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

I'm another person who's never been a Scout, but spends a lot of time in PR. I think it would be a bad idea to publicise the Scout's picks. I know about myself that if information is easily and freely available, I will analyse it to a much greater extent than if I had to spend a lot of time collating it.

At the moment, I have a vague idea of who picked various entries of mine, and vague ideas about various scouts I haven't met, of the 'X is a gormless teenager', 'Y is a cross-grained curmudgeon' variety, which is pretty harmless. If the full information about scouts' picks and dates was easily available, it would be very easy to drift into much more pointed analysis, and post to PR accordingly.

W is a lazy so-and-so who never reads past the first page of PR?
Make sure to bring the thread back up to the top of the list on Wednesday when their picks are due.
V is a sucker for entries about nature?
If I get that bogland entry in on Friday it'll be ready in time for them to pick next week. etc. etc.

I think that giving more information about the scouts' picks might undermine the community aspect of what they do, and in particular single out the newer or less reliable members of the group for criticism. I know that someone who goes looking could find out a lot of this information already, but there's a huge difference if it is easily accessible. Since the scouts are volunteers, doing a very important job for the Guide, I think it's important not to make them
vulnerable to individual criticism.

Azara

'X is a gormless teenager', 'W is a lazy so-and-so who never reads past the first page of PR?'...

Anyone would think you were talking about me, Azara

Whoami?

But which are you - X or W

Is there such a thing as a gormful teenager?

Or an old whippersnapper?

Bels
the young fogey

Title changed, since "uber-secret" has been addressed to (AFAICT) everyone's satisfaction.

Really, since the subs are "vulnerable to individual criticism", what's the difference with make the scouts "vulnerable" in the same way? Ideally such criticism would constructive, and there'd be positive feedback too. I think it'd also make Scouts more involved with the entries *after* picking them - at the moment it's a bit of a fire-and-forget thing.

Personally, I'd like to always know who picked my entries, because it makes me feel well-disposed towards hir, and gives me an opportunity to thank hir. Same goes for knowing who my sub is: some subs do a great job of subbing an entry, and it's a definate benefit to be able to thank them for it.

I just see the benefits outweighing the downsides, I guess.
-Martin

'Gormless'. New word for me.

I guess you might not find it in MW, but in OED it's
'(informal, chiefly Brit.) lacking sense or initiative; foolish.'
It's a bit like 'clueless'. Or jejune - naive, simplistic and superficial.

Actually, M-W.com had it. Good stuff. Probably won't catch on this side of the pond. So it goes.



On topic, Martin had asked whether Edited Entries ought to display "picked by".

There's already been quite a lot of discussion about how credits ought to be shown on entries. Main writer, contributors, editor,... and scout? I would be inclined to say no; not anything against scouts, but just that everyone else credited on an entry actually had something to do with writing it; the scout doesn't, generally.

I'm willing, of course, to be convinced otherwise. Anyone?


GTB

I'm tempted to agree with GTB...

Whoami?

I have no strong feelings either way on this one. It might be nice to include the Scout's name for completeness, but I don't feel a pressing need for it.

I'm glad that you included "generally" in your post GT, because Scouts (as PR regulars) often help to shape a particularly raw but promising entry, make suggestions about the content, and sometimes contribute sentences or even entire paragraphs. As such, they can be involved in the writing of an entry.

Ah. The PR/CWW credit where credit's due dilemma.

>As such, they [ie Scouts] can be involved in the writing of an entry.

So can we lesser mortals. If people are involved in that, it's not because they are Scouts (it's not part of the Scout remit) but because they are Peers. Subs, Aces, Gurus, CAs, and none-of-the-aboves can also be similarly involved.

Quite so.

Well said, Bels.

Hi Everyone,

Still listening in -

Dear Hoovooloo,

> Is there really anything wrong with the current system? If so, what?

Do you want to start another thread for this one?

Anna

And when you do, do tell us where it is, won't you?

Anna:

"> Is there really anything wrong with the current system? If so, what?

Do you want to start another thread for this one?"

Not really. It was sort of a rhetorical question, in that the system demonstrably works pretty well. To reiterate - I'm saying "it ain't broke, so don't fix it". I don't want you to change anything. I didn't expect anyone to answer a resounding "Yes! There's loads wrong with it! Here's what...!".

Of course, if someone *does* think that... they can start the thread themselves.

H.

Anna:

"> Is there really anything wrong with the current system? If so, what?

Do you want to start another thread for this one?"

Not really. It was sort of a rhetorical question, in that the system demonstrably works pretty well. To reiterate - I'm saying "it ain't broke, so don't fix it". I don't want you to change anything. I didn't expect anyone to answer a resounding "Yes! There's loads wrong with it! Here's what...!".

Of course, if someone *does* think that... they can start the thread themselves.

H.

Hoovooloo - have you developed a clone that posts exactly the same as you at exactly the same time?

Yes.

H.