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

I think that the Atelier is completely accepting of people on their own terms so long as they adhere to Lil's requirements for good manners and courtesy. You could turn up in the Atelier and post nothing except what you'd eaten for lunch each day and become a valued Salonista. However, the group has very good bulls**tdar and a very low tolerance of show-offs. So those people who, every now and again, arrive and try to show off find that it backfires on them. I can understand why it might happen. The Atelier can be pretty intimidating; just the speed of the posts for a start. But on top of that there are some high-octane IQs in there, combined with some pretty intense specialist knowledge. That's a heady combination, and it would be easy to be flustered by that. Unfortunately, if nerves make people show off outside their own areas of expertise, then they really are heading for a fall.

Expertise is respected, enthusiasm even more so, and sincerity most of all. But being pretentious, patronising or showing off don't go down well.

I must admit, I feel I'm getting a great education on the community of hootoo here

My apologies but I may take a while to get everything together, as I'm still trying to tease comments out of some communities. Though my early diagnosis would seem that any suggestion of a demise in the activity of hootoo is false, just that they perhaps not as easily found if you don't know where to look for...

I'll be interested to see what you find out, Terran.

*several months whizz by*

So, Terran, is there anybody out there besides us and the Thingites?

Weeeeell, I've found several signs of life, though am yet to compile the official document, here is a list of responses to my queries :

The pirate ship 'The Blood of The Zaphodistas' : F70774?thread=6941017

Evil Army of H2G2 : F1742576?thread=6981578 (they're still getting back to me)

The Hootoo sisters : F6588679?thread=6936235

Yikes - The Sequel : F14766720?thread=6936185

The Manifesto for the Campaign to rename Thursday, "Thing" : F63252?thread=6926859 (but you already mentioned them)

Theres the thread from my journal : F96950?thread=6993668

I'm still keeping my ear to the ground though...

Sadly all the places I used to hang out, the Forum & Firkin, the Aroma Cafe, the Swimming Pool, the Beach etc - they all seem to have died.

<BB<

Yes, the Atelier has become a bit of a lifeboat in that respect.

At the moment I am in two minds - do I want to try and revive them - especially the swimming pool and beach?

On the one hand, you can't recapture the past and any attempt to do so will fail. Many of the people who were here before have gone. H2G2 has moved on and there doesn't seem to be as much role play as there once was.

On the other hand, what was fun 10 years ago and was still fun 5 years ago is likely to still be fun now. Even when those places were regularly in use, people came and went, and the beach, pool etc carried on. I don't want to recapture the past, just use the previous places as a starting point for new conversations, adventures, and making new friends.

What do you think?

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Sounds like a ruddy marvellous idea to me!