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

We said somewhere nea the beginning that we would have a brainstorming session about anything we would change if (when) we do this next year. So...?

I may contribute later - this early in the day, I can hardly raise a brain breeze...

I have a couple of ideas, but they might make it too difficult.

The first is inspired by Titania's story. A requirement that each day would have to somehow build on the preceeding one. This doesn't necessarily mean a fictional piece with chapters like Ti's. Just have a connection of some sort so that at the end of the 30 days, each person's entries would fit together into something cohesive.

The second is to have a simple word requirement. Each entry should be between ??? and ???. I felt sort of like a cheat on a couple of mine.

Whatever you decide for next year, I hope it is challenging enough to make completion an accomplishment, but not so challenging that no one will attempt it.

For my part simply writing at least something everyday made completion an accompaniment.
It would be interesting to have some sub-challenges set, so that for example at least entry had to be in verse, or at least one review of a book/film/song.
I also agree with Hyp that a minimum number of words per day might be an answer.
Maybe, inspired by DDD's 'Life in Cyprus' series, everything could be part of a theme to be set by the author - although I think it'd need to allow fairly broad and inclusive themes to make that achievable by most people.

I'll tell you what, we could do it on a points system too. X number of points for doing every day, but you earn extra points for each post written in verse, a lump sum if the posts all gel together in a theme, etc etc etc.

Yes? No?

(I stole this idea from the announcements thread).

Just a few thoughts. They need to be more than 'one-liners' but not need to be overly long and drawn out either. To that end have a minimum of say 4 to 6 lines and leave it open as to how long but bear in mind time people have to read if overly long. (as well as comment)
Ensure everyone who takes part posts a link to the journal on the day in the homepage listing. I missed quite a few as they weren't posting a link and I tended to only follow those listed.
As a journal is based on the assumption you treat it as a daily diary I don't think having a theme is appropriate or needed. It should be whatever the writer feels he/she wants to put as a journal. Thats not to say no-one can do a themed version, as DDD's Cyprus one showed, they can be both fun and educational.
To avoid confusion make it clear on the homepage that if you've read a journal but have no comment to make, leave a calling card in the form of a smiley or your name to at least indicate to the writers they are being read. This seem to both work well and be welcomed by all from what I saw in Nov's challenge.

BMT, I am guilty of not posting links every day. I was so pressed for time that I knew I wouldn't be able to read and comment on other people's offerings and felt it unfair to expect the rest of you to read mine.

Truthfully, if reading and commenting is a requirement, then I'll likely not participate again. Not because I don't enjoy reading other journals, but I barely had enough time to log on and post something. It would certainly be a good thing for all participants to read all of the other journal entries. I'm not arguing with that.

I do think the November challenge is a great idea and hope it goes forward. I think the points system has merit.

I wasn't in the JoPo as I just play at being here, but I hope it is OK to comment anyway. I did read many of the journals.

I have noticed in my travels on h2g2 some comments about irritation with conversation lists and the info page being cluttered and this is probably true. I noticed it myself on the info page but that was balanced for me by there being fewer ACE greetings these days which also clutter up the info page and are much less interesting to read.

Now, Create didn't invent journals did it. November has just encouraged 30 researchers to post one journal per day. That doesn't seem very many really. Every active researcher could if they felt inclined post several journals a day. That could happen even without Create suggesting the idea. So if it will be a problem if too many people post too many journals perhaps that is something we need to bear in mind should h2g2 get busier in future. I assume the plan is for it to get busier?

Posting smileys to say you have read a journal, would that irritate the irriated even more as it would bump the thread up the conversation lists and the info page. The posting of single smileys annoys me as a reader (in general not specifically JoPo) as if I am following a conversation and there are new postings it is very disappointing just to see a smiley lovely as the h2g2 smileys are.

Posting smileys - yeah that'd be irritating if more than two or three get gathered together but acknowledgement would be nice

So, we're back to a 'like' button aren't we? Hmm.

So how about this:

a) a 'like' button
b) on clicking it, a second button appears: 'show likes'
c) on pressing that, you get a count of
- lurker's likes
- researcher's likes
d) for the researcher's likes, yet another button, which would show a list of the researchers' (short) names (and dates?).



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[{- I liked this post -}]
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1) Could move it forward a month, to October, to give us a "running start" for NaNoWriMo, without impinging or doubling up with it? Just sayin'...

2) I agree with organization. The follow-up "I've done my daily posting" should be easier to access.

3) A "Like" button would be a much better deal than leaving a smiley or other 'calling card'; hope the site can implement it.

4) Requiring / expecting the writers to read all other Journal Entries would be onerous; let partici-pants chose to do so, or not.

5) Asking for a minimum word count is not unreasonable. Perhaps three paragraphs, perhaps 300 words. Let's see what consensus we get.

6) Canned topics or insisting on a theme may cause more people to balk at participating. A Journal is designed to be a "personal viewpoint" or a "slice-of-life" vignette from the author. Let's not kill that ideal.

7) A prize is a nice touch; keep that.

8) Distributing a compendium of "My First Choice" from our own Journal Entries is flattering; gives us a wider audience; thanks.

B4thenextonekicksoffinlessthanayear