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

Which I would HAVE to to be able to vote, doesn't it kind of make the idea that getting your "Floor 42 Friends" to vote and "cheat" moot? Aren't they just friends that love you and want to vote for you?

I've heard of villifying the winner, but isn't this a little extreme?

By inferring that Emmy "cheat" by her friends coming to vote for her, you've hurt her feelings and made the rest of us pretty angry. We belong to Floor 42 AND h2g2 and we can vote for whomever we want. Is it her fault she's sweet and wonderful and popular and has been in a bikini on Floor 42 and douglasadams.com since well before h2g2 even began?

I think you're very rude.

Seconded by a partial non-observer.

Why does it always have to turn into a us and them situation... this happened with the virtual mayor of london the first time around too... if only people can't get along on a website what hope is there for the rest of the world. Sheesh.

*enjoys being a member of both h2g2 and floor42*

I think that BB ought to enstate a 'one vote, one person' scheme instead of one vote per researcher. That way h2g2 people and floor42 people are viewed as equals. There's no harm in letting them join in is there?

All seems like sore loser whining to me.

Erm... insulting each other isn't going to help.

The thing is, if there wasn't a "it must be an h2 researcher rule" last year, how could it have been cheating? It could only be cheating if we had tried to hide it in some way. If you're going to make a "researcher only" rule this year, you could have done it without making what happened last year sound like it was subversive or mean-spirited, or indeed that anyone had a problem with it last year, which, if I recall, no one did. At least not enough to say anything in public about it.

It just cheeses me off that anyone would hurt Emmy's feelings like that. That's what's important, that you made someone wonderful feel like you were accusing her of not being on the level. I don't think anyone from Floor 42 (AND h2g2) cares about the contest or whether there's a "researcher only" rule, we care about the fact that you made Emmy feel bad. It's a mean thing to do.

If you had taken the time to get to know Emmy's character instead of writing her off immediately because she happened to have a group of friends on this site and another, you might have discovered that she NEVER took part in her own campaigning, never insinuated that we vote for her in an unfair manner, and never made a bigger deal of the "competition" than there really was. She's not LIKE that. What makes me angry about this situation isn't just one thing but many things that seem to keep cropping up on this site:

1) The "Our club vs. Your club" mentality:
Simply because one group of friends on H2G2 happens to hang out at another website does not automatically make them "better" or "greater" than any other clique on H2G2. In fact, a great many Floor42 users met each other through websites such as Douglasadams.com and Starshiptitanic.com. On H2G2, we are researchers just like anybody else, and we are bound by the same rules and conditions. "Special treatment" on our part by the heads of H2G2 is ridiculous to even insinuate, and if anyone feels that some of Floor42's members have a close affinity to the people that run and maintain H2G2 it is only because a large number of us were here from the very beginning. That doesn't make us "better" or "more special", just that the atmosphere on H2G2 was a bit cozier in the beginning and the relationships that developed were more personal than formal.

2) Other "cliques" on H2G2:
H2G2 is a community. And communities are made up of neighborhoods, which are made up of individuals. If anyone can prove to me that the Floor42 group of friends is the only "clique" in town that carries any weight, I'll give you a big, gold star. There are more clubs, organizations, groups and titles on this site than I could shake a stick at. To say that a person who runs for an imaginary title on H2G2 is "cheating" simply because she received votes from friends in her "circle" is fallacious. Wouldn't that also be true of other contestants who received votes from their circle of friends? Why was Floor42 the only one of these groups singled out?

3) Personal attacks:
Stating that certain people cannot vote or are disqualified from running in this competition simply because of who their friends are is not only wrong and segregationist, but also deeply offensive. I took your words to heart, meaning "If you belong to Floor42, you have no place on this site". It feels very much like being told you aren't "cool enough" to play with the in-crowd at recess. Emmy's feelings were obviously hurt at the insinuation of dishonesty, as were the feelings of her friends. If you can prove that cheating took place by any member of our group in this competition or in any other, would you please share? Because I have a big problem with people who accuse people of wrongdoing without the proof to back up their claim.

I am a member of H2G2 AND Floor42. I love the friends I have made in both places and am proud of the accomplishments I have made on both sites. You have NO right to make me or any of my friends feel guilty about that and you have NO right to try and take that away from us.

I made a mistake, and yes I wrote the wrong thing.

Having re-read what I wrote, I agree that it is more easily interpreted to say "Emmy Cheated! than I had imagined it did
when I wrote it. I never seriously intended it to be a serious me being anti-Floor 42 in any way. I've had a look around and
enjoyed taking part in Floor 42, admittedly not as much as on H2G2, and I think that it's a shame that more people from h2g2 don't actually know of Floor 42's existance. So I thought it was a good way of bringing the existance of Floor 42 to more h2g2 researchers attentions.

One thing about the competition is it's not to be taken seriously. I thought that the inclusion of a "" smiley would show that it was
not intended to be a serious comment. I remember visiting Floor 42 the week after the last competition and read the article that
started "Our Emmy's Won The H2G2 Bikini Competition " and went on to say things which, if interpreted as strictly as what I
wrote here has been, could also be considered to be insulting towards H2G2. I just thought I was continuing the in-joke rivallry
between the two. If I was anti Floor 42, why would I visit there or have a link to there from my links page?

I wanted Emmy to be a part of this year's competition. I deliberately went to her page and told her that the competition
existed, and asked her to join. She's not someone I know that well on H2G2. I admit, but she's got a great sense of humour -
did you see the picture she had of her entering the competition? It showed that she really understood the humour, and I
thought that she would have enjoyed the, obviously misinterpreted, jibe back. Afterall, when she entered last year,
she knows very well that she was nominated by someone else and then very meekly asked if she could enter.

It's weird how no-one has objected to me saying "DO NOT ENTER DOUGLAS ADAMS FULLSTOP" which can only be
interpreted as me hating DNA and not wanting him to take part - yet people seem to have interpreted that as a friendly gibe. I find
it strange that that was considered such, and the thing about Floor 42 was not. I think my main error was using the word
"cheat". "Cheat" has serious connotations and people interpret it as such. If I had written "Can I campaign and get all of my
Floor 42 friends to vote for me?" I doubt anyone would have objected. Funny how this all hinges around having written one
wrong word.

I was, though, hoping to promote Floor 42 than insult it. In a way I've succeeded as it seems everyone's talking of Floor 42,
feeling as if they'd been insulted and perhaps being curious as to what Floor 42 is and why it has been insulted, so if Floor 42
becomes more popular, I am pleased. Though admittedly it doesn't seem to be happening in quite the way I intended.
Anyone who was offended, I apologise to. I did not mean to offend, and anyone who wishes to have a more personal
apology can come to my page and I will apologise. I have apologised to Emmy personally.

And of course it is natural to vote for your friends. There'd be no point in voting if you were forced to vote for someone you didn't
like - that would turn into politics and a general election, something which H2G2 is trying to avoid being.

If I was Emmy I'd be very proud and pleased to have so many loyal friends.
But then if I were Emmy, I also can see why wrote I wrote can be considered offensive, and I feel very guilty and mad at myself for
writing the wrong thing.

Perhaps this does not justify my mistake, but I hope it at least explains it.

I have nothing against Floor 42, I've been there, taken part in discussions (although to no-where near as great an extent as here - alas, time does not allow that). If you enjoy both, then I am pleased. There should be more connections between Floor 42 and H2G2 - they are both, at heart, the same thing. That is why I belong to H2G2, ZZ9 and, to a lesser extent, Floor 42.

Well. There you go then.

Big ol' misunderstanding.

Thank you for your apology. It's great that you want to promote Floor 42. For some reason a frowny smiley, to me, seems to indicate that something is serious. A winkey smiley usually means to me that something's being said on the sly. Just personal interpretation. Believe it or not, it was the frowny bit that had me convinced you weren't kidding... ahh well, my wrong interpretation.

I don't know if Emmy will join, but the only thing that I was really worried about was hurting her feelings. Thanks for your apology, again, and I'm sorry for the mistunderstanding.

I tend not to use any smileys at all when writing something serious... Mainly because if I wrote in my history essays:
"Æthelred's son Edmund Ironsides died in November 1016 " I doubt my lecturers would be impressed. If I use any smileys, I'm not being serious.

I really feel guilty about upsetting Emmy - I did not mean to by any way. When I have spoken to her in the past she has never said that much, but what she has said has shown that she has a great sense of humour. I thought that she would find it amusing and laugh, just as I'd assume anyone who said that Peregrin & I won the President thingy through cheating was laughing. I know Emmy didn't cheat, and Emmy knows too, so I didn't think she'd take it seriously.
Plus the fact that I was also writing about foetuses, hermaphrodites and siamese twins in bikinis could have given a clue as to it being a bizarre sense of humour.

And don't apologise for accusing me - I'd rather have someone tell me that I had make a mistake like that and be able to apologise than to carry on going round not knowing, and having someone still hurt without me knowing about it. And please tell Emmy that I did not mean it, and that I am really, REALLY sorry.

BTW - I'm afraid that I'm not that familiar with Floor 42 (The last time I was on there for a VERY long time was, >GASP< February. I've been for quick visits since, but not really said much.) I was just wondering if it's possible for someone to find what Floor 42 *Did* say about last year's H2G2 Bikini Competition. I'd like to re-read the jokey report that was in Floor 42 last year, if I can.

I don't know what this is about, but it is facinating.

That's interesting. Like Krissy, I interpreted a frowning smiley there as actually being upset about what was written. Just goes to show that even smileys can't cover for the fact that you just can't communicate all those subtle little things in typing, I guess.

I too appreciate the apology and the removal of that bit from the page. Just a misunderstanding I suppose.

Whew am I glad that you guys have sorted this one out. I'm a floor 42-er myself, have been since before h2g2. I also know Bluebottle personally, he's been along to the meet-ups and popped into the office, and I know that he's one of the nicest and most inoffensive guys you could hope to meet. I know him, and honestly he wouldn't deliberately hurt a fly (sorry, a pun, couldn't resist it. )

So I'm really pleased that you've sorted it out, thanks for writing such sincere apologies on my page and in this thread Bluebottle. Floor 42-ers, *please* tell Emmy to come back. Pretty please.

Good. Now boys and girls, kiss and make up.



(footnote: this forum posting is in no way meant to be taken seriously. The references to 'boys and girls' is in no way meant to insinuate, except in a humourous context, that the researchers partaking in this conversation are children or childish. 'Kiss and make up' is again written in a humourous/ironic manner; and is not meant to suggest any unwarranted sexual acts on the parts of the researchers in question. Finally, the winking smiley at the end of the posting is inserted to suggest that the comment is, in fact, a humourous remark. If you have any complaints, protests or death threats, please send them to me via my lawyer. Written accounts of the writing of this posting from impartial witnesses are available upon request. Character references also available.)

Oh, shut up, you.



(see footnote above)

You'd better put a winking smiley at the end of that disclaimer thingy too you know

I'm offended! How dare you insinuate that I should kiss anyone I don't want to!

I'm really glad this was all cleared up and it was just a silly misunderstanding. I hate hollaring. Hurts my throat.

This post has been removed.

How about saying that you have to have an h2g2 account to vote with? That way it doesn't exclude anyone who really wants to vote - they came come along and sign up - but does avoid people getting large groups of their friends to visit the page and click on a button.