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

Hi Everyone,

There's a new DNA site that's going to be officially opened next week, called 'collective', and we thought you might like to know about it.

At the moment collective is password protected, because the collective Editors - Alastair, Rowan and Matthew - are still putting up the content.

This is how the collective team describes the project on their 'about collective' page.

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* Collective aims to make it easier for those interested in the fresher end of popular culture to explore their tastes and find stuff they like.

* Read - Every week we provide a selection of articles on new albums, films, events, books etc that we think might interest you.

* Comment - Each page becomes a forum for debate around that topic. So for instance, if we write a preview of the new Underworld album, then that page becomes a place for people to discuss the new Underworld album and anything related to it.

* Recommend - But it doesn't stop there, you can also write recommendations on any topic you like, it might be a film you've seen recently or a play or a book you've read - anything you'd like to recommend to members of collective. This page will also become a forum for anything related to your recommendation, so if it was about a new film by Mike Leigh your page might become a centre for talk about Mike Leigh films and what makes a good screenplay.

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If you're interested in new albums, films, events, books and would like to make a recommendation of your own or join in the discussions, they will be more than happy to see you. However, please do try to stay on topic if you're posting on collective because it'll help newcomers to understand the aim of the site (topic drift is much more confusing and obvious in a new community). They're particularly interested in new stuff rather than looking at retro sounds, so if you're a big fan of Wham keep it on h2g2!

You'll see that the look, style and even the functionality of collective isn't the same as h2g2. That's totally deliberate, as they're hoping to set a different vibe within their community. So please don't point out to them that it isn't the same as h2g2 or try to compare the two communities - vive la difference instead!

We'd like to ask you *not* to Ace or Guru on their site, as they're enthusiastic about taking care of all things collective themselves. In time they might set up some volunteer schemes of their own, although they'll almost certainly have different jobs and different names. Right now, though, they're looking forward to the opportunity of interacting with their own visitors, so they get a feel for how their own site is developing.

I hope it all goes really well for them, because been putting in so much effort setting it all up and preparing some really good content.

This sounds like an extremely interesting site indeed. It will be great to find out just how different it's possible to make sites with the DNA engine. I shall be there, poking around I'm sure, as it's the first new DNA site that's really interested me beyond the odd bit like I occasionally get drawn to on 360.

Very exciting! It seems like a good site to connect to BBC Radio and certain parts of BBC TV - one assumes since the BBC are paying for it, this is what will happen?

I'm very much looking forward to seeing this

Looks like we're the only people who are though... care for some ?

Sorry.. I'm pretty sure Ozzy wouldn't be welcome there. :>

I'd love some , as long there's a cup of to go with it

There's one thing which I feel I ought to point out about the concept of this new site:

"Collective aims to make it easier for those interested in the fresher end of popular culture to explore their tastes and find stuff they like."

And:

"They're particularly interested in new stuff rather than looking at retro sounds, so if you're a big fan of Wham keep it on h2g2!"

Wham could have been considered the "fresher end of popular culture" at one point, but no longer. Will collective (small 'c'?) become an ongoing archive for this sort of thing, or will something be removed from the site when it's considered no longer fresh, or even ::GULP:: mainstream?

We have a similar problem at the used cd store where I work. There's a section for pop compilations which has sub-sections for things like goth, benefits, heavy metal, punk, label samplers, female artists, etc, and we often get customers asking for the 'alternative' section. But the thing is that 'alternative' is changing all the time, and what was alternative last year, is mainstream this, and even though there a lot of compilations which have 'alternative' in their name, they no longer are. Scritti Politi were once hailed as the ultimate alternative band, Human League too, and look what happened to them.

Will something be deleted from collective if it's deemed to have 'sold out'?

Hum... so where does Kylie fit in?

Hi All

Thought I'd just introduce myself, I'm Row, the Collective community host. If you're interested in the sorts of things that'll be covered by us then I'll see you there! I think a couple of you have popped in already.

Row

TOTP, Radio 1, The Saturday show... probably not Collective I'm afraid...

I can't do a wink in real life either...

We certainly are BBC. One of our aims is to connect those who are into the sort of new and alternative culture that we cover, to interesting and pertinent BBC content elsewhere be it online, on radio or tv (I sound like an ad now...)

Big C, although there had been debate...

We're not planning to remove content from Collective in this way. I guess if we cover say, an Underworld album, and then their next one is really mainstream and not our thing, we just won't cover it. Easy! I can see the problem with the CDs though...

So now I'm confused. What does 'the fresher end of popular culture' actually mean? What qualifies? New stuff that isn't guarenteed an appearance in the top twenty singles chart just because of its name?

Just make you have plenty of discussion about The Fall

Just make *sure* you have...

Well hopefully you'll be able to see the sort of things we cover by looking at the site. We don't see ourselves as a compendium really, so we're not tied to covering stuff that will be considered 'new and alternative' forever. Does that answer your question?

i am kind of assuming / hoping that it will become a place for 'grown-up' popular culture that is aimed at adults, rather than the production line of blockbusters and bands that appeal to teenies and pre-teenies. so stuff that is serious but isn't 'high-brow' i guess. but then i guess that will only happen if thats the kind of culture i keep recommending on the site.
i also think it is a very neat place to do blogging surrounded by site furniture that really fits in with what i'm interested in, rather than other community areas i've found that don't represent me so well e.g. livejournal.com is a great tool, if you are a high school kid in the states.

*grins*
Mr editor Sir, Are you implying that Kylie isn't at the fresher end of popular culture?
*is horrified*
I'm sure I can put up a very good case in her defence, for instance, without Kylie, hotpants would never be in fashion!