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

I wonder how many people are still subscribed to my journal? I'm barely subscribed to it myself. Anyway, I had shivers of recognition just now when I found this post in a blog I read intermittently: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6lvo6v

The blogger says:

"I’m still alternately amused, dumbfounded and frustrated with how badly [the corporation] misses what the community wants. The scale of what they have achieved with a [creative] site would have sounded impossible only a few short years ago and now we take it for granted. They got the hard stuff right and they still don’t seem to understand how easy it would be to keep the community happy. And they don’t COMMUNICATE! [The meet] seemed to succeed as a community event despite [the corporation] rather than because of them."

Shivers of recognition, anyone? When I read it, I had flashbacks to endless pointless discussions here. To save you clicking the link, I'll tell you that he's writing about You Tube. Oh, and he's one angry bloke, so there should be a sweary-word warning on the link.

Anyway, this made me wonder how widespread is the tension between the owners of creative sites and the contributors. The BBC certainly has a patchy track record, and the story of the Beeb's own Get Writing site is instructive:

Here is the 2003 version of Get Writing, from the Way Back Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/20031016063833/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/getwriting

There was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when the Beeb closed the site in about 2005, and here is a discussion board set up by some exiles: http://www.morewriting.co.uk/

So what? You ask. Well, since then the BBC have created *another* creative writing site here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/writing/ Why? Why not keep the first one? Does the word "strategy" have any relevance or meaning here?

And to give the new site a clear playing field the Beeb have effectively obliterated the original one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/getwriting .

Feeling giddy yet?

I'm not really sure what my question is, but here are a few that are rattling around at the moment.

Is it the norm for there to be tension between between creative communities and the suits that own the sites they use?

Do the suits really not understand the communities or do they understand ok, but simply have a different agenda?

How naive is it for community members to expect altruism?

Perhaps I should dig around on Wordpress or Blogger to find out what's going on there. Or even Facebook. Eeep.

The sort version of the question, of course, is:

Deja vu, anyone?

Hi Ben

It's surprising that you're asking rather than answering these questions. You've got a foot in both camps, right? Creative activity versus IT administration: you're just about the only person who's ever remotely persuaded me of a chance of peaceful co-existence.

Personally I quickly lose patience with self-important administrators. The site is always just the vehicle. The art is the thing of value. So I don't think an expectation of altruism is naive at all. There's only any point in these sites if the administrators give themselves completely to providing a stage for the communities.

here is a discussion board set up by some exiles ahem...not a discussion board more a mini getwriting... that was set up as a result of the beeb pulling the plug..the main site is "http://www.patient.co.uk/" which has made use of some of the skills of writers .... back to Is it the norm for there to be tension between between creative communities and the suits that own the sites they use? ......Suppose it is when behind the suits, others like government is pulling the strings...... huh Do the suits really not understand the communities or do they understand ok, but simply have a different agenda? Dont think that many of the top level suits understand, but many will have a different agenda like keeping there jobs, (like in french revelation) huh How naive is it for community members to expect altruism? very naive

I'm only popping in after a year to say I'm still subscribed and that shall remain till this site is naught but a memory. And just as quickly I'll pop back out as I happen to be part of the 'naive' set and I've seen where that gets a body 'round these parts. But first...

I'm all for fighting the good fight but when faced with as much if not more opposition from those on your own side as those on the opposite side of the trench it seems pointless, a waste of not only time but more importantly of hope. Those afraid of upsetting the applecart for fear of reprisal in the form of closure are perhaps more to blame than the corporate beast itself, content with scrapes tossed at their feet rather than an empty belly and a clear conscience. Appeasement, pure and simple and history shows how that's ever worked out for anyone.

Ranting aside i'll give my take on your questions.

'Is it the norm for there to be tension between between creative communities and the suits that own the sites they use?'

h2g2 is still unique as a community and I've yet to find a place that compares. The original mission statement or at least it's interpretation may be flawed but the community itself creates as much tension on that front as the suits themselves.

'Do the suits really not understand the communities or do they understand ok, but simply have a different agenda?'

If I were to guess I'd say the suits have as little idea as to the wants of it's people as does government. The layers between contributer and corporate leave a disconnect which is not to be bridged without an intermediary who can show that their agenda and that of the community can coexist if one looks beyond the figures. Good PR is a commodity that pays dividends far exciding the outlay.


'How naive is it for community members to expect altruism?'

To approach anything with less is to start from a point of scepticism or worse, cynicism. I myself refuse to suspend hope in any venture as one starts with hope and goes from there. I count this a basis for all things including goverment and make adjustments as the situations and circumstances require, weigh costs and decide if the price warrents further resources. Sadly there are times when you have to cut the loses and simply walk away regardless of personal feeling.

Once again, it all comes down to fighting the good fight or living to fight another day. In this case it seemed a no win for me. Like fighting an incurable disease, you can buy time but in the end...well, I believe in exiting with dignity, head held high and eyes without fear.

Still, I lurk, I check in. Hopeless? Probley, then again I am a hopeless romantic so it only stands to reason. And with that I will fade out, back to the shadows from whence I came. Take care all.

Spynxxx

Recent hootoo events have underlined what is common knowledge - that the Beeb is a reactive/ reactionary organisation.

Example: Researcher Christopher recently picked up an immediate, unapeallable ban for mentioning a venerable BBC presenter in the context of drugs. (Despite said presenter's drug habit being common knowledge.) Post-Sachsgate, they daren't give the tabloids a stick to beat them with. What they forget is that the tabs are quite capable of *inventing* sticks.