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

Hi Dmitri!

I'm subbing your fine entry on Mithras, the result can be found at A8976324 (though I haven't done any work on it as yet ). First scan reveals that I won't have too much work to do; probably adding internal links for the most part. I'll post again before I return it to the editors so you can have a final scan before I hit the magic button - I plan to have it back in their hands by Monday morning.

Any problems give me a shout

Great. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be around all weekend, so give me a holler if anything's unclear.

I think it's pretty much done; if I have time I'll look for one or two more links but any cosmetic changes are done. I've worked a few footnotes into the text, added internal links and broken up one very long sentence (the one starting 'Strange are the ways of folk belief, but...') into a list.

I don't think I've done anything controversial but it would be great if you could have a scan for me sometime this evening in case there have been any errors attributable to me. Let me know and I'll get it back asap for queuing

A truly thorough and wonderful job. I can't believe how many h2g2 links you found.

Two small points - and you may do what you like about them.

1. The hyperlink to New York goes to New York City. Actually, I was talking about the Dutch in Upper State New York, who were a bunch of farmers. It probably makes no difference - just that the link isn't really relevant to those particular people.

The Dutch who invented Santa Claus were the ones referred to in Washington Irving's 'Knickerbocker History'. 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' comes from those hayseeds out there.

2. I appreciate - having been made thoroughly ashamed of myself in a more recent article - that I put in *too many footnotes*. So it's fine that you moved them up. But could you do something about this one?

>What Marvin Harris has called 'the dreamwork of Western civilisation', in Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches, 1974,<

Could you put the ref in parentheses, or dashes, or something? I feel like that's awkward otherwise.

And thanks for breaking that overlong sentence up. I tend to write a fine periodic style , and must be stopped before I kill again. What you did with it was *great*. I can learn from you, buddy.

Other than those two small points, everything looks just perfect.

1. Yes, apologies for that - if it had been a link to New York State, it would have been appropriate, but you weren't talking about the city itself, so it wasn't. I once complained about a spurious link in one of my own entries, had the concept explained to me at a Meet, and anm now among the most spurious of all! Anyway, consider it removed

2. Have re-appended the source to a footnote, albeit a shorter one to give the sentence its flow back.

Glad you like the work - I think it's always good to contact the author as I'm often subbing subjects I'm not familiar with. It's always nice to get my mistakes picked up too; keeps me on my toes!

If I do add any more links, they will be single-word ones like the 'children' link at the start, but to be honest I think we're there with it. Are you happy for me to return it as it is?

Absolutely delighted to have you return it as it is.

And I appreciate being contacted - gives me a chance to have some exchange, and pick up a few tips to make the next subeditor's job a little easier - hope so, anyway.

Thanks for the amazingly prompt work. You're a whiz.

Returned

And if you ever need any advice, I'm always happy to help! Hope to sub you again in the future

Looking forward to seeing our stuff on fp.

You cooked the meal, mate, I just garnished it All in all, a very worthy feast, methinks...

See you on the FP!

The Dutch invented Santa Claus? So he wasn't a real bloke then?

http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/13R2.html

I think this is the 'Enyclopaedia Galactica' version.