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

I believe that this guide really does have a lot of potential. I dont know how many people have seen the movie, but in it, there is an interactive hitchhikers guide. I belive that h2g2 should make a Macromedia flash version of the guide, at least the edited guide, to make it more interactive. Additionally, with the new innovations in technology, like the ipod, i think it may be possible to make a portable guide.
I would love thoughts from anyone and everyone.

Some entries already have flash, although those are from the really early days. Have a look at the entry for Tea A61345 for instance.

Some entries also have video clips, such as the London Stone entry A863309

Portable guide's been done too
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/h2g2

Oh yes and while we're at it, <./>mobile-info</.>

by portable, i mean a completley stand alone project
and by flash, i mean an interactive home page.

It takes long enough to load some days as it is without Flash...

H2G2's been around 6 years. If it ain't broke (which it clearly isn't), don't fix it.

i'm sorry, i dont wish to revamp all of h2g2, i merely wish to create a different version of the edited guide, that is made in flash, avaliable to all who can utilize it. Additionally, i was thinking of having an ipod like item, but is actually the guide. the second seems a bit far fetched, but may be able to make some money.

Ah, but the guide's not about making money mate! It's about free and easy access to information. Why make people buy specialist equipment, surely being able to access it from a mobile or a net cafe anywhere around the world for free (obviously you've got to pay for WAP/Net access, but that's the Internet's problem) is what DNA intended for h2g2?

Indeed. archr66, being American, might have a bit of difficulty understanding the nature of the BBC. In the States, television broadcasters are money-grabbing organisations who put on commercials breaks every three minutes to maximise their profits.

The BBC is a very British institution. Government-owned (more or less), it provides education and entertainment in a variety of media for a fixed licence fee from the general public. It is profit-making only to the extent of being able to pay its employees.

B

And if it were in flash I for one wouldn't be using it at all

Abso-lute-ly. Goddamit. Free is as free does.....er.....I think!?!?! Socialism is the key. You tell'im. I'm not gonna tell 'im 'cos I is scared.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....sorry, just trying to be scary.
Don't hit me
bye

Actually, I've just noticed something from the original post...

" dont know how many people have seen the movie, but in it, there is an interactive hitchhikers guide."

Does it have 'Don't Panic' on the front cover in large re-assuring letters?

Glad these newcomers can fill me in on the whole hitch-hiker thing...

Stop it - I don't want to go off on a kick about newbies. Especially in the thread of one who is making a relatively reasonable suggestion.

B

Sorry, just struck me as amusing. Besides, I wasn't working as the beeb's propaganda man

sorry, i didnt mean to sound like a greedy american, thats not wat im all about, i really just wanted to make the guide from the book actually come to life.
Also, the movie just came out yesterday in the states, so i didnt know how many people have seen it.
lookin back, they may not be such grand ideas, maybe in the future tho...

I think it's a pretty good idea - but you've got to remember that the number of Flash programmers out there is very small compared to the number of Joe Public who currently write for the Guide. Don't forget we are (to use a Hackneyed phrase) written by the people, for the people.

Additionally, don't forget there was a radio and TV series as well as the book before this film, and the vast vast majority of people around here will know every line of all of them.

B

Plus the badgers are shaking their little heads at the mention of flash, even though I know they can progrmame flash animations and such like.

i was actually thinkin of takin up the task by myself, creating an alternate flash version. i'm a pretty good programmer, im gonna c if i can, and then ill try and get help.

"i really just wanted to make the guide from the book actually come to life"

Ahem, well yes. And so do the people who've been writing it for the past 6 years.

It's good to see enthusiasm, but I think there's a case of teaching Granny to suck eggs going on here...

If you want to make suggestions then you could always try the Feedback pages


I'm sure there will be an appropriate category there for you.