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

Hi!

I am one of the ACE's here at H2G2. ACE stands for Assistant Community Editor. We are the official Meeters and Greeters of this wonderful site and bascially we try to be nice and friendly, answer all your questions and appear knowledgeable about stuff. Occasionally, on those rare occasion when we are totally flumoxed ouselves we will endevour to point you in the direction of someone else who can help. The ACE's are researchers just like youself who have signed up to this volunteer scheme. We flit from space to space and I've popped over to say a big friendly "Hello".

"Hello!"

May I suggest first off looking in Preferences and sampling the site in it's more groovy state of Classic Goo. I'm not Bias, promise.
While your there you can also change other things about how the site is viewed on your computer like turning Frames on or off.
This is all explained in more detail in a welcome message for all new researchers here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/welcome-newcomers

Our late, great founder Douglas Adams was intimately involved in the foundation of this community and even has a page on site which you can visit if you like to read more about him, the stuff he wrote or even leave a tribute:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U42

If you are wondering how to draw those little smiley faces and pictures that I've been flinging about with glee abandon. This site has loads of 'em and you can find out all about how to use them in conversations like this on by clicking on this smiley face
--->

To start you off http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A270325 is a pretty much exhaustive (guide within a guide ) to all of the clubs and sillyness that Researchers (regularly) indulge in.
There are many, many different conversations being had here so try doing some investingating (or "Lurking" as it is known here on-site.)
You can join in by clicking the Discuss Entry button to start up a brand new conversation or if you want to reply to a message in pre-existing conversation just hit the Reply button (9/10 times it doesn't hit back! ) at the end of the appropriate posting.

To see where the community is talking
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Talk - hosts a comprehensive list.
Ignorence can be bliss but enlightenment may be sought here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/howdoi
Another good place to start here is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/askh2g2 - here you can post a question about more-or-less anything!

These are forums where you can engage with the rest of the community. The forums form one half of the site, they are were reseachers meet and chat. Forums stem from particular Guide Entries writtten by researchers.
For instance the AskH2G2 forums all stem from a page set up by the staff who run this site.
The Powers That Be - fondly known as The Italics because there names all appear in bold italicised font - Gawd Bless 'em all have pages on site. You can learn more about the team that runs the site here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Team

The forums are where researchers meet and talk. However, by far the best part about using this on-line community is you get to write your own articles otherwise known as Guide Entries and have other people talk about them in the forums they generate. You can write about whatever interests you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/index
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/randomentry
As you can see, Guide Entries can also be about anything at all. The aim of the site is to write a kind of comprehensive encylopoedia for Earth (with some handy tips to help you live on it.) But the Guide is not yet complete!
And this is where you come in. If you have an interest in diverse a topics as ballet, car mechanics, advanced quantum physics or the daily frustrations of trying to naviagte the London Tube System or anything else, now is you chance to flex your writing muscles and put finger to keyboard.
And there's plenty of help to get you started:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Writing-Guidelines

The site supports two methods of writing. You can use either Plain Text or if you want to make a page look special you can use a specialised code system called GuideML. It is terribly simple to use and can enhance the look of anything you write. I promise it doesn't require a doctorate to master!
It is based on a series of open <> and closed </> command brackets and is similar in structure though not indentical to HTML. A really helpful place to keep refering to is the GuideML Clinic, which can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/GuideML-Clinic It explains the basic structure of GuideML, how to use it and is the best place to go if you need any help or get stuck using it.
Your personal Space counts as a Guide Entry and can also be edited to include pictures and text formatting using GuideML.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/C809

If you are genuinly stuck you could always try looking at other researcher's Guide Entries to get some ideas.
If you want to see how any one has constructed a page using GuideML
put this URL in your address bar
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/testXXXXX - where XXXXX is the number of a page without the "A" or "C".
If you want to see how someone has constructed their Personal Space in GuideML use this URL
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/testuserpageXXXXX - again where XXXXX is the number of the page minus the "U" number.

Clicking the Who's On Line button will call up a menu that displays all researchers currently logged-in.

There is plenty of help to get you started writing entries for the Guide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Writing-Workshop offers helpful advice and also there is the Peer Review System that lets researchers help each other out in puting the final finishing touches to their articles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/PeerReview

If you are stuck for anything else you could try first checking the Don't Panic! Help Pages & FAQS :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/dontpanic

If you want to reply to this message you can by clicking on the Reply button in the corner. I will know if you do because my page dispalys a record of all conversations I have taken part in and have replies to. If you want to stop by my page as well, you are
more than welcome to come ask any questions or even pop over just for a quick chat.
I am here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U113478

Welcome to H2G2.
Enjoy, reading, taking part in and contributing to The Real Life Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy [ Earth Edition ].

See you around.

Clive.