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

Entry: The Spaced Out Guide Menu System - A962769
Author: The HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy Spaced Out Edition - U218740

Entry Number - A962769
Title - Spaced Out Guide
What is the art for? - The Spaced Out Guide
Text or Picture? - Picture
What type of picture? - {Picture
Do you require members' badges? If so what text? - No
Any particular colours you want included in the graphic - graphic alread done at http://clarefolkes.easycgi.com/werekitty/aaaaaaaa.jpg . image checked thoroughly by bugfinders and former community artists, and image meets h2g2 specifications of file format, file size, length and width. copyright is not a problem. the artist, werekitty at U193430 has given permission for the image to be used on h2g2, and will happily confirm this.

spook

I quote "I've drawn a picture that I'd like to be used, no need to bother the Community Artists. How do I get it onto h2g2?

Currently we don't have the facilities to upload individual art. All artwork on h2g2 has to be done by the Community Artists."

Though the image is good and suitable, it says it plainly in the page that they don't do non-CA work

Is Werekitty still trying to become a CA?

i'm not sure, however, i didn't draw the image myself but got a should be proffessional artist to complete the image, and they do have the facilities to upload the image if it is e-mailed to them. also, they mentioned they may sometimes make exceptions.

spook

Werekitty didn't finish her application, so she didn't become a Community Artist.

Has this been submitted to the Community Choice page spook? You'll need to do that before you are eligible for a graphic. It shouldn't take long once you've posted there, it's been quiet for a long time.

How many members does the Space Out Guide have? I can't see much activity on A962769. Is it all taking place elsewhere?

ok, i've submitted the Spaced Out Guide (SOG) to Community Choice.

even though Werekitty isn't a CA, would it still be possible to use the image? i know that you don't usually use non-CA images because of issues like copyright and there are image guidelines, however i have had the image given a check over by a former CA, and made sure the image met specifications, and like i say, if it would be possible i could get werekitty to come over to this thread to give you direct official permission to use the image, which i was informed in the past would be required.

also if you go with that graphic then the community artists can continue to focus on other groups, and i have a feeling in a couple of weeks there will be a surge of requests, as right now most groups are talking about and planning image requests.

on members, the SOG doesn't has any official members, but contributors, if you know what i mean. although, saying that, in the next couple of months, basically, once i've sorted out a hectic RL situation, i am going to be opening up for what you would call members, to help collaborate the SOG itself.

At the moment the membership i would say would be the contributors who submit the entries. I could compile a list if you want. There are quite a lot. The main aim of the group is to encourage writers, and a lot of this i do going around site and speaking to people by e-mail and msn. on activity, there is a Jokeathon i've started and will soon go back to, to start compiling a list of jokes. There are a number of entries in the pipeline to be added, some which are on h2g2 but i haven't got round to due to RL, which is why i will soon be looking for a few members to help run the group.

also, i have found that the group has had some great results in the community so far. a number of researchers have written more then one entry. researchers have enjoyed writing the entries. researchers have been surprised and happy when their entries have been noticed. also, the wider community have begun taking not and have been suggesting entries for the SOG which they have noticed on site.

well, i think that's summed up everything. i look forward to the reply!

spook

Hi spook,

Thanks for submitting the Guide to the Community Choice section.

As I explained in my previous post, Werekitty did not continue with her application to the Community Artists group. This review forum does state "Currently we don't have the facilities to upload individual art. All artwork on h2g2 has to be done by the Community Artists."

The issue of 'contributors' rather than 'members' is a tricky one - as is the fact that from what you say, a lot of the activity is going on off-site. We are looking to reward popular and well run clubs that contribute to h2g2's Community - so to benefit from this scheme, the activity needs to be on h2g2. Of course, this is entirely up to you, we wouldn't insist that you moved your communications onto h2g2. But what we are after is to give our Community Artists' time to those clubs who will really benefit - those with active members.

Additionally, as the SOG concentrates on entries that don't fit in with one of the existing schemes, this makes it difficult to see how this distinguishes itself from the rest of the unedited guide which already offers this facility. The SOG needs to find a way to make it stand out, something which makes it a really unique part of the Community. At the moment though, it doesn't really have the membership or levels of activity that we are looking for, so we don't think that a graphic is appropriate for the SOG at this time.

It's great that the Community are beginning to get more involved in your project; this means that onsite activity (rather than submissions) and the Community around the SOG should grow, which is what we're looking for. Have a look at some of the other clubs and societies around the site, and see what sort of activity they have. Then you'll know what to aim for. Good luck.

The activity of the SOG *is* submissions. The unedited guide doesn't offer anything, it is simply dumb storage. The SOG helps people find good unedited entries.

Saying that you don't have the facilities to upload images from non-CAs in an outright lie, and you know it. You are soon going to have very few staff on this site. If they are all known as liars, it is going to be very difficult to get the community on your side, which you are going to need. If you claim it is not a lie, then you are too stupid to be work on a website, and should resign immeadiately.

Yours,

Tango

This post has been removed.

Hello all,

When Mina stated that we don't have the facilities to upload certain pieces of Community Art, she was not referring to any lack of technical capability, but to resources. As you may know, the amount of people working on h2g2 has been reduced substantially - and it's even more apparent that we do not have the time to devote to uploading art of this type. We have to prioritise and at the moment this is not a priority.

Referring to members of the h2g2 team as 'dishonest' or suggesting that if they don't agree with you that they are 'too stupid to be work on a website' is unnecessarily offensive, does nothing to help the situation and once again detracts from the message you are trying to get across.

Natalie

If she means resources, then she should say resources. When refering to technical things a "facility" is very different from a resource.

Are you saying that is someone lies to us we should just accept it and not point it out? You may not like your staff being called dishonest, but if it is true, then you must accept it.

I did not say that if Mina didn't agree with me she was stupid. I said if she didn't accept the truth she was stupid. There is a subtle but important difference. Someone who does not know what a system can and can't do should not be payed to use it, and more importantly to tell other people what it can and can't do. The most important thing for anyone to know is their limitations. If you are not capable of something, you should not do it, it is as simple as that.

Tango

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the picture format of an image created by a CA be the same as with a researcher if informed of the file type?

Also, isn’t the only thing that needs doing is the image being e-mailed to an editor, and then blobbed? By the image already being drawn, this means a CA can focus on another community graphic, and the researcher made one can be blobbed and added. Where manual resource limitations come into place here I do not see. If an image is gonna be blobbed for the entry, who does it, either CAs or researchers, does not change the amount of italic resources needed.


spook

Tango, precisely *what* are you attempting to achieve here?

The way you're going, with the attitude you have so far shown, I can tell you *exactly* what you'll achieve - *nothing*.

Maybe you know all the fancy words, and all their meanings, perhaps we aren't all as clever as you. Perhaps you'd do well to remember that we aren't all technical geniuses - and you'd do even beter to keep a civil tongue in that head of yours.

What i am trying to achieve is the picture that has already been made for the SOG being blobbed, i would have thought that was obivous, even to someone who is not a "technical genius".

I know very well that not everyone is a technical genius, that is why i said in my last post about knowing your limitations and not attempting to tell people things you don't know.

I have tried being civil with Mina before, but she rarely get's the point. Whether that is because she is incapable of understanding subtlety, or if it is because she doesn't want to listen to my points, i don't know, but either way, i have come to the conclusion that being "civil" will not work.

Spook makes a good point. I was going to make that point, but i decided not to because i wasn't sure if there is a difference between blobing and emailed image and blobing an image uploaded by FTP. I doubt there is, but i don't know, so i didn't say anything. It is that kind of thing that i am suggesting other people do: don't act like you know something when you don't.

Tango

Tango - A constructive approach will always garner better results. Attempting to introduce an argument about semantics isn't contributing much to the central issue.

Spook - The issue is more that we have channels for things to go through, and departing from those takes time and resources that we simply do not currently have. It might seem like 'just one email' but all these things that seem like minor tasks accumulate and, as I say, we are stretched enough as it is.

>>>'don't act like you know something when you don't.'

You would do well to listen to your own advice. You have no idea how the blobbing process works, nor how much time it consumes.

The rules are there so that:

a) artists time is spent 'rewarding' the most worthwhile groups (which is not to say that groups not getting artwork are not worthwhile)

b) those groups get artwork of the highest possible standard

Surely even *you* can understand that, Tango? The more you complain, whinge, argue, or whatever, the *less* time Italics have to deal with important things, like actually running the site - leaving *no* time at all to deal with things like blobbing comunity artwork.

Live with it!

Natalie, i wish that were the case, but as my previous experience with Mina has shown, it is not.

Mr Ixolite:

">>>'don't act like you know something when you don't.'

You would do well to listen to your own advice. You have no idea how the blobbing process works, nor how much time it consumes."

Where did i claim i did? I know enough about it to be sure of everything i said.

"a) artists time is spent 'rewarding' the most worthwhile groups (which is not to say that groups not getting artwork are not worthwhile)"

Blobbing this image wouldn't take any time, and the debate is not about whether the SOG should get an image, but rather about what image it should get.

"b) those groups get artwork of the highest possible standard"

This image has been checked by multiple people, and is of the highest possible standard, so that is not a problem.

"Surely even *you* can understand that, Tango?"

I understand that you are mistaken. You are the one that does not understand the situation.

"The more you complain, whinge, argue, or whatever, the *less* time Italics have to deal with important things, like actually running the site - leaving *no* time at all to deal with things like blobbing comunity artwork."

If the italics would just get on with it and do what we all know they can, i wouldn't have to complain.

"Live with it!"

Apathy is the curse of the human race. If everyone was as apathetic as you want me to be we would still be living in caves.

Tango

Tango - if you state that you have 'come to the conclusion that being civil will not work' and seem to have departed from this then I think it's rather generous of anyone to devote time to your problems, especially if you have hinted that they are 'incapable of subtlety' and are 'too stupid to be work on a website.'

We have explained the situation and all of us would benefit if problems were addressed and points raised in a civil manner.

Natalie

>"The issue is more that we have channels for things to go through, and departing from those takes time and resources that we simply do not currently have. It might seem like 'just one email' but all these things that seem like minor tasks accumulate and, as I say, we are stretched enough as it is."

at the present moment, there are no Comunity Request graphics to be blobbed, so you have the available resources to do this. Also, Tango mentioned ftp, and i would be quite happy to ftp you the image if you want.

presently, the resources are available for you to blob one graphic sent by e-mail. the question is, are you prepared to do the work to blob a graphic to help benefit the community and show researchers like me and Tango that the italics really are nice people and the community will survive and thrive under the new, smaller leadership, or not?

spook

>at the present moment, there are no Comunity Request graphics to be >blobbed, so you have the available resources to do this.

If only it were as simple as this. The truth is we are spinning an awful lot of plates at the moment and sadly don't have somebody devoted to Community Art who is going to fill in a gap in their workload with a new task. I'm afraid we can't set this sort of precedent when realistically we don't have the resources to ensure we can keep doing this.