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

Ah, yes, I should probably read a bit more carefully!

Which is a shame, if you rescue a painful shambles from the Flea Market, rewrite it completely, and give the original author a credit because it's the done thing...

A shame, but completely understandable!

I've done that twice. It's what's stopping me from getting my 25 badge at the minute.

B

Hi Kelli!

Just checked with the others here before answering - I'm sure you understand that as this is a new feature we're bound to come across teething problems, issues and concerns such as this, and we want to do whatever we can to accommodate as many people as possible with this new feature.

In short, if whoever approaches us to update/amend an Edited Guide entry can a) provide us with easily copy-and-pastable code; and b) can direct us to a discussion thread where all of the named individuals have given their permission for any changes to take place, then we will indeed update the entry accordingly. Hurrah!

Unfortunately, if one or more of the authors concerned have Elvised or are unable to give their approval, then we won't be able to change things.

Paully

With articles rescued from Flea Market, or entries that are significant rewrites, I'd suggest a credit along the lines of "Original Entry by".

Paully

You're talking only about future Flea Market rescues and updates there, Paully?

*blinks*

Are we saying that if a researcher says "I was the main author of this, can we change the status of the other guys co-credited" then the defaul t is to not believe them?

.... I guess we *are* saying that, aren't we?

Do you want to know the *really* sad thing?

I can see why.

*sigh*

Surely the evidence for most of the co-credits would be in the PR conversations? It states explicitly in the PR convo who the original author is, and most of the times people say "good point, can I quote you if I co-credit you?" in various posts as the conversation progresses.

Ok, checking this out is NOT the best use of the Italics' time, it really isn't. But for the sake of accuracy let's not pretend it isn't possible to check out, because it is.

Ben
*wary of reminiscing about the good-ole-daze, but aware that a default position of not-trusting is a new and unpleasant thing to find in hootooland*

Well this is what happens if you're going to introduce prizes for writing solo Entries

Still, I'm sure both Master B and I are more than capable of writing a few more, jealously guarded entries to get up to the next badge..!

What I think is really quite sad is Jim, Natalie, Jimster and Paully working their nuts off to bring us new exciting features, AND clean up PR and the Front Page at the same time, only for people to pick holes in it.

I used to want an Italic job. Not so sure now...

B

Ben, the eds have just changed their postion from "we can't change existing co-autor credits because we don't want any arguments" to "we can change co-author credits if everyone involved agrees".

Don't you think this is better than the first position?

*stops gazing wistfully at old Entries and skulks off to write new ones*

Ooops, meant to say thanks for that Paully before responding to b's post.

Without getting drawn into providing hard and fast rules for every single element, can we leave it as this for the moment?

We've asked for Customisable Credits to enable us to give credit where it's due. When it was developed we had two specific uses in mind: 'Illustrated by', to address our long-standing concerns about the Artists not getting proper credits; and 'Original Entry by', to address the situation of complete rewrites where the original author or sub-editor would really only be credited as a courtesy.

The current team of Italics have limited resources, which means that it's often the line of least resistence that we have to take. So if you can make it easy for us to do what you want, you're more likely to get your own way; this is, after all, how the UnderGuide got to change the policy on recognising creative content on h2g2. It also means that we try to create workable sets of 'rules' just so everyone knows how the system will work - not to punish, restrict or belittle anyone.

This is a new idea. We welcome feedback on how it might operate. Please try to avoid leaping to the bleakest of conclusions straight away because then we have to backtrack to see what we did that was so bad

By the way, this is not the last new idea you'll be seeing this month. You ain't seen nuthin' yet!

Paully

Ach, you big tease.

The Credit tags are a great idea, came at exactly the right time for my recently scouted entry (thus avoiding much soul searching) and provide credit where it's due without putting people off crediting at all.

Nice one.

Ach, you big tease.

The Credit tags are a great idea, came at exactly the right time for my recently scouted entry (thus avoiding much soul searching) and provide credit where it's due without putting people off crediting in the first place.

Nice one.

That wasn't meant to happen.

Yes, kelli, it is bags better.

I am torn between desperately wanting my solo entries credited as such, and actually preferring that the Italics spend their time doing something more constructive than pandering to overblown egos like mine.

It IS cool that we can do it. Really it is.
It is also cool that there are prizes for people who contribute lots of solo entries.

But I am aware that there are different shades of non-solo, and in fact, pulling together collaborative entries is much harder work than writing solo ones, and there is no way on this earth or off it that I could get agreement to changing the credits from all the contributors to A613054, A1053901, or even A724970.

I'm trying to decide whether or not it is worth asking SorB, Pinniped, Zarquon and Lucinda (if I can find him) to accept a different billing on the three or four entries that they contributed to.

I am just really reminding myself that being the good gal, and giving credit where credit is due, should be reward in itself, and that if I winge now then I effectively wipe out my previous good behaviour!

Also, I really do think that the Italics have better things to do than changing the credits on age-old entries.

(Why can't I have my winge and eat it?)

B

YEAH..I'M AGREED

*waits with bated breath*

New features imminant eh?

Smileys please

A4084977