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

At the risk of giving the game away as to where I've been lurking today:

Some people aren't happy with the current h2g2 atmosphere. They think something's wrong with h2g2.

So what's up with us? Is there a way we can identify and solve potential problems as a community? Or is our much-vaunted community just a loose collection of "cool kids" lording it over other people?

I'll take the plunge.

Problem: We're at a point where people are complaining about problems with h2g2.

Solution: A proper bloody conversation about it.

*battens down the hatches*

I think I know where you've been lurking.


You're such a kid!

Glad you think so Anhaga! Nobody else does...

"tragically cool, veiled British site."
.... by cool I mean cold, by veiled I mean often anonymous and/or clubby and by British I mean pedantic and often Victorian (although I prefer to spell it pendantic, as in swinging back and forth)




Present company excluded, of course (until someone else arrives!)

*drags in her Matt*

It could also mean Kewl, as in

Don't exclude me from that Zoomer, I've indulged in my fair share of pedantry...

Okay, I'll be serious for a moment:



Yes, I think hootoo is starting to feel cliquey. I've mentioned it in my journal and a while ago I mentioned in my journal that the place felt pretty darn empty, and I find it still feels that way.

While I feel that (most) people are welcome on any thread, I also feel that on certain threads some opinions are not welcome and some peoples' opinion are not welcome.

There is also a bit of a swarming problem at times. I remember ~jwf~ pointing this swarming problem out on various God threads way back before the Change, but I find it more widespread now. Perhaps it's just more obvious to me because there seem to be so few people around now that dissenting opinions stand out more starkly, as does the distasteful reaction to that dissent.




Now, everybody: go ahead and jump on me

You'll have to be more controversial than that.You must also involve some stamping of feet and slamming of doors.

As to cliquishness there have been many, many,many times in many,many,many convos that I have felt invisible but that's life.I've often been a nose presser on the window of life.

Perhaps I should have added 'markedly more so than in the past' to most sentences in me previous post.

Oh I don't know.... I've brought plenty of convos to a screeching halt or been totally ignored in the past and the present.

(Now someone needs to post "Did someone say something?")

I could have sworn my convo pop up said 'one new post', but nobody here.

what's wrong with h2g2?? I can see how someone might think it's cliquey.

I think that it's bending over too far backwards to accommodate one or two people at the expense of irritating far too many others.

And there are too many god discussions...

I'll tell you what's wrong with h2g2, from my perspective.

In a rush to attempt to please the masses, we lost the plot.

In just one thread, last night, I remember seeing the words 'shit, piss, crap, bollocks, pillock' and potentially more so. All words, that I believe were curtailed under BBC ownership.

I'm not offended - for I have seen far worse - but I do believe that the new-found freedom has inspired many of the usual suspects to interject such words into casual conversation just 'because they can'. There's no skirting the issue now, no creative use of language, they just push and push the boundaries - because they can.

So we can swear? OK, so now we can spit.

And spit they do; spitting where previous rules did not permit. Sniping at other researchers with snide, veiled remarks. And these remarks are not picked up on or moderated, because the new 'liberated' h2g2 allows people the freedom of expression that adults 'wish to have'. Researchers, who would previously have yikesed comments, don't. They don't want to be seen as the 'stick-in-the-mud' that will ultimately be spat on and viewed as a prude.

The new freedoms are at the expense of tolerance. If I don't feel threatened by moderation, then I can automatically express my feelings toward another researcher in less-than polite terms. I know that I can't tell them to off, but I also know that I can gently intimidate, abuse and generally harass as long as I appear to adhere to the house rules.

It's time to take a look at yourselves, folks, and to tone it down a little. We've been given the fabulous opportunity to start afresh, with renewed vigour and to capitalise on all that is on offer.

I'm afraid to say that, in my belief, the old-school will spoil it again.

, Doo Doo!




(unless you were talking about me.)

Damn. Have I missed out on a good thread?

Unless it was Hoov spouting off about creationists again. I unsub from that tired old crap.

B

D D D has it spot on

Also agree that the gods threads are becoming a bit omnipresent.

"Also agree that the gods threads are becoming a bit omnipresent.

But not Omnipotent?

The god threads aren't a problem in of themselves. It's the fact that within a few posts, they devolve into a "public shaming" of anyone religious.

We get it. DNA was an atheist. This is a site built on a broadly atheistic world view. But it's not a place to attack anyone that happens to be religious. I mean, that's what Dawkins' site is for!

Deep Doo Doo

I get that 100%. There seems to be a concerted effort to see just how far new boundaries can be pushed. And we can see who's taking the brunt of it. Even if, as Sho says, some people are irritating the more reasonable masses, allowing anyone who fancies it to get a bit of a dig in.(and I'm far from blameless there)

<< Researchers, who would previously have yikesed comments, don't. They don't want to be seen as the 'stick-in-the-mud' that will ultimately be spat on and viewed as a prude.

'Would that it were, would that it were' As Will Robinson from Lost in Space would have put it!!!

Somes person was appearing in my private area calling me a trolly a liar and a deciever of researchers.

Whe I said I was removing her from my fronds and thought she was rude......I got yikesed for flaming!!!!
Flaming heck!!!

(I ams not in with the in crowd howevers, so I suppose I deserved it)

"I ams not in with the in crowd howevers, so I suppose I deserved it"

I think that's the issue with the site at the moment in a nutshell.