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

H2G2 was the one constant in my life when I was travelling around Europe for months on end, staying in hotels with no consistent real life friendships as I went through a divorce.

Like many h2g2 people, I have made life changing friendships here - to the extent that I met my husband here and my bridesmaid was another hootooer.

I learned a lot about writing, and have had mor feedback and more thoughtful conversations sparked by my writing here than anywhere else on-line.

I've been part of a conversation that has continued 24/7 (with one haitus) for over 10 years.

I've been able to reach out to and understand other cultures unfiltered by what journalists and other writers think and want me to believe.

Oh, and I've had a LOT of fun.

How about you? How has h2g2 helped you through the long dark teatime of the soul?

B

How has h2g2 helped you through the long dark teatime of the soul?

I joined when I was just beginning to come to terms with being widowed. It gave me an outlet to be myself again, regain some confidence in life, have some fun once more.


I can't think I would ever have the friends I have made here by any other means. I just love hearing first hand just how it is in other places around the world. Especially at 2am when insomnia strikes

When I first came to h2g2, I wasn´t in a particularly good place mentally. I was being rather asocial as well, so I didn´t talk to that many people except the ones on h2g2. Frankly if it hadn´t been for h2g2, I might well have jumped off a bridge somewhere. So for me h2g2 meant I kept alive untill things got better and life got worth living. Thanks h2g2.

I had never used the internet (if you don't count emails) before I joined.
I had some basic knowledge of English, but not enough to understand jokes (puns were particularly hard to understand, as were things written in dialect).
I made friends. I went to London meets.
I became involved: first as an Ace, then I wrote my first Edited (now approved) Guide Entry. I became still more involved: as Scout and as Sub-editor. All this with the support and encouragement of people on this site. I started writing for the Post, then joined the Post Team as ass ed for the Regulars. Thanks to Skankyrich who saw potential, I moved on to be Content Editor. I ended up taking over as Post Editor when he left the team.
I would have laughed at anybody suggesting this back in 2003, or even as late as 2008.
I've had conversations with people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world.
I know more about day to day politics and events in England than I know about those in my own country.

I live and breathe h2g2 in my free time.

h2g2 allowed me to explore a side of my personality I'd never really let out before , which led to the realisation that this was something that people did, really, actually, in real life, with real people, it wasn't just some weird stuff in my head. Eventually that would have come out anyway, as I'd have found one of the kinky community sites, but could have taken a lot longer.

It got me a job I loved, although it didn't last long before BBC cuts wiped the team out, but I'd bought my house by then. I never thought I'd be a home owner. Not in a million years with my chaotic work history!

And of course I learned to write on h2g2, which led to an offer of paid writing (which I didn't take up, but that's not the point), got me a short article in a magazine (annoyingly uncredited) and I've been asked to write articles for other websites.

Perhaps shamefully I never got up to any hanky panky. Well. Not unless wandering around London in with FC, both very very counts.

I have made some fantastic friends, and I remember the urge to come online and contribute to some fantastic discussions and debates - topics ranging too far for my brain to even comprehend sometimes.
It got me interested in writing and collaborative work on entries and also on basic computor coding - through GuideML

update: it wouldn't let me put the word "craving" in? crazy what?!

I've been visiting the site, every day, for the last 9½ years. I don't contribute much, mostly I just lurk in Ask threads, commenting ocassionally, but I'm still, after all this time, unsure of my voice and my opinions.

I've always liked the idea of being a writer but I have a bit of a problem with putting original thoughts down on paper (or on screen, should I say). However...because of seeing it mentioned here, I checked out NaNoWriMo, and this year I did it. I don't consider what I wrote to be brilliant, and it will never see the light of day, but it's a start. I wrote 50,000 words that made sense and told a story, albeit a cheesy one no-one would want to read. Maybe next year I'll turn out something I wouldn't mind someone reading. So h2g2 has given me a small push in a direction I would quite like to go.

I'd like to write a guide entry, but I can't think of a subject which hasn't been covered already which I know something about. And the thought of Peer Review scares the hell out of me. But maybe one day. If we're still around

I get something from h2g2 I don't get in RL. This is going to sound pretty stupid, but the Dr Who thread is a real comfort to me. My husband & I used to enjoy watching it then talking about it, exchanging views on what was good and bad. He died 5 years ago and I don't know anyone else in RL who watches it, so coming on here and reading everyone's opinion, and sharing my own, fills a real hole.

I don't think h2g2 could be replaced by message boards or Facebook, they're too fast paced and, I want to say modern or young but that makes it sound oldfashioned and fusty and that's not what I mean. It always seems more thoughful, you can often see ideas grow and minds change throughout the course of a conversation thread. Facebook is too self-indulgent, it's all about "me, me,me", this is what I'm doing now, this is how I'm feeling now. And message boards, as far as I can tell, are pretty specific, so you'd need to subscribe to loads to get a full range of topics. I only really read Ask threads on a regular basis but they're so varied, and the responses can be so eye-opening. Some of the topics on Ask at the moment cover criminals rights, lots of threads about how to save h2g2, petty hates, useless facts, the weather local to you and what is the speed of beards - where else would you find that kind of variety in one place?

Deb

Good question.

I originally joined back in 2000, after looking up Hitch-hiker when I had read hhgttg, and found this place. After being made redundant, the job gave me my pooter as a leaving prezzy!

Wrote an approved entry on Preston, and lurked/commented on threads.

Then disaster struck when an accident robbed me of my PC.

Through trials and tribulations to complex to go into here (Its all on my homepage!) I finally got a new machine.

Now I am back. What I have got from hootoo is the confidence to start writing a full-length novel. It is up to 83000 words at the moment, but the Saga has me putting it on hold for a while.

Just done another short entry for the Guide, and awaiting developments on that.

Now doing my best to spread the word, and asking people to go and join the consortium.

That's what hootoo has done for me!

GT

Lots of things. But most importantly a lifeline. I have periods where I'm scared to be around people in real life because of my mental health issues, and this community of people helps no end. It's impossible to really describe my health problems properly, but some people here seem to get it thank god.

I've never contributed to the guide, it's never been about that to me. It's the quality of interaction with such a special mixture of people. I prefer 'process' now in my life, ie debate, discussion, conversation.

I like to contribute, and hopefully some of my posts do that.

>I like to contribute, and hopefully some of my posts do that.<

Actually that was a daft thing to say. All posts contribute, but I meant in a good way.

Good friends (far better than what passes for friends in Facebook), a chance to learn more about British life (right you are, Bel!), a good laugh now and then and sure fire place to spend some time that*s not wasted.

It gave me enough to do whilst I was doing my Masters degree, so I didn't walk out of the Masters degree after six months of being utterly ignored by my so-called supervisor, if I hadn't have had h2g2, with, at that time not knowing anyone where I was living in rank accomidation, I woudl have left the Masters and never manged to complete it... of course, if it wasn't* for h2g2 I'd probably have handed it in a few months quicker, but given my supervisors apauling inability to respond to phone calls or E-Mails, I'd long ago given up caring what he said in terms of deadlines...
Its also made me friends, which I'd not have made otherwise, some of whom I know in RL now
It also took me through and helped in some points in my life when I was... err dunno how you'd say it... sort of turning into the person I am now as an adult, which would have been impossible without h2g2, as I just didn't (and still don't), have as varied a group of contacts and good friends in RL as I have on here (tries to make sence of that last bit himself... Hmm..... )
But mainly its about the bacon, the bondage ponies, Chinchillas, nighthoover and conversations about blutac.

I’ve learned a lot about writing here, both the technical side and also the politics of editing.
I’ve tried out many styles and genres, and I’ve had lots of critical help that’s sharpened my writing.
I’ve seen a new side of my father.
I’ve enjoyed some of the sparring, and despaired of a little of it too.
I’ve made some good friends and met some spectacular personalities.
I’ve lost much of my respect for the BBC, and I certainly no longer believe that it employs an elite.
I’ve built a comfortable routine around reliable and fulfilling reading pleasure, in which the Post has been a stand-out.
I’ve wondered at some truly remarkable writers, and tried to learn from them all, and to match them if I can. (There are two among them all who I know are simply on a different plane that I’ll never reach. They are Funderlik and Tonsil Revenge)
It’s taught me how profound the ridiculous can be, and also that people can be really silly when they think they’re being serious.
Most of all, my belief in the collective joy that writing can bring has been reinforced by h2g2. Where else could there ever have been collaborations like these, to mention but a few?
The Stretcher - A44319404 : The Never-Starting Story - A2233649 : AGG/GAG/CAC - A846957

interesting question

Hati and I will think of an answer

Wow - this is an amazing thread - would any one be ok to give permission to the h2g2 community consortium to use their quote in our business case on on our website?

http://www.h2g2c2.co.uk/

We&#39;d like to have a page of quotes about what h2g2 researchers say about why the site is amazing.

No worries Z!


Carry on. Every little helps.


GT

Yes.

hoh yus!

Hati and I thought about the answer

we're not telling you