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

ooo how exciting...a new place.

Sorry I don't get out much

Cripes - there's a lot going on over here! It took me ages to find this conversation after browsing other bits! Nice to see some familiar names though.

Hi all, and welcome to h2g2.

We just thought we should pop over and firstly say hello to all our newcomers from Radio 2. As you've probably noticed, h2g2 isn't the same as Radio 2. We're not just here for chat - although a lot of chat does go on - and we're not here to be used simply as a replacement for the Radio 2 boards, sadly, which is why we have had to close one page that was set up to be precisely that. We already have various areas for discussions and we'd prefer you to stick to those. (More of which in a moment). 

However, we think you might want to give us a chance because there are a lot more activities that you can get involved with on h2g2. For a start, h2g2 is all about helping people to learn about writing factual articles for the web. The main focus of activities is our Edited Guide, which is an encyclopaedic guide to all manner of topics - Life, the Universe and Everything. We're always on the look-out for new approaches and even if you don't fancy writing an entry of your own, you can always add new information or discuss topics in the forums underneath the entries themselves.

One of the busiest areas is <./>AskH2G2</.>, an area where questions are posed and answers suggested. There's also the more general <./>MiscChat</.>, which is where we've moved these Radio 2 discussions for the time being.

We have a regular web newspaper called <./<ThePost</.>, which is entirely run by members of the Community. Contact the Post team if you have any ideas for regular columns, one-off articles or even cartoons.

The <./>UnderGuide</.> is our corner for creative writing. This is another community-run scheme that looks after fiction, opinion pieces and poetry, and again, they work hard to encourage members with their writing and help them with ideas, style and form.

We have volunteers who can help you. The Aces are our 'meeters and greeters' who can show you around the site. Scouts and Subs hang out in Peer Review and give advice and suggestions to prospective new entries. We also have the Community Artists and Photographers, two groups who illustrate the Edited Guide with original photos and graphics.

We're not able to recreate what you all had on Radio 2, and it's probably not a good idea to allow a ghetto to grow on h2g2 because that's not fair on those h2g2 people who are already used to the way things run here. We also can't discuss events that led to the closure of those boards because we had no say in that. But we'd really like to see you guys integrate with us, so we're here to help you settle in and get the most out of being members of h2g2.

Happy hitchhiking,

The h2g2 Team

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Thanks for Registering with h2g2 - Welcome!' to 'Miscellaneous Chat'.

fluffy, i posted a message in your P/space

Andy

See, Jimster explained it much better than I could.

You mean Smij explained it. You'll only confuse everybody by calling him Jimster.

Good point.

This post has been removed.

If any of you want to get involved in the Edited Guide that would be fabulous.

Don't worry we won't go where we are not wanted, which you have all made quite clear is here.

H

I've been a member of hootoo since of 2004, it's not the welcoming place that it was back then.

Did you read what Smij wrote? You're all welcome here, which is what we've been saying since last night, we only point out that this is a different place than the message board you're used to.

It certainly is a different place, we will take a while to get used to it! There aren't so many of us, unfortunately on another thread someone mentioned the word 'invasion' which has upset a few people.

As you can imagine, there are some extremely annoyed people today, some of the posters from the boards have been together for a few years now and have had a community going for quite some time. To close down these extremely popular boards seems ridiculous to most. The radio 2 boards (particularly the N&CA board) has a similar sort of community feel as h2g2, people pop in and out, sometimes they're there for months, sometimes they don't post for months, but everyone, new people especially (apart from trolls) has been welcomed. Obviously the h2g2 community is hugely bigger than that we are used to.

I'm sure people realise we can't just turn up and take over, but perhaps it would be better to let us get those who want to join in to come over on one thread, then we will all move around h2g2 as we become more used to it. Closing threads perhaps needs to be handled gently, the feelings are rather raw at the moment!!!

Be patient with us, we're all upset!

QS

Hi Helen,

You're very much wanted. But we have to make sure that any members of Radio 2 who migrate over to h2g2 become part of the h2g2 Community rather than setting up their own new boards and not taking part. Otherwise we just end up with a ghetto, which we'd have to then moderate fully - and none of us wants that

By the way, there are some members of the PUDDING Club posting here, who may come across as grumpy. The PUDDING Club was set up for people who choose to be really sulky and are glad to be grey. You can find them over here: A749784. Even though we try to help them and love them to bits, they like to think that the world hates them and that we have some kind of vendetta against them. You've got to love a bit of paranoia though - bless

And just to reply to QS, we do understand how you feel. You might not know this, but many years ago, h2g2 was a commercial company that faced closure. The site was actually shut down for some time before the BBC bought it and rescued h2g2. So a lot of the long-timers here know what you're going through.

I'm sure you're also aware of the restructuring and changes that the BBC is going through. While we don't work in the same division as Radio 2, we know that the decision to close the boards there wasn't taken lightly, but we also know that you don't want to be homeless. If you can bear with us while we all shuffle over to make room for you, I'm also sure we can find the right balance eventually.

Feel free to ask our volunteers any questions if you don't understand how things work. Or click the link in the right-hand margin for 'What is h2g2?' and take the tour, which should explain things a bit more.

Finally - don't panic!

I think we have a misunderstanding here, I did mention that people from the Dennis Wallace board once tried to take over, and that we were quite upset then and sort of 'defended' our place - I guess it's a normal reaction, and sometjhing you'd have done under the same circumstances. However, we do understand that you're upset by the closure of your 'former home', and Elentari has done a great job at leaving welcome messages on many places last night - a clear indcation that you're welcome. I offered my help several times, and so did others, so I don't quite understand why you're upset with us.

Jimste
Thanks for your posts and the moddings as I'm the main culprit. In the explanation email it said about not having the resources to support a community like ours. Well yes we are a community and we are being dumped by the BBC. Whilst I appreciate it isn't the Hosts fault in h2g2. What clubs is one allowed to set up? For example you state about the PUDDING CLUB why can't we have an ALLOTMENT & GARDENING CLUB then?

Surely by allowing this and an article on R2 then it will only encourage people to write entries. If we create our own board outside of the BBC it will not be the same, because we will never get any new posters appearing. The only way I can see a compromise on that is if they were prepared to put a link on from the R2 page as they do with TOGS website? Maybe this is a way forward?

The BBC has let down a whole community, they have and it's not right. h2g2 always has priority especially since we all merged. We were promised this wouldn't happen.

BDG

My sign in is h2g2 originated and I agree that it's not the place for an alternative message board.

However I see you have closed a thread that BDG has started for allotmenteers. There are only a few who genuinely want to talk about allotments, a shame that you've decided you don't want them here. If you were to read the thread that has been on going on the message board for around 8 weeks you would realise that. By closing the thread you have made it clear that we are not welcome. I probably won't post on here again either.

H

I meant to add that the moderation is almost as heavy handed as on the R2 boards. Heavens above, the Allotments conversation only had 2 replies, hardly giving anyone the chance to respond let alone get down to some serious discussion.

H

BDG, we have a gardening club here, I think it's not too busy and could certainly do with some new input, why don't you pop over to the h2g2 Gardeners' Guild A3461898 and have a look?
Oh, and I've left you the post's page of links link on your PS earlier today.