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

Dear Editors: never mind my name: it is under construction to start a new at h2g2--- if I have a second chance.

BBC has a program for newcomers to lern the Web.
Web Wise. It is a most wonderful, organized, clear, simple way to teach even a less able person to learn something new.

Why can't you make your system simple and easy??? It would benefit everybody including yourselfs.

You are may be the best computer scientists, but to organize a communication system is something else. You would have to think in terms of people who are not computer experts, just want to communicate like housewifes in the supermarket while shopping: stop and " gossip", or complain how bad their husband is, or how the kids run away etc.--
But to figure out how to post it, where and all the House Rules and all kinds of limitations??? Dear Hard Working People there. Once a Smart Boss told me: " don't work hard, work smart.--"
Wish I could help you, but I have my own problem here to solve: technical difficulties: I am stuck with my advanced formatting, which will not go through your equipment! I am not giving up my request for integrated, sophisticated presentation of my Home Page.
I want color, various fonts, computer painting etc.-- Got advise, though sofar I am not advencing to introduce myself. Jung Wing--- til I can present my new ID.

Hi there! I'm Whoami? , on of h2g2's resident Gurus and I think I can help you here. Personally, I don't see where your complaint starts - h2g2 is, IMHO, as simple as it can be - like anything, there is a bit of terminology to learn, but it's hard to see how any of the processes could be streamlined.

As far as the Personal Space goes, GuideML - which I think you might have tried to use - works just like a restricted subset of HTML, the code that is used across the net, only you can't overlap tags - ie:

Bold Text in a Paragraph is fine.
Bold Text in a Paragraph isn't fine.

When you're submitting your Personal Space, it might come back with an error message. If so, could you tell me what it is?

Whoami?

As far as the House Rules etc., you have to have rules. Otherwise, the Italics couldn't deal with naughty Researchers.

Whoami?

There are no plans to introduce that sort of technology on DNA sites at the moment. You can change colours and font sizes on h2g2 if you'd like to, and you can also change the colour of the background your page, and if you are in Brunel you can change the colour of the borders of your page.


We do have a lot of housewives who communicate as if they are in a supermarket - I'm one of them! We also have young adults and older children, grandmothers, old age pensioners, people who have English as a second or third language - so the tricky bits of h2g2 can be picked up with practice.

Oh - you mean you wanted to embed your whole homepage into your Personal Space? Chances are it'd look funny anyway. If not, chances are it's plain text - copy and paste!

Whoami?

BTW, Hi Mina!

This msg would go to Whoami ? since this reply was the first to the " always complaining" Jung Wing.

Thank you for your reply and congratulation for all your achievement at your tender young age! It sparkles through your writing to my msg
" Homer at work", that your brain is full of " human" goodies: such as kindness, helpfullness = eager to help, and more than that: concrete definitions, which are rare to find in h2g2 people.
I appreciate all these enjoyable experinces for me.

OK.-- After all I would like to introduce myself like everybody else.
It involves some text ( Lo and Behold: some form of poetry) and some little visual image. ( A picure of a lizard).

Actually everything is ready: most of it is stored in my computer.

I made a test with an essay how transfer text from WORD somewhere into h2g2 page. It went to my JOURNAL ENTRY. By accident it was good, because few people read it, and the problem is right there. I don't know how to correct it? If you would be kind to read this essay: the title is: "SKETCHING A WINTER SUNSET" in Jung Wing's Journal Entry. In the text you will find some numbers, which would have to be taken out, I don't know how and why does it get there?

Generally I write everything on Microsoft WORD, because gives me a lot of variety to use various fonts, colors, formatting in many ways etc. I would like to make my INTRODUCTION on my computer with WORD. But I don't know how will that look in h2g2 after COPY and PAST where ever would have to go for my INTRODUCTION??
I would use Alabaster skin because my lizard has to be green, like a Tree Frog.

I am a pro. artist,( I paint ) but I don't know those techniques what the Community artist are using. My computer is a 2 year old Dell PC, on which I can paint also, but h2g2 can not download even a photo of a little painting, they told me so.

Dear Whoami? I really appreciate your help, but coding I dont' always understand yet!! ML = mark up language which I would have to find more about it.

I don't know if you understand me, I was not born in an english speaking country. Yet: I wrote in english some poetry, but with a language of a child. It is very funny. Jung Wing

My note to the House Rules: Of course we have to have rules, I agree. The only thing is my question: in my wondering in entries at h2g2 in this past months I ran into such words, expressions, subjects which passed way to far the House Rules. Nobody said anything! They are still there with all the low class language, vulgar expressions, I don't care to add to my vocabulary! Now what are the Rules for?J.W.

Good Morning, Researcher Jung Wing. Firstly, I'd like to thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you're finding me to be helpful. Thanks so much for explaining more about the problems that you're having with your Personal Space at present - the Personal Space is probably both the thing that people are most eager to get right, and the one which causes the most headaches. In other words, don't worry that you're having a few problems - that's what Gurus like myself are here for.

You can add text to your Personal Space by clicking the 'Edit Page' link next to the introduction. In Brunel, this appears near the bottom of the page when you are logged in. In Alabaster and in Classic Goo, it's at the top on the right, below the search box. You'll get a big box to put your text into.

The funny codes that you noticed, for example '”' are a result of the way in which Microsoft Word uses something called smart quotes. On the internet in general, quotes appear as 'straight quotes' that are the same at both ends of the quotation, like this:

"h2g2 is the BBC's most wonderful website"

What has happened is that Word has replaced these with quotes that adapt to your text, with an opening double quote being a mirror image of a closing double quote, etc. The same applies to apostrophes. It looks smarter in Word, but doesn't transfer across very well. You can eliminate the codes by working through your text in the onsite box and replacing the characters manually as follows:

“ ” both become ", a double quote mark.
’ becomes ' , an apostrophe.

As for colours and fonts, I'm afraid things get a bit more complicated because the site can't automatically interpret Word's formatting - mainly because the boxes that are used to enter information into websites in all major browsers can only handle plain text. Instead, you can format your text with a form of code called GuideML - which works in a similar way to the HTML code that is used to make webpages.

I'm not going to explain that now, as I think you might have enough to be getting on with already. Please reply with any questions, and we'll work through GuideML and images together once you feel ready.

Whoami?

Good Day Whoami? I wrote you a long msg last night, but it is not here as I expected: Homer at work page!!
I still wonder where things go. I thought I knew a little more, yet I don't know where my msg is from last night.????

I wrote a TEST on NOTE PAD and transfered it to the page where the Bird Story is.

If you scroll down--- there it is.

No problem and it seems that for PLAIN TEXT entries for longer stories as for the Guide, or Contribution I can use the NOTE PAD as it is installed in my computer. I DECLERE THAT MY PLAIN TEXT PROBLEM IS SOLVED. thank you as well as for Woodpigeon.

This is a very Happy Jung Wing

P.S. further problem solving to follow.
Hi Everybody: WEHRE IS MY MSG TO WHOAMI? FROM SATURDAY NIGHT MARCH 1,03.????

MY LONG MSG FROM MARCH 1, 2003 SHOULD BE HERE FOR WHOAMI? WHERE IS IT???????? jUNG wING

Hello Mina: thanks for responding to my entry working with Homer.
To make long story short: I am not asking any higher thech. stuff at h2g2,--- only so much as it has been already done by other resourseful researchers like : Mr. Pheloxi ( from Netherland).
He made very nice entries, postings all with colors, illustrations. etc. If he can do it and presented on h2g2 pages, I can do it too.
That is all about for my asking. OK? Mina.

I have found a very smart young Researcher who really concretely helped and helps me: Whoami? The best GURU and a wonderful human being. h2g2 is lucky when such a " treasure" joins the Community.

I hope soon you will be able to see something nice,funny and "tickelish" stuff from me.

Thanks again. Jung Wing-- til my new ID arrives

To Number 9 posting in Homer at work conversation to Whoami? the answer is: Problem solved. For further development I am trying to find you. Plse come back to Homer at work. Jung Wing

Calm down! I'm still here. I can't be online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - I'm not a robot, you know. I am on h2g2 most days of the week but do take breaks for sleeping, eating, using the toilet, lessons, real life, socialising, worship etc.

I don't know what happened to your posting; if you pressed submit on the message and had got the following page, then it'd be here. No worries, though. I'm glad that you're happy with plain text now. Do you want to go through the basics of formatting or would you like to wait a bit? It's up to you!

Whoami?

OK! OK! Sorry, it is not you, but the long story from last night. I was half a sleep, and kept writing,- and next day: NOTHING NOWHERE !!! Anything is possible, that I did not send it, but went to sleep. Though I print everything, I have the msg, but I don't think I would type it again.

NOTE PAD was suggested by Woodpigeon at first some time ago, before I met you. Woodpigeon is a very nice researcher, irish man and just got a job and he has family so I did not want to bother him.

To Mina's reply at Homer... I answered that I don't want anymore than what is already has been done. See: meme webguide by pheloxi ( from Netherland). He does a wonderful formatting, colors,etc. that is all I want.

I went to your pages, read things about you and from your work. Also I told Mina, that h2g2 should appreciate when somebody like Whoami? joins the " club".

If you see the meme webguide A573040 pheloxi you will get the idea what I am up to.
But you also have nice little " clipart" on your page. Woodpigeon has an animated lovely thing for his writing.
My thing is a little green lizzard from Hawaii. I have the drawing and foto which I did myself, but I know that I can not transfer.- Also I contacted Amy the Ant for artwork, but I don't know when will I get answer.\ if any.
The lizzard called: Gecko ( that wants to be my next name.)
And Gecko will make an introduction starting:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I am here to tell you:
How much I love you
or HATE you:
It is up to you
what do you want me to do
Love you or HATE you????

This is Gecko ( the cutest lizard in Hawaii) (green)
And than would follow some " tickelish" Text with the GuideML which ofcourse I dont know.

You can explain it to me, I also print things here all the time from the Guide, but again there are definetly setbacks with transmission as I don't get everything like from 5 pg only 2 comes through. I am unable to get the full list of Smileys. to be printed out.

If and when you have time, and feel like it, we can discuss how to make a fancy home page = Inrtoduction with Gecko,for Gecko, about Gecko.
It is a pity, that I paint on my computer, have many paintings which were exhibited etc. and like an "idiot" I have to ask for art work when I made a living with art!!! < Blue> +
Perhaps you are sleeping or watching " late show",---- anyway take your time,-- we will get to it.
Cheers! Jung Wing

I checked this out at Midnight. My msg from today is posted.
What I did with yesterday's msg: that is a typical " Homer at work".... so there you are.
Guess the Sun will rise soon on the other side of " the pond", but here in America people are just getting to go to sleep.----For you wish you:
Good Day! J.W.

I'll run through the basics of GuideML with you sometime today - I'll probably post it after lunch, but I can't promise anything!

Nice to hear from you Whoami? ( a piece of cake???) I am not sure YET to read codings properly and no insult if my interpretation would be wrong. ( My apology!)

I was browsing on your page and connections. There is Tiger Lover who is also asking you to help for her page!!! It is very interesting for me to identify ( at least guessing) who is who, what age, what gender etc.--- Tiger Lover is a young woman???,---for example and no more comments. The " bugg off" note from you makes me laugh. This is what I like in h2g2 that here are no inhibitions, and one can speak freely
most of the time.

Now let's get to HOMER. I'd like to make a DRAFT first about my introduction, but with Note Pad there will be no fancy formatting.
QUESTION: WHERE WOULD I POST FOR PREVIEW + CORRECTION ETC. BEFORE GETTING TO THE ACTUAL PLACE????
That would eliminate my doubts, that something silly will go on display.

In the Draft I would like to concentrate on the TEXT mainly ( planning the poem form as GECKO is speaking)

That is it for now. But don't be " upset" or don't feel under prssure to do this, good things to do, takes time. " Haste is waste" ( I learned it here in America. ( My location is in Long Island, 25 mi East of NYC.) Here is bright sunshine and very cold this morning. Life is very " toff" in this brutal Winter of 02/03. Brrrrr!
otherwise Cheers. J.W.

What?

You can always draft and redraft your intro; also, you can of course add an entry using the button in the toolbar. You would have to use GuideML, which works a bit like the HTML language that webpages are built from, for the formatting.

Whoami?