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

Ello ello, sub-editor. A word of thanks and a word of grumble-grumble to the editting on my entry on Marietta, OH.

i'd just like to say a) thanks for the editting, it needed some, and b) i demand that my original first sentence be put back in place at the top, or at least added to what's been put there in its place.

I suppose the bit about the 'ambivalent attitude of the college' is a more tactful way of saying what i said in my original entry, i can cope with that.

I did notice that almost all of my transitional sentences have been ripped to pieces! ow. Not that they were any good to begin with.

Another gripe is that there's a pretty random variance in the spelling of 'busses' versus 'buses'.. Hee, my fault, but it should be fixed

Ye gods, someone give me 2 hours, a printer, and a red pen. I'll fix this entry properly. most writers can't edit; i contend that i'm an awful writer and therefore have all the free lease to edit my own work in the world. Especially after reading this a year after I wrote it, without revising one single bit... Yeesh.

All in all you've done a fair job taking my sloppy mess of text and converting it to something that almost actually flows properly, i have to say!

Hi

Thanks for stopping by I know how hard it can be sometimes to see that a subeditor's mauled away at your entry... ...specially as you had said you weren't done with it when it got handed to me...

I really enjoyed this entry. Its completely what the guide should be about, and I especially enjoyed the bit where you restarted the paragraph...

I see I've actually introduced an error into that first sentence, by typing west instead of east, and I shall email someone and tell them right away so's they can change it - Its out of my hands now.

I changed the first sentence because I felt that Ohio is quite a big target and easy to find on a map, but Marietta is not (I speak from experience), so directions once you'd found the state were important. If you're really unhappy with losing your opening, though, I think that a combination would be best.

Joanna

Yes, it is a bit difficult, but what else is there to writing besides fuming at the editor? If you can't take a spanking by the editor then it's time to drop the pen/keyboard and find another hobby!

Yes, I'm quite fond of the bits that got hacked out, but I'm content enough to be able to shout "HEY! I'M IN THE EDITTED GUIDE!" to befuddled friends, co-workers, and passerby, none of whom have the slightest clue as to what I'm on about. And I'm glad that someone enjoyed reading it. I got a kick out of writing it, to be sure. I lived in Marietta for about 4 months before writing this entry, and moved away 7 months later. I'll probably end up spitting out another entry about where I'm at now (Lawrence, kansas of all places(no Oz jokes or I break the offender's legs)). The problem is, I've been here for 4 months already and I still don't have a clue what it's like here. It's a very, very strange place that often gives me headaches.

You hint that you've been through Marietta before?

The west/east error seems to be corrected now, btw. That's pretty important for finding the town.

Thanks for the help, feedback, etc. I'll be around!

No, I haven't... I did try finding it on my atlas, though, and of course looking at all the links you gave me
The marietta college website was quite amazing on the amount of information it failed to give about Marietta... well, I only glanced through it, but... *shrug*

Yes, well, Marietta college is one of the least helpful
institutions of all time.

OK. I do have a somewhat serious gripe that I've just noticed.
Referenced in my entry is http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A591284
or "Rolling a Joint Inside Out in Seven Steps". This was not
referenced in my original entry. I don't know if perhaps this
was you or someone else, but I am somewhat bothered that this
is the *only* entry that someone could think of to reference
with my article. I feel that, as the original author of the
article, it might possibly be misrepresentative of me. I
don't mind if the cannabinoid-related reference is there, as
I did mention it in the entry, but i would like to see some other
things referenced, if referencing is going to be added after the article was written...

Here are a few articles that could possibly be referenced
to various points in the text.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A4960 alcohol
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A190054 sugar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A262775 asthma
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A73586 statistics (unedited)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A593633 American southern old-time music (appalachian - Marietta is in the foothills of the appalachian mountains)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A593345 competitive forces business model (relates to industry)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A604298 the mystery hole, west virginia
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A222940 jackson, mississippi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A476877 columbus, ohio http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A611218 Faculty of Arts (h2g2 help page)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A378010 doughnuts and the isle of wight

I didn't add that link in; I guess one of the editorial staff did.
I can't change the entry anymore, but I shall tell someone of your concerns.

Joanna

Hello Everyone,

The link in question has been removed. For reference, we add links to show the breadth of the Guide and the reason no others were added to this entry is because you have provided several great links of your own.


Hope that helps.

thank you very much. I didn't know who else
to contact about it, and it sort of disturbed me.

Oh yes, I understand entirely that editors can
and should add references to other guide entries
but i felt that just adding one single reference
to that particular guide entry was uncalled for!

thanks for the help.