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

As a frequent traveller, I've been waiting for technology to catch up with the ability of the hard copy guide book. It would be helpfull if h2g2 had a 'serious' section of real value for the traveller, with a fast search engine for place names. Researchers could build a data base of worth, rather than trying to outzane each other.

I don't think h2g2 is the right place. Heck, it's supposed to be funny! Accurate information is the last thing we want here

Sorry Stan that's not what Douglas Adams was suggesting on live TV when this site was launched. His idea seemed to be aimed at creating a guide for everyone about everything. While, of course, that can and should include humour, it equally must contain elements of factual useful/useless information. At least that was my understanding.

Before I go I note that I had to 'sign' a declaration agreeing not to promote "bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm of any kind against any group or individual" Yet in my first few minutes here I have encountered elements of sexism and masculinist discourse which clearly don't fall under this PC declaration, I think the editors should tighten up on this element of the site in general.

Regarding the tone of the site - you're right, we want serious, informative, entertaining and amusing material all to have a place in the Guide.

At the moment the official entries have veered towards the style adopted in the Guide as described in Douglas' books, but that's not the only kind of entries we want to see. As Douglas indicated at the launch, it should be a home to all kinds of knowledge. Please read the "Message from the Editors" on the front page of the site, which (I hope) makes this clear.

As to your other point about some of the content you've encountered - we are listening.

Tim

I agree that h2g2 shouldn't be serious, but I think that it should have some kind of 'real' database with good submitted entries about life, the universe & everything. That way you really would have a Guide on the net and it wouldn't have to be serious.

I agree completely.

It should be a much improved, internet guide book to places, people, events, phrases, quotes etc. but written in the style of the researchers. The standard internet forum stuff (jokes, weird humour, prejudice etc.) should be separate from the 'proper' articles.

But, I suppose in theory, as more people submit stuff, the drivel will be replaced; if someone writes about 'Frogs' and basically is funny, this will appear as the only article to begin with. Then someone else comes along and posts on 'Frogs' with an interesting article written in a friendly, funny style. This supersedes the other one, and pushes it into a 'funny, but not quite right' area.

What do you think?

You've got it. Basically, this Guide is only as good as the people writing it.

If an entry is funny, fine. For want of real information, entertainment alone isn't a bad thing.

But there's also room for information that's not funny, but is useful. The only constraint is that it should be interesting.

And remember - the nature of the Guide is that as entries appear, they are all the subject of comment. And this comment will be listened to, and fed back into the Guide proper.

It's a big world. The Guide is big enough for everybody. It's our job to provide the road signs.

The underlining guide technolagy could be ported to real world applications like a real travel guide.

Proberbly by using it as a freeform jokumentry would test the structure and usability, then a real tarvel guide can be made.

I am not looking for a real life database however, I WANT MY PERIL SENSITIVE SUNGLASSES! As well, the GIGO (garbage in, gargage out) would be a problem, so more work would be needed than "Hey this is cool".