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

Entry ID: A20460782 (Edited)

Another link to this pathetic entry.

Correct according to 'English Usage in Approved Entries', but most unusual - Style guides etc (e.g. look at the time display on your computer or clock radio) - insist on the colon rather than a full stop i.e. '7:20am', Are we brave enough to conform?

<, and, having> , and having

On the flight deck, however,

seatbelts, he

Ogden, who

secure, he

Europe, risking

reinstate

<-17 degrees centigrade> -17°C

wind shear

efforts, Ogden

making a good landing.

7.55am but see above

cockpit, where

crew, and guests

those alive

One reason, I was told, that we link to inadequate entries is to publicise the fact that they need rewriting, in the hope that someone updates it out of desperation.

"we link to inadequate entries"

A gentler adjective, but hardly complimentary.

My point is that we've featured two good entries in our 'shop window' recently (this one, where the link is in the opening line, and 'The Great Earthquake 1755'), for all the world to see, that link to at least one distinctly inadequate article.

"to publicise the fact that they need rewriting"

Way to publicise the fact that our entries may be woefully (sorry) inadequate and inaccurate.

Incidentally, It took just ten minutes to find the following entries that also link to 'Spain':

A3094102 Tips for Tourists in Mallorca

A856479 Tortilla - Spanish Omelette

A45687252 Ronda, Andalucia, Spain

A882902 The Spanish civil War

A297083 France

A273089 The European Union

A750052 Orson Welles - Theatre and Radio

A29056601 Granada, Andalucia, Spain

A27975153 The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

A2875421 Napoleon Bonaparte 1805 - 1821

A1956026 Christopher Columbus

I wonder how many more there are.

I am sure that I have seen a statement at the top of an Entry stating clearly that it is in need of an Update. Could the Curators/Eds arrange for something similar, a 'disclaimer' as it were?

The Spain article _is_ embarrassingly cringe-worthy. I remember reading it when I first joined and it enlightened me of the fact that h2g2 has a certain history and that the style and content of Entries have, shall we say, improved considerably. Whilst I am a sort of Spanish resident, I live wa-ay out from the Mainland and really am not in any position to take this on.

"I am sure that I have seen a statement at the top of an Entry stating clearly that it is in need of an Update. Could the Curators/Eds arrange for something similar, a 'disclaimer' as it were?"

Not a bad idea, Lanzababy, but then one in three entries (to be kind)
would have to bear that disclaimer...

"I live wa-ay out from the Mainland and really am not in any position to take this on."

Skankyrich is a hispanophile, and he writes good entries. Perhaps he can be pursuaded.

We also have Maria, but I know that she is very busy just now.

Maria would be great if she could spare the time.

A few more entries that link to 'Spain':

A3152765 The Spanish Hapsburgs From Charles V

A2927423 The Hapsburgs To Charles V

A698529 Brazil

A618969 Pirates of the Spanish Main

A882902 The Spanish Civil War

A10831529 The History of the Royal Navy - Part 1 (882-1660)

A2666216 King Henry VIII

A2181647 The Siege of Fort Del Oro

A1151759 Comunidad Valenciana - The Garden of Spain

A15883374 William Dampier - Pirate, Explorer and Naturalist

A9734682 Legends of Pirates and Piracy

A6985731 Edward Teach - Blackbeard the Pirate

A3176228 Andorra

A1920539 The French Pyrenees

A23708540 The Battle of Trafalgar

A8760602 Flamenco - The European Blues


Please note that I have not listed all those entries that aren't linked to 'Spain' in the main body of the entries, but do contain links via subject classification at the top of each entry (where applicable), or from the 'Referenced Guide Entries' section which appears on the right-hand side. There may well be 100 Guide Entries that link to the tosh that is A139493 (Edited)

You can find out which entries link to "Spain" by searching for its A number in the Search box. It only takes a few seconds, so don't waste your time looking for more entries, Elf.

The curators can change Edited Entries in any way you like, but we're not encouraged to remove links. On the other hand, the Eds did declare a few old entries as "Mostly Harmless" in the past. Perhaps we should ask them to do this with the "Spain" entry, in which case we could remove the links.

And since they're probably busy, maybe we should just vote on it here. All those in favour, say Aye.

Aye

I think I'd prefer the Eds to decide.

I've asked the Eds specifically in another conversation.

&#39;Skankyrich is a hispanophile, and he writes good entries. Perhaps he can be pursuaded.&#39;

pursuaded => persuaded

Thank you, Rudy! Seeing as you asked so nicely I will certainly give it a go. I&#39;m thinking of something like London A6681062, as a kind of gateway Entry?

Part of the reason for my inactivity on h2g2 is that I&#39;m studying at the OU now and I&#39;m not over-endowed with time any more, but if you folks don&#39;t mind waiting a couple of weeks I will do my best.

That's great news, Skankyrich! And I think the overview type entry you suggest is just the kind of treatment it warrants.

"pursuaded => persuaded " An obvious typo! I mean, just look how close the 'U' is to the 'E'... they're practically touching!


Incidentally, erm... I'd be interested to know whether you feel the same way about this one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A190027

It *is* a pleasure to read, but it's mainly about a restaurant (as TC pointed out on 22.9.2010, "This entry does not do Madrid justice at all"). Could it not remain in the guide, tweaked and retitled, so that a rather more comprehensive article could replace it as 'Madrid, Spain'?

*Wondering whether anyone will remember Post 1 before this entry leaves the front page*

The trick to juggling OU and h2g2 is to write about the topics you study.

Served me well...

The Eds agree that we should classify the existing Spain entry as 'Mostly Harmless', so I've done that, and I'm in the process of hiding links to it in other Edited Entries. There are quite a few of them, so it'll probably take me lunchtime to do it.

When somebody produces a better Spain entry, these links can be easily located and re-instated.

Things are looking up! Thanks, Gnomon.

Erm... Is there a problem with Post 1?

According to Lynn Truss, standard English usage for times uses a full stop, not a colon. I don't know.

She's probably right.

Must be a sign of the times... all my electrical equipment (and my watch) separating the minutes from the hours with a colon, I mean.

I've now removed the link to "Spain" from all 154 entries in the Edited Guide.