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

Hey, Lè Phantom, I saw your call for discussion in Mustardland.

I think setting up a FAQ here is a great idea. All you have to do is create a Guide Entry; anybody who wants to ask a question posts a thread there, and when we have a definitive answer you edit it into the entry itself. The URL won't change, the entry will just get updated.

So, do you feel up to having a go? Only the person who creates the Entry can edit the page, although anybody can post on it.

(*Hint - when you create the entry, select "GuideML", and check the "Not for Review" box...)

Nice title!

I would not have suggested it (I suppose ) if I'd not been prepared to put my head above the parapit. I think the rub is this though:

Just now, we, who have been up for and even enthusiastic about change, are now being tagged as evangelists and there is a danger the silent (and possibly fearful) majority will see it that way too. Otherwise I might just have had a stab at it and invited comment.

It is also why, on the whole, I've kept my head down but(whisper it) there is now much I prefer up here - but I still want to see TB go smoothly on.

Therefore, I'm thinking unless people down there ask for it & want it; we should perhaps leave it till they do, we don't want to force them.

I now have that spare account here too, would that be as good a place as any to base it? Ie if it happens, could even nickname the account accordingly.

Thoughts?

Excellent idea again.

There's nothing to stop us (well, you ) building it and advertising it over here. If / when you think the rest of mustardland are interested you can post a link over there. By then, it'll have the advantage of having some questions already answered.

As long as not too many people read this conversation, you can always disown it...

You can name the account "Mustardland FAQ (whatever the A-number is)" thus advertising it any time you post from there.

A thought, though - didn't you abandon the other account because it didn't have full h2g2 functionality?

I'll think about this more and let's discuss, they are objecting or is that revolting downstairs and real life calls.

Re account this is my original account I met your guru over in the Hub and he gave me the magic incantation (literally !), ie that the Jimster said did not exist. So it's fixed and I now even understand how to do it!

First of all, LP, thank you very much for your support.

Peet, I'd like to second

One extremely important fact that you've just told me over in The Bull, and which may well slip through the net, is the bit about being able to unsubscribe to conversations if you don't want them to appear in your personal space (I'll do the same with this one, as I suspect my Space is visited a lot by people on their way in). Is that made clear in the FAQs at all?

You see, one of the main concerns, I've gathered over in ML, is the fact that Personal Spaces make it very easy for people to be tracked around the MB, which could eventually lead to their being identified IRL, especially if they post rather personal stuff. Now if it's made very clear from the outset that you can in fact keep your own space blank (especially as the powers-that-be have heeded the plea for an 'email-me' button so you can see if you're getting replies that way), then I think this would go a long way to allay many fears about security, etc. Ok, the threads wouldn't disappear, but then they don't in the Lockin either, and that doesn't seem to worry people over there. And to be honest, who in their right minds is going to trail through endless lists of threads looking for postings by one particular person?

As to writing the rest of the FAQs, I think it would be quite useful for the people on here, as the one that MT has called for, and which Mike has mentioned in response, would concern ML only.

Anyway, just some random thoughts, and thanks again for all your support, LP. Oh, and re my account,I think I'll leave it for now, I'm not really a very 'journally' person!

Katy

Just a few quick thoughts as life out there is rather busy for the next few days.

I think I will use that spare account I've got to do this faq thing and will need to clean it out first as it's still a mirror of this account.

What I was thinking was use the journal to do individual faq's and number them from one onwards for reference. Obviously only I can edit the original but any one can comment. So many will be up for real discusion and comment eg like the whole security thing, which some like me regard as paranoia (if you want to remain really secure don't go on line, very secure never give away any details - nothing is ever truly deleted and anyway if you are a balmy stalker there is enoug revealed in ML already to id people etc, etc good debate there).

I don't think it should just be about ML either, that feels elitist, exclusive and too inward looking, though some will be specific ML concerns.

The messages part of the space can be used to submit questions, and answers to those questions, before I paste them into the journal. What I'm not going to do is set me, or either of you up as guru's, down that road disaster lies!

No, I'm think of something like a community space where we do some faq's and debates for newbies by (generally) newbies - with all joining in. IE not some all knowing centre of knowledge. I think this fits better around here too.

I could draft something up, as soon as I can and you two could have a look before we, say, link it to Ellis Island (Mustarding Point) and the Shed (Lean To).

Any thoughts?

As I say full credit where it's due the both of you have done wonders to date. I think, as in life, there are those who are keen, those who are not and a big group who are silent but will appreciate the help. However, there is a danger of the first group being labeled as evangelists etc.

I'll see what you two think before progressing this. I think there is a core of about a dozen who are now very active here from ML too.

LP

I still think you should edit it into the body of the space.

The reasons are:

1) If every Q&A is going to be a journal entry, how does someone post a new Q that might be related to an existing one, but not close enough to be part of the same entry. The Qs will become fragmented and spread out.

2) Numbering the journals is all well and good, but if someone chooses to read them in conversation order, rather than journal order (very likely, as we'll be attracting newbies) then they will be jumbled, with the most recently accessed at the top of the list.

3) It's easy to bookmark a PS to refer back to; a page of journals will keep changing.

Also, I think we *should* keep it with a purely mustardland perspective - that is, after all, its "unique selling point". If we broaden the appeal we'll end up duplicating the very fine h2g2 help system that already exists!

You'll note by the excessive ise of "we" that I'm committing myself to help out as and when I can.

What we want to end up with is a single (bookmarkable, printable, cacheable for offline reading) page that Mustardeers can refer back to in order to translate from Mustardland lingo into hootoo speak. (e.g. CatPee = Linda)

A reasonable set of points! Think I need to experiment with it a bit so I fully understand what is what and how it works.

Accept ML point, though guess it could still be of use elsewhere, esp other messageboard convertees, which is fine.

Will be interested in Katy's views too.

LP

Well, LP, I tend to agree with Peet's pov here in these things. Sorry to be so brief about it, but I'm feeling rather bruised right now. If at all possible, I'm going to avoid discussing the whole shebang in ML again, certainly until the change-over happens.

How about starting a Q&A thread in the Outhouse, so Newbies have already got a thread to go to with questions and comments etc.?

Take care, must be off again now.

Katy

but I'm feeling rather bruised right now>>

Totally understood, I think I'd feel the same way and a bit angry too, you try and help and . It's why, I've generally avoided debate in ML.

So I will do something when I get a mo, will clean up the spare space I've got and start off a FAQ/Q&A for those who are interested there.

Happy enough to set off an early thread as a precursor in the shed if you like. Just think it will get a bit jumbly.

Chin up I think you've done a great and caring job.

LP

Ditto, to both of you! < Loobrush>