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

Hello Tav

Now that you have had a Flea Market Rescue recommendation, I was wondering if I could interview you for the next issue of Super Market?

Are you able to answer these questions:

Would you like to tell me anything about any the articles that you have been involved in rescueing? (Tiwanaku and Model Railways)

Would you only rescue articles about subjects you know well?

Have you approached a Flea Market Rescue any differently to how you write an article from scratch? Is it easier or more difficult?

When you write a Flea Market rescue, how do you decide what to keep and what to edit, and how much of a right do you feel that you have in making decisions about the article?

Would you recommend doing Flea Market rescues to other researchers?

How do you think you would feel about being on the other side, about someone else making changes to an entry you had written, if someone tried to rescue an entry you had abandoned?

Is there one that stands out as the most fun to write?

On the other hand, was there one that proved to be the most difficult to complete, if so, why?

How much revision do you think proper in a FM Rescue?

Are there any questions you think I should have asked, or anything else you'd like to say?

Would you consider doing another Flea Market Rescue in the near future?

I hope you're happy for me to interview you - if you have anything else you wish to add, anything you don't want to answer etc, then yes, please feel free to say!

<BB<

Hi BB!
I feel honored, and that after only 2 rescues...

'Would you like to tell me anything about any the articles that you have been involved in rescuing?'

I can't really remember how I got into the first one, the project about Model railways. It's a joint effort of you (BB), SashaQ, Florida Sailor and me. Everyone was responsible for a certain part of the project. I couldn't help much with the actual railway stuff but I know about model building, so I decided to help.
The second one was an Entry about Tiwanaku, a pre-Inca city in Southern America. I heard a bit about that at university, so I thought I could do it.

'Would you only rescue articles about subjects you know well?'
Yes, just like I only write normal Entries about subjects I know.

'Have you approached a Flea Market Rescue any differently to how you write an article from scratch? Is it easier or more difficult?'
I think it's more difficult because it started with finding out what the person who wrote the Entry wanted to tell and not always was everything clear to me. it's a bit like reading up a source for a new Entry.

'Would you recommend doing Flea Market rescues to other researchers?'
oh yes, I'd certainly recommend it. There are some interesting topics in the FM and many are too good to disappear in oblivion. Although in other cases it may be better to start the Entry from scratch.

'How do you think you would feel about being on the other side, about someone else making changes to an entry you had written, if someone tried to rescue an entry you had abandoned?'
I think I'd be happy if a project I started would be finished. On the other hand guess I might complain if the person makes changes that I don't agree with, but I guess that's what PR is for and I guess I give up my rights on an Entry when I put it into PR.

'Is there one that stands out as the most fun to write?'
Well, I've only rescued two Entries so far, but the one about Tiwanaku was more interesting because the Railway project was almost complete and didn't need much work anymore.

'On the other hand, was there one that proved to be the most difficult to complete, if so, why?'
Again, the one about Tiwanaku was more difficult. It's hard to find facts about the topic and I found the original Entry quite confusing.

'How much revision do you think proper in a FM Rescue?'
I am pretty unscrupulous in this respect. I think the first thing you have to do is checking the facts and if you see something is not correct it has to be changed. Then you check if any sentences are unclear and change them too. there may also be changes in the order of things. Depending on how long or good the original Entry was you can then end p with something almost completely new. The model railways Entry for instance stayed almost as it was, but I have no idea how much is still there of the original substance of the Tiwanaku Entry.

'Are there any questions you think I should have asked, or anything else you'd like to say?'
I'd like to say that I think we did a good job in cleaning up the Flea Market and I hope more people will rescue things now that the good stuff is easier to find.

'Would you consider doing another Flea Market Rescue in the near future?'
I think I will rescue more Entries in the future, but there are a few other projects I want to do first and maybe also update a few Entries which already are in the Guide, so the flea Market will probably have to wait a bit. I don't write as fast as other people.

Hope that's ok.

That's excellent - just what I'd wanted to hear! It'll be in at some point in December.

<BB<

I'm glad that you are happy with it.

Sorry - I've just realised that SashaQ has earned the Scavenger badge for rescuing 5 articles. When someone is awarded the Scavenger badge, I like to interview them to say a big congratulations for their achievement. I wondered if you'd mind if this didn't appear in the December post, but in the January one instead?

Sorry about the delay with this, but you'll be in the next one, honest!

<BB<

That's fine.

Hello

Just dropping by to remind you that it's the exciting time when you get to make your Scout Picks!

<BB<

Yes, sorry , I know that I forgot to do them this time, I had a look at PR and found so many new Entries I haven't read yet. I had 2 very busy weeks in RL.
I'll have another look at PR later. Sorry again.

That's okay - I'm trialing a posting gentle reminders to people approach as not all the Scouts have been very active lately.

<BB<

Incidentally I have Word and MHTML files of all entries of yours I've subbed, including the missing entries from the last couple of years, so if you'd like me to send you copies of these just let me know.

<BB<

Ooooh, that's wonderful! I thought it's all lost! Thanks a lot. Do you have one of my email addresses?

I don't think I have your e-mail address, do you have mine to send to me? Alternatively I could upload files to Trello I suppose.

I only have copies of things I subbed, I'm afraid. But it is better than nothing.

<BB<

Dmitri will send you my address, he said. I think that's easier than Trello.