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

Forgive me, it's not immediately obvious to me.

that User Pages, after having been reviewed, folded, spindled, and mutilated by the crack h2g2 editorial staff somehow evolve into Guide Entries. This probably allows them a chance to edit out any nasty and/or legally dangerous bits.

Users can search the contents of your Journal and User Pages by doing a "Power Search" from a normal Search Results page, but I think that the normal "search the guide. . ." function only accesses official Guide Entries.

If anyone on the h2g2 staff would like to confirm or deny this, it would be helpful. . .

RunAroundKid

I was wondering the same thing... then I found this stuff in the FAQ.

---SNIP---
Okay, I’ve registered now, I’ve seen my home page… how do I actually submit an Entry to the official Guide?

Return to your home page and click the link that says "Add a new user page." You’ll see a form to create a new page. Pull the stopper from your jeroboam of creative juices and let them gush all over the form. Once you’ve added the page, see where it’s listed on your home page, and click the "edit" link next to it. On that page, you’ll see the magical "Consider For Rejection" button...
---/SNIP---

There doesn't seem to be an "Add New User Page" link on my homepage.

Can we assume that this is a "soon to be implemented" feature? Can the H2G2 staff confirm this/deny this/go out to lunch?

I have the same problem - are there any plans for a more informative help system too ?

On the page you add a 'journal entry' there is a link if you want to add a page instead...

As Lord Kenja says - go to your journal entry page, and then click the link saying "create a page" - that's where you can add/edit your own pages, I assume they are then reviewed by the Guide before being published

Except! Once you create the new page, you have to go back and edit it. THEN, once you edit it, you will be presented with a button that says: "Submit for rejection". Press this button and your article will be submitted.
--Researcher 28292 (Girmann)

Amazing how clear it all becomes...

They should prescribe free sense-sensitive sunglasses that turn black as soon as you think you've got the hang of something complex to prevent your brain from overheating!
(G)

I finally figured out the entire procedure (the go to the journal entry page, add a page, edit the page, submit the page thing). Now, this procedure is entirely too complex. If the intent of the Guide staff is to make it difficult to cut down on the number of pages they get, then I understand. However, I think that to make the system as usable as possible, they should just have a button off your home page that says something like, "Write an entry" and when you're done entering it, there's a button that asks you if you want to add is as a user page or submit it for rejection. Currently, having to go through the journal page is a pain.

Was this system designed by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation? Why can't they just have a 'Stick It In The Guide' button?

I couldn't agree more! I think I now understand what to do, but why make it so difficult? Also, all the pictures (although looking vvv cool indeed), take WAY to long to download on EVERY page.

researcher 26630 - who also hasn't managed to change name either (so I'm slow!)

This is something that's gotta change. I guess it's cos the images are loaded via javascript on frame load and the frame is cgi generated... time for a static frame content guys!

How do we know whether a submitted page has been looked at and is pending rejection, as opposed to sitting in an Editor's in-tray whilst he/she/it is out to lunch?

Is there any way to track the status of a submission beyond just Submitted? e.g.

Submitted -> Pending -> Reviewed -> Discussed ->
Laughed At/Rejected/Accepted?

I must obviously need one as I can't understand any of the instructions on how to submit entries, edit home pages etc. When I do find my home page none of the links appear to be there. What's going on? Why did I have to register again? Open another email to get to a home page I can't change? Would that 42 was the answer! Please help!

And, already, things are changing. Earlier on, there was a 'create a new thread' button in the forums
screen. Now its gone. So how do we start new conversations now?

Also, how do we get the nice bold pale blue headings on our messages?

Welcome to the world(s) of The Guide ... Did you think the Earth Edition would be any different from the Galagactic? Think of it as roleplaying. Or being drunk.

Er...you're not using Internet Explorer 4, are you? IE4 has a bug that whenever you submit a form (i.e. whenever you fill in an edit field), the next page is reloaded completely, including all the graphics. i.e. every search you do, every edit you do, every message you post will cause all the graphics to be reloaded.

The latest service pack for IE4 allegedly fixes this brain-dead behaviour. (There's no good reason for it - it's just a hack that MS put in to get around a related problem, instead of fixing it properly).

Of course, some other browsers might exhibit this behaviour too.

Tim

It helps alot if so scream "BING" at an increadibly loud volume and as high pitched as you can manage just as you press any button, this will serve a two fold purpose.
1) Scare the computer into submission.
2) Draw any help from the surrounding area, one of whom might actually know what they are doing.

Sod it there is always some kind of typo isn't there, try replacing all previous uses of the word "so" with "you"