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

Hi Athena! I'm the Sub who's editing your entry. Well done! One thing I need cleared up, though: exactly when did piracy around the Spanish Main stop, and why? The only source I've been able to find hints at 1816.

If you go to A618969, you can see what I've done so far - mostly GuideML...

Cheers!

Hello!

To answer your question: first of all, as mentioned, Spain went bankrupt. Also the wealth of the Spanish Main was constantly being plundered, and nothing lasts forever. The final thing would be that the American explorers were moving West and claiming territory. These three elements combined to make a very gradual change. These things do not happen over night. Though there might be a date that the last ship of the Treasure fleet set sail, there is probably not one for the last Incan tomb to be raided by a 'pirate'. I would say that the transaction from wild and dangerous pirate ground, to calm and civilized countrys probably took much more time then the kind of activity my entry speaks of. The time that the Spanish Main was the 'Spainish Main' was comparatively short.

I hope this answers your question.

Peace.

Athena

Thanks, that makes me feel better. As a Leaving Cert. history student, I itch when I feel I'm missing facts ! A good entry, as you must know by now...


Nora

How is it coming? Just curious.

Cheers!

Don't sound so apologetic! It's late, and I'm the one who's sorry. I think I've got it set now, though, so if you want to take a look again...

Have you read Charles de Lint? The phrase 'memories and dreams' is familiar.. Don't panic if you haven't - it's just the title of one of his novels.

Thanks!
Nora

P.S. - Not even. The novel is 'Memory and Dream', as you may know. I could just hear the 'No, it's not!'

No I haven't read it, or heard of it. Is it good? Whats it about?
I will go take a look at the entry again. By the by, what will happen to it now, and can I continue to refine it?

I enjoyed Memory and Dream, some while ago. It's urban fantasy, about this woman who can paint pictures in which the characters come alive, get out into the world, and start lives of their own. A little dark, as someone tries to take their lives to keep themselves going, like a vampire. The phrase has stuck with me, which is why I thought it might have done the same with you.

As far as I know, once I submit the entry it can only be refined by the Editors - neither of us can do anything but post nagging messages about what we want done. Sorry about that... You can, of course, refine the original, which retains a life of its own in the general Guide.

,
Nora

I just re-read your message. As to what happens next, usually it sits 'pending' for a little while, and they take out any mistakes I've made. Then it gets up on the Front Page as one of the day's entries, and you get notified. That's the fun part, of course!

So, what do you think? Any changes or reverse changes needed? As far as I'm concerned it's ready to send in, but it's your entry.

That book actually sounds quit good, prehaps I will add it to my reading list.

As far as the entry, you have done a good job. Great guideML. There are a few words I would change here and there if I could, I will give you some examples and you can see what you think. Most of them I don't even remember if it was already like that or if you changed it, I just noticed them in reading it over.
In the second paragraph it says: "Despite their wealth, the natives were easily overthrown by the Spaniards’ more modern weapons." As the natives and the Spainards lived in the same time period, it would by more accurate to say 'foriegn' then 'modern'. As the natives simply had never seen such things.
Also the tittle 'The Armada' is rather in accurate, as there have been many armadas. An armada, (as you probaly know), is just a fleet of war ships. The armada in question however was actually called "The Spanish Armada", and people recognize the name. Therefor 'The Spanish Armada' would probaly be a better tittle.
There are a few little things like that, but they dont really matter. See what you think.

Cheers!

Okay, I changed 'modern' back to 'foreign', and specified 'The Spanish Armada'. To make it really accurate, as there was more than one of those, too (Piet Hein of the Netherlands defeated a Spanish Armada known as 'The Silver Fleet'), I put in the date, which was 1588. It's going in!


Nora

Hee Hee!