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

I would like to know how I can load up a GIF graphic that I have to a DNA location so that I can then us ML to load it to my personal space please.

Hi docsharp

Sadly, we are a bit limited on this site - you can't just upload anything you like - but there are possibilities:

First, you need to convert your Personal Space (PS) to Guide-ML, then you can add pictures from the <./>GuideML-PictureLibrary</.>

You have probably noticed pictures (some call them 'blobs') on the entries in the Edited Guide. The authors don't add these themselves - the Editors may pick an appropriate one when they publish it on the <./>FrontPage</.> - but you can re-use any you find elsewhere on your PS. On a page with an A-number (say A1234567), change the A into Test in your URL, eg Test1234567, then you can search for the appropriate image tag inside the Guide-ML code and copy this to the Guide-ML code in your PS.

If the picture you like is on someone else's PS, a page with a U-number, like U7654321, then you would edit your URL to TestUser7654321 to see the Guide-ML behind it.

Hope this helps - let me know if you need any more info.

Icy

Thanks Icy but I am still stuck, I wanted to check out the ML behind some graphics and replaced the line in my URL "http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/U12546156" with the line "http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/TestUser12546156" and got the reply page not found? I'm obviously still doing stuff wrong. Can you see what I'm doing wrong and help us out please? Andy

Ah yes, that's because I made a silly mistake

It's <./>testuserpage12546156</.>

Many apologies for that

If you are interested in developing your space - adding pics and stuff - have a look at Spicing Up Your User Page at A690518 for some really helpful hints.

Thanks that worked, there is a heck of a lot of code to trawl through though. I dunno if its worth it, I'll wait till those nice people running the site sort out something a bit simpler.

Hmmm, you could be here a while. They haven't changed anything in the Guide-ML since I arrived in (when was it?) 2003.

The site's run on a shoestring - the only thing that changes is the occasional batch of new smileys (we're due another one of those soon, they say)

If it helps, you've just learned in an hour what took me about 6 months to work out. The key to this place is to ask, as the site's probably the friendliest around.

I quite like it that way, actually - it's not Facebook

Hi everybody. I have noticed that some people use graphic images that aren't blob images. Where do they get them and how.

'Blob' is just a technical term for images which are stored in the database rather than in a separate file. You'll find the older blob-type images in the <./>GuideML-PictureLibrary</.>. More recent photos are chosen by the h2g2 Editors from the BBC picture library (to which we don't have access) or are sent in by the h2g2 photographers - see A15846438 - and these have separate files. To re-use these, look for the or tag in the relevant entry. You may also find images in articles published in <./>ThePost</.>, the community newspaper.

Is there a specific picture you're looking for?

Icy

There isn't a specific picture but whenever I need one I can't find it. So is it the h2g2 photographers that have the say on what graphical pictures come onto h2g2.

They're volunteers (like you and me) who take photos, choosing subjects to illustrate existing entries in the Edited Guide - there's more information and a gallery of their pictures at the link in my previous post. They decide whose photo is the best, then submit them to the h2g2 Editors, who have the final say.