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

There were rumours about some automatical features for the Peer Review, eg, to make sure the PR thread /does/ get moved away once the entry has been recommended.

The Writing Workshop needs the same, and needs it /badly/. Or is it only silly Bossel who cares to sort out obsolete threads, just to see that nobody reacts ?

On a short look there's 'Rabbits' still hanging out there, 'Dancing Salon Style Tango', 'Carnival in Germany', 'Konstanz am Bodensee' (although reported to some researcher U13 five weeks ago), and... - I refuse to list them all.

And what's the use of having threads hanging out there when their respective entries are still 'hidden, pending...'?

They are still rumours, I'm afraid Bossel, though we are hopefully going to be deploying some extra in-house tools to enable us to move threads without resorting to SQL (which we do at the moment). Those tools will work on any forums, so we will be able to clean up the Workshop too.

As for your kind report of things to be moved, Sam has been on holiday for the last two weeks, Anna is about to go on maternity leave (in just over a week), and before that Ashley was on holiday. Our apologies for not reacting sooner, but it's really been insane here, and we're only human.

I will go and do it myself, right now.

Mark

u really don't give up do u mark.
work is all you think about, what about ur poor little kids at home. they wait at the window, nose's pushed to the glass waiting for daddy to return but does he come? does he heck, he's still working. i really think you need to spread some work to the staff below you or your gonna get a heart attack. maybe some more staff should be employed. have you thought of temps, or even work experience lads to cover the gaps of people on holiday or on maternity leave.
Any way, sorry to bother you.
Lord Preston OMFC
P.s. we are starting to get a little following, look out for the guys with omfc at the end of their names!

Well, I didn't know the h2g2 staff were off, resp. busy multiplying. All I can say is that the current wave of new researchers isn't manageable, and the amount of new entries thereof, if something is done to the PR/WW management. I was somewhat embarrassed that topics like new smiley types were focussed on, and reckonned that there obviously must be resources vacant with nothing better to do...

OMFC ?

I don't have any kids... and I don't work too hard. I'm just efficient when I'm in the office.

You should see me grumble when I have to stay late...

Mark

Not exactly sure what you mean, Bossel - sorry. I thought we were coping fine with the influx of new Researchers; they've all been greeted and introduced, Peer Review isn't any harder to maintain than it used to be, and as for the topics about smileys, Hitchhiker sites and site designs - we picked them because they are positive, happy subjects, and that's important since Douglas' death, but also because:

* The smiley designs are done by our artist, and no other resources (such as technical or editorial) need to be eaten up.
* The Hitchhiker site on Cult is being done by another team, so again, no strain on us.
* And the site redesign is being done by the BBC design team, so again, no stress for us.

See the pattern?

Mark

it seams like you've got it all worked out, just doing my duty, checking ur ok Mr Mark. . we are expanding greatly and i think with all these new researchers flooding in the OMFC will increase even more. i would just like to point out that this is still one of the best organised sites on the bbc web site. it is well done to make it attractive to people and although there are still a few design teething problems, there being worked out and i think every thing is going to be hunky dorey!
Here we are again, as happy as can be...
Lord Preston OMFC

"Peer Review isn't any harder to maintain than it used to be"

might be true, but that doesn't mean that it ever /was/ manageable. ATM I guess there are more threads inserted than taken out, and please, who can oversee ~300 PR threads plus the same amount in WW?
Finding threads with the initial posting still waiting for weeks for a feedback is not what I'd call an effect of proper management.

Ok, we did have the discussion long ago (remember 'Darwin'? MM: "the best will entries show up on top") to which I reply that silence is not what I associate with the 'fun of Peer Review' and those threads which are receiving comments are not, in general, selected from the whole lot but rather from those which are already on top.

See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A487253

For what it's worth, I agree. You're right. But what can I do about it?

Nothing, that's what. I'm about to invite you to be a Scout. Once you know how it all works, then see if you can come up with a better solution, pending the new tools.

Mark

Hmm, after all it may only be blue-eyed Bossel with a double gene of the Germans-are-orderly type, but the least to do would be to move out obsolete threads from the PR/WW. Where "Obsolete" means
a) WW threads after a posting has been made to the PR
b) PR threads after recommendation or withdrawal
c) double postings or re-postings of either of them

Yes, I'm eagerly awaiting the inauguration day!
For the meantime, could I suggest a "Talking Point" on the front page, along the lines of
"Your experience on the WW/PR, and suggestions for improvement" ?