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

Wot's all this about you going off somewhere and leaving us? I don't get on as often as I used to (should?) and I come back to find that you won't be here. I know there are others with whom I can talk but who will be doing your job – and will they actually take part or just oversee from On High?

Meg, I got on this morning and saw your post. What's up? We need you. Will you at least still post occassionally?

Hi AstroLion.

Well guys, this is just my take on things but I've been around the message boards on the Religion site here on the BBC and I figure that the same folks who administer that are going to administer 360.

These guys only ever post to tell you you are behaving badly. They have no interest in the subject. They have nothing to say of any interest. It's a real shame.

The story as I gather it from nosing around here is that they are not continuing to employ our Momma Meg/Maggy so she's gotta look for another job. That right Mag?

I can't tell you how much I wanna be wrong here.

The new producer is over on A1062497

I suggest we go talk to her.

Not that she has deigned to reply to any queries as far as I can see. Certainly not mine.

I'm really rather cross that Maggy is leaving 360.

We have such a nice site!

So is there anything we can do about it do you think? I know the name of the head of Religion and Ethics. Would it be worth launching a campaign?

If Maggy doesn't want to leave 360, then starting a campaign couldn't do any harm now could it?

We could have a petition and everyone can write a paragraph saying that we want Maggy to stay.

I checked out that link, Imogen. Where the heck is this person? How can we persuade her about anything if she won't talk to us?

I suppose everyone could refuse to post out of protest. We could start our own conversations on h2g2. Unless Maggy wants to leave...which puts a different complexion on things.

Why are you hateful Hypatia?

Taking on the BBC seems a tall order, big organisations generally refuse to shift their position. However, if everyone thinks a petition or similar would be a good idea I will do my bit.

Wow, I am really touched!

Well here's the position. No, I didn't want to have to go and I was very upset to start with.

However I'm okay now...and some important things are very clear...

1/ If Religion and Ethics doesn't take over 360 it will probably close down completely as there's no money for it in the department where I work.

2/ Religion and Ethics have their own staff, have been through budget cuts recently and don't have the money to pay me.

3/ Even if they did have the money, it's unlikely that they would want me around anyway because, quite understandably, they want their own take on the site editorially - not to mention the fact that I'm wonderfully expensive (and worth every penny!).

It's also a very natural ego thing not to want to ex-Queen Bee around when you're setting up a new hive isn't it??

4/ The site is not about content - it's about us. It's about conversations - and if we go on talking then that's really all we need isn't it? They can put up lots of lovely articles that look very smart - and that's very nice. But we can just keep on talking.

I have agreed to take a break from the site so they get a fair start in August - and I DO have to complete a book by 1st September so I'm taking August off from BBC work. After that, I'll be back somewhere else in the BBC - I do tend to get around! - and, more importantly I'll be back on 360 as a mate rather than the producer (So you all get to tell me off if I get bossy!).

We don't have to lose each other. The site is what we make of it - not what any producer (even me!!) wants to make it.

Wonderful things are happening to me at the moment through learning to let go of this job (which I have to say has been by far the best of my life so far). Prosperity work does teach that if you can let go, then better comes. I'm watching with joyful anticipation.

Anyway, I'll be able to sell myself and my work to you remorselessly (though tactfully to get around moderation!!!) once I'm not the producer! Who spotted that Scorpio Moon...?

See, Momenta, I'm not hateful at all.

I had a run in last week with a very unpleasant library patron. She is so bad that I have actually had staff burst into tears when she walks through the door. Anyway, she wanted me to let her put some prune danish that she is "testing" for a recipe contest out on the circulation counter for the public. When I refused she informed me that I was too hateful to work with the public and that she was going to report me to the board.

Maggy, I'm glad that you're ok with the changes. You've put so much work into 360 that I was upset at the thought of you being shafted. We all love you.

Thanks Hypatia, I understand now. Not too hateful then, assertive and honest perhaps, but I like and respect that. You do have some strange people coming to your library!

Thank you...I didn't like it either and it did feel a bit like that at the time...

I'm delighted you're not hateful Hypatia! ...how is your husband getting on?

He's home now. He's still shaky, but it looks like the crisis is over for the time being. We'll just have to take it as it comes - which is what we've been doing for months anyway. But it's really stressful.

Hi everybody

Im Zoe and Ive just started working on 360. Maggie came up the other week to show us around it. I think I've got it now, at least Ive got my own space (U234676) and have done my first diary entry

Some of your comments are correct. We're not holistic health experts or astrologers. I certainly wont be offering any advice on these kinds of things. But Im not completely useless!! I work as a designer but my background is in theology and I also write articles for the R+E website.

It is a terrible shame that Maggie is leaving. It will be difficult taking over the site from somebody with such great charisma and specialist knowledge but, as Maggie says, 360 is all about you.

Hi Maggie (if you read this) hope ill be seeing you around on the site soon.

Zoe

Glad he's home Hypatia - but yes, the stress must be awful. I gather that hawthorn tea is really good for heart conditions - do you know anything about that? I think it's called Cretageus in homeopathy. Might be worth going and asking Diane the homeopath - you can find her via the front page.

And have you got anything for shock? An American equivalent to Rescue Remedy? You've been through a lot.

Zoe, good to see you on site at last! (It's Maggy with a Y by the way).

I think it's a great shame that Religion and Ethics is not taking me on as well. However, even better things are happening as they always do when a vacuum is formed.

Hi Zoe. Hope you pop up often enough for us to become acquainted.

Thanks for the tips Maggy. I know I need to do somethng for myself right now, but don't really know what that would be. Besides Frank and having too much to do at home, work is becoming very difficult because of one board member who is a control freak and has never figured out that she is one board member - not the entire board. She takes on things (because she wants the credit for everything) and then doesn't deliver. We're months behind schedule on our building project because of her. She is extremely vindictive and has good political connections, so everyone else on the board toadies to her and won't do anything about her. Now I'm on her s**t list because I said something that she misinterpreted and thought I was publically 'chastising' her. So, she's after my job again. (She goes after me periodically.)

I'm thinking of checking out the prayer group you e-mailed me about. It couldn't hurt.

Do! They are wonderful. And I'll email the UK branch for you too if you like.

And if you affirm 'Divine Order' or 'Divine Love' in the situation it will help too (you definitely need some Aconite or Rescue Remedy!! - can you get anything like that? Maybe even Ignatia for grief...

And with the other woman, the most amazing thing to do (if you can) is to bless her again and again because that will get through and ease her hard thoughts towards you.

Or write her an 'angel letter' - a letter to her higher self, carried in love by the Angels of God, asking her to make peace with you and sending her love. You write it and carry it on you in your bag or in a pocket until you feel it's gone and then burn it.

Worth trying If you like, I could put up an 'angel letter form' on site. I once suggested that someone who regretted having an abortion 25 years before wrote an angel letter to the soul of her child asking him or her to contact the 'mother' if they were able to do so to say if she was forgiven.

Her 19-year-old son, who was working in South Africa rang her at the crack of dawn the next day, saying 'Mum I had this really weird dream that you were asking my forgiveness for something...I had to ring and see if you were okay....'

That would be wonderful Maggy. If you e-mail me, send it to my home, not the library. The library is the jhh001 address. Home is the sofo72 address.

I've heard of angel letters. Another thing that seems simplistic but that works are the prayer strips that Buddhists hang in the wind. I've always thought that was such a lovely image.

There is a health food store near here that sells herbs. I'll go in and see what they have. I thought aconite was poisonous.

Maggy, it just clicked.

Unity - Kansas City - Of course! I used to drive by there all the time. Great people! You can almost feel the love when you drive by the grounds.