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

I need someone to simply explain this website to me, I kinda like it but then there are things that make me want to vomit...kinda like life huh?

Click on the Help! button - that will tell you how to find help.

Mark

Hi! I hope I can help answer some of your questions. h2g2 is basically a growing reference work - a bit like an encyclopedia, but *you* can decide what it contains. The idea is to make it as complete as possible, so if you see something that should have an entry about it, feel free to write one.
Also, there are forums, like this one. They are the community side - people can discuss whatever they like here. Some like to go to one of the 'virtual bars' or donut stall. The possibilites are almost endless, within the bounds of law, and the terms and conditions of the site.
Is there anything in particular that you want expaining?

Hi there
What is this site all about?
Mostly, it is what you yourself make of it. The main thrust is to try and build up a full, varied and interesting guide to life on earth, as opposed to life in the galaxy.
So, a lot of what occurs here is that researchers write upon a subject they feel they can inform others about and express well. Subjects include anything from a description of where a researcher lives to the mating habits of the cold water jellyfish! This is known as 'contributing to the Guide'.
Then there are the fora. These vary from very serious, sometimes heated, debates about a wide range of topics to the frivolity of the many drinking clubs, appreciation society's... you name it, you can find it. One of the most popular places is the 'Forum and Firkin', a virtual pub where you drink virtual beer and have stimulating or funny conversations.
You will find plenty of fellow researchers to help you around the site. One of the main groups is called The Aces (http://www.h2g2.com/Aces) who can tell you how to write GuideML, how to create your own space, advise on writing your own entry and even let you in on how to put in pictures on your space or smileys into your postings.
Another helpful group are the guardian angels, but you will find that most researchers will offer help... you only have to ask
You can always find your way to other users by just clicking on their name above a forum entry.
I hope that this explains this site a little better.
Please do drop over to my space if you have any questions! You are more than welcome
shazzPRME

What about the site makes you want to vomit? We have a bunch of ACEs (Assistant Community Editors - I'm one, as is Dr St Justin above me) whose job it is to make people not want to vomit. It's actually in our contracts: "If they yak, you're fired." . Well, not really, but apparently we could still be doing a better job. So go to the ACEs page at http://www.h2g2.com/Aces and tell us what's wrong so we can fix it, or you can just tell me at http://www.h2g2.com/U161693!

,
GRD

And we're not ALL Brits. I'm from Tennessee, home of grits, Elvis Presley, and Jack Daniel's Old No. 5!

Researcher#168196, until you activate your page, I can't fly over and introduce myself. I will be delighted to be your ACE/friend, I will answer any questions you have about the site. Believe me, this is a multi-national community. I can show you the pages of people from Belarus, Israel, Iran, Italy, Australia, Germany, Sweden...if you don't give us a chance, you will never know what you missed.

Just to clarify that advice, activating your page means write an introduction on it . It can be just plain text until you start to master GuideML. When you've written something there, people can come over and leave messages there

Thank you, Kheldar

I forgot to mention that we have some very nice researchers here from Holland

shazzPRME

~Agrees with that~