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

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Over the *phone*? For an *hour*? Sheesh. That could get expensive, don't you think?

Tell you what - I type fast. Get yourself an IM client (preferably Yahoo Messenger, but I'm also MSN and ICQ compliant - and if you haven't got a Messenger ID it's quick and free to download the client and get one) and we could chat over IM.

This has a number of advantages over a phone conversation:

1. It's more or less free for as long as you want.
2. We don't have to exchange telephone numbers.
3. I can pause to think before answering without feeling awkward.
4. I can answer in more detail than I might do verbally.
5. You'll have a written record of the interview ready made, instead of having to try to take shorthand notes on my ramblings.

Not sure when would be convenient for you, or me for that matter. Sunday night is usually a good bet. (i.e. after 18:00 GMT). So, let me know your Yahoo messenger ID and we'll see what we can fix up.

H.

Expensive? I'll use a calling card - i'm a poor graduate student after all - which costs me 3 cents a minute if i'm calling a land line.

As for your privacy concerns, please have a look here:
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2005/cs6470_spring/researchstudy/

Although I spend a lot of time IMing (hey, i'm a geek!) and i'm on most conceivable IM networks, I'd prefer a phone conversation for the following reasons (don't know why i'm telling a potential interviewee this, but you sound like the kind of person who would understand, and not take offense):

1. It's much faster than IMing
2. It's much more expressive
3. It doesn't matter (to me) if you pause - i'm a newbie to the interviewing business myself, and i certainly am prepared to let you take your time speaking, because i won't have any idea how to chip in at those pauses. Also, i'm interested in those pauses, and the "um"s and the "ah"s, too, because sometimes they can tell me what is more interesting/important to you - with IM, everything looks the same.
4. The interview will be taped, so I will be able to review it later, and write up a precis

But of course, it's completely up to you what channel you would like me to use. If you still think you are OK doing an interview, please review and fill out the consent form (which serves the dual purpose of informing you about the study and its ethics, and lets us know that you agree to be interviewed on the terms stated)

Thanks for responding!

arvind

PS: I may be IMd on yahoo at 'arvindvenkataramani'

i forgot to give you the link to the consent form, so here it is:

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2005/cs6470_spring/researchstudy/webconsent_h2g2_study.html

"costs me 3 cents a minute if i'm calling a land line."

You do know I live in the UK, right? You can make international calls for three cents a minute? Impressive.

Anyhoo, I've pinged your Yahoo account. I shall be online again this evening, as of probably about 19:00 GMT.

H.

Ah. Cool. Thought you'd like to know about these, and I see you already do.

F1599167?thread=600156&latest=1

and

F1599167?thread=601005&latest=1



B

B: I do. I believe there has been some concern about our legitimacy, and how we are conducting this study. I have been trying to get in touch with the management of h2g2, and only today discovered Peta, and the post she holds. I will get in touch with her immediately, and handle these issues immediately.

regards.
arvind

Well, y'all look kosher to me, and I'm up for helping you out. I've dropped by some of the folks that I think would be worth your while talking to.

Some time ago a character called Prof Burnham encouraged his students to flood Peer Review with writing assignments. This was all well and good, but the writing was cr@p, and helping out students is not our raisen d'etre. A lot of ill-will was built up by the fly-by-night and exploititive nature of that Prof's activities, and I think it is possible that you are picking up on the backlash of that event.

However I for one think that what you are doing is interesting, and worthwhile, and I am going to be interested in the results as well as interested in participating.

One thing which I do find noticable about this is that we have a clash of netizenship and rl culture. Personally I think approaching individuals on a website in the way that you have been doing is fine, particularly since you are all polite, you can spell, you are using your real names, and you have provided links to your study programme. What I find curious is that some of the people here are being rather precious about what you are doing, and that the folks that run this place are being rather spikey about it. As I said, this could well be a hangover from the Prof Burnham experience, and maybe a bit of US-UK culture clash. One aspect of online communities is that they are extremely open... up to a point, and then they get cliquey.

Not all Brits have up their bums, you know! But sometimes I wonder.

Good luck.

Ben

Thanks again for getting in touch with the people who matter. One of the first things I did when entering this site is to try and find contact information to the management. Unfortunately, neither the feedback section, nor askh2g2 seemed correct for the purpose, and blind searching for people holding senior positions didn't throw up anything. The 'contact us' link seemed to be for the whole of the bbc.co.uk site, and i thought that i'd really be throwing my request into a block of largely unrelated requests if i took that route. Which is why we took to posting our requests in the fashion that we did, taking care not ask for any information that would contravene the house rules, which i believe we have been largely successful at doing.

I did discover Peta just today, but the system will not allow me to leave her a message, which is highly inconvenient. I'd be really obliged if you could ask her to drop by, so that we can have a chance to establish legitimacy, and address the concerns of the members of this site - something that we are most eager to do, since we do have genuine educational interests. I have also, as of today, left a conversation at the feedback forum, even though i am not sure how appropriate that is.

thanks again.

>> One of the first things I did when entering this site is to try and find contact information to the management.



That is a point I have been making for some time... but there you go.

I am [email protected] on MSN and online at the moment if you want to chat. Btw, both Hoo and I are over 18, but that doesn't always mean he consents! Me... well!

Ben

Line drop.

I am back online again.

B