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

Hi,

We're thinking of overhauling the University, and we're contacting everyone who has a project listed.

I can see that you haven't been around much (if at all) this year, but if you do happen to see this, what stage is your project at?

We're considering moving the entries of absent Researchers' projects to either Peer Review or the Flea Market, although if it is finished and ready for Subbing, we can allocate a sub, and process this as project. Please let me know what you'd like to do.

The project has been done from my point of view for a very, very long time. I know it had already been complete for a couple of months when I visited the BBC offices last November. So that's one year plus.

The problem has been getting the thing through the system, with nobody holding the sub-editors' feet to the fire and myself no longer around to yell. The last I heard, Pastey had been assigned to the project. He shows no signs of completing the job at any point.

I would still like to see the stuff included in the Guide. When I submitted the project, it was karmic repayment for the great deal I had gotten from the site so far emotionally and socially.

Whatever gets it through the system most quickly now sounds like a fair deal to me. If a sub-editor can be found who will indeed polish the entries quickly, so be it. If Peer Review is the more reliable route, then fine. At this point, I have no idea what's best.

As far as my continued participation in that process, it depends. I heard a rumour that the BBC is longer moderating h2g2. If this is true, I'll be happy to step forward and make any requested adjustments in the content. Otherwise, I'll leave it to the Powers That Be to decide what (if anything) to do about any desired changes.

Thanks for getting back to me.

Pastey doesn't appear to be a Sub-Editor anymore, so I'll double check with him to see if he's worked on any of the entries so that we can give him credit, but we'll also find another Sub-Editor to finish it off for you. It's a little confusing, as it has a different Sub-Editor listed on the index page.

I'm not sure what you mean about the BBC and Moderation and changes - the BBc are no longer post-Moderating, but the House Rules are still all the same. Sorry if I seem a little woolly on this one, but I'm picking up where other people have left off, so I'm not 100% clear.

Hmm. The original sub-editor was removed from the job because they too weren't getting the work done. As far as I know, they never edited any of the entries in the project.

Thanks for the info regarding the moderation change. I'll have to mull over what that means for me and my relations with the site.

I've spoken to Pastey, and it seems that it's virtually done, so I've passed it over to Anna for the usual in-house check. That should mean that it'll be on the Front Page soon. (At last!)

Hurrah! That's good news to hear. I'm glad the work will finally be presented as I originally intended it to be. I had a vague hope that it might help somebody out there cope.

I'll try and stop back by when it's on the front page. There will likely be the usual round of questions and concerns. If I get a heads up before or after it appears, all the better.

You should get an email, the day that it goes up on the Front Page. It'll be there for aweek if you can't make it straight away.

I've had a thought, "I'm glad the work will finally be presented as I originally intended it to be" You do realise that we only have the entries as they have been left by you and the Sub-Editor, don't you? If there's something that was removed, we don't have a copy of it. If there is anything that you want added, let us know. However, despite the lack of Moderation, the House Rules haven't changed.

Thanks for thinking of it, Mina. I never removed anything, and it appears to all be there under linked from the University project page. So yes, I expect it will be more or less as intended.

Great.

Er... Mina, I hate to be a pain. But it's been more than a month again. I notice the project hasn't been published. Do you have an update on its status?

You're not a pain at all. Things might have been delayed due to the festive season, but Anna has just left the office for the day. I'll speak to her tomorrow and get back to you.

Super deal. And I thoroughly understand the constraints of the holidays! Now that I think about it, getting the project through would make a stellar start to the new year. Thanks, Mina.

I've spoken to Anna and she has it on her desk at the moment. I'm not sure if it's actually at the top of her 'to-do' list, but it's not far off.

It's another friendly monthly poke. My University project on sexual orientation remains in h2g2 limbo.