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

ive missed something as far as i know on hootoo there's no such thing as a private conversation, of course researcher's can have debates etc. but its not private as such s and hides

Yes, you must have missed it all happening the other year. There were quite a lot of conversations about it (various aspects at various stages) but perhaps only in select places. You wouldn't have seen the conversations in private forums about private forums and conversations at all of course!

Ah, having just checked, I see you were not being entirely honest about missing something and there being no private conversations; since you have 19 of them on your own private forum (and have possibly started more on other people's forums). You didn't say anything about those not counting for some reason and I know you are not primarily a member of iCan but of h2g2. Just 1 or 2 as an experiment after last night might have been plausible. To say there's no such thing and have at least 19 of them is *not* plausible.

Personally, I don't see the problem with having private conversations but the privilege shouldn't be abused.

Like a few others have said, deciding whether a conversation is private or not is really up to you. If you're not welcome you'll simply be ignored.

i thank all of the aces for your comments and going into such great detail however after reading all your replys i am rather confused it seems as though most of the aces state it is possible to have private conversations but dont actually go into specific details as to how this can be done while i was reading your replys i noticed the word hidden come up in quite a few replys is that a private reply to me and the other ppl in the chat or hidden from everyone but me or am completely way off track again i humbly ask please help me unstand the concept of a privite msg to someone else and how this can be done .

i thank all of the aces for your comments and going into such great detail however after reading all your replys i am rather confused it seems as though most of the aces state it is possible to have private conversations but dont actually go into specific details as to how this can be done while i was reading your replys i noticed the word hidden come up in quite a few replys is that a private reply to me and the other ppl in the chat or hidden from everyone but me or am completely way off track again i humbly ask please help me understand the concept of a privite msg to someone else and how this can be done .

and 1 more thing once you made apost how can you edit or delete the post once it is in the thread .

Hi scouse2026

The word 'Hidden' does not indicate a private message. It has arisen because the words of the researcher writing to you were hidden until checked by the moderator. That particular researcher is on 'pre-mod.' That is, her posts are checked before the words are allowed to appear on site. This is to make sure they don't break the <./>HouseRules</.>. Although her words did briefly make an appearance, they have been hidden again. The chances are that they did indeed break the House Rules.

To all intents and purposes, private messages do not exist on h2g2 in that anyone trying to explain to you the dodge you'd have to use would probably have their post failed.

The best analogy for 'private' conversations on h2g2 is to imagine you're having a conversation on a bus. You know you can be overheard but you'd be a bit surprised if a stranger joined in. When you first come across a thread, check to see how many participants there are. If there are only two, assume it's a 'private' conversation. Likewise, if the thread has a heading with two name in it, like 'Bob and Fred', it's a 'private' conversation and it's bad form - though not technically prohibited - to interrupt. On the other hand, people make mistakes and should be cut some slack.

Conversations in public areas (rather than personal spaces) are a safer bet. Try <./>askh2g2</.> for examples.

You cannot edit or remove posts once they've been posted.

Amy

Sef the comment :
"I see you were not being entirely honest about missing something and there being no private conversations"

are you refering to me ? if not i'm i think amy has explained it better than i could

Star Fleet

Hi Scouse

You may find this page helpful A308224 as it has lots of FAQ about conversations on h2g2

If you ever have any questions about h2g2 then Aces are always happy to do their best to help

There are lots of us about so you should never have to wait too long for several to turn up



Mort

good page mort

An example of a conversation between two Researchers rapidly ceasing to be at all private is http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F116629?thread=585010

I must apologise Scouse. As you have probably noticed by now that alot of non-aces are subscribed to this page and will often add their own into a thread to merely prove a point to others.

There is a netiquette.

If a thread appears to be about a sensitive subject matter - ie personal matters then the chances are that it is not consiodered good form to just butt in. However if the topic being discussed has 2 or 3 participants and is still of a sensitive nature then the best thing to do is post something along the lines of

"Iam new here, but was interested in your conversation thread. Would you mind if I contributed to it? but if you wish to keep it between yourselves then no problem"

Unless it is a very one on one convo then most people are open to having someone join in with a sensible contribution.

I think you will know for yourself when it is appropriate to join in and when a more sensitive approach will be needed. On the whole it is never something I have had a problem with, as Amy says, open discussions are very obvious.

If you are ever in doubt then just give us a shout and we can offer an opinion

('*' Perhaps you would be better raising your issue on a personal problem elsewhere

yeah well lets get something sorted yeah the whole reason why i asked the question was because of somethin one of the aces said when i joined recently i dont reckon i will ever discuss anything personal on here anyways and that was never my point it was just this guy syain to me straight from the off becarefull where you post because ppl have private conversations on here that got me started on the whole private discussion and no i dont class this thread as private at all in fact if i have a choice this thread is open to all have your say stick your oar in debate feel free i like the style of h2g2 and am converting ppl by the day

Ah yes, I think she just meant that all forums are open and not like an IM service, which has been misunderstood by some newer researchers rather than a warning.

But I find that the more helpful or constructive opinions the merrier in a thread. The only time it becomes a problem is when a sensitive issue is beng discussed and someone comes along and posts nonsense in it. It doesn't happen very often though.

I see you are a Liverpoodlian (the nickname is a bit of a giveaway ) We don't have a Liverpool Researchers group yet, although someone was enquiring about it - perhaps you could join forces and create one. The conversation thread is at F80090?thread=396215 if you are interested.

I am so pleased you like h2g2 - I like the functionality much more than message boards - which I have never felt at ease with.
However h2g2 was one of my first net experiences so I guess everything else was bound to be downhill from here!!

ok mort ive just started off scousers united in the regional groups here is a link http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F80090?thread=625954