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

We're directly linked from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ for a while - the 'Communicate' box, to the right of 'About the BBC', reads:

"COMMUNICATE
Your thoughts, your views
Whatever the subject, you'll find someone talking about it on *h2g2*, the guide to life, the universe and everything. "

Those stars denote the link, which appears all bold...

Whoami?

On the one hand, it's great, but on the other it makes us sound like a chat site, which I'm not so sure about.

Most of the idiots one encounters on here filling the place up with rubbish have arrived under the misapprehension... what do you think?

We are a hybrid site, here we chat and think nothing of it but behind the chat are the articles etc.

I must admit I do point out to people that posting A/S/L in Ask h2g2 is not a particularly good idea

Mel

I haven't encounterd anyone directly posting 'a/s/l' as yet, but if anyone idiot 'n00b' does come on here and posts anything even remotely like that (I'm stuck for words here!) I shall stab them with my spork!

It was a long time ago that I last had to deal with it.

As for l33t, I just don't bother, in the same way that I don't bother replying to conversations written in German If they're directed at me I think I would probably go along the lines of - I'm sorry I don't understand is there any chance you could use the Queen's English please.

Anyway it's late and I'm going home,

See you all tommorrow

Mel

I may sound rather naive here, but what's A/S/L? I've briefly encountered l33t on my travels and unceremoniously given it the old Spanish Archer (El Bow).

Myself, I first came here to look at the Guide and to contribute to it, and as a result I tend to take something of a fundamentalist view of people who just use this place as a chat site without reading or talking about or contributing to the Guide in any useful way... I'm sure DNA didn't want h2g2 to be used as just another chatroom.

Yet I've met some very interesting people along the way here, some of whom I now think of as friends despite never having met any of them. An odd thing, really.

A/S/L means age sex loacation

Thats the thing with message boards, it's a great way to make friends. On the interenet you can be yourself, or anyone you want to be, you can pour your heart and soul out to anyone and everyone and actully be closer to people online than you are you 'real friends'. It's sometimes a scary thought for me, two guys in Newcastle which I've never met and haven't known for more than a year, know me better than my friend who lives down the road from me, and has known me for 10years. But for me it's a plus.

I am still closer to my Real friends, there is nothing I wouldn't tell my Boyfriend or my Best Friend. I don't think I would wear my heart on the sleeve of an internet personality though. You don't know who you're talking to, whether they're trustworthy or not.

I make aquaintances on line and friends in real life.

Mel

Exactly so. Which is what meets are for!

Exactly! I make friend online and in real life, but I like to meet people.

Too true

Mel

Though I do believe Argon0 was a little confused since he expected me to be a 6' Blonde, which I'm not and AFAIK he is still searching for the conversation where he swears I said I was.... but I didn't

Mel