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

OK someone has to start the thread so here goes. Peta want us to discuss which articles out there we like and are good to recommend to the newbies, come on now don't be shy.

Suggestions?

Well, there are far to many entries that I like to really list them all. Here's a thought though: Could we create a drop-down list of all of the articles to post on the ACEs Hompage and perhaps individual homepages as well? That way, someone has access to finding anything that they are interested in. I know that we really can't do it in Java anymore, but I think that it is the kind of thing that could really help folks. Also, is there a page somewhere with just a list of the entries? Perhaps we could post a link to it the way most of us do for the ACEs homepage while greeting. Just a thought...

G7

*just bookmarking while searching for something to say*

Would there be a way for the ACEs to feature say five older entries each week? on the aces homepage & if it were done with one of those Guideml gadgets if there was a central list everyone could have it one their pages & it would be automatically updated... ...just a thought...

I get the feeling that the purpose of this exercise is to take a few of these articles that represent what the Guide is trying to achieve, and hold them out as examples. Let's face it, some of the Approved Guide is still crap. I'll even admit that some of the articles I've written for the Approved Guide could easily be made better. That's what we're about here, getting new material and updating old. I'm sure that between us, we've read everything on Peta's list. Anything that really stood out to you as an outstanding article? Mention it here.

If people really wanted to read the old articles, they can get there by using the search and the index. Featuring old stuff would be a great idea for updating old articles, though. There have to be new researchers who can add new insights to stuff that was approved eons ago.

If one wants to find an entry on potato famines, one might use the search engine.

If one is interested in knowing what entries there are on mythology, or famous people, or beverages, the category index can be helpful.

If there exists an AtoZ index of approved guide entries, I am unfamiliar with its location. If it exists, in my opinion it should be clearly mentioned on the How to Browse the Guide page at http://www.h2g2.com/A276879 It isn't, so my assumption is that it doesn't exist.

However, while useful to some, an A to Z index page could appear too long to other users to browse through.

What does someone do who would like to see some of the best entries, doesn't care what topic they're on, just wants some recommendations. I like the idea of recommending a few guide entries per week...but how we as a group of many would decide on the recommended entries is beyond me.

My favorites are my own...naturally. Well, there might be a couple that weren't written by me that I enjoy. I'll come back with a list.

There is an index http://www.h2g2.com/index but last time I looked I changed the &show setting from 50 to 500 there really are that many unapproved entries...

Couple of thoughts:

The Post already picks a selection of the weeks entries in their regular "Take Five" feature.

There's the lead entry each day. I've always assumed that the featured one listed (with the graphic) was in some way chosen by the editors as one of the better or more interesting ones added that day. You could create a list of those, or put them in bold in the 'past month's entries' page. Not so sure I like this idea that much, though... my approved entry last week wasn't in that category

It's really hard for people to put together a list of the 'best entries', because there are so many different interests and different types of entries.

What I think might be useful to newcomers.... A few good examples in different categories to get an idea of how entries should be written.

For example, the easiest first entry to write is your home town. Find a few of the best home town entries (include a big city and a small town)

Possible other example categories could include:
- lists (like 'best excuses' or the call for entries type)
- biographies, human behaviour, food, etiquette, science, music, strange things, etc. (could even use the browser as a source for category ideas)

This would give the newcomer some inspiration of some of the kinds of things they might write about, plus some good examples of those things.

Well I hesitate to point this out but my junk shop is precisely about drawing attention to older entries which have had no interest for 6 months. The majority of entries are approved and there are a variety of topics and styles. The fact is that the h2g2 team obviously did a lot of articles early on to get the site up which are (kissing goodbye to getting any more approved entries) shall we say of dubious quality which have provoked little or no comment, ever. One of the purposes of the junk shop was to try a stimulate interest in older articles where the threads have died away. However it has been unsuccessful as far as I know. Perhaps the h2g2 team could review all of those really old entries and where they are concerned with valid topics ask for updated/new entries on those topics? Some people may well be put off writing an entry if they see that the h2g2 team wrote one already.

A friend of mine who has never ever really written anything has been motivated to write a huge piece about personal experiences. My point is that she really needs someone with both editorial and technical expertise to act as a "mentor".
The piece is so big it does not easily fit into a conventional guide entry. I don't know if veggieman's proposal will cope with this, but I can't help thinking that there is a gap to be filled to help people at a pre-submission stage.
A lot of people will lack confidence to think that their piece is 'good enough'. There needs to be a way that such people can discuss their ideas before going 'public'.
I know the arguement is that guide entries are for presubmission articles but I can't help thinking that new writers will tend to lack confidence or have a piece like my friend which does not easily lend itself to a guide entry and be reluctant to post it. Also we have to consider the fact that many users are not confident in their use of english/guideml and this may explain why there are not so many entries.
To simply ask about 'best' entries is impossible to answer:
a)I don't want to/dont have time to read them all
b)If I did I'm not sure I could easily compare them and reach a judgement.
Hope this helps.

I was a participant in veggie's Fun Run way back when, and it is exactly the sort of thing researchers need, new and old. I can't tell you how frustrated I get when someone makes a valid point or correction to one of my articles that I could have easily used to improve the piece... but the feedback comes too late, because the comments don't arrive until the thing is already approved, and it is out of my hands. I've had instances where people have come around asking for input, and I've taken the time to deliver it (one episode where a newbie made this request on the Ace homepage, and I scanned all his articles, and made comments that would turn them into approved entries springs to mind. Incidentally, I've already seen one of them approved.) when asked, but I always feel like I would be spamming if I wanted to draw attention to my latest works for critiques. One thing it has taught me is to research my subjects more thoroughly, but the work of a lone researcher pales beside the knowledge of 50,000 of them.

Anyway, with the arrival of the university structure (check out the details, they're all already available on ripley) it looks like the entire guide is going Fun Run, so there's a problem solved. I may end up spending so much time critiquing new articles that I will have to turn in my Ace badge. Hmm... I wonder what one has to do to get a professorship?

I'd like to remind everyone that there are a lot of very interesting, and dare I say Educational? entries at the H2G2 Histotical Society:
http://www.h2g2.com/A240058

I don't know if its necessarily relevant for this thread, but I think it would be great if there was another layer in the editorial system, after its been subedited but before official approval, where the researcher for an entry gets to say if there's anything obvious they've left out, or any mistakes that say the subeditor hasn't spotted for whatever reason that are still in the entry. I know its true for me & I imagine for other ppl too, you read the edited entry & think, oops I meant to say this as well...

It would probably complicate the process, Joanna, but I like your idea. Notification or involvement with the editing steps could be useful and make for better entries.

I wrote my first entry my first day here. After a couple of weeks here, I found the entries on proper style for sub-editors, and spent an entire day converting to british words, cleaning up all punctuation to conform to guide style, and searching the entire alphabetical index of approved entries to provide approved entry links throughout my entry. Five days later, I lost control of my entry (I learned that it meant that it had been passed on by the subeditor) and it was the version prior to all the extra work I did. When I mentioned it to the sub, the response was "it's too late now... the editors add all that stuff in anyway."

DD mentioned once something, I think a footnote, had been subedited out of one of his entries, so when it was approved someone pointed out the entry was wrong, which it wouldn't have been if the note had been left in... ...I get email from subeditors from time to time, & heaven knows I've bothered tptwvh enough about soon to be approved entries...

I've lobbied for participation in the editing process since I got here, but to no avail. I've had a couple of articles get rearranged, and they ended up being somehow incomplete, but I had great ideas on how to finish them off... but I never got to do so, and I was left with an Approved article that even I was unhappy with. One of them was one of my favorite articles, but I can't stand to read the Approved version. Even DNA felt that some negative criticism was due to that particular piece.

Indeed I did have problems with a footnote being left out, but it was only the coding that was wrong someone forgot to close the footnote tag. So it was no big deal. I do recall ffmike getting very upset about non-involvement of the researcher in the later stages of teh eeditorial process. I've also occasionally had tptwvh come to me and say 'DD we like what you've done but can you add a few facts to internationalise the entry' that sort of thing can be helpful instead of out and out rejection and having to go through the whole process again.

Which reminds me if anyone has any ideas how to improve my entry on Otis the Aardvark I'd be grateful for any tips over at http://www.h2g2.com/A241813

The other thing is, from time to time I read really good entries by ppl who've evidently given up on h2g2 before they pressed the submit button. These could be really good parts of the guide, but I can't submit on their behalf & it frustrates me a little.

OK I'm currently digging up locations for a new h2g2 Bond Movie and I'll be trying to go largely to well written and informative entries on exotic locations this time so be warned. Also if you lot do know of any really good or obscure ones let me know at my space.

And now that we've run off into a suitable amount of topic drift, shall we turn to the matter at hand? Let's suggest some articles, people!! We'll try to find five articles that really stand out, and reveal a cross-section of what we're after. Therefore, let's set some guidelines.

Categories:

1) Hometown article. Everyone can do one.

2) One of those big "Call for Entries" things, so people can get a good idea of what one of those looks like.

3) Something thoroughly well researched, so chock full of good facts that it makes your teeth rot. The Historical Society has several of these. I'd suggest my new Titanic article for one of these, but it isn't approved... yet.

4) Something light-hearted and whimsical. An article about belly-button lint, or something similarly pointless but entertaining.

5) Something controversial. This will show people that it's okay to say what they think, and that this is a pretty good place to generate friendly debate. I have a large collection of this sort of thing at the Freedom From Faith Foundation, and I've been involved in just about every type of debate you can have here, so I'll return shortly with a selection of my favorites.

If we can agree that this is what we're here for (although, with a lack of guidance from the Towers, I must admit that I'm making this all up, and could be wayyy off target) then get on it!!

Colonel Sellers, the eye of the storm of controversy.