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

Alright, so I have already submitted my first four articles to the editors, and then I scanned the front page again. Apparently I conveniently misread it the first time. They want fellow field researchers to read each others' submissions BEFORE they're submitted. Now here's the predicament. How do you KNOW which field researchers have articles to read, if said articles aren't available in the search field, and aren't easily accessible from the front (or near the front) of the website?

And how does one try to educate fellow researchers that they would like their new submissions read without sounding like a complete and utter buffoon? I mean I could post "PLEASE READ MY STUFF IT'S OVER HERE" and offer a link, but I get the feeling that people would somehow be annoyed by that, especially if EVERYONE started doing it.

Perhaps a better procedure would be for there to be somewhere to find these not-yet-to-be-rejected or waiting-to-be-rejected masterpieces. Like a page of links to recently submitted articles or something.

Otherwise you're limited in scope by the 'friends' you make in here, and I keep such weird hours, so far it's been impossible to discover anyone else who is online the same time I am or whatnot.

Am I rambling? I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

It would be a great idea to have a list of recent articles, that people could vote on (bump the rating up and down depending on whether you liked it or not, such as on Slashdot). That could focus the editor's attention on the better submissions.

I've got several submission piling up, and none have been accepted. In fact, barring one or two entries, everything I've seen has been written by the research team. Are the editors just on a really long lunch?

Couldn't agree MORE with Zach ... no matter how most of us LOVE and hope the best for h2g2 ... the submission procedure of new forums simply lacks objectivity and is UNFAIR for US the supposedly 'researchers' who try our best only to be rejected.

How on earth can a potential forum get postings and/or visitors if its hidden in our USER page !

Suggestion: Maybe you could create a forum called SUBMITTED FORUMS which are there on a trial basis till they get accepted ... maybe that would be a start !!!!!!

Oh yeah and by the way DO visit my recently submitted for 'REJECTION' forum called PINK FLOYD at: http://www.h2g2.com/P29585 (thats whether you like Pink Floyd or not)

(Zach I expect to see a posting from you there ! ... hehehe you know ... Mutual support ... if thats the way we need to play this 'game' ))))) )

Aghhhhhhh ... no response from the h2g2 top people ... well this posting will make it go up to the most recent ones again hehe

I'm posting this wherever I think might be seen without literally spamming every message board in h2g2. I mean, there's a couple hundred thousand of them.

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/h2g2 is a yahoo club I just made specifically for h2g2.com. The THEORY is it's ONE place where people can go and congregate, and it has a chatroom so field researchers can talk in real time with one another and complain about waiting to be rejected. =) Some have suggested ICQ or IRC or any number of other programs but not everyone uses the same programs. However, anyone who can use h2g2 should be able to use the yahoo club, because it only requires a java saavy browser.

Anyway. I'm goin' ta bed. I'll wake up and see if anyone took the bait and wants to give the yahoo club a try as a complement to the h2g2 site.

I wonder how many months it takes for a 'non-field researcher' to get an article in.

LOL, at least I have time then to write s'more!

As far as I can tell, anyone who has a user page in this thing is considered a field researcher. You type in your email and voila! Ford Prefect automatically accepts you. How kind. Then he conveniently forgets you're there. How sweet.

Tell you what, DNA and the Powers That Be, if you need to hire more editors to carry the load, I'm your man! I'd be more than happy to spend forty hours a week trudging through submitted guide articles, insuring they qualify for whatever stipulations you specify, in return for a steady paycheck that would allow me to quit my present job.

It SOUNDS like right now all that's going is a reject/accept routine without the editors actually EDITING. I mean if you're gonna make this work you're gonna have to have actual breathing sentient beings sending emails to the countless field researchers critiquing submitted articles and asking them to improve them. It's how it works.

Just saying "you've been successfully rejected. Congratulations" is NOT going to get this project hopping. Editing and critiquing of content is not something you can code into a script.

Resume available upon request, as soon as I can find the bloody thing.

Meant non-H2G2 team fiel researcher. Feel sorry for them editors, there's gotta be article PILING up. This place be popular.

Why do I keep posting crap only to be ignored? I'm just a glutton for punishment.

Still no response? Well, there's always the hope an editor may make a mistake and come back from lunch.

That's IT JediSlider! We need to TRICK the editors into coming back for lunch!

Quick! Does anyone know a caterer?

I built a canteen to try to lure them back. You could try there. http://www.h2g2.com/A56846

Well, I got one rejected. Hurray!!! Hmm.... maybe leaving a trail of food will lure them... just need to leave my other articles right on top at the end of the trail... *insane giggle*

Nope I am still feeling unrejected.