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

Look at h2g2. Does it look contemporary? If you're looking at it in Alabaster you're probably seeing something more contemporary than I am. Alabaster is a dead skin, Brunel (which I'm viewing) isn't.

Try using some net-standard BBC. Go on, try a quote.

[quote=DNA]But I did have the inkling of an idea that a collaborative guide, one that was written and kept up to date by the people who used it, in real time, might be a neat idea. I just didn't really realise that such a thing might be possible in my lifetime or how powerful such a thing might be.[/quote]

You see? The standards don't work here. There are other DNA based BBC forums that partially support quotes etc, but not h2g2. The hardcore h2g2 members (calling us researchers is trite nonsense) might not care about the way everyone else does things but the rest of the world has better things to do than deal with the idiosynchrasies of h2g2.

THe AViators have a Yahoo group and have had to set up their own site to host AViators' stuff.

What more needs to be said?

I've met some truly wonderful people through this site, both online and in RL, but one look at the Brunel skin should be enough evidence that this site is living on borrowed time.

Yes this is another 'The end is nigh' post but I've been getting used to other forums and coming back here feels like losing the washing machine and having to go down to the river. This is a BBC site. The BBC know what they're doing and could make this place contemporary, with audio and video hosting and implementation of BBCode conventions in a heartbeat should they so choose.

They've chosen not to.

h2g2: lovely people, shame about the site.

Hang on, Roy. I appreciate what you're saying in a way, but not about the Aviators.

We went back to the Aviators in the full knowledge that we wouldn't be able to have our AV onsite. We never expected to. Everything has its limitations; you can't chat to your seller on eBay, or exchange photos one-to-one on MySpace. You probably could have that capability on those sites if you wanted to, but it's never going to happen. h2g2 is primarily a site for writers; that's the priority, and long may it stay that way. It gives us a bloody good source of material to Aviate from - incomparable to anywhere else on the net.

Yes, the Aviators have a Yahoo group. So do the Scouts, and the Subs, and the Photographers, and the Gurus, and the Curators, and the Post Team. What's your point?

'The AViators... had to set up their own site to host AViators' stuff' - We didn't *have* to at all. We chose to. *We* wanted the AV. *We* decided that this was the best way to provide it - without editorial input or influence, we created the site we wanted. We had enough love for this place to just get on and do it. That was our choice. Don't bring the site into it.

I don't mind you criticising the site, its governance, the evil BBC masters, whatever. I object to you bringing the Aviators into it every time you decide to post some beef about the site, though. You seem to want to use our actions to support an argument that the site is failing its users. Keep us out of it. We've decided that we want to provide AV to a site that doesn't support out of a love for the place - simple as that. We haven't 'had' to do any of this - we chose to. You can't keep taking forward thinking as a weakness.

'h2g2: lovely people, shame about the site.'

The site *is* the people. That's what we're all about, isn't it? Jesus. Is the site failing somehow because we can't use some mechanics, like the DNA quote? Come on. If it was about tags and semantics, the vast majority of people wouldn't notice anyway. The only reason for logging on *anywhere*, from Facebook to the local cricket team's website, is the people. That's what logins are for.

Like any community, the people make h2g2 what it is. If you don't like them, you go elsewhere. If you do, you stick around. I would hope that you wouldn't define a community by the tags it's allowed to use.

pffft!

I'm init beacuse it's not standard, comforming to the norm, ect!

RJR

Okay, maybe it's not what DNA had in mind. Perhaps with it being linked in so strongly with The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy that it missed it's chance - not enough people are into science fiction to stop and look at what else this site has to offer.

However, as Skanky just said - what DNA has managed to do is build a community. I enjoy the site, and I enjoy the people. Long may it survive!

Traveller in Time on top
"It is This is Quoted


as you can not see the tags I will add some spaces

It is < quote>This is Quoted < /quote> "

Skankyrich, I'm just saying that it's only through your efforts that the site is being brought into the 21st century, which is something that the BBC should be doing anyway, and are doing all over the rest of their sites, with code largely built on DNA.

Hoggy, the community is great, which is why I worry that if the site isn't made a little less idiosyncratic it won't survive.

Anyway, too many beers again last night, in too many forums.

This is quoted too.

It doesn't look very quoted though!

Personally I like the way H2G2 isn't just a dead copy of all those other forums, the layout on them, the endless links by each message and the endless links to smiley codes etc... Hency why in general I don't bother using other forums unless I've a very specific reason, they're too slow to use compaired to the clean layout of the Alabaster H2G2 Of course, some people insist on using non Alabaster inferior skins )

Leave Brunel alone! He was a fantastic man and the skin what he designed is rather nice too

I think both Roy and Skanky have valid points. h2g2 is a writers' site so doesn't need half the stuff (dare I say junk?) you get in other fora. However, as the aim of the site is meant to imitate the Guide on Earth as DNA saw it, I'd say it needs some sort of revamp AV wise. I wonder if copyright worries have anything to do with the BBC regulating the site so tightly? Just a suggestion but I'm sure TPTB have their reasons

Ok, Roy, I'm sorry. I should know by now that if you post grumpily late at night, beer has been involved. Next time I'll bite my tongue and wait to see if you issue a disclaimer in the morning, eh?

Can I just correct the wrong spelling in the subject line - another indication that beer was involved.

For the record it as Ruddles County, Snecklifter and Owd Roger. The latter isn't conducive to considered, contemplative conversation or comment. In fact it sends one somewhat sideways.

Incidentally, for those of you who missed it, I wrote a piece on this subject for this issue of The Post. You can read it at A33205358.

Shameless plugger? Me?

I think I can out do your shameless plugging: my avatar on other sites tends to be one of the Fish era Marillion album covers. It brings a lot of Marillion fans out of the wood work, thus providing a perfect excuse to drop this into conversation: A164503

BTW Skankyrich, I'll get back to you about the idea wot I emailed you - I sorted something out for the one in question but there will be others!

I hope so - it was a damn good idea, and very much in the spirit of things. Give me a shout if I can be any help.