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

hey jwf,

as you may or may not know, i have set up the Spaced Out Guide at A962769. i was looking around the AGG/GAG/CAC, and noticed a few things. since, i think, you were involved from the beginning, i was wondering if you could help me with a couple of things:

who did you go to for the CAC graphics?
who did you ask to have a named entry?

if you could help me in any way or direct me to someone who could, i would be very grateful.

thanks!

spook

The new CAC logo graphix were created by Amy T Ant at the request of shazz as part of mandate. Now I don't want to be accused of speaking for others without consent or authority ...but if you were to offer a weekly column/feature promoting new entries you've collected for your Space Doubt Guide , I'd bet they would want to create a 'banner' for that page which could become your 'logo'.

The named link gadget was a delightful surprise to all of us. We had not asked for it or expected it. We bribed no one. It came from the 'italics' without fanfare or announcement amid a crop of other new and revised named links at the time of the shift to DNA.1 code or whatever about a year ago. You might want to broach that subject with shazz as well before pursuing the italics directly.

I have been promoting your 'guide' in the past few CAC issues but must confess I overlooked it in the one coming up this Thursday. I will try to remember to include a link each week and also add a link to our <./>AggGag</.>/CAC homepage.

What page would you prefer we direct people to first, the 'menu' or the confusingly named 'HitchHiker...' page? Please post below the primary A-number you would like us to link to.

One alternative to the first suggestion above about doing your own promotional column each week might be a scaled down version of that idea in which we would add your weekly selection of new entries as a regular feature of CAC. We could then request a logo for that section of our page.

peace
jwf

i would prefer you direct people to the menu system at A962769, since that is the access area to everything else.

i was thinking of offering new Spaced Out entries to the post each week, but i hadn't figured out the best way to have it. it would be good if we could have a combined column to begin with, which would mean each group getting double advertisement.

if this sounds good to you, then would you mind if you followed it up for now? i'm happy to do it, i simple have GCSEs in the next 2 months , so if you want to get the ball rolling now then go ahead. the spaced out guide has over 40 entries right now, so i could pick 3 a week for the column for 14 weeks, and by that time i'll have finished my exams and will hopefuly will be back into the scouting process of new entries.

i know you scout in AWW for your entries, so i have specifically been ignoring that unless directed by someonefor a great entry there, and have been scouting entries from the Fleam Market. you wouldn't believe the amount of great entries there in there that don't meet the writing guidlines. i'm starting from the back and that's where a lot of the early entries written in hitchhiker's style which i am actually on the lookout for are situated.

anway, thanks for the info and the suggestions etc, and i'm happy to follow them all for now. i'm not gonna worry about asking for a named entry for now. i'm probably gonna look into it in the summer, but i's interesting to know they just gave you out without you telling you first.

spook

I will be happy to direct people to A962769.

And since it's the 'sci-fi' aspects of your collection that make it a particularly worthy effort in my mind perhaps you could provide a list of those entries you found to be most 'in the spirit' you are championing. There is an e-mail link on my homepage so as not to offend anyone or give anyone a preview here.

It is the 'fiction' of DNA's work that draws people to h2g2 and it is the lack of an opportunity to further explore and participate in that realm that frustrates so many. Your single-handed efforts to remedy that are to be applauded.

I would hope that when your exams are successfully completed you will be able to provide us (<./>AggGag</.>/CAC) with a weekly feature of your choice before (or as) you include it in your menu. But in the meantime I will try to feature one of the already listed sci-fi entries each week. If you care to offer me a list, perhaps you could add a few general words about your intentions, ie: your mission statement, or particular reasons why you think each selected entry fits the bill. I will include bits of that over time as well.

I will begin to explore a 'sci-fi' based logo or banner for that section as soon as I can show we will have your 'DNA inspired-sci-fi' picks as a regular and reliable feature to add to our page.

peace
jwf

my idea of ideal banner if one would be made for it would Contain the writing 'Spaced Out' in large comic sansy writing, slightly tilted so that it is slightly higher up on the right, with a comet having swung round the back of the writing to have left a seeable white cloud trail, the trail would U turn on left side and go right sort of underlinin text, with the comet just right of the text. The word 'Guide' would then appear in red sci-fiy writing on the white cloud. the 'Spaced Out' would be light bluey with a blue glow, and any spaces between letters or behind letters would wither be left blank or filled in with a black stary background.

that would be my ideal idea if one would be created for it. i have spent much time thinking about it

i'm gonna be going to school in a min so i'll find you some of my favourite Spaced Out enties that are most like what I am really looking for with the scheme this evening.

spook

here are some of the best entries that are the type of thing I am most on the look out for, although I accept anything :

A962714 - Rats and Why They're Great Pets
A965333 - N00bs, Quackers and Campers
A964217 - How to drink Newcastle Brown Ale
A965342 - The Foreigners Guide to the Public Schools of the United Kingdom
A969339 - The Planet Skaro - Holidays for the Foolish
A963209 - Footware
A964244 - Quantum Mechanics for Beginners
A964271 - Matches ( or in this case - lack of )
A965298 - Guide to knowing everything, when knowing nothing!
A972470 - The Smell Of Nothing
A972498 - The Spork: An Archaeological Perspective
A989139 - Apparatus From the Heavens
A989184 - Staplers

spook

Funnily enough I had already selected Planet Sparko as this week's feature.

I'll pick more from this list in the following weeks and hope that when your exams are successfully completed that you will want to take over that corner of AggGagCAC and write the review for your selection each week.

peace
jwf

that's one of the best so i guess you've already got the idea!

spook