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

I really must get up and search for the remote control. So far, the music hasn't been what i like to hear, I must turn the volume down, or I'll be aggressive in a couple of minutes

az

Don't worry, az, I've found it. And there's a fantastic a capella group from Letland just now

Sho are you open to bribes? if you are, cast your eye over my entry on Jan Ullrich there's and in it for you

Are you taking my name in vain again Bella?

(but az, I agree. PR does appear to be a little slice of nepotism in the world of hootoo and the EG - and seems to be even more so now that most of the major contributors to PR and the EG are now Scouts too )

"PR does appear to be a little slice of nepotism in the world of hootoo and the EG"

You mean you've only just noticed

What do you mean: 'Are you taking my name in vain again Bella?' ?

Something about me being constructive and so forth...bah!

You know you were, it meant much to me - the mere fact that somebody i had never heard of before took his time to comment nmeant much to me

az, it's not the recognition I need/want so much as ...

well, right now I have no idea what I want (situation normal, then )

I have been on the FP a few times recently

It's just that sometimes I get the impression that people talk around me, like I'm an annoying (newbie) gnat getting in their way.

Probably because 99% of what I say is twaddle of the highest order!!

As to PR: please all come to the Nearly But Not Quite Official PR Discussion Forum (A9741972) and voice your opinions (since it's mostly populated by people who frequent PR... it does have a few interesting convos)

Part of the problem, especially with one or two authors is that they think that h2g2 is very lucky to have their input, whether or not it is suitable for the guide. So they write something and stick it in PR.

It might not conform to the Writing-Guidelines, or it might not be ready and they want people to help write it, or it might just be plain badly written and full of typos.

Now since there is a relatively small group of people trawling through PR, who see this a lot, they get understandably cross sometimes, and sometimes they post without thinking. Or whatever. So sometimes it can seem as though the incestuous group is ganging up on poor newbies. Or people not in "the gang".

Then this is compounded by the fact that many of this same "group" (it is not a group) are also writers - and that they stick their work in PR and hey presto! it gets picked.

But... there are several reasons for that too. Which people forget. First is that because they are experienced in the ways of hootoo and PR they put in an oven-ready entry, which needs little comment. And that means less work for the sub-eds. Which makes their entries pickable while the others are not. And if that is complicated by an author getting very precious, or not being receptive to PR help (for help it is)... well, you can plainly see the result.

Oh man... I really have changed my tune!! I did used to think PR was a bear pit, but sustained close proximity to the beast has lead me to the above conclusion.

Here endeth tonight's rant!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well said Sho, I've been thinking those same thoughts for ages

me Europe does have a sence of humpour, Finland have won Eurovision, as I've been predicting all day

That should read HUMOUR. Never type and drink at the same time

It's been a hard journey to that conclusion

and it won't make me many friends...

Sho, I for one am glad it's been dragged kicking and screaming into the open, I know there have been mutterings about how Cliqued and Incestuas (sp) PR is, if you're not in the 'In Crowd' or bow in worship to them you are no-one and you shouldn't dare enter the hallowed halls of the EG and God forbid that a 'chatter' should enter a piece. I'm afraid to say the PR has become a bit of a 'Them and Us'.

Although I've had a surprisingly smooth ride with the piece I have in there at the moment, in fact it's rather worrying

well, what I was trying to say that there isn't a them and us, or an in-crowd

it could look like that because the only people who are apparently bothered enough to comment in PR are also apparently the only people who are bothered enough to write entries...

Because everyone else is too ing scared to enter anything. I've been flayed so often in PR I've got none of my Rhino hide left. I only wrote my recient piece because I'm a cycling freak and I want profiles of the two main contenders for the Yellow Jersey in this year's Tour de France in the EG (And Lance Armstrong doesn't have one MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA)

you do that and valverde will win it :-p

Lordi won Eurovision?

Oh that's just pure, unashamed class!

As for PR...never had a problem with it. This is because I know how to follow most of the rules (most of the time) and because I'm a vastly more savage self-critic than any of the scouts have a hope of being.

I was also a sub-ed for a while and believe in being kind to them.

But the first time was a daunting and nerve-wracking process and if you're not used to being critqued it can be horrible. I've been a member of writers groups where if you don't leave the first meeting in tears vowing never to even look at paper again they feel they were slacking off, so I was kinda used to it.

Something else people have to remember is: even professional authors get reviewed and edited. So if it's good enough for Stephen King, it really is something you can learn to cope with. If you want to write and you have something to write...write it. You might find it easier to post a link to the article somewhere that friends can look it over (so you get the news broken gently or break out the champagne right away) before pointing it at Peer Review. There's also the writing workshop, which is where anything I'm thinking of having peer reviewed goes first.

I wish I could let that go, Reefgirl, but I can't because you're talking complete and utter loblocks (anag.) and it really is time you changed the record - this one is starting to skip.

You misinterpreted Sho's explanation so spectacularly that she had to say 'Well, actually I meant quite the opposite of that' in post 35. The only reason you've been "flayed" in PR is because your past performances in PR have built you a reputation for having a fuse that can be measured in nanometres, a temper that can be measured on the Richter scale, and have little or no compunction in taking down (flaying?) anyone who disagrees with you.

Which is a pity because your Jan Ullrich entry is really rather good.

But if you persist in spreading such pernicious and untruthful rot I will challenge it for the tosh that it is because in that case it is you, not the PR regulars you love to attack, who are putting people off PR by making it out to be what it is not.

Oh there you are BH I thought you'd disappeared seeing as you've been so quiet

And yes it's all true and yes I will keep banging on in my own inimitable way.