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

I have already posted this link in another thread but thought I should give more hootooers the opportunity of reading this:

http://martinbelam.com/2015/i-tell-you/

that is such an excellent piece

What can I say? He learned from the best

Oooh!

Nick Reynolds even raised his head above the parapet

http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A550955

What should we take away after reading the article in question? That we need to be nicer to he people who care the most about this site? [true] That our work on guide entries is what matters to the web as a whole? [true] That, as hard as it might be for some of us, we need to welcome change?[true] That with so many other communities being axed by online media, we have the opportunity to pick up some of the people who used to flock to them? [arguable, but how can we send them overtures?]

We function as an online community, but we are also a source of content for people surfing the Net. The two parts are joined at the hip. Are we an exception to the author's point? If so, how did we escape?

We are an exception - well, at least to a degree.
But I don't think that is important.
The points you make are far more important, paulh.
Only yesterday I was reminded of the dysfunctionality of the "Who's Online"-feature. We discussed this at great length a while back and I think I remember some rather hard criticism - until we realized that you can't demand the same service from volunteers on your own site as you could when the service was provided by paid BBC-employees.

(And how important is the "Who's Online"-feature anyway?)

I am not sure you can demand anything, unless you're paying for a service, and the service agreement you signed and pay for has criteria that are not being met. Then you could withhold payment, change providers, or complain.

But some people just love to complain it seems, and feel it is their duty. We (the volunteers) just try our best with limited means.

Take a look at how much time and goodwill our hardworking Guide Editors are putting into the site. They're working constantly, for no reward. They're just kind hearted, generous people who are doing their very best.

My point exactly, Lanzababy, but I should have worded it differently. Instead of "you can't demand the same service" I should have written something like "of course you can't expect the same service".
And followed that up with "what would make you think you have any right to do so?"

I knew what you meant, my dear, and I was sort of adding my

The Guide Editors have my thanks.