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

2legs, is up with all sorts of wonderful things and lots of pictures. You can enjoy hearing about all sorts of adventures about the community and gladden the 's of many by making a snarky comment or two!

Briefly back to the OP - I've asked 2 questions tonight and already had 2 usable answers to the first.

I like to ask questions here (stupid ones sometimes)
because it's great to get a human response to a question (when I was researching netbooks it was invaluable, and when I went to Abergavenny I got the best advice from here that I've ever had*)

When things reel off on a tangent, and my question has already been asked, I don't mind in the least. When the tangent leads to a natural answer to the next question, it's even better. Sometimes you'll get the answer before the next question/problem pops up.

I do reserve a for threads where the first answer is either "why don't you elgoog it" or just link to a search engine with some sites, etc etc.

Some of the threads here (what book, British English etc) are leg-ends and a brilliant example of how this place works (not to mention nighthoover )


*"whatever you do, don't go to Newport" in case you were wondering

I mostly read. My favourite times are when people are genuinely helpful to eachother *and* eloquent, clever, witty in their response. That is Ask at its best.

I sometimes post. I despair when I seem to repeat myself endlessly (yes, having the problems reported in that other place, with BR in the title start, really helps gurus and bugtracking) and when I sound like a know-it-all with no patience. When I am sensitive and paranoid. But sometimes, I get it right, I manage to help someone, and say it with a kind voice. Highlights. But rare.

I very rarely start threads. I think I am afraid to expose myself.

Lately, I've been feeling the bad guy, coming with announcements and closing threads, from the Operations account. It's not fun, it's not easy, but I agreed to the job of Operations, and when the job needs to be done, I do it. I would love to make those announcements in a nicer tone, even when they have a message that isn't full of joy, but I find it's hard to put it in words.

And also, I have been thinking back on the suggestion to start a thread with work-arounds for different problems. It's actually a good idea. I suppose I'm just too involved in the bugs to think of the workarounds! So, as soon as anyone comes to think of one, please start that thread!

I've asked questions. They are mainly questions about factual issues I don't know, which are a bit difficult to google or where I might want to ask follow up questions or where I just want a consensus opinion from a group of intelligent thinkers. There was one about riding zebras, a question my son asked, which had some very helpful to the point replies, for example, and I think I also enjoyed the way it segued into a discussion about prehistory. Because I enjoy reading, and occasionally participating in the 'bigger picture' questions. The ones not about god anyway.

I've also used Ask to publicise things on h2g2, like the NaJoPoMo writing project. Tricky that. You don't want to spam, but you don't want people to miss out on something they might enjoy. And it is where a lot of people hang out, as has been mentioned.

"whatever you do, don't go to Newport"

Was that me? Sounds like it could have been me.

My honest impression of this thread is of people who have bitten back at being asked to take one more namby-pamby politically-correct 'consumer preferences' survey. These things NEVER do anything productive; just give people more things to argue about. 99% of the best things on this site (and indeed the internet at large) have not come from some mythical 'community voice'; they're a result of some bright spark thinking 'I know what will entertain people' and then delivering it.

B

it was either you or Orcus

All fat men with beards are just the same to you, right?

B

well, I've never seen Orcus...

My response to the original question...


Well, first off how I use Ask in a practical sense. I am not subscribed to it. That's just simply because I know that it is the busiest forum and it would flood my Convos list. So, instead I switch to the Pliny front page to check what convos are currently busy and if any pique my interest I read them. I also occasionally pull up the thread list for ask to see what's new. And if I see a thread that interests me, or that I might be able to answer or participate, I'll open it.

I do occasionally post a question in Ask. These are typically questions where I'm looking for a variety of opinions, viewpoints or I want to croudsource for information (My question about e-readers and tablets, (When will we get a real Guide?) produced a wealth of information for over a year and a half.) .

I do post to Feedback on occasions as well. I see feedback as the place to go when dealing with technical or official issues regarding the site. But I don' t believe that questions regarding the site should be uniformly banned or discouraged in Ask. The Feedback area is for asking the official staff and volunteers and Ask is directed to the community at large.

I see what you mean, Baron, but there's nothing that should forbid community discussions about the site over at the feedback pages, is there?

Not at all, but the general community doesn't see the Feedback pages. Few people not directly involved are subscribed there.

Actually, I think there are stated restrictions about what to post to feedback as well. It's not really conducive to general discussions nor should it be.

I'll go and look at the pages shortly - I suppose I haven't read them too carefully
Why do you think that they aren't suitable for discussion? Simply because people aren't subscribed?

Well, I usually go to Editorial and Technical Feedback so that's what I normally think of. Obviously Community Soapbox is a perfectly good place for such discussions.

I was just at the SoapBox to check! I think that's a good place for working out ideas.

I suddenly get the feeling that h2g2 is a big wide world and Ask is just a village. I should go exploring, shouldn't I?

Deb

It really just is that* massively big, and then some, The best way to think of it is err...
Right, if you take this beer glass, and put it here:

Adn then put antoher beer, glass, like this, just over there:

Then, like if you do this
*complicated hand gesture*
Then, Err, like this gap, like there, and thats, just like not even the smallest tiniest little fraction of the whole sort of thing like...
and damn... I seem to ahve spilt some beer

Are you trying to tell me space is big? Really big? Will I just not believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is?*

Deb

*paraphrase/unparaphrase

Oh, was he talking about space?

Thank god.

B