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

It seems that someone has yikesed the post in which you gave details of how to contact you. This is all a storm in a teacup, *sigh*, but someone somewhere has a bit of a sense-of-proportion bypass on the subject.

What can one do?

Anyways, it'd be cool if you dropped by one of their Uspaces, or emailed them, or summat. If you feel like it. It could be a bit time consuming, and they have contacted a fair number of folks.

They are interviewing Z tomorrow and me immediately after.



B

That was me - as requested by staff. And I might indeed have a sense of proportion bypass about this, but then I've also seen what taking any sort of contact offsite can do to people, and how upset people can get about being approached out of the blue like this, not just here, but on a lot of communities.

Sorry I picked on Montana, but I was trying to get one message from each of the students. If it's all ok, the message will come back.

>> I've also seen what taking any sort of contact offsite can do to people,

So have I darling, so have I. I set up a bloody MSN group to sort out some of the mess left by a certain UppErAndLowerCase user, (and I am not talking about GiGaBaNe), and I also spend a considerable amount of my time making sure that the UnderGuide works smoothly. We have had internal upsets there.

However, you are as aware as I am that offline contact is fine, if handled responsibly.

Had you bothered to follow their links and check them out?

There are far more left-field sites linked to from user-spaces all over this community, and you would know that if you had checked their links. At first sight, it looks very much as if you were working on rumour rather than checking the sources. That wouldn't matter much, but you are one of the people here who has a reputation and influence. That can be a pain, and it's a pain I have felt: I have stripped my personal space and changed IDs more than once because I felt I had more influence than I was prepared to wield at the time.


>> and how upset people can get about being approached out of the blue like this, not just here, but on a lot of communities.

Which brings me back to my post in the other thread. They didn't post approach out of the blue, they approached people who had expressed opinions on the nature of online communities.

Do you have any recommendations for what I should plant in a south-facing window box? Or any suggestions where I can get a pair of black patent high-heeled boots with lace up sides? Or good places to drink in London? Have you read "The Sexual History of Catharine M"?

How offensive is it to be approached about things that interest you?

How offensive would it be to restrict the site so that people *cannot* approach other people?

Ben

Picked on me? Mina, you picked on me? I didn't give my email out, so I'm a little confused!

Mina,

I understand where you're coming from, but I didn't give any personal info out. All I did was say I would be willing to help. So I'm quite confused. I never even saw the message that was posted to my U-space about it!

Hi Montana,

Sorry to confuse you - a message was posted to your space asking to conduct a phone interview. I'd been asked to use the complaints button on anyone asking for phone numbers, and because I was following B about, I found the one on your space and so complained about that one.

You are completely free to give out your personal details on site, but people going round asking for details out of the blue are frowned upon, and Peta just wants to check it out.

Ah well, then. That explains it.

Mina, if Peta has concerns about the validity of this group, she might be interested in Amy's comments here: F1599167?thread=601688

The validity of their *methods* is a separate issue, but it is clear that, regardless of the debates about what they are doing, they are in fact an entirely respectable and responsible group.

As I said, Peta might like to see this post of Amy's.

Ben

Damn them overzealous mods! It's getting so a researcher can't overzealously yikes a post on overzealously yikesing. The complaint was processed in minutes, and the post never disappeared. Don't the mods realize than in comedy, timing is..............................
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Blatherskite, long time no blether.

B

"As I said, Peta might like to see this post of Amy's."

Feel free to draw her attention to it in that case.

Mina, I don't mean this disrespectful, but shouldn't have I decided to yikes a post on my page? Or to simply respond with "no thanks" or not?

Well, anyone can complain about a message if they think it breaks the rules.

True enough, but I never even *saw* the message, which confused the heck out of me. People were talking about something on my page that I knew nothing about.

I mean, you're doing your job, and that's cool. But it was a little weird.

I don't work for the Beeb anymore. I did it because a member of staff asked me to complain if I saw one - then I saw one on your space.