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

ALL suggestions welcome!

Following comments made in a thread here in Askh2g2 (F19585?thread=252916), a project is being coordinated by RhoMuNuQ and a page on GuideML acronyms and jargon is being put together

Trouble is, it's hard to know what to put in and what to leave out

It's aimed at researchers who have *tried* using GuideML in their personal spaces and/or entries, and been put off

So, suggestions from anyone who DOESN'T know much about GuideML (but has dabbled a bit, got frustrated/confused/ etc) will be especially helpful

And for those of you who DO understand GuideML, what about the obstacles you had to clear on the way?

So, *all* suggestions will be welcomed

A draft version is currently at A987122

six7s

Didn't Mina compose one a while back? Not sure if she did as an entry or a Help Page. I'll see if I can find it.

Still searching Gosho?


Note that *this* page is aimed at researchers who have already tried reading the existing help pages and were too confuzzled by terms to carry on


Q U O T E

<< everyone keeps discussing it [GuideML] in some sort of new abbreviations language that appears to have originated from the planet goggle-di-goop. any really easy to understand advice would do? i have already been to the clinic and that made less sense( it assumes you know what it is on about). >>

U N Q U O T E

"Refresh
pressing the F5 key or the 'Back' button will update (refresh) the page so that you see the latest version of a page, handy if your My Conversation GADGET tells you there has been a new post to a conversation you are following "

The back button doesn't refresh a window - the refresh or reload button does...I think

Also I think before you need to explain html slightly better in general before getting into the nitty gritty...it does a lot more that just turn text into links.

Something like -

HTML is a very simple language that can be used to create very complicated websites from simple text code, you can view the html coding of any website by going to view|source (in IE). The html of a website will usually specify the layout and format of any words and will tell the browser where to find any pictures and where hyperlinks (clickable links) are pointing.

Of course I could be talking complete pants

That's ok, I speak pants fluently

copy and paste coming up

"What obstacles did you have to sweep out of the way?"

Err... none. GuideML was easy. Does that make me a freak?

Admittedly I did know HTML already, and had read some stuff about XML before I started, so the syntax didn't bother me very much, and the concept of semantic markup was easy too.

Yeah, I'm a freak!

I find the idea of guideml pretty easy - the practise just makes me want to tear my hair out, fannying around with different tags and previewing everything just annoys the hell out of me - I really cant be that bothered with it - I usually switch to brunel if I've got any editing to do, not that there is much.

But then my C programming course used to have me on the verge of tears every week with frustration - and I used to get very angry when building something new out of lego so I think I'm just not suited to any kind of programming lark - I understand it and I can write algorithms till they come out of my ears I just hate the part to translate it into code

I wouldn't say you're a freak Maw, not in public anyhoo

And PQ, I know just how you feel about C ~ fun huh?

But the focus of this thread is to find out what it is that researchers WITHOUT any prior experience find so difficult

MaW, i think the word you are looking for is geek

"Admittedly I did know HTML already, and had read some stuff about XML before I started, so the syntax didn't bother me very much, and the concept of semantic markup was easy too."

try and imagine someone who doesn't know what HTML is, or what a programming code is, and you'll get why writing gML can be tricky for a beginner.



i've got the hang of it six7s, but i'll be back to contribute cos i found most of the information when i was looking was aimed at people who knew what a markup language is (which i didn't).

perfect

*waves*

you're up late too huh?

Never used HTML and frankly GuideML scares me. It's confusing and the help pages just confuse you more. If a relatively easy to follow guide was available - I'd definitely be more willing to learn to use GuideML.

I couldn't find the page I was looking for, and thinking about it now it wasn't actually about GuideML - it was more a hootoo glossary for newbies - 'Thingites', 'bookmarking', 'Italics', 'Rupert', that sort of thing.

Personally I had little trouble with GuideML. I knew some HTML basics but I'd never used any of them to create a web page. I knew what tags were for instance but not arguments. There are still some GML tags I haven't worked up the courage to try yet though, like for instance.

A986691 anyone?
I knew nothing of ML until I found out about copying it from elswhere


TSF

I wonder if this is all being approached in slightly the wrong way...I think what a lot of people want is a generic userpage/entry that is already completed and that they just have to add their own details to (with a few basic instructions like "insert introduction here" and "choose a picture from the picture library here"), sort of like the tags page but a little bit more structured and a way to get your space up and running with no problems.

Once you've created a guideml user page it's slightly less daunting to start customising it.

Maybe I'm talking rubbish again and I'm sure an english speaking glossary would be useful but I'm sure there are plenty of people who really couldn't care less about guideml but want a nicer looking uspace without all the hassle.

Sounds like a fine plan to me!

The plan (see A985773 ) DOES involve creating really *introductory* level pages, maybe five or six of them, each covering a *small* part in detail

They'll all be at an even simpler level than TSFs A986691 which is for those with a smattering of GuideML or HTML but still a bit bewildering for *absolute* beginners

*This* page ( A987122 ) will ONLY explain acronyms and jargon

The project as a whole will hopefully get researchers up to speed so that the (existing) help pages make sense

So, just acronyms and jargon please

*sneaking in a general gML question*

is it possible to write gML so you control how it works in different skins?

a link would be fine. or i can start a thread on askh2g2 if its going to be an involved answer.

sorry to disapoint you all

h2jargon A632431