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

Zaphod - John Peel lives in Stowmarket in Suffolk, but he does have a connection with Shipley in that his wife Shiela originally comes from the town. Peelie has been known to pay a visit, so maybe there's still a family connection there.
And yes, I'm glad to say that the rioting in Bradford seems to have stopped since the last reported disturbances a week ago. However, there are still a LOT of police officers, cars and vans camped out around the main police station in the city centre, way more than usual. They're obviously prepared for more trouble.
DoctorGonzo, I've tried a h2g2 search on "That's My Bush!", but without success. Where can I find the thread?

Back to the thread....

Have a look for John Fiske's 'Reading the Popular'. As far as I can recall, it has a good chapter on shopping. If your local library doesn't have it, then there's a good chance that an academic library might. Of course, you could buy it, as it's an impressively academic book to leave 'lying around'

Beware though, it can be tough going - he's not the easiest of reads...



DG

Thanks DG I will try and hunt it down. Being a student at the moment should help.
Zaphod

Zaphod,

If you drop me an email (see my space here), I'll reply with a couple of links I have. I can't post them here



DG

DG - Your links to the above topic were received with thanks. A fellow student, eh? All the best, Zaphod

Not *quite* a student. I have to do a Sociology resit in August , and a research project in February , then I can go back to uni next year

It'll be a long haul, but worth it. It means I can go into work with a smile on my face, because I know no matter how sh***y it is, it's for a limited time...

DG

I survived college without succumbing to Political Correctness.

To me, this article contains hardly anything alluring about consumerism. The paragraphs seem to start out with a positive what I thought was the topic sentence. This is an odd style, because it makes it read like there are many hidden attacks. Perhaps you could run this by the Writer's Workshop.

There is a lot of unsubstatiated comment. This would be OK if it were entertaining in the H2G2 style. The way it reads to me now is rather ugly; not Vogon-bad, but still quite literal. If I hadn't read your intended purpose at the beginning, I would have taken it for socialist agitprop.

This is a great opinion piece; unfortunately, opinion pieces are not Edited Guide material. I recommend that we move it to the Sin Bin... but it'd be a good article for the Post!

I did posy it for comments but as you see it has attracted few comments. Is it retrievable from the sin bin?
Zaphod

It's still in Peer Review - hasn't gone anywhere, so don't worry. Have you tried contacting the Post to see if they'd like to publish an opinion piece? The Post is a better venue for this article than the Edited Guide - even though it's well-written, the Edited Guide strives to be as objective as possible, and this expounds on one opinion that others might disagree with.

I still think that this could be a valid Edited Entry, with some cultural and sociological theory, and perhaps a couple of pro-consumerism arguments...

...not that I could provide them

I have had invaluable support and advice from DocterGonzo, Purplejenny and Ormondroyd on this entry, and am still (when I can find time) pursuing their optimism in it becoming a guide entry - which is something aimed for. For last month or so it has languished in the writer's workshop, hoping that it would receive some attention there. But alas. Cultural anxiety and No Logo websites have been very helpful in exploring and sharpening the cultural/social contexts and critique of consumerism, as well as putting forth more constructive arguments in its favour. I've still got a long way to go with this one and, time permitting, will incorporate new findings and re-shape entry ASAP.
Thanks for giving it re-newed attention.
Zaphod

Zaphod, I wish you all the best in remodelling the Entry and hopefully making it acceptable for the Edited Guide. If you haven't done so already, it is well worth having a really good look at the Writing Guidelines - http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Writing-Guidelines - to see exactly what the limits are. Section 9, which deals with the need for impartiality, is probably the most relevant here.

Funny, really - I agree with much of what this Entry has to say, but I've just given the same advice to the author of an opinion piece I totally DISagree with! Perhaps that proves that the Writing Guidelines are impartial and effective!

Hey there, Zaphod! Are the revisions and Peer Review still something you're wanting to pursue with this entry? If so, how's it going?


Mikey

Hi Mickey. Just popped in to check the latest. Yes, I do want to amend this entry and place on peer review, only trouble is (Gee Whizz) I'm busy writing assignments for this course I'm on and it's impossible to attend to it. It could be a few weeks, in fact, even longer.
In the meantime, I guess it'll have to tread water or something.
Regards
Zaphod

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A654969 seems to be an edited version of this one ...

And a pretty recent one at that.... Bossel, you want to do the honors and request that the thread be moved?

mikey

consider it done

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Allure of Consumerism'.

Congratulations!

This entry has now been accepted as part of the Edited Guide!