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

BBCi has recently been assessing the ways in which it supports its audiences. One of our key objectives is to make sure that high-quality content and services are provided to as many BBCi visitors and Community members as is possible. In order to grow and develop new areas, we plan to reduce staffing levels in some of the more well-established areas in order to enable growth and development in others, as well as to enable staff to share and develop their expertise across the BBC.

What this all means is that there are going to be some changes to h2g2. As a mature and established Community, h2g2 is well-suited to being run with fewer permanent team members. As a result, the number of staff members working within the h2g2 Community is going to be reduced from six to two full-time staff members at any one time. This change in staffing levels is going to be introduced over the next few months.

Since we're reorganising the internal structure of the team, we've decided to review the organisation and structure of h2g2 overall. To enable this, we're taking a short break from today (8 September 2003), so that we can spend some time working behind the scenes considering modifications and improvements.

During this reorganisation period, no new Edited Entries will be processed and we won't be entering into discussions on site. You'll undoubtedly see us in the 'Who's Online' window from time to time, as we'll need to access the editorial tools, but while we're working on the changes we won't be posting to the site or answering questions. Moderation issues will continue to be handled as usual.

After this break, the team will put up an announcement detailing some of the ideas developed during the break, and the Community will be invited to discuss them and give feedback.

Although no new Edited Guide Entries will appear until 22 September, University Entries and a Talking Point (A1283410) will be featured on the Front Page during this time.

Apologies for the interruption to your surfing. We'll see you all when we get back on the 22 September.

The h2g2 Team

Thought so.

hope you come up with some good ideas during your "holiday"

Ouch, this doesn't look good!

Our thoughts are with you in this difficult time.

It was a bit obvious wasn't it.

So what do we call this outage?

Even me, who's usually notiously positive about such matters, heck I even supported the Iraq policy, thinks this is bad news.

for all sloping people, well not really - some of you have seen me and realise how unplesent the prospect would be, but the thought is there.

Maybe I'm dense but I didn't see this coming at all..

How about Tessa, as it's all her fault!

Zaphod! Changing your structure to better fit your environment (or your own whims)

B.

Considering how much h2g2 is going down and is even inaccessible quite often to getting into, this strikes me as bad news.

Is this the beginning of the end

Is h2g2 changing (as the subject line implies) - or is it "just" the way h2g2 is run that is changing?

Pls don't let it slip into a mere communication forum - the entries are a vital part of h2g2 and needs upkeep...

That's it...

"One of our key objectives is to make sure that high-quality content and services are provided to as many BBCi visitors and Community members as is possible."

I sincearly hope that this is not just a rationalisation of what might be effectivly reducing the ammount of content and quality recieved by visitors and members. If the plan is that h2g2 can be run just as effectivly by two staff and no significant changes are planned (except to other areas of BBCi for the better) then great. I rather think that this probably will not be the case .

Hey, lets not over react until we know what's going to happen, given the amount of italic bashing that seems to go on, I'm surprised that more of you aren't pleased.

The Scouts and the Sub eds have been asked to carry on as normal, entries are still being picked from Peer Review, though I do wonder if the quaility of the entries entered will go down.

If this is the end of the Edited Guide - which I doubt, I'm sure a dedicated groups of volenteers could carry the scheme on, as happens with the underguide. That is the very very very worse case senerio, which in my experience never happens.

At least there's no hiatus this time.

Rupert 2 would not have been an inspiring prospect.

"Pls don't let it slip into a mere communication forum - the entries are a vital part of h2g2 and needs upkeep..."

It is after all the "Earth edition of the Guide" without the EG they might as well just make it a BBC message board.

One could see this as a backhanded compliment. You have done such a good job developing h2g2 that BBCi is desperate to make full use of the editorial team's talent in other, less successful, areas of the website.

However, whatever the bureaucratic reasons behind this decision, those that will no longer be directly involved with h2g2 on an official basis will be greatly missed, and i hope they continue to enjoy the site as researchers.

I shall wait to see the out come of this before making further comment, but wish everbody the best of look.

Mort

PS - bet this means they will be putting the license fee up too, the wee *******.