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

U1381940- d586poetpaul, I'd like to volunteer to be a scout, I'm a miner in the underguide and I enjoy that, and if you are recruiting i'd love to help out. I'm also very used to the Peer review and the way it works if thats any help, ive been commenting in there for a while now.

It's always great to see that someone's taken the time to see how things work before diving in.

I don't know that we're recruiting for scouts right now. I can tell you, however, that in the past exceptions have been made for individuals who were consistently active and helpful in PR -- so the more you're seen around there, the sooner it might happen for you.

Do you have any questions about being a scout?

Not really ummm is it similar to being a miner? Obviously the content of the entries is different but I understand that from spending time in peer review but I mean the process of picking entries etc.

Hey Paul
Funny, I usually compare being a miner to being a scout rather than the other way around.

Process is different. The scouts have a lot more technology than the miners do. When you feel an entry's ready, and it's your pick date (or as much as a week in advance, that is, when you get the reminder that your picks are due in a week) you can start picking entries that you feel are ready. Instead of sending an email to the Yahoo Group as the miners do, scouts go to the entry (which has to have been in PR a week) and press a little button that says 'Recommend this entry'. Then you fill out a little form where you explain why you feel it's ready, and poof! It's off to the editors and out of our hands!

Unlike with the miners, only one scout's opinion is needed for it to be considered for inclusion by the editor's.

The process of picking entries is rather different, I believe, in that scout picks are more automated than miner picks. Each scout gets a message once a month letting you know that it's time for your picks -- you then have 1 week to make your 2 picks. If you need to make your picks late, or need someone else to do them, you post to the mailing list letting people know.

Let's see, when you're making your picks, you're responsible for making sure that 1) the entry meets the Writing-Guidelines, and 2) that all of the issues raised in the PeerReview thread have been dealt with, and that there's a consensus in the thread that the entry is ready to go.

If the entry you want to pick has been in PR for at least 1 week (what is called the 'incubation' period), there will be a link over on the right (where the 'edit' and 'submit for review' ones normally are) that says 'recommend this entry'. You click that link, and in the box that pops up, you copy and paste in the URL of the Peer Review thread, and let the editors know if there's anything they need to know about the entry or the PR thread. Within a few days, you get an email from the italics letting you know whether or not your pick was approved - they then move the thread out of PR, and you stop by the thread to congratulate the author.

Does that help?

Ooooo now that sounds fun

yea thats a great help.

Well please get back to me on the scout thing, if you are recruiting or if i have to wait a little while or whatever.

I'm just happy if i can be of help

Paul

As I pointed out at the beginning of the thread, the best way to hurry the process along is to be noticeably active in Peer Review.

I know i was just keeping my name fresh in your minds

Hi there again!

I have indeed noticed you around in Peer Review these last weeks, and appreciate it. One thing you might want to work on a little bit is making sure that your comments will make sense to the author, even if the person is a newbie. *I* can understand what you're saying, but to someone who doesn't yet really understand PR and the EG, some of your comments might be a bit telegraphic or cryptic.

We have had a scout or two retire recently, so I'll keep your name in mind if the Italics ask for suggestions on replacements.


Mikey

I'll keep that in mind, and thanks for considering me