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

The h2g2 community consortium has formed to preserve h2g2, we're hoping that we'll be able to work with a new buyer, but we're also having to prepare that we'd have to put in a bid ourselves.

We're busy working out how it could work:
We'vedrawn up two document's outlining how we could do it: A81133670 is a brief FAQ and A81123888 is a more detailed version.

I would really love to hear people's opinions on this, and point out what needs to be changed.

Hi Z/Stephen,
Not trying to be difficult but the whole mashup of names gets me confused sometimes, like "Member", "Researcher", etc.
Is there a glossary somewhere explaining these?
Sorry to bother you with such trivia, knowing how Busy you are saving hootoo and all.

Haragai / MartinBZM / Martin Bezemer


Cheers!
Martin
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Free?! Does that mean I can't get a Discount?
I thought I heard a Dolphin Wistle ...

DANG! Pressed the wrong "P" button...

I meant to add that throughout the discussions/conversations AND the 'official' documents produced by the Consortium the terms seem to be used interchangeable. In one place a 'Member' is a 'Researcher' and elsewhere it's meant as a 'registered visitor'.

Cheers!
Martin

Hi,

I'm going to re-write the page tonight, with some definations, and more details. Hopefully I'll get around tonight.

Good on ye, mate!
Lets define some defamations!

It's Scotch-o'clock!

Cheers!
Martin
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Free?! Does that mean I can't get a Discount?
I thought I heard a Dolphin Wistle ...

Just a note on how the staff (used to) work. There was a lot of collaboration, and it worked best when people were together and could chat things over together. Probably they don't have time for it now, but I wanted to say that as I'm not sure 10 people working on their own 7 hours a week would be the same. It would work better if people were at least online at the same time.

Every h2g2 job could have been done at home, the only real need to come into the office was to be together (and possibly to keep an eye on the more workshy members of the team).

Ooh thanks Mina, that's really useful!

It would be such a shame that we couldn't have paid staff. We would have to take advantage of skype, and other communication tools to try and make up what having a chat with a colleague would be.

We could maybe arrange regular team meetings on Skype.

Skype, schmype.
There are dozens of better alternatives out there, and a couple of them are free to use or Open Source to set up for your own.
The possibilities include webcam-conference (Yay! We can see!) combined with a collaborative workspace (Yay! We can Write!) and even a whiteboard (Yay! We can Doodle!).
Some even allow you to run a program on your own PC that all other attendees can see like a 1 to many broadcast presentation.

Imagine what you want and leave it to us TechnoGeeks (Marvins?) to make it happen.

Oh... eh... Did I just start another committee?

"mmmmm...aaahhhh.... Glad to be of Service"

Cheers!
Martin
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I know where my towel is. It says so on the towel.

No, but I think you may have elected yourself to an existing one...

OOoooohhhh... Electing myself is one of my favorite passtimes. Er..
Or were you talking about something else?

OK, no more joking for now.

I've said somewhere that the glove is down and I am about to pick it up in reference to the BBC disposing of h2g2.
I have skills that *I* think are useful to the c3 now and in the future.
For the time being I am unemployed and have time to spare to be involved and I am willing to go the extra distance needed to help smooth along the relocation of h2g2.
I live in The Netherlands and skipping over the pond for a meeting in the UK is a financial no-no but I can be reached in various ways and can participate in an online conference.
When you even speculate on the possibility of taking me up on my offer please do not hesitate to call on me and anything I can do over the 'net I will be pleased to contribute.
I am sure that many are as curious as I am to know what is going on, specially now that the storm has calmed a bit, and I trust the Committee is working hard and diligent to secure the future of h2g2 and eagerly await the progress reports.
Until the call-to-arms comes in I'll be content to follow the site and the Conversations and to stick my muddy boot into some of them when I feel it is appropriate, and even when it might not be.

Viva la Revoluçion!


Cheers!
Martin
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I know where my towel is. It says so on the towel.

Well you contributions so far have been really helpful, and there's so reason why someone overseas wouldn't be able to take part in running an h2g2! You're already doing great work.

I'm sure you'd be snapped up for some sort of volunteer role..the only things that a non-uk resident can do is be a signatory on the bank account..

We'll also need coders and technical people who can do technical stuff..

In fact if you *can* lend a hand now could you drop over to A81133670 and tell if that makes sense to you.