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

Well shut my mouth and call me an ignorant tadpole. I should have really read the terms and conditions set forth by that venerable organization the BBC. I realize now that anyone with any sense who one day hopes to actually do something in the writing game should stay as far away from posting it on h2g2 as humanly possible.

I don't know...it's just my opinion and I'm certainly not making any accusations here, but you would think any large corporation with millions in assets and writers galore on their payroll worldwide wouldn't find it nessecary to put themselves in a position enhance some poor persons orifice by shoving their terms and conditions so forcefully into it.

I know, I know, I should have read those terms and conditions more carefully, but I'm no lawyer and it looked like a fun place to get feedback on my writing. Besides, if you can't trust the BBC who can you trust?

If there was a way that I could get them to delete all my stuff and give up their rights to in return for my promise to never visit their website again, I'd do it. As it stands however, I have to stay here just to watch and see what's happening.

It's very depressing. At least I found out fairly soon how dangerous it can be to get involved in posting here. I realize my work may not be all that good yet, but that's not really the point is it? What if I got lucky and wrote that one great thing that we all have in us and just foolishly gave the rights to it away to a great British conglomerate? Pretty stupid, huh?

Hi Thirdgirl

I've responded to your question about copyright here:

F64497?thread=185719&post=2049440#p2049440

Our terms are pretty standard, similar terms apply on most other publishing sites on the web, so if you think you may want to publish your material later, it's a really good idea to check with the rules or with the site owners, before you put it up.

The reason we have this copyright is that we may want to make the content available on a CD or a funky handheld device (this is the Hitchhiker's Guide after all!) at some point in the future, and it would be impossible to do this if we had to go and seek permission from every contributor at a later date.

I hope this helps to explain our reasoning.