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

Kea - I'm busy at work now - but I'll take another read of Peanut's post this evening.

It was 6.40 am when I responded and 7am when Ben responded.

Missed, or not had the hour it would take to respond as they deserve?




Anyhoo, I need people who can sanity-check the help pages just before they go out to the community, and you would both be ideal. None are ready yet, but some are getting close. If anyone else wants to help with that, please say so. It's not a private party.

We also really really need someone to take the lead on Community Central, though I will absolutely help with that, and the CEs may be able to take it up later anyway.

You've both got my email address?

I've avoided posting to this, actually, thats not true, I've written several posts and then not posted because I've been so bloody angry I didn't dare post what I really thought.
It doesn't look as though Z or Ben want to say it so I will.
Whatever business decisions are taken by either NPL or Noesis is entirely a matter for them. They DO NOT have to announce, nor explain any decision publicly to the community or anyone else for that matter. The only time we, as the community, need to know about anything is when a decision is taken that affects the site and how it operates. Both NPL and Noesis have left it to the other third member of the consortium, thats the Interim Committee, volunteers, to deal with the day to day running of the site. Thats something that the core people, like Z, Ben, Pastey, Happy Nerd and others are trying to do. The handover from the BBC left the tech side with a mammoth task to get stuff working and in just 4 weeks they've achieved miracles. Lots more to be done but we're talking volunteers working in their lunch hours, nighttime, w/e's. As and when the process's and procedures are set up and tools for doing the job are working then, and only then, will the time be right to organise the elections. The important one will be to elect a community member to the board of NPL/Noesis followed by elections to the volunteer positions, Editors, etc. Nothing has changed for the end user, ie. us the community. We carry on using the site, we promote it in the best possible light. What we don't do, and this is directed at just a small minority, we don't whinge and gripe, we don't attack the very people who are working their tails off behind the scenes. We sure as hell don't behave like spoilt brats not getting there way. Its obvious from some of the selfish, mean spirited comments here and elsewhere that we have, yet again, a minority not getting there way and behaving like complete imbeciles as a result. Well, it don't wash folks. If you don't like it, you know what to do. This site was saved for the benefit of EVERYONE, not just a chosen few. If anyone here thinks they can do better, go start your own chat site, see whats involved, see the sort of cr*p you'll get faced with. Want more eveidence on how hard it is. Look in the Editorial Feedback thread and the Jeremy Vine article I posted there. That was a site started by volunteers to continue a 'community' of users etc. Its now defunct, I'm not putting all the details here, suffice to say it all ended in tears, with legal actions, ownership arguments etc etc. I will just add, for the record, I had nothing to do with the setting up of the R2 exiles etc. I just had friends who were heavily involved and when it went pear shaped, it was not pleasant for those involved. It shows, vividly, what happens if you get the legal process's wrong let alone actually run a site.
There's a lot of work still to be done on h2g2, from the techy to the more boring mundane tasks inc legal and business things. I have no doubt whatsoever, that if any decisions are made by either NPL or Noesis that will impact the site we will be told. Otherwise, apart from annual general meetings and the minutes thereof, we have NO right to demand information from either of them. I can think of no business where the board issue daily, weekly, monthly updates for public consumption. It doesn't happen in the real world, why should it happen in the virtual? We don't even fall into the category of 'employees' as far as NPL and Noesis are concerned so again, they have absolutely NO obligation to tell us in advance about decisions they take.
Everything being done currently on h2g2 is being done by the interim committee and volunteers. Its a necessary move in order to get things up and running in a timely manner. The legal aspects are a minefield, its going to take time.
I suggest, with the greatest respect, that instead of this constant demand for information, for change and constant griping and moaning, we sit back, let the process's take there course, wait till information is not only available but is the correct information and let the volunteers get on and deal with stuff. When the time is right the interim team will publish all and then debates can be had.
While on the subject of demands, just who the hell do people think they are making demands in the first place? What happened to common courtesey and manners? Where are the Please may or the Thank You's?
I learnt, during 25yrs of public service one valuable lesson. Its dead easy to criticise and complain, its near impossible for people to praise or be positive and say those simple words, THANK YOU!
I've been somewhat stunned at a couple of folk on here who, frankly, I expected better. It goes to show, you think you know someone then all of a sudden they show their true colours and boy, it comes as a shock to realise just how selfish and yes, deceitful, some folk are.
I suggest everyone take a chill pill and back off, enjoy the site and show some due patience while things get sorted. Remember, go too far with unreasonable demands, continue the public griping, moaning and bitching and you run the very real risk of NPL, Noesis and the Interim Committee saying, 'stuff this, pull the plug' and that'll be the end of h2g2.
I'm going offline now and find something else to do while my chill pill works.

BMT.

Hey Ben, I am necking back the myself. I am really glad that you have sorted stuff for yourself, I fret about you

I do have the time to read through the help pages and tell you how they read to me, is email ok?

I am not ignoring the community central, I is thinking, it will take some time.

Re the reply to my very long post, when I read your replies this morning, you both did make a lot of sense but I wasn't sure how all my points did 'resonate' with you or if they taken onboard quite.

I didn't think you have the time to talk it through with me and I'm not sure how much I can give to be honest. Writing posts like that is a bit much for me, because I can't write basically. It took a days thinking on and off, I starting writing at 10.30pm and finished at 4.00am, not solidly sweating at it, but it is quite a painful process for me So I was just going to leave it pretty much there. I am happy to leave it there.

This next comment is meant in no way negatively (like I said I can't write) but you don't have the hour(s), I don't have the days to effectively to go over the same old ground

So send me those help pages and let me think about community central, how does that sound?

and alround

Peanut

That was s'posed to start with

Hi Ben and Z (sorry Z)

Thank you BMT. I was really interested in what you said about the former BBC boards and did some scratching around to find out what happened to them. The more I scratched, the more I knew we couldn't do it alone.



>> It took a days thinking on and off, I starting writing at 10.30pm and finished at 4.00am,

Boy do I recognise that, Peanut. It can take me months to work out what I think about something. And sometimes I don't know until I start talking or typing about it.

I'll send you the help stuff as it comes along, which won't be for a few weeks yet. And drop me a line any time you've thoughts on Community Central - or put them on the Community Soapbox. Either is fine with me.

B

Hi, Ben.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I've been away from H2G2 for more than a week for medical reasons.
(I couldn't get any Iternet access in the hospital. )
I'm grateful that it's still here. I'm grateful that *I'm* still here.

Life is short. Eat dessert first. If people deserve a pat on the back, give it to them while you have the chance.

*drops in with and for Ben*

My word! You really know how to overload yourself. If I can be of any help with any part of this then just point me at the task.

I just 'poked' you on FB, as I couldn't send a message. I'm SS.

Z

Ben

I don't have much of a BS detector, but I'd be willing to look through the Help Pages from a does-that-make-sense-to-someone-who-hasn't-been-living-and-breathing-this-for-months standpoint.