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

Let me say first that I do not mind reading news on BBC, and have indeed done so often in the past. I wouldn't even have minded a discreet link at the bottom of the pages to the BBC servers... but if the BBC is indeed the great benevolent benefactor of the independently enlightened as everyone is trying to convince me, then they would have been more than happy to have become silent partners, willing to simply contribute the financial backing rather than insisting h2g2 became part and parcel to the corporation. A discreet mutual link to h2g2 on their front page and the aforementioned one from h2g2 to there would have been all that was needed, and h2g2 could have went about its life unencumbered by close-minded censorship. The BBC could have went about its own business without fear that something on our little corner of the world would cause them great stress (ie: lawsuits).

My £0.0136167

After many moons away trawling the galaxy (or at least, my small part of it) I have to agree. What happened? When did it happen? and who can we blame?

....... I tried punching the wall.




It didn't help

I went into shock, visited the egroup where folks had holed up for the interim (Rupert??), and typed out a long letter of angst, point-by-point to Mark's announcement letter... and promptly lost it somewhere in the cyber-ether.

Then I punched the wall: Didn't help me (or the wall), either.

Then a few of us met up on the 'other' server someone had forgotten to shut off. Then it disappeared, too.

Then the BBC took over.

Then I 'd a long time.

Awwwwwwww *hugs anonymouse*.

Its just not fair, is it

What sort of things did you have in your letter?

Mostly my gut-reactions when I'd opened the email. I can't even remember the mail atm, much less my reply to it. This was, of course, before the beeb had allowed them to say they'd taken over.

Hmmm.... I'm not too clued in on the begginings.... what happened? The bbc took over, but didn't tell anyone?

Apparently negotiations had been going on for some time, but they weren't allowed to notify the users because of some archane business law to the effect that saying a change of hands was immenent might cause a loss of clientele, thus being unfair to the buyer. So they suddenly just shut down the site. No warnings, no nothing.