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

Ah, the memories.

Creachy...
















That ordered enough for you?

It also makes it look as if h2g2 is static. The Community ebbs and flows, as Researchers arrive, and then leave. Many of the people that I made friends with when I first arrived are still here, they've stuck with h2g2 (as I have), through the good times and the bads. Are they worthy of being called legends?

What about the people who have joined today, or last week, or last month? A list of great Researchers might look impressive, but would such a list be seen as a measure to live up to? Would that be a good thing to do to new arrivals? It's nice to show that we have standards, but I feel that it's better to show how wonderful our Community is by being a Community, rather than having a list that would, by the nature of h2g2, never stay the same.

thanks off for a beer soon thats the kind of order i need right now.

too many mention each

at least 225* united friends A703126
leaves box with & s & A582455 & A1021654

* join us if you are not yet an united friend!

*getting quite lost while wandering down memory lane*

Ooooh - this is tough!

Tweetie - for throwing such a wild party at one occasion - it's one of the first things I barged into, and I had some great fun!

Redbeard - memories from the great party at L'hotel Chrome, and the general commotion when his cats were kidnapped!

Bluebottle - for the Waterworks and for making the best tea on all of h2g2!

Shazz - because of

Greebo - for the H2IQ and for being a very special cat

Joanna - for the stall (Have you checked the menu? Irresistable!)

Wowbagger - for the great cartoons!

...and then I'm having too great a difficulty trying to separate one individual from a whole bunch of premium researchers!

If no one else has mentioned him...

~jwf~, founder of AggGag (I think, boss anyway )

And more specifically, AggGag

Who are the legends, what is a legend, whose legend is it anyway?

Fun thread.

I'll list the people who, when I was a newbie, seemed like the "big kids", up to whom I looked. (I'm looking for a preposition to end this sentence with...)

I'm leaving off italics (except for Mina who wasn't an italic at the time), because they're all legendary and they know it. I'm not including anyone with a higher U-number than mine (at least not intentionally), no matter how much they've impressed me, because I'm trying to remember how things looked to me when I was new. If you're on this list, it's because I saw your name around (in PR, in <./>askh2g2</.>, on the <./>info</.> page, wherever) and you helped define the character of the site for me, whether or not I've ever interacted with you. Most have already been mentioned here.

This list is, of course, completely subjective and idiosyncratic. You've been warned.

AGB, Colonel Sellers (now Blatherskite), Lucinda, Jimi X, Mikey the Humming Mouse, The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase, Gnomon, Whoami?, Mina, Shazz, Wowbagger, Subcom Deidzoeb, agcBen, Hoovooloo, Bossell, Orcus, Dr E Vibenstein, Mother of God, Croz, ~jwf~, Doctor Gonzo, Wonko the Sane, purplejenny, Lentilla, Peregrin, King Chthulhu of Balwynti, Shea the Sarcastic.....

Well. That's who I remember seeming big when I was very new.... as much a reflection of what sort of threads I used to hang out in, as anything else, I reckon. Legends.... the researchers I know of who've achieved legendary status, in the sense of having a public life that takes on a life of its own, are LeKZ and nighthoover. Is a legend a good thing to be?

Rhomunuq (I don't remember the capitalisations and spelling) looked like a big kid a few weeks ago, but I've been here longer

Gnomon consistently writes good entries

Amy the Ant, though I'm sure she's been mentioned a million times

And A Girl Called Ben. I remember clearly my first conversation with her as the first conversation with a "big kid"

Like h2g2, this thread does seem to have taken on a life of its own

Using the dictionary definition "One that inspires legends or achieves legendary fame", I think if used in the context of the site will include quite a few people. Almost every person who has joined this site has made this site great in some small way, but I think (and this is just my personal opinion) that a Legend in the context of this site, is anyone who has made a monumental effort (or has been a monumental inspiration) to enhance the greatness of this community. Not all legends want to be legends, but does that make them any less legendary?

I don't think a list would necesarily add anything. I'm not interested in a numbering system type popularity contest. I want people to know about the people who have added an incredible amount to this site, perhaps write a paragraph (perhaps a lot more) about their achievements - because I think they should be recognised for their achievements.

I can write one on ~jwf~0

A483888

~jwf~, or John W. Fulton (Or WHOA INJUN, FILM TOLL) is truly an inspiration to h2g2. In addition to managing the AggGag/CAC Team and column (Another Galaxy Guide, Galactic Anomolies Group/Commitee for Alien Content) he writes (Or rather wrote, I think) a regular The Post column, "To Whom it May Concern". He can be a bit quirky at times, but his idiosyncratic humor and sharp wit makes him one of the most valuable h2g2 researchers. You can find his 'To Whom it May Concern' archives at A873704 and AGG/GAG/CAC at U187783.

As Jim said, all the old conversations are here, but the pages don't *look* as they did in pre Rupert days.
If anyone wants a wander down memory lane then put an old, pre BBC h2g2 URL in the Wayback machine.
http://www.archive.org/

For example, try Jim Lynn's page at www.h2g2.com/U6 Or try your own!

I think this site's success is due to (despite recent overuse) the presence of moderation and the fact that anyone playing up will be chucked off the site. Without these the site would be taken over by the "you're gay" and "your mum's so fat..." brigade.

I don't want to pick out any individual as I think it's a rich community, but I'd like to take my hat off to the people who provide info in my "I'm too lazy to look this up on a search engine" moments.

www.archive.com - what an AMAZING site!

B

Shazz, I didn't think it possible for anything to take me back further than your list, but then Jim went and managed it!

But my list would include Monsy and NM, Fenchurch M Mercury, Shazz, Wowbagger, Looneytunes, Vegiman, Pastey, Gwennie, Madmunk, Ant, Beeline, Peta, Benjimouse and Zachsmind from way-back-when, John-the-Gardener, Beeblefish, Joe Aka Arnia, Gnomon, Witty Ditty, Awix, Greebo, Munchkin for ye olde Pub Quiz, and Smiley Ben - possibly the first researcher I ever actually met!

Im glad you liked the wayback page, Ben. If you look for h2g2.com you'll even get the pages from 1998 that appeared saying it was "coming soon" although, annoyingly without graphics.

On that topic, Mina, if you're still subscribed here, I remember a conversation we had ages ago about the archive and in particular the pictures of "models" wearing the old style t shirts. The DNA shop used to be advertised on the front page (when h2g2 took ads) and if you put: shop.douglasadams.com (a broken link now) in the Wayback machine you'll see several pages with stuff that could be bought.

The t-shirts appear onwards from the Aug 24th 2000 page, although, annoyingly, I have to rely on that other Wayback machine - my brain - for the actual pictures, which I think were rather "knitting pattern" like, featuring Mark and possibly Ashley? . Do the pics still existing somewhere?