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

HOW can I get a dancing alien like yours(or similar, don't want to copy you, though they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)

Be warned, I'm computer illiterate, so it's no good giving me long lists of peculiar jargon in brackets; but I've got some good patient friends who might be able to talk me through it!

I see you're a curry fiend & presumably an insomniac too -- so we definitely have something in common! Have you met up with jazzedupcurry yet?
pmi_!m: xxc
(that last bit was from my alter-ego Yoda, now staring lovingly at the keyboard)

off to count
Terri & Yoda

If you only knew how many people I have nagged to give me information on how to get things to work and or look good!

Greetings Terri and Yoda fear not should you, help I can.

I take it you don't know much about guide ML? well to get the alien on your page you have to begin to use this. I think the easiest way to do this is to have someone talk you through it... Which is what I had when I 1st came here, thanks to - now, a very good mate of mine - I'll try to give you a hand.

*I know you said don't but... there now follows babble which I barley understand myself, but can make work...* I'll try to make it as easy to follow as I can.

1st go to "Edit page" using the button provided on your space.

The space where you typed your intro will now be displayed, intro still in place. At the Bottom of this window, there's a check box option, "Plain Text" (where you are) and "Guide ML" = where you want to be. Check this box now, and hit "Change Style" Now your space is set up to add pictures different fonts, coloured and sized when you add the appropriate codes. I wont over load at the moment (don't say too late!), we can come back to that at any time... Just let me know.

Paste this at the beginning of your space when you go in to edit mode: -




Now you can add an alien to your space by using this code...



Your text will still come out in a big block, to change that you can add paragraphs by using to begin & to end.

Smileys are different too, you have to use this...

<SMILEY TYPE="biggrin"/>

...sub the smiley name inside the ""'s with the name of whichever one you like. If you don't add the code for each smiley you use, it doesn't show the smiley.

Close the document with...




And hit "Preview" this gives you the option to back out if anything goes wrong, h2 will hilight errors in red (hopefully it wont!), I still make them all the time!

If it then looks OK hit "Update Entry"

You are probably thinking 'Oh My GOD!" But really it's not as bad as you might think. If you get stuck you can always contact me, here or my e-mail is on my space. Anytime I'm more than willing to help.

Let me know how you get on, I'll keep an eye on your space
See you Soon Happy Christmas! & most importantly - DON'T PANIC!
Andy

PS Nope not bumped in to jazzedupcurry yet, but I'll see if I can find them. Dont forget, anytime you need a hand let me know, hope I havent scared you off!

GULP!!!
No, you haven't scared me off, but it is "A giant leap for Terri's kind!"

So a few questions before I have a go:

1) If I cock it up, do I lose the existing Guide Entry?
2) PASTE = I just type it in exactly as you've written it(ie. caps/lower case/spaces etc. ???
3) The new way to do smileys-- does this mean all my smileys will disappear???
4)Do I put in the bit BEFORE doing anything else (as soon as I've changed to Guide ML)?
5) After I preview it, if I've really blown it & want to back out, can I revert to the old page & try again later? (after a )!

Oh dear
You may be regretting this now you see how dim I really am!!

Jazzedupcurry can be found on my Friends list, he seems really nice, Canadian & likes to talk, on hootoo quite a lot. We're contemplating starting a Curry Club (provisional title "Chat Masala!"

I won't do anything drastic till I hear from you!

for the quick reply & advice! If I manage to do this it'll be No.1 on my New Years Resolution list crossed off!

Terri.

Sorry this has taken me such a long time to get back to, my late night surfing was curbed by a visit from my Sis, she wanted to go to bed would you believe?!

OK
1) As long as you only use "Preview" instead of "update entry" if somehow you have coked it up, you use the "my space" option to return to your page, and nothing will have been changed. I strongly recommend you do this whenever you try anything new!

2) Yup I typed everything as it should look, caps brackets & spaces, copy and paste is a marvellous tool!

3) When changing to guide ML if you only type < cool > that's what you'll see rather than your smiley. To get him or any other smiley on your space do - <SMILEY TYPE="cool"/>

4)




Goes right at the top of the dialogue box where you type, remember your original text will still be there, so add that bit in right at the beginning.




will be the very last thing you type at the end of your introduction.

5) Have a on hand by all means, as long as you did "Preview" only, nothing will be changed, you can go back to your space & come back and try again at any time...

Not to worry - will be here whenever you need me, normal late night service will be resumed tonight. I'll have myself so all should go well

Right off to look for curry fans! Keep me up to date with "Chat Masala" sounds good to me!

See you later Andy

Just realised something else, h2 doesn't allow you to use "&" in Guide ML. It gives you a dreaded red warning (a howler?) saying "Illegal use of Ampersand" You have 2 on your space, which you will have to replace.

If you like I can use another of h2's cool tools, to get a diagnostic of your page and convert it to ML for you, complete with the alien.

But that way you don't get the benefit of trying it yourself...

Having 2nd thoughts?

Anyhow Happy New Year to you & Yoda

Happy new Year!
No, no 2nd thoughts, just a bit tied up in bloody RL so consequently rather knackered &(red blob time!!) don't want to mess up my potential lovely alien by using half a brain!

I know I use the & alot, my excuse is I'm using a French keyboard (of course I'm not lazy!)

If there's any way you can do the Guide ML bit for me, I'll willingly forgo the dubious pleasure of having a nervous breakdown trying to do it myself!

Feel free to add an alien if you can, right at the top would be nice, a few lights round him would be even nicer! It would certainly be the best start to the new year I could think of!

I'll keep watching this space for the next half-hour or so, in case you need any info to achieve this wonderful feat; then I suppose I should try & get

ooh; how exciting this is!!!
Terri

Just entered the 21st Century (I think--- therefore I am?)



Greetings, fellow Earthlings; I am honoured to have joined the ranks of "those who really KNOW" or do they I ask myself (well, someones got to and up till now it's been me.) Maybe it's time to change all that as I seem to have discovered an alternative universe that I always suspected existed.

If you've got this far, I suppose I should give some basic info about myself; not necessarily in any order of importance.
Originally from Birmingham (I read there are fellow Brummies out there (Spacemuse? Orcus? etc.) but have been around a bit -- Middle East (got invaded in Kuwait!),Africa (Malawi), Pakistan, Greece. Finally seem to have settled here in S.W France (Angoulême),great place,great people.

What am I into? Where to begin?? An alphabetical index would probably be the best way, a few entries at random;suggest other letters and I'll add to it (make your own ,could be fun?!)

P is for PUFFINS; I know a great poem.
C is for CHEESE BOXES; lots more later if you're interested.
T is for TALK; which I do far too much of (asked the guy I live with if he wanted to join a chat room, he replied "No thanks, I already live with one."
Hmmm. Food for thought. But probably fish, which is OK except I'm a vegetarian (hence Yoda is safe with me)

Some of my favourite Smileys; now I've discovered how to do them! It's SO EASY!! If I can do it, anybody can!!

<SMILEY TYPE="disco"/> <SMILEY TYPE="zen"/> <SMILEY TYPE="magic"/> <SMILEY TYPE="devil"/> <SMILEY TYPE="silly"/> <SMILEY TYPE="eureka"/> <SMILEY TYPE="elf"/>

And Yoda's : <SMILEY TYPE="mouse"/> <SMILEY TYPE="esuom"/> <SMILEY TYPE="fish"/> <SMILEY TYPE="hsif"/> <SMILEY TYPE="cat"/><SMILEY TYPE="blackcat"/>

If you paste all that as it is to your journal it should come up with the same intro, only with everything plugged in to Guide ML & alien at the top. Just remember to check the "Guide ML" option at the bottom & click the "Change Style" button before you preview. If everything looks OK to you, then hit "Update Entry"

A million thanks!
I've just tried to print it out so I can copy it & get my alien NOW but the printer hasn't got enough ink!!
So I suppose I've got to wait till tomorrow
But what a brilliant new years present, keep your fingers crossed!


Terri

I hope you manage to get him up on your space soon - I tested it on my page & the coding is good.

I forgot the 's around the alien, but we can get back to that later, with something to look at I bet you will be able to put them in yourself with some meddling before too long.

Hm real life, such a let down I find... I'll be thrown back in to the land of the living all too soon myself , will regret reverting to my nocturnal way of life come Thursday morning

I do the same with the &'s I'm even worse when I have to write by hand. I think I'm getting faster at typing than I am at that, which is quite worrying, and my scrawl is getting more erratic to boot. I might have to invest in a laptop soon!

I'm a pretender to this Guide ML stuff, I pick things up as I go along, I'll gladly give advice if I can, but if you need some help & I'm not here or dont know; this lot are the people to ask A467606. The Angels know everything & they're lovely too!

Anyway I usually manage to check in once a day, so if you leave a message I'll try to get back to you ASAP (I feel like an answering machine). Sleep a good idea I think! I'll pop in soon to see how you go Take care Terri..... ()

By the way, you don't have to print it & re-type.

Have you done the highlight & copy thing before? (remembers how you said you were 'puter illiterate before only now )

Click at the beginning of the post up there, drag your mouse over the text to highlight everything, let go when you come to the end.

Then keep the mouse on the text, right click and select & click "copy" off the menu which will pop up.

Then go to the edit bit on your space, delete what's there.

Right click again select & click "paste" off the pop up menu this time, and everything should be transferred to your space.

I my !!!!
HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!
from a Terri

(please can I add you to my list of friends? You certainly are; & I promise not to be this much trouble ever again!!!)

The Scarey thing here is, I almost understood some of the guide ML stuff. I may even have to try using it, ie simple things like smileys etc..

Yay!

would be honoured to be on your friends list, anytime you need a hand, all you gotta do is ask (and you too Mel). As I said before I had a load of help when I came here *waves to 'Sus (I know you're still lurking)!*, and so am very glad to be able to pay it back wherever I can

I'll see you around then

* indeed!*

Oops! Oh well, while I'm here, a handy little tip. Any time you need to use a & in GuideML, just put the following bit of code in to replace the &:

&amp;

Simple as that. Works for URLs or just so you can put & in a sentence.

My work here is done.

I never knew that!
(It's come in very useful today too )

So If I want to use a URL containing & I just add the amp; bit after the & sign & it works?
Why did I never ask you about this before? It's driven me [even more] mad on many occasions!

You're the !

Hello, Thinker, O mighty powerful Bestower of Dancing Aliens to the poor & needy!
I've added you to my friends list

My lovely alien is getting quite a bit of fan mail, I reckon there could be a few more like him(?) popping up around hootoo!

This is for Pharmacopeia, my patented guide for those who DON'T have "internet reflexes" on how to get Smileys. The really good news is you don't have to go anywhere near the dreaded guideML or be involved with numbers!

1) to find out what a smiley stands for hover your mouse over it & a little box will tell you. DONT press the mouse yet, but copy the word down (exact spelling & little letters)
2) if you want to use that particular smiley when you are writing something, do this:

press <
type the name of the smiley straght after (don't leave a space) ie:
cool
then press > (the other way round arrow, on my keyboard you need to hold the caps lock down, but it's a French keyboard, yours may be different)

Carry on with your message
When you've finished your message press preview
If you've done it right you will see
--so send message & give yourself a
If you've done it wrong, check you've spelt it right & not left any spaces. Preview again. If youve still done it wrong, go to my home page & we'll weep together & try & find out why!

If you want do do the same with all the other smileys, click on ANY of them & you'll go to the smileys home page where you can see all of them. I've printed mine out to refer to. So then just type in the Long code when you want to use them.

Hope this helps ANYONE who feels that they'll never get the hang of it! I'm so new to the computer bit I was made an Ace & only found out yesterday that you can click on your own Ace badge to go direct to the Aces home page!!

mummy Terri.

See those glitter balls go! I really do feel like I'm back at the Tori gig (*turns the personal CD up a touch louder*).

Very impressive Terri glad you're getting stuck in there with it , as your on your travels if you see something on someone else's page you might like to 'borrow' this is a great way to find out how they did things; in the main url you see in your explorer, replace the 'U' with 'testuserpage'

For example my space url is http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/U182998

but to see how I did everything you'd put in
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/testuserpage182998

You'll get a sometimes scary diagnostic list of guide ML, but you cant do anything to the other page, so if you have the patience or desire to find something, it's a great way to learn things. Might come in useful along the way, it has for me, and still does!

Andy

I've still not upgraded my page to Guide ML yet because every time I try, it crashes and then I refresh and it throws me right back to normal text. Just my luck!!