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

>> Since America and Canada are great big places that fill up the entire continent all on their own, your average American doesn't get nearly as much contact or interaction with other cultures as Europeans seem to get.

And I do recall a former US President who was unable to name the Canadian Prime Minister.

HOWEVER...before we British get too smug...

Go on - no googling!














Did I mention the time Pierre Trudeau bought me coffee?

>>America and Canada are great big places that fill up the entire continent all on their own<<

America *is* the continent...

Another thing hootoo is good at - arguing that doesn't get taken too personally

D'you know? this place, well I only joined it last month and I haven't been able to get away since. I've even moved continents, but it has followed me, in a virtual kind of way.

I feel it's a bit like living in a sitcom/travelogue/reference library/doctors waiting room/surreal drama-documentary.

I'm beginning to think I'm only imagining life outside the hootoo walls...

No, "North America" is the continent, America is the only country of consequence /on/ that continent. So there.

"America" is made up of North, Central, and South America. The country you mean is called the United States of America. So double there

If there's nothing else to argue about, this old one always serves the purpose admirably.

Topic drift! We're excellent at topic drift. It often spawns the most interesting discussions...

Is that a bit like continental drift?

It is when you're arguing about America

Sorry Amy.
Somebody musta forgot how sensitive Californians are about drifting continents.

~jwf~

~*~"America" is made up of North, Central, and South America. The country you mean is called the United States of America. So double there.~*~

No, those are the American /Continents/, or the "Americas" in the plural. So triple there.

This is ridiculous anyway, what's wrong with shortening it? You don't call it The People's Republic of China every time, do you?

>>And I do recall a former US President who was unable to name the Canadian Prime Minister.

HOWEVER...before we British get too smug...

Go on - no googling!<<

Steven Harper - for now. Minority government that is doing wonders for opposition unity. He's had to have the Queen suspend Parliament in order to avoid a no-confidence vote: the Aussies would have been demanding a republic by now if it'd happened there.

I'm not just showing off, I'm making a good point about hootoo - in the past few years I've been able to discuss the German elections with some Germans, the Australian election with a few Aussies, and the New Zealander (? - what is the demonym for New Zealand?) election with a Kiwi. That last one was particularly interesting because it got almost no coverage on our news.

It surprises one with the erudition of (some of) its contributors.

I've thought about this for a day or two. Apologies this isn't 'one thing' and it touches on what some others have said:

There are other messageboards and online communities out there, and some of them have as broad a scope and a similar cross-section of contributors, but the things which h2g2 has are continuity, equality and a spirit of humanistic respect for others. These allow us to interact in a constructive way that we would just not be able to if we were all in a room in real life.

There is a front to it all, a focus - the Edited Guide product, but this, although a fascinating contemporary record, is never forced. Contributing to it is worthy and satisfying for some, but those who choose not to are equally welcome. There are other ways for them to express themselves, to contribute to and get a lot out of the community. The Edited Guide benefits intangibly from this.

Editorially, I'd say that it's sensitively handled. Slightly too hands-off and remote at times, but hands-off is certainly the better approach.

One thing h2g2 does well?

God threads.

i'd say that its community and acceptance. Ben said it well.

>>>Editorially, I'd say that it's sensitively handled. Slightly too hands-off and remote at times, but hands-off is certainly the better approach

Hands off? Hands off?! Right then, who wants a cuddle?

Seriously though, thank you for all these comments, they've been really invaluable to us in-house, yesterday and today, in meetings to discuss 'the future of h2g2'. Again. I know you've heard it all before but it appears to be looking quite positive at present. Anything concrete, we'll let you know asap.

Any chance of trusting us and turning of the Filther again?