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

Q: I'm confused? Is the new Mustardland going to be like "Points of View" or like "h2g2"?

A: The new Mustardland will be based on the system running the "Points of View" board, but other facilities may be added if we ask for them. h2g2 is an example of "the full Monty" as things stand, with all the facilities that the DNA system supports at the moment turned on. The idea of signing up over here is just to see what we *can* do with Mustardland, figure out what we'd *like* to do with it (and what we'd like to do without) and request those features (like bold and italic text in conversations, or an "Email me if there is a reply" facility) that we *can't* do yet.


Q: I don't like the fact that people can go to my "Personal Space" and see a history of where I've been posting. What can I do about that?

A: If, after posting somewhere, you click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the page, that thread won't be listed on your Personal Space. You'll just have to develop a good memory if you want to find it again.

Q: Yikes! Apparently names in here are not unique! How can I be sure the person I'm responding to isn't a sockpuppet masquerading as someone I know?

A: Names aren't unique, but User Numbers are. Click on the name in the posting you're concerned about, and you'll be brought to that person's "User Space". Even if a sockpuppet has copied someone's User Space down to the last detail there are two giveaways... First, look at the list of conversations they are subscribed to, and second, look at the U-number in the address bar at the top of your browser. You'll find you start to recognise your friends' U-numbers pretty quickly... This is also handy when someone you know changes their name, and you need to figure out who it is that just said "Hello!" to you.


Q: Where are my posting numbers?

A: (Current) DNA-based systems don't display posting numbers for individual users, but we might ask for that in the new Mustardland if enough people think it's essential.

Q: How do I put a link to Grey Gables or Eddie's Cider Club on my personal space?

A: Assuming your Personal Space is using GuideML, you can use and respectively. When you preview the page they'll just show as numbers, but when you view the final page they will have magically transformed into the names of the establishments.


(Hint for LP: To show that in GuideML without it actually turning into a link, replace "<" with "&lt;" and ">" with "&gt;"... )


Q: How do I put a link to the Mustardland Mustering Station or the Mustard Flavoured FAQ's into my Personal Space?

A: The process is similar to above, but because these are Persoanl Spaces rather than Entries you need the codes in the form and .

(Persoanl = Personal )

Q: What's all this "GuideML" mumbo-jumbo?

A: It's a language for doing pretty things on your Personal Space, or in Entries / Articles. Some examples are -

A carriage return:

A blank line:

A header: Title of my page

A sub-header: Slightly less important

A "divider":

An image:
(Lots of images are available at the <./>GuideML-PictureLibrary</.&gt

Text emphasis: Bold, Italic and Underlined...

Link to a PS:

Link to an Entry / Article:

Link to an external site: C19

Marquee: This tag isn't supported by all browsers...
(It makes text or pictures move from side-to-side on your space; some people love it, some people hate it. )

All of the above, and much more, are discussed in detail over at the <./>GuideML-Clinic</.>.

(Note for LP, remember to use &lt; and &gt; instead of < and > or it'll perform the functions of the tags rather than showing the tags on-screen... )

Q: What's this "Friends list"? / What's the etiquette? / Will you be my friend?

A: The idea of the Firends List was to help you keep track of irregular visitors to the site. When anybody you've added to your list posts, a link to that posting will appear on your Personal Space; with one or two posts a week this is fine, but with a few hundred posts a day you'll find that your own threads keep getting pushed "off the bottom" of the list. As far as etiquette goes, you don't need to ask someone before adding them to your list; you can add and remove names freely. It's best to avoid having lots of names there, though - instead, bookmark the Mustardland Mustering Station (U1485019). It's a "spare" account where anybody from Mustardland is being added to the Friends List, and by scrolling down that page you can find a link to any other Mustardeer.

At the end of the "CatPee" answer, can we tack on:

Note, when a posting is successfully Linda'd / CatPeed on a DNA system, the replies do *not* disappear.

Q: How do I find...?

A: Here are some places people have been looking for -

The Lockin: http://groups.msn.com/TheArchersTBULockin/

C19: http://c19.proboards42.com/

The Hub: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/hub/

Points of View: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbpointsofview/

iCan: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/

You've been a busy fella, not sure if you work, are a student or have a very tolerant employer but gosh!

Anyway, I'm going to try and get this over asap, I'm not using the GuideML version yet, I'll let you know when I do. However, for now if I just cut and paste these will it work okay?

LP

Peet, LP, just popping in to say there's now a link to the FAQs page on the Mustering Station one.

Cheers,

Katy

I tell you what Katy this guys faster than a speeding bullet and he's pointed out that you've both been compared favourably with a condom too! Never was praise so high!

LP
x

LP, if you don't use GuideML you have no control over what appears as a link and what doesn't...

btw, fyi, I'm currently sitting around at home on incapacity benefit, trying to get a charity off the ground in my spare time. I had time on my hands today as I'd set the whole day aside for a meeting that didn't happen.

Still, it kept me amused...

<>

I know but I've not learned it yet! Not as clever as you either! I'll try copy and paste for now and see if it makes sense! Want people to have access to your wisdom!

<> well I'm sorry about that, but then your knowledge is very helpful to everyone else, so, if you know what I mean, there is a positive for others that you have the time to put to this.

Good luck with your charity too.

LP

Here's an idea... When you're done with the copy'n'paste exercise, and it looks OK, hit "Edit page", highlight all of it and email it to me at [email protected] - I'll have a go at turning it into viable GuideML and mail it back to you.

What a fab idea! I'll do that!

Thanks

LP

LP, it's looking very good already!

Ermmmm ..... don't wish to nitpick, but..... you've duplicated some numbers. 3 = 6, and 4 = 7.

:O Katy

Hi Mustardlanders!

Great idea this FAQ! If you have any questions that Peet can't answer, I've started a page where people migrating from h2 can post their questions. So if you have any please post them to:

A3896436 Messageboard Migration Feedback

And Jim Lynn and/or I will respond, depending on the nature of the question.



Oh and; the complaints button - it's the same as the one on h2 - the post *isn't* hidden until it's failed. We don't hide posts as soon as a complaint is made, because people could abuse it to complain about and hide other peoples' posts, just to annoy them.

Re having a smiley in your name:



Wot, in ML?!?

The words 'firing squad' and 'dawn' come to mind...

Katy