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

This is the place to sign up if you would like to get involved in h2g2's first Foundation inspired initiative, setting and running regular creative challenges for users of the site.

I will certainly sign up to keep up to date, even if my creative efforts consist of a radish.

I'm not sure yet what exactly will have to be done and if I can help with it.

At the risk of my account, I will revive an idea that Hypatia created a couple of years ago.

We actually have quite a number of people here who work at, or manage, public and school libraries. They could each instigate writing contests, whether by genre or age groups, with minor awards being h2g2 memorabilia. Buttons, t-shirts, etc. But the top X-number of each and every category might find themselves embedded on the internet for perpetuity under the auspices of h2g2.

I had taken on a domain and things to host it all, but the Italic of the day was very cross about that. And I have let the site lapse. But it is still an idea worth persuing in my opinion

Hypatia's idea was fine in as much as it could have encouraged youngsters to write.

Sadly, it wouldn't have worked as it meant them giving their personal information to an offsite domain. The BBC could not have condoned that at all.

We need to re-open access for youngsters into h2g2 and for schools and libraries to see us as an extention to their education facilities.

Youngsters could join h2g2 under the auspices of their schools and libraries, which would give them further protection when online.

The reason for the off-site location was because of a recent school project that had people up in arms about mis-use and marginal 'flodding' of the h2g2. Such an off-site domain could still be paid by a volunteer (such as myself) but actual management and control given to respected authorities of the h2g2 continuum. That was the intent, in fact, and full access and control was ready to be handed off to a respected member of the community who is also renowned as a web-designer

I think the idea can still work.

I have to admit that my personal thought that school project was an excellent idea, and we should have encouraged it, not got up in arms.

Oh, and one other bit ... Hypatia's idea wasn't restricted to school-age folks, but all ages

We are actively looking at ways of encouraging writing and would be very interested in a variation of such a project.

Though we would probably need to look more at the one site security and work with schools to find something that they and parents are comfortable with.

At the time that Hypatia and I spoke of it, it would have been a 'submission' site. Until or unless the site manager reviewed and approved the content for general eyes, it would not have been added to any 'categories', therefore not visible to the public. A sort of vetting system that, if needed, could call on the h2g2 admin folks for an opinion.

Z the idea was being floated just about the time the BBC Management was to experience it's 'knee-jerk' reaction to the Court case in the news about a child being groomed. This is why the doors closed on all under 16-year-olds.

Nick, it didn't matter what you intended with that domain site. The BBC couldn't have allowed their name to be associated with something that was not under their primary control.

I was actually for the idea in principal. Flooding the site? Since when has that been a problem? As long as the ACE's, Scouts and Sub-Editors are warned to expect an influx of activity, it shouldn't cause any problem at all within the h2g2.

Perhaps this is something the Committee might consider discussing if they hope to lift the age restriction to noohootoo.

Yes we certainly are, we've been actively discussing projects similar to this, as well as ways to keep young people safe.

I can totally see why it wasn't able to be supported by the editors at this time. But certainly for the future, though I'd rather it was done on h2g2 than somewhere else..

Perhaps you could contact Hypatia for her ideas?

Definately

Not wishing to be contrary, but the writing idea that Hypatia had was originally floated to the Italic, but she did not have time to deal with it. And it was atleast many months after the age-limit changes.

I could understand the BBC not 'officially' condoning the enterprise as it involved volunteer money for the web-site and for prizes. All of which were out of their field, control and so a worry to them. What was never understood was that only the results of the enterprise would appear on-site. They were not explicitly nor implicitly involved.

In fact, in the end it was a brief discussion of that enterprise that had me banned (or suspended) for a pair of years.

And yet, I offer the financial support to pay for a distinct domain for a year for such a venture. And would contribute via PayPal to a pool for 'awards' of Amazon gift cards or the like as Hypatia had envisioned.

(waits for the axe to fall now ...)

And I have just been on the phone to Hyp, she is aware and will be about once she has the work-place dusted and sorted

My original suggestion was an example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. I made it for two reasons. First to encourage current members to write and second to try and introduce h2g2 to budding writers who aren't members but will certainly want to be if they ever find us.

Over the years I have sponsored a wide variety of contests for people of all ages. Short stories, poetry, memoirs, and a wide variety of art contests. I have also sponsored writing classes on several occassions using regional published authors. One thing I've learned is that the response is far greater when prizes are offered. So I offered to personally pay for the prizes. I was told that the BBC could not allow prizes of any sort to be given.

So we had a problem with an off-site location for submissions and the concept of prizes. They were very polite in their explanation to me as to why we couldn't proceed, but beneath that politeness they were telling me to off. I did just that, realizing that they were restricted by legalities. It would have done no good to pursue the idea and would have resulted in a waste of our time and theirs.

Once under new management I would be happy to revisit the idea and offer what little insight I have into its organization.

Hyp, I'm sure that will be looked into most thoroughly when the move has taken place