie, I once subscribed to askh2g2 and then unsubscribed some 36 hours later

Ever since, I have visisted all too infrequently and have undoubtedly missed some (possibly 100s) of the best threads on the net

Think I had too much caffeine yesterday Mina

I cant' think of any kind of solution to this at the moment that doesn't require input from the italics and I doubt they have the time to do anything about it...