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

Hi!

I am one of the ACE's here at H2G2. ACE stands for Assistant Community Editor. We are the official Meeters and Greeters of this wonderful site and try to be nice a friendly and appear knowledgeable about stuff. We flit from space to space and I've popped over to say a big friendly "Hello" and welcome you to this great on-line community.

By the way, if you take a look in Preferences you can change the viewing mode of the site. Things like Frames/Fullscreen or using the Alabaster and Goo skins. (My advice for what it is worth is to ditch the 'orrible white and yellow combo of alabaster and embrace the Goo!)
Stil you can learn more about all of that here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/welcome-newcomers

If you are wondering how to draw those little smiley faces that you occasionally see people employing in conversations. This site has loads of 'em and you can find out all about how to use them in conversations like this on by clicking on this smiley face --->

To start you off http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A270325 is a pretty much exhaustive (guide within a guide ) to all of the clubs and sillyness that Researchers (regularly) indulge in.
There are many, many different conversations being had here so try doing some investingating (or "Lurking" as it is known here on-site.)
You can make friends very easily.
You can join in by clicking the Discuss Entry button to start up a brand new conversation or if you want to reply to a message in pre-existing conversation just hit the Reply button (9/10 times it doesn't hit back! ) at the end of the appropriate posting.

To see where the community is talking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Talk - hosts a comprehensive list.
A good place to start there is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/askh2g2 - here you can post a question about more-or-less anything! or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/howdoi - Ignorence can be bliss but enlightenment may be sought here.

These are forums where you can engage with the rest of the community. The forums form one half of the site, they are were reseachers meet and chat. Forums stem from particular Guide Entries writtten by researchers.
For instance the AskH2G2 forums all stem from a page set up by the staff who run this site - fondly known as The Italics because there names all appear in bold italicised font - Gawd Bless 'em - they're lovely.

They all have pages on site. You can learn more about the team that runs the site here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Team

The best part about using this on-line community is you get to write your own articles otherwise known as Guide Entries and have other people talk about them in the forums they generate. You can write about whatever interests you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/index
As you can see Guide Entries can also be about anything at all. If you have an interst in diverse a topics as ballet, car mechanics, advanced quantum physics or the daily frustrations of trying to naviagte the London Tube System now is you chance to flex your writing muscles and put finger to keyboard. And there's plenty of help to get you started:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Writing-Guidelines

The site supports two methods of writing. You can use either Plain Text or if you want to make a page look special you can use a specialised code system called GuideML. It is terribly simple to use. and I promise it doesn't require a doctorate to master and can enhance the look of anythig you write
It is based on a series of open <> and closed </> command brackets and is similar in structure though not indentical to HTML. A really helpful place to start then is the GuideML Clinic, which can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/GuideML-Clinic It explains the basic structure of GuideML, how to use it and is the best place to go if you need any help or get stuck using it.
Your personal Space counts as a Guide Entry and can also be edited to include pictures and text formatting using GuideML.http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/C809
Try looking at other researcher's Spaces to get some ideas.
Click the Who's On Line button to call up a menu that displays all researchers currently logged-in.

There is plenty of help to get you started writing entries for the Guide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Writing-Workshop offers helpful advice and also there is the Peer Review System that lets researchers help each other out in puting the final finishing touches to their articles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/PeerReview

If you are stuck for anything else you could try first checking the Don't Panic! Help Pages & FAQS :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/dontpanic or if you fancy it come and talk to the rest of the ACES here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/ACES - we are a friendly
bunch always ready with the and s

If you want to reply to this message you can by clicking on the Reply button in the corner. I will know if you do because my page dispalys a record of all conversations I have taken part in and have replies to. If you want to stop by my page as well, you are
more than welcome to come ask any questions or even pop over just for a quick chat.
I am here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U113478

Welcome to H2G2.
Enjoy, reading, taking part in and contributing to The Real Life Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy [ Earth Edition ].

See you around.

Clive.

Thanks for the email. I visited your page and though you may think it's unfinished, it looks pretty damn good to me! I have a few questions that just sprang to mind, and no doubt more will spring to mind later on. First, will I ever run out of space on My Space? I mean, if I have lots of messages/guide entries/diary entries will the early ones start to be deleted? Secondly on your page you say 'If I'm not in...' How do I know when you're in?
Well, that's about it for now. I won't bombard you with too many questions!
Thanks a lot,
Claire.

Hi Claire.

Thank you for the encouragement. It *is* always under construction which means I'm always adding to and taking away, but I think the chaotic 'stacked' feel, lends the page a certain inherent charm.

You space, is yours and you can design it how you wish. (This is where a working knowledge of GuideML comes in handy. - if you want help figuring it out, remember just ask.)
The page will extend down as long as you wish to make it. (I wonder who on-site actually has the longest page? ...) Things like your Journal's, conversations you subscribe to and Guide Entrys you write are all displayed in list form via the most recent. Once you reach too many for the page to display, it will automatically generate a link at the bottom of the relevant section along the lines of "Older Conversations"/"To see more Guide Entries/Journels" etc. Whcih brings up a seperate page detailing every conversation from begining to end.
If you want to take a look at my page again, you can see what I mean and also see everywhere I've been chatting recently.

Sine this site was brought by the BBC, the rules regarding content have had to be more carefully enforced. Sometimes contentious material that may contain mild expletives or maybe copyright material is "hidden pending moderation" this just means that The Powers that Be have the chance to check it out and make sure it hasn't been posted illegally or breaks any of the House Rules. (For instance just after the new moderation system had been introduced, postings that contained any lyrics from "Happy Birthday To You" were ****ed out because this is, believe it or not, still under copyright!) These sorts of gremlins have been ironed out now - you are allowed to sing Happy Brithday afterall - but it's worth mentioning that this is the only way your additions to the guide will ever be hidden.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/HouseRules
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Moderation-Guidelines
It is possible that you may come across an entry that has been Deleted, though this was because of some serious breach of the House rules - not because it in any way 'expired'.

On the Other hand. when the site changed over to the BBC Pre-BBC (or 'Legacy')content was hidden. Returnign researchers could reactivate their works just be re-calling the page again. Sometimes Researchers who sign up suddenly contract an accute strain of ammnesia; forgot they joined and we never see them agin
So *occasionally* you might come across pages that have simply not been reactivated.

Regarding your second question, we don't at present away a way of telling from page-to-page whether the person is actually on-line or not. What we *DO* have is The-Who's-Online box. Whether you are viewing this site in alabaster (white background) or Classic Goo (blue background - check preferences.) It will be there. Pressing this will reveal a constantly updated list of researchers who are currently logged-in. Clicking on their names will take you to their personal spaces.

It's a pleasure to welcome new researchers and we try to be as hepful as we can.

If you have any more questions don't hesitate to post here or on my page.

BCNU

Clive