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

The eagle-eyed among you may already have spotted three new DNA-based sites, but today sees the official opening of the pilots for A Sense of Place, here:

A Sense of Place - Devon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-devon/

A Sense of Place - Lancashire
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/

A Sense of Place - London
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-london/

All three sites run on the DNA system, the same system that runs h2g2 - you can find out more about DNA in the <./>DNA-Introduction</.>. The clever thing is that if you head on over to any of these sites, your normal h2g2 account will work, as if by magic, and you'll be able to track all your Sense of Place contributions through your normal Personal Space.

If anyone wants to pop over and contribute, then please do, especially if you know anything about the three areas mentioned. If the pilots are a success, then we're hoping DNA will be rolled out for a lot of other UK regions, which can only be good news for h2g2.

As they say round these parts, share and enjoy!

Yay

I notice some "real" pictures (as opposed to artist's "Blobs") in the Devon site... A hint of things to come across DNA...?

Can't wait for the Parallel Universe version... A Senseless Place.

"I notice some "real" pictures (as opposed to artist's "Blobs") in the Devon site... A hint of things to come across DNA...?"

They're still under the control of the relevant editorial teams. They're not using blobs because blobs aren't scalable.

Whether they use drawn images or photos is an editorial decision. h2g2 uses drawings because we like them. We could (and do) use photos on occasion.

Ideally, I'd like h2g2 to stop using blobs, and start using simple ftp to upload images, but that will take time to migrate. For these new sites, it was easier to get them to start using a new method of hosting pictures, one that puts the strain on the BBC servers rather than our servers.

And yes, we'd use a similar method for handling user-uploaded pictures, but we'd still have to implement quotas, and image moderation etc. so it's still not easy.

Woohoo! And wouldn't you know I've already hit one of the pubs!

I can't wait to see it move across the pond and have an NYC site... (hint hint) I even know the local radio station to get to work with it..

Tsk - it's bad enough reading the nonsense this rabble writes, without having to look at mugshots of them as well. No photos on h2g2!

* at DoctorGonzo*

"I can't wait to see it move across the pond and have an NYC site... (hint hint) I even know the local radio station to get to work with it.."

Just as soon as you start paying a licence fee to the BBC.

Talk to the station, Jim. I've maxed out my Hootoo Express Card.

"They're not using blobs because blobs aren't scalable."

Hmmm. The first one on my user page is scaled to 200% x 200%...

I meant scalable in a server/infrastructure sense, not a 'make them bigger' sense.

And I think you knew that.

"Whether they use drawn images or photos is an editorial decision. h2g2 uses drawings because we like them. We could (and do) use photos on occasion."

We're currently looking into the resources available for h2g2 artwork, and given the photographic resources that the BBC has, I'm sure you'll see more photos beginning to appear in Guide Entries. You'll also (hopefully) be able to upload your own pictures soon, but as Jim says, that's a whole different ball game...

Completely over my head, most of it.
Hoping the Guide ML (which I just learned) will have a facility for a proper paragraph some day outside of the feature...

I went to Devon, read an entry, posted to the author, and then went to my personal space in the Devon site. Where are my journal entries?

The sense of place sites have decided that journals are too confusing, so they're not displayed.

I'd be interested to know your opinions on this.

Without the journals, I feel like someone's stolen my furniture.

(aigghhh! I sound like a Habbo addict!)