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

I found this while

A22278783

I wear many hats on h2g2, there's me the real person in my journal and message centre, then there's the writer, very proudly now displaying my 100 solo EGEs badge, and the Scout/Sub-Ed hats I wear to help other authors and the EG itself.

So to read that, I'm pretty shocked, I've been a Scout over a year and a Sub-editor almost a year. I would like to hear from authors I've dealt with - because if any of this is true, then I will seriously be reconsidering my position. The authors here are the lifeblood of the site, without them the BBC would have zipped up h2g2 a long time ago, and we'd all be chatting on MySpace.

GB

'Do also try to guess whether the subject you're writing about is now, or might at some time in the future turn out to be, unacceptable. Entertaining, original and well-received entries have been removed from the Edited Guide months after being put in, because our Editorial Policies are subject to change at whim. Do please try to second guess us and don't waste your time writing anything that might be in any way controversial. This means writing so that a middle aged conservative would allow a five year old child to read it.'

This is, unfortunately, quite true...

I saw that yesterday, GB. I chose to take it as a satirical piece, a throwaway 'har-har-har', kind of off-the-cuff joke.

I can't take it seriously because it way exaggerates. Yes, the stuff in there has happened - a long time ago in his case, very infrequently since (in my memory, anyway).

I don't get this kind of complaint because it has the end result of perpetuating the very thing we say we fear - the end of h2g2.

If people really do care about the survival of the site, I would imagine the clever thing to do would be to keep at it. Keep keeping it working... and when the time came they couldn't keep it up, they step away. Lambasting the site publicly shoots it down.

Who do I think truly cares about the site today, right now? Top on my list are the curators. Bottom on my list are hit-and-run bitchin'moanin'minnies, no matter how many dozens of clever witty entries they wrote years ago...

my slightly angry

W

I'd ignore SoRB if I were you. He's been proved time and again to be a person with a chip on his shoulder who is good at irritating people, but not good at making the best of the limited resources available to us here. Everything SoRB says is the most important thing in the world, as far as he is concerned.

He is completely wrong on most of the points he makes, and I for one am not going to argue with him on any of them.

GB, you know how to write for the guide. You know that there are good reasons for the Guidelines - they are to keep out the drivel that was constantly being submitted for review. You know how to add interest to an entry, and that that is what makes h2g2 so much better than an encyclopaedia. Don't let SoRB put you off the great task you have undertaken.

Traveller in Time lurking the piece since it was 30 minutes old
"Completely agree with Wilma.

There have been some incidents ever, and focusing on them alone while exaggerating the real impact form the basis of the ideas. Far beyond reality.


Well, it serves one purpose, it lets off steam for the writer and gives the same opportunity to others by commenting on it. "

Don't be derailed by this GB. Some people have not learned my "write the first version, tear it up and send the second version" policy.

I do think the idea, suggested elsewhere, of a rolling FP a good one though.

Keep smiling and keep writing. I see a 150 EGE badge glinting in the distance

Hi GB

At Alan Ball's funeral yesterday his son read out Kipling's 'If'. It's the best way to ignore people who are losing their head and blaming it on you.

Let us continue by example.

Icy

does any one notice the lack of gml?

Annie, you wrote 100 ede I did not hear you complain that you got 100 complianments for bad writing!

your research and writings look very professional.

Hi GB,
You don't need me to remind you what I think of your writing for the EG. The article by this researcher is nothing more than an illiterate rant by someone with a very large chip on their shoulder and frankly needs to be treated with the contempt it deserves. I've stopped posting to threads relating to PR because it seems to me it's the same people whingeing and moaning about standards and purpose of the guide yet do bugger all to contribute anything positive.

I'm all in favour of constructive criticism. The operative word here is ""CONSTRUCTIVE"". Those who comment negatively without offering alternatives should just be ignored and treated with the contempt they deserve.

Nothing is going to put me off writing. I just didn't get any of the gripes, as a Scout I try to help (and today's FP were all picked by me)writing like that makes me proud to be a part of this grand scheme

As a sub-ed I liaise (where I can) with (mostly willing) authors and also give the PR reviewers an opportunity to add any comments - it's very rare I return an article that someone else has taken the time and trouble to write to the Editors for final polish, without the OK of the author. I'd like to think that if anyone had any gripes about the way I work that we could talk about it professionally without attacking personally. Maybe I should have taken it tongue-in-cheek but when you are part of the object having brickbats hurled in your direction, it's hard not to duck and react defensively.

Well, to be honest, there's no somke without fire, but again, that fire is one that has long since been backburned and has VERY little oxygen to sustain it - although, there is a lot of hot air left over to keep it sizzling away for an age. But the forest is stronger, the tress continue to grow, and there's an inexhaustable amount of firefighters willing to unzip and piss on that smouldering fire from a great height. If you take my meaning.

I'll keep writing as will others. In the future the Edited Guidelines might change again, and again. Only writers who respect their art and don't think it's an easy task will be able to continue to plant the seedlings to keep the hootoo forest alive. Those that can't change, won't, and will find different pastures that don't challenge them.

I read the Entry in question, I took it in, I nodded in agreeance at some of the amusing remarks, but all in all, I knew it to be just an expression of frustration. When I don't get what I want, I sometimes throw my dummy from the pram, but I soon get over it and write an Entry about dummies. or prams. or trees

it's just one entity's opinion and as long as its name isn't italic i am not going to give it one more thought

i was once encouraged by italics to write fiction, btw

GB, I've written this on other doom and gloom threads, but I think the skill is in writing an interesting, informative piece WITHIN the guidelines.

I'm pretty sure any of us could write wildly amusing rants about work, the family or something like that - and that's alright too - we just can't expect the Beeb to include them in the EG (I write mine in my journal ).

This site is very, very big .... there is room for the fiction writers, poets, EGE writers and more, room for the the the lovers, lovers and everything in between.

Visiting this site is not compulsory (like paying your tv license is) writing for the guide is not compulsory - and let's face it some people just can't meet the challenge. But that shouldn't stop the rest of us trying.

I have thoroughly enjoyed PR since that first Sunday afternoon when I messed everything up. I have no dispute with Scouts, Subs or the Eds - I write for pleasure (thank goodness I don't need to do it to pay the mortgage) - and I read for pleasure. If I don't like an entry - guess what - I won't read it..... it's hardly rocket science.

Some people just don't get the 'spirit' of the guide and that's hardly our fault - I'd just leave them to it sure in the knowledge if the site goes down the pan - it won't be our fault, we're doing our best.

Have a great bank holiday weekend.

Absolutely spot on,


W

I try very hard, very hard indeed to ignore rules........ they tend to have a limiting effect...... So have a good weekend




RJR (never written a EG cus He can't be bovverd)

best to ignore it, Annie. he's frustrated, as are a few others. You know them when you read their posts. I guess they can't help it.

any one disliking hootoo write for wikipedia!

I have only written one entry so far, but I read the guidelines first, tried my best to comply with them and I didn't find them a problem! I look forward to writing some more entries soon.

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