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

If you’re using the main Pliny skin, you’ll notice something a little different about it today. Actually, there’s a lot different about it. If you’re using one of the older Ripley skins, it might be worth having a look to see how things have changed.

Over the past year, pretty much since we resurrected Pliny from the remains of Barlesque, we’ve been tirelessly trying to turn it into the skin that it should have been. A modern skin that can hold its own in the wild web that the internet has become, a skin that works on all browsers and devices, a skin that’s actually usable by the community as well as for just reading Entries. And while there’s still some work to do (Isn’t there always?) we’re now a lot further towards that goal!

Pretty much the whole front end code that sorts out the display has been stripped back and modernised. All the html, JavaScript and CSS style sheets have been mostly rewritten from scratch. Huge swathes of code which were ignored when we had our mad dash to get away from the BBC systems have now been totally removed and either binned completely or rewritten specifically for our needs. This means that Pliny the Younger now looks a lot neater, and works a lot faster. We’ve reduced the server load and the download amounts so that in tests the Front Page has been loading up to ten times faster than it used to, that’s so much so that it’s actually noticeable! While doing this, we’ve also altered some of the underlying code to allow for multiple skins. Previously it was a one skin system, a step back from the functionality of Ripley, but now all that’s changed. Underneath what you see is a new skin, Eddie, which is an equivalent of the old Plain skin, and on top of this we’re now able to build new, and interesting, skins. Moving forward we’ll be bringing new versions of Goo, Alabaster and Brunel in too, so that the old skins are able to have the new features that we’re going to start introducing next year.

As for features and functionality, a lot of the things from Ripley that were missing in Pliny have now been built in. Conversation forums especially are now far easier to use, with a summary of posts and other threads in the sidebar, just like the frames feature of Ripley. When replying to a post there’s also clickable smilies. Not just a few of the more common ones, but all of them, organised into categories and easy to find. Yes folks, the smiley congas are about to get more varied! If that wasn’t enough, the My Conversations page now allows you to see how many unread posts there are…. and… you can click to go to the first unread post!!! Again, stuff that Ripley’s been able to do for years. Possibly most importantly though, the wysiwyg editor has had a massive update and overhaul, and now (mostly) works!

And if that wasn’t enough, new stuff has been added. Links within posts to external sites now open in a new window, and we have a footer that we’ll be populating with all the important links that it’s handy to have handy, such as the House Rules, who to contact for what, and the statistics pages that we starting to work again.

This massive upgrade to h2g2 couldn’t have been done without the volunteers who’ve been using the test system as their main skin over the last six months or so and have been finding bugs, niggles and tweaks, until we’re all happy with it. It’s a huge step forward, much easier to manage on a daily basis, much easier to use, and much more suited to going forward and building the Guide on!

All that remains for me to say is: Share & Enjoy!

Pastey

It still doesn't tell me how many new posts are in a thread. I'm sure we've discussed this before and you have a reason, but still.

Other than that, it looks cracking.

It does, the Unread column tells you how many you've not read

thanks Pastey

GB

Wow - it's certainly an improvement. Thanks ever so. As Sho pointed out, you both started a thread with the same title. Now, in Goo, I could tell which of those two I was actually in, because the one I am reading would be given a black background in the conversations list on the side. I notice that this is not the case in Pliny.

Yet.

Yet

( I didn't know it did that )

This version has been about a year, or more, I honestly can't remember now, in the making. It's a *lot* better, much slicker and smoother, and it means that we can develop much quicker on it now

I'm delighted we've gone live! Hurrah and huge thanks to Pastey who we've been constantly badgering with niggly things. He's never failed to work hard on our behalf. He has been under the bonnet of h2g2, throwing out detritus and putting in new spangly bits and pieces.

Every so often he's been spouting geek speak to me. I've had to nod and look wise. I believe there will be more to come, in the development of h2g2, so please join me in appreciating the excellence of today's launch.

At the end of it all, I am really happy that we're able to share this shiny new version with you all.

So, this is like an early Christmas present to the community. I'm really glad we've got this far.

Looks good, but I seem to have lost my solo entry badge

I do like the smiley sidebar though

might have to try changing from brunnel


thanks for all the hard work

Congratulations on releasing it into the wild!

I'm having a bit of a nightmare with it in IE8... Forum posts are all over the place and the last post in a thread is lost in the clouds

I can vouch for the speed improvements, though

Hi Helleloo

You're correct, some of our badges seem to be mislaid right now. We're onto it though.

I have a feeling they are under this mound of wrapping paper, tape and glitter.

Bear with us while we tidy up.

And Sasha? could you send details via email/skype/Bug Report? cheers.

The unread column is on the /conversations page when you are logged in.

it does not appear on the short conversation list in your personal space.

I'm guessing that is what Mr603 means.

Oh and the speed looks good at the moment time for Pastey to have a

"I still ain't moved" I knew everything would work round me

>like that farmer on top of the M62<
http://www.yorkshiretelly.com/the-man-in-the-middle-of-the-motorway/

BUT! a BIG BIG well done to all concerned

speed definately speedier took me a moment, like others, in this thread, to realise the 'short' list of conversations on one's PS, doesn't* have the (number) after thread title, of new posts, but on the err conversation/more ocnversations list, it does Had to clear down the cash and things on my main PC to make IE behave... as far as IE behaves anyhow... on Firefox now on the netbook, and straight away noticing the speed differnce Must have a play with it on my android phone, at some point... though I'm not sure what address my bookmarks/favorites/whatever are pointing to on that, so much check
Will take a while to get used to the slightly differnt layout, but the headings are most useful (with a screenreader, for jupming to the headings on the page...)
Just need to hunt about now and find where the mysterious nighthoover button is hidden

It wouldn't be nighthoover if it wasn't mysterious and hidden.

I'll find it... no fear... lots and lots of lookin.g.... I refuse to go to sleep, until I find it

not hidden in plain sight then



nope not in a cunning disguise



phew that is still there, just wandering around in the wild

Well done all for your hard work

Front page is lovely

I've been living in the testing site so long that I don't remember what the old Pliny looked like to compare



*brings in a huge basket of mufflewhumps*