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

I'm not sure anyone who responds to a first post of a thread which has been pulled deserves to do much good

How do you mean?

M A N, reply to a post none of us can see if a fine hootoo tradition

What's happening with Barlesque? It still has a number of bugs - is there any point continuing to report these?

I have a suggestion for Noesis, to maximise the reliability and functionality of the site.

Assuming the BBC has some sort of central list of all its "upgrades", what they were intended to achieve and how they would affect the front-end's interactions with the database, and that they have backups of all the different DNA versions...

Work backwards from the most recent "upgrade" until you find the last "upgrade" that wasn't almost entirely about fixing problems with the BBC login, making life "simpler" for BBC moderators* etc.

Note any changes to the database structure between there and present. Restore to the version of DNA *before* that and make any patches required to keep it compatible with the current database structure.

You now have the most functional version of DNA available. Convert the "Barlesque" front-end into a skin, then set out to make any alterations required to make the system compatible with your platforms.

Whatever you do, *don't* start applying patches on top of BBC patches that are there to fix problems that don't exist when we're not with the BBC any more.

(*e.g. the filther that just refreshes the posting page with no error message if you enter something it thinks *might* be a profanity, with no indication of what it's complaining about or even that it is complaining at all.)

Re Amy's question about introducing friends to the site ... what is the policy on this? Surely it is in the site's interest to attract more researchers, but how do we go about doing this, and, if such advertising is successful, how are we going to cope with the influx of people unused to our ways? Too much inane chat might lead to the old regulars despairing and leaving.

oh well we couldnt have that!

TC, that's a very good question. I've asked the Community Volunteers to talk about it. Feel free to join in this thread too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F21551820?thread=8247983&post=109551793#p109551793

Actually, I'd quite like it if the inane chat returned to its pre-2002 levels. That was a big part of the original attraction of the site for me.

I was only 9 years old (oh no, those with basic mathematics skills might figure out my age) in 2002!

Not sure if this is where to put this, but can we have a way to put a 'needs updating' label on EGE? I reckon at least 5/10% of the EG needs some kind of update - in some cases rather major, others smaller aspects - and it would be great to at least signal to the outside world that we know that this is the case.

It's a bit like the mostly harmless label we have now, and also a bit like what W*k*pedia do well, to be honest.

It would also give people interested in updates an easy way to work through a list. I would certainly be one, but you would need a range of knowledge to do it properly.

sprout

How about this:
1. Find an Entry that needs an update
2. Send the Author a message
3. Make a note of it in your Journal to remind yourself
4.
5.
6. Check the Entry and if it has not been updated :
7. Start a thread for the Entry with the subject "This Entry needs an UPDATE" , these exact words so we can search for it
8. Mention it to the new (not yet that well organised) Editors to be, I think there already is a thread about updating Entries somewhere
9. Make a note of it in your Journal to remind yourself
10.
11.
12. Come back, check the Entry and if it is not yet updated make an offer to the Editors to do the updating yourself
13

I particularly like steps 4,5,10 and 11

My favorite is step 13. because of the

That's a good process, but will take some time. Like the previous update forum for that matter - entries updated so far - maybe 20? The subsidiary question is whether we need some fast way to identify the chunks of our content that are manifestly out of date?

Or do we just live with it for the time being?

sprout (could start by updating his own Nepal entry)

Tuesday 21 June, 2011: A Message From Robbie Stamp
Post: 267
Posted 2 Minutes Ago by Still Incognitas,Still Chairthingy,Still lurking,Still invisible,unnoticeable,missable,unseen.
Will any unedited entries be moving as well?

I'd hate to have to rebuild the S.H.A.D.O.W.Headquarters from scratch.

lust pegging this here.

mini

sprout, if you wanted to take on U14449759 with as many volunteers as you can muster I would love you forever. Only if I can remember the password to the account though...

Good question though, keep 'em coming...

Wow, that's a great project vip. I hadn't seen it yet, but it's that kind of thing that needs doing... I'll have a closer look and get back to you.

sprout

Q: will the new h2g2 still use scouts?
Or do the 'editors' do the picking in PR.

Hi Shagbark,

We're gathering together most of the questions and answering them when we're able to.

But we *can* say that we will definitely need scouts, and all h2g2's existing volunteers more than ever, and we very much hope that they'll want to help us as much in our new home as they do here.

We're going to be making as few changes as possible in the interim period, the new eds will have enough work to do taking over from the italics and doing the transition work without making the picks in peer review as well.