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

Hi Icky,

I've been given the 'Stirling Engines' entry to sub-edit, the result will be at A9042707 (it's already there, but I haven't done anything to it yet! Apart from linking, it doesn't seem to need much doing to it, but I'll post you when I'm planning to return it for one final scan anyway. I hope to have it back to the eds for Monday morning.

Great entry, by the way

Cheers. I think the one concern I have over this as an edited entry is that I have not verified with the linked website's owner that they are OK with the BBC linking to their website. Not that I think this will cause a huge onslaught of hits for them, but if I were writing this for my own websitte I would make a point of doing this. If H2G2 management ain't bothered, tyhen fair enough!

Either that or they find a non private website with links, such as maybe one linked off here : http://www.stirlingengines.org.uk/

I'll have a gander when you contact me!

oh, and perhaps add a link to http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/courses/egr112/StirlingEngine/stirling.html which Orcus found and is a guide to how to build your own one in true blue peter style, using old tin cans and rubber balloons and so forth

Right I've added those, it's ready for you to have a scan

Regarding the link to the personal website, we don't normally check - presumably most people are more than happy to be linked to. If you think it might cause a problem, though, I can take it out.

I'll wait for your ok before I return this; am hoping to get it back and into the queue ready for Monday morning if possible.

OK, gonna be really picky about my own article now:

Paragraph 1, top of the page~: Rev Robert Stirling should be 'Rev.' as it is an abbreviation.

How They Work - Last Para - "Heat - Expand - Cool- Contract." needs a space before the last hyphen.

Beta Type Engine:
2nd vullet p[oint starts "The heat and cooling processes" would be better as "heating and"?

Step 1: "fluid is at the heat end of" should be "the heated end of"
Step 3: "is still at the cool end, and the displacer" remove comma, isn't needed.

Alpha Type Engine, Para 1, "Rev Stirling" Should be 'Rev.' again.

Fuels: "The Stirling engine can use a variety of fuel systems that can, and have, been used." Chop the end off as it is unnecessary and does not scan well.
"The Stirling engine can use a variety of fuel systems."

That's the main ones. No one raised any linguistic issues in peer review so I shan't look any deeper! Other than that, I'm happy with it!

All done except the dots after the 'Rev's. In the 'English Usage in the Edited Guide' (<./>SubEditors-Style</.&gt, we are told:

'Abbreviation points can be distracting and make the page dotty, so it's best not to overuse them even if (strictly) they should be there. Hence we use USA not U.S.A., ie not i.e., etc not etc. (though if etc is at the end of a sentence, we obviously add a full stop).'

Though you may be right, the eds don't want 'em!

Ok to return this now?

ah, I did wonder if that might be the case. I guess that means I'm a bit dottier than the eds, which seems hard to believe

Yep, I'm happy for this to be returned. Thanks for doing the sub editing on it!

Nice one; sending this back now...

See you on the Front Page