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

When Ed and I walked the latest section of coast a few days ago, it struck me that I couldn't add some of the great stuff to the Entry. We were a hundred metres or so above the fog, so we could see very clearly over to Gower and the Brecon Beacons. Minehead was freezing and foggy, but the tops were warm and sunny - it was very special to be up there. This unique experience, where the whole Bristol Channel was covered in fog but the views above insanely clear (not unlike seeing the Himalaya from an aeroplane), would be lost to the Edited Guide as I wouldn't be able to write about my own walk that day.

So I thought why not add a few memories and first person snippets to my Entries? That's what the 'Discuss This Entry' button is there for, after all. So to each of my coast path Entries so far, I've added a bit as a conversation talking about my own experiences - you never know, it might be as useful or inspiring to some people as the Entry itself. It has also let me talk a bit more freely about some bits, or clarify what I am saying in terms of personal experience.

Just thought I'd mention it, in case anyone felt like following suit. Can't stay away, can I?

Nope, you can't. Seems that (like Oscar Wilde i believe?) you can resist anything except temptation.

It sounds like a fine idea to me, the strength of hootoo is that it encourages personalised Guide entries, it isn't a dry, boring travel guide but real people's personal experiences. OK; not possible to use first person stuff in the actual Entry but as a footnote type thing, why not?

zdt

I'm sure that there are entries out there that reflect people's thoughts and feelings but as has been said not in the first person.

Yes, that's what I mean, Opti. I'm just surprised I haven't thought of using the button in that way before. It seems to me to be a great way to add personal thoughts and experiences to an Entry without affecting the Entry itself.

You're right with that quote, Terri

It's a brilliant notion. Many Edited Entries deserve to have flourishing conversations based on them, but few do.

TRiG.

Possibly because no one would find them. I feel that there is a very important point missing in all instructions on how to write an entry, and that is: Don't forget to subscribe to the entry once you've written it - and more important: Don't forget to subscribe again when and if it is republished as an EG entry.

If you don't do that, you'll never find out what people are saying about your entry. But no one ever tells you to do it. You should even subscribe to your Personal Space if you want new conversations to appear in your conversations list - I often skip over the Conversations section of my space, and don't notice when people have dropped me a message directly on my space for anything up to a week.

Perhaps it's something those of us who know could do. Pop round to Front Page authors and let them know on their Personal Spaces, or on the PR thread.

I have popped over to a couple of people and let them know, but that's usually when I've subscribed to their entry and noticed that they haven't responded to someone posting there.

Glad to see you here Skankyrich!

Nice to be here, and see you too I'm popping in between shifts at the moment.

I'm a devil for doing that myself, TC - Bel normally reminds me when the Entry is already on the FP! But I think people do read conversations if they are on the Entry, especially if the thread title suggests it might add extra information. It's probably also worth remembering that most readers won't come from h2g2, but from BBC and internet searches - we'll never know if they read them or not, but I think personally that it's worth five minutes of my time to add a little something extra in this way, just in case

Yes - once the person is actually reading the entry, they at least have easy access to the threads. The trick is thinking up a really catchy subject line to make people want to read on!

You're probably right there, TC - shame, because I've already chosen dull subject lines for mine

I think the problem is that you're choosing dull subjects...

tee hee

Even then, though - the catchy subject line is just more of a trick.

Says train guy

I have never written a single Entry about a train. Trains do not interest me. I find the term 'rolling stock' quite soporific, and I couldn't care less about liveries. I consider trainspotting to be a damn good book by Irvine Welsh and nothing more, except maybe a film. I do not know of any means of classifying trains other than steam/electric/diesel, and as far as I'm concerned a bogey is something that lives in my nose. To summarise, I am not a train nerd. I may, however, have written about the odd station, railway or rail accident. That is all.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. You're not a train nerd at all.

Allow me to apologise and rephrase my earlier post:

Says train line guy


Seriously, though, I wouldn't poke gentle fun unless I knew you and thought you'd take it in the spirit it was intended. You've got nothing to prove to me, and even less to explain. Whatever you write about, you do it bloody well and - even more importantly - you appreciate good cider. You don't need to justify a single Entry of yours, least of all to me

Well then, I'm glad we've got that all sorted out *storms off*

Fine.

*folds arms, stares out of window moodily*

*stands at a point just outside the place from which he stormed out and looks even moodier*

And you know what? I don't even like shrews. I was just pretending, nature boy.

Ah crap. You win, I can't take it any more. To all the lovely little shrews out there - I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Please forgive me.

Sheppy's, mate?



Here's to the shrews. And the train tracks. And to a happy New Year, and of course to Arthur Perkins.