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

I'm sorry that the news of DNA's death is what brought you to h2g2 Mal, but I'm very glad you're here now! You mention that he was your age. He was close to mine as well. I think it's tough to accept the loss of a contemporary. Not only is it hard losing him, but it brings our own mortality into sharper focus.

If you're interested in leaving a message of condolence, please do so on Douglas's personal space:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A5932

Welcome to h2g2, Mal! My name is Shea, and I am an Assistant Community Editor (ACE) and a Guardian Angel (GA). We're a group of volunteers that flit about welcoming and helping new Researchers. If you want to ask me a question, or need help with anything, just hit the "Reply" button and leave a message, I'll fly back in and help you in any way I can!

Have you checked out the Welcome pages yet? They're a good place to start:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Welcome-DNA

If you're interested, I made a page with a list of links that you might like to check out. It's at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A534953 .

There's lots to do around h2g2, Mal! You can write Guide Entries, post in your Journal, join clubs and communities, have a few drinks in a pub, join spirited debate, or just make some new friends!

If you ever want to talk to a Researcher, just click on their name. That will take you to their Personal Space, and you can leave them a message there (like I'm doing now!) by clicking on the 'Discuss this Entry' button.

Most importantly Mal, have fun! You might find yourself meeting some great new friends! I know I have!

- Shea the Sarcastic

Hey, Shea!

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm sure I'll end up spending rather too much time here as I get to know people -- in fact, I have already, just looking around and reading. This is a dangerous place for people who aren't allowed to look things up in the dictionary unless they've got a few hours to spend reading.

I don't know that DNA's death has made me any more aware of my own mortality than I already was -- I think losing younger and contemporary friends to AIDs and cancer and other causes over the last 20 years has done a pretty good job of that -- but it's a terrible feeling to know that a creative force that was in a class by itself has gone out of the part of the universe that we can access. I feel that way whenever someone whose work I admire dies untimely (less so with those who lived long and fully productive lives and might very well have been a little weary and ready to go do something else for awhile, and it seems selfish to wish them back, if that makes sense). But I would infinitely prefer our leading lights to stick around and delight us until they themselves are ready to pass the torch, yes, and there is something particularly poignient about someone my age, smack dab in the middle of the productive time, leaving suddenly with no chance to prepare notes and instructions or just say "Good-bye."

I sort of vaguely knew about h2g2 before, but seeking comfort in numbers last weekend I acted on the knowledge, and what I have seen is impressive. Not just the Guide itself, but the community it fosters. I'll get by when I can (lots of other online stuff I do, mostly with photography) and contribute what I may, because this looks like the very best this medium has to offer, in a lot of ways.

But right now I need to sleep, because for some reason they expect me to be sitting at my desk accomplishing things during the day, not napping under it. Go figure...

Thanks again for the welcome!

Mal

My pleasure!

And I know that I spend way too much time here! And of course the more time you spend here, the more people you meet, and the more conversations you get involved in, and then you end up spending more time here!

I know exactly what you mean about losing creative forces. It's like when you hear about the death of a child ... all that potential is forever lost!

They expect you to work at work?! That's disgusting, and I thought it was only my insane bosses that expected that! What's this world coming to?