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

I think it would prudent for us to talk about how much involvement the community has in who h2g2 gets sold to. Obviously we have no formal say, but I'm thinking more and more that we do have significant veto power. It's still unclear how that might play out.

I also think there needs to be some care about who and where this gets discussed if c2/c3 makes a bid eg keeping c2 separate somehow from the community. Not sure how that would work though.

Is anyone else thinking this? Is this the place to talk about this? Or offsite?

Kea: >>Is anyone else thinking this? Is this the place to talk about this? Or offsite?<<

Not likely to make much difference. Only new potential bidders will be watching us from here on in.

The word's been out for a while so arguably the more desirable ones (from our point of view) will have been at least scanning us for some time.

- but keep it in view, I say.

... Only new potential bidders will be picking us up now, and will be scanning back anyway.

I think in some way we will have some say in it. If a buyer comes along that a significant segment of the community finds intolerable, many users will and there won't be enough users to make it worth buying. I really don't think this will happen. I'm much more optimistic and believe that any prospective buyer will be interested in h2g2 because they have a similar vision to ours.

I think the worst scenario is one where the (potential) new owner is kind of cool but we're not really sure and then we find out after the sale that they've got a very different understanding of the community than us (look what's happened with the loss of functionality that wasn't apparent to the redesign team despite their very good intentions).

I'm wondering if there is some middle ground between 'there's nothing we can do' and 'if the worst comes to the worst we can walk out'.

I agree we don't need to be pessimistic about who buys, we might get someone really cool (esp if they can work with c2).

But trust in bob and tie up your badger I say.

""I think the worst scenario is one where""

we are bought by an asset stripping company

we are left to run it our selves apart from a huge side bar full of adverts, then a year later, we are sold to any tom dick or harry at a profit due to the advertising revenue we generate, and the second new owners will be total wits

Taff. That is a truly frightening vision. It's up to the Consortium to make that a non-option.

*gibber*

Damn. I guess Icy North Capital Investment Holdings (Cayman Islands) Ltd hasn't much chance, then?

What do we want from the prospective buyer?
To pony up (put up the dosh, drop the cash, pay for It) and leave it
to us!
Ok, back to Serious and Reality (r).

The best way it could turn out if the buyer would follow the
businessplan of the h2g2c3 (the Committee) with a few tweaks that keep
the deal interesting for the buyer like revenues from advertising,
merchandising etc.

The best buyer would be the one that does not look for a quick profit
or a pump-and-sell scenario but one that likes and respects hootoo for
what it is and doesn't mind if he/she/it does not make a huge profit
and cares for brownie-points, respect and a good name as well.
It all boils down to this : WHO will buy h2g2 and is he/she/it willing
to play ball with the h2g2 Community?

If the h2g2c2 would become the new owner of h2g2 we have a big can of
worms in our (the Community) hands and it'll be a big job to sort it
all out despite the large amount of work that has been done already.

! Martin
---
I thought I heard a Dolphin Whistle...