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

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A539075

This entry could be added to a series of music entries with little or no editing required.

TLe12002 - U172105

On your homespace you state that "... i'm no good at intros"
Well, I'm afraid that seems to show through here as well. You've chosen a topic so huge and controversial, and a Guide entry ought to first describe what it's dealing with, before going into discussions. I strongly recommend you read the Writing-Guidelines (eg, regarding 1st person writing) at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/writing-guidelines .

You could start with describing the Napster network as a source to find music files in a peer-to-peer network, then tell us which alternatives and clones are around, the legal aspects, the fusion with Bertelsmann, the new NAP file format, and the future of it all...


And, considering your statement (in A540767, Peer Review) that
"The peer review is a system by which good good articles don't get published and boring articles do." -- I'd reply that it is up to you to take up /both/ challenges that emerge thereof:
1st: do write, and make it a good one!
2nd: act as a peer and go reviewing other works!

Am I to harsh? Hopefully not

I'd just like to agree with Bossel on one thing - the quality of entries which emerge from Peer Review depends entirely on those who hang around here. If you find the entries coming through boring, jump in! find entries in Peer Review that you *love*, and post to them, saying how much you love them - and why! If you can, suggest extra titbits that you think would turning excellent entries into truly magnificent entries. But the most important thing to do is to find the entries you like - and say so!

A good journal entry, but not for the guide. but it could be. The napster story is about vested interests in the music industry vs a new model of communication. If you are going to give it a serious write up, you need to mention all the history of napster, and also the attempts to get aroung the music industry's fear of lost profit. this includes napster, then gnutella, then freenet.

You might also take over things (with due credits) from http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A421606 (still 'pending moderation' ) which has a Writing Workshop thread at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/F57153?thread=71899

I'd love to know how Napster works - maybe a short non-technical description would make the entry more interesting, as well as the actual debate.

Your wish is my command Here is a small entry that has the relevent facts in it but is not yet ready for the guide.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A544295 Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Just a note on the spelling of panicked.

Apart from that, a clear description - thanks!

Are there any links to freenet?

I intend to look for freenet soon, but I know that the code is on sourceforge

As a Scout, I can tell you that your entry needs a bit of work. Sub-eds could do some of it, but you really don't describe what Napster is, and the technology behind it. Add some of these things, and it could go on.

*Michael Notforyou*
Official Scout, h2g2
U113408

I think it would need to add all of those things and then some before it would be an article for the guide. This is not an entry its just a political statement where there is a wealth of information waiting to be organized and presented.

Barton

Barton I'm afraid you took the link in the very first posting.
In posting #7, xyroth has taken over, and another entry is now at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A544295

A few suggestions:

- other systems like WinMX. In a way, WinMX is a follow-up and superset of Napster, as it logs in to a net of its own, plus Napster plus a wealth of other networks. Napster cannot recover broken/interrupted downloads, WinMX can.

- According to the press, gnutella has been misused as carrier for computer viruses. Therefore, one should restrict the file extensions to *.mp3 and other related types, but exclude executables *.exe and *.com

- presumably all of the system have some 'chat' and 'browse' features. 'Chat' means you can open a small window and exchange text messages while downloading. 'Browse' means you can look into the (dedicated part of the) hard drive of your peer and look out for related stuff. A good idea if you were on search for your favourite band XYZ, found a peer with lots of music from them, and suspect this peer might share your taste. By browsing you might find more bands (or interprets) of a like type.

- policies. 'Sharing' means taking *and* giving. Some peers will cancel your downloads if they find out that you don't offer anything for uploading.

$0.02

Sorry bossel, you are wrong. I have not taken over writing about napster, the entry you refer to is an overview of file sharing technologies, and is therefore complementary to, not in competition with a good entry on napster. In fact I am in a very poor position to do a good write-up on the details about napster, as I won't join any service that insists on a download of significant amounts of software with no information about how long it will take, or any other information about the service to tell you if it is worth downloading the software.

Ooopsie! sorry, I thought you had.

Well, then I'd say we move this thread over to the Workshop, as TLe12002 doesn't seem to be around anymore...

Any Scout seconding?

I might be prepared to take it on if a lot of people who know what they are talking about will help, but it will have to wait untill after I finish the intelligence project that I inherited from playboy reporter. boy is it taking a lot of work.

boy, who are you telling this... I'm still at the beginning with 'Why do we hate foreigners' which also shipwrecked

But yes, I'll be there!

My evaluation of this entry standa unless someone wants to take it over and make changes. I, too, vote for Writer's Workshop.

Bossel,

I'd love to see anything you are willing to show out of your 'foreigners' work. I might have some useful historical comments, not about the 'why,' which is admitedly the hard part, but the 'when' and the 'how' which are illustrative. That is, assuming that by 'we' you mean the British. Perhaps an American viewpoint would be out of place, but I would still love to see how you are trying to handle that nasty 'why' thing.


xyroth,

I will post at your entry.


Barton

Workshop then?

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Writing Workshop'.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'The Writing Workshop' to 'The Flea Market'.