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

As suggested during our recent 'Your h2g2' Talking Point, we have now introduced a new type of entry to the Edited Guide - the 'Mostly Harmless' entry. This is an entry that has lain forgotten in the wider unedited Guide and which contains a minimum of factual content. Many of these entries have come from the Old Writing Team, whose job was more to do with volume of writing rather than quality.

We've chosen to introduce these entries because they work well with our mobile service (which displays the entries on one small screen) and which also provides easy hints as to the gaps in our guide; if a subject is represented solely by a 'Mostly Harmless' entry, it's ripe for an update or complete rewrite.

This project is related only to existing content on h2g2; we will not be looking for new 'Mostly Harmless' entries and this should not be seen as a means for Researchers to amass entries in their own name. To prevent this happening, all 'Mostly Harmless' entries will be attributed to the 'Mostly Harmless' Writing Team - U198320 (credits for the entries will appear on the Personal Space for that account).

We should stress we are not looking for new entries to be submitted in this style, though recommendations for existing entries worthy of 'Mostly Harmless' status can be recommended to the 'Mostly Harmless' Team's Personal Space (U198320).

Looks an interesting project


>>Old Writing Team<<

Before my time. Was that a formal team or are you referring to researchers writing before a certain date?

...hang on, I've just found their PS. It doesn't tell me what they are/were though.

Grand idea!! Will hopefully attract people to the Update Forum a bit more too

So are most of the old writing team entries going over to Mostly Harmless? If you look here: F55683?thread=631692 there's a load of entries that could be considered "mostly harmless".

Some have already been taken on board and updated, but I'm sure there's some that haven't

MJ

Traveller in Time been studying HooToo History for a while
"They where 'some students (?)' and everybody involved in 'The Digital Village' writing under eachothers account just to create some content before the official opening date of the WEB site. Just visit their Personal Spaces to find out more. "

Traveller in Time somewhere in the background processing 'Rhubarb' and 'Teflon'
"Reminder to self "

Would that mean then that this project has a finite life? I.e. - when all the old writing team's oeuvres have been rewritten, the "Mostly harmless" section is defunct.

Traveller in Time counting
"All say 250 'thin early' Entries , it is going to take a year at least. "

Thanks, Traveller

Can we submit entries that currently have the status Edited Entry but that are, by today's standards, clearly not well written enough to qualify? Becuase, frankly, the Old Writing Team weren't the only ones to write such entries..

So are these the wiki-type 'stub' entries I suggested and no-one seemed to like?

After the old writing team entries there's others that could be classified "Mostly Harmless".

Like this one: A240823

There's loads of life left in this

MJ

Do you want us to:

1. Nominate (unedited) Guide Entries for inclusion in this category?

2. Nominate Edited Guide Entries to be changed to this category?

3. Sit back and not get jealous when these inferior entries are published while our super ones are stuck in Peer Review?

hmm. The Mostly Harmless Entries are already EG Entries, just ones with not much substance. If you notice, Mostly Harmless Entries are indicated with a sub-line asking Researchers to improve them. As far as I see it, no Mostly Harmless Entry will ever go through Peer Review, they will all come through the Update Forum. So there are no 'original' Mostly Harmless Entries that will overtake new ones in PR. Just looks like the Update Forum might get a bit busier. Hope Jimster's up to the task

The original announcement says that Mostly Harmless entries are unedited ones which are promoted to Mostly Harmless.

Yes, but there are several edited Old Writing Team entries that would fit better into the Mostly Harmless cathegory

but then I guess there's stuff in the Flea Market too. and elsewhere in the guide. But I don't believe there's the chance that Mostly Harmless Entries will overtake 'super' entries in PR because, well, the Mostly Harmless ones will be 'super' thanks to the collaborative efforts of all involved

A question though eds, where do you want the nominations sent to? Editorial Feedback with the Thread Heading "Mostly Harmless vote"? or something? Will there be a selection process like the Scouting process in Peer Review (ie; nomination followed by seconding?)

*tries not be so much like mustard*

The current idea is that the old Writing Team entries will be reviewed and those that are salvageable will be given 'Mostly Harmless' status. Not all of them will though, as some are really not up to even this low standard. As they were once 'the Guide' before the invention of the Edited Guide, we felt that it wasn't too unfair to include them once again. But we'll stress that they aren't to be considered anything more than filler entries really.

We also felt that this would be a better way of identifying the gaps in the Guide as this way someone can just go to the Mostly Harmless Team entries and decide to rewrite their old entries.

As for where we want the recommendations to go to, I believe that's actually stated in the final paragraph of the Announcement.

No need for a vote - we'll take a look and if we agree it'll become a Mostly Harmless entry. If not, it, er, won't.

>>"recommendations for existing entries worthy of 'Mostly Harmless' status can be recommended to the 'Mostly Harmless' Team's Personal Space (U198320)."

Lovely

Traveller in Time looking for the Hampsters to show up