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

I see. I imagine that's not too easy, so good job it's only three people involved and not more.

So seeing that there's just one AWW stalwart out of three, shouldn't your suggestions/vote count double?

I sometimes wonder if my votes count at all!

No, seriously, the judging balance is pretty good, I think. We look for different things.

btw, I think we should copyright the scoring system. As a means of combining panel and public votes, it would save the BBC a lot of trouble.

I hope there's another Stretcher, not least because I want to compete. There are some excellent potential judges back around the site too. I'd love to see you judge it, alongside say Jo(r)dan and Ben.

I hope there'll be another Stretcher, I imagine you'd get different competitors next time around - all those who weren't sure this time, or who are now new (but won't be in, say, a year).
I'd not be good as a judge, though. If Jordan and Ben were to be judges they'd need a very confident third judge. I know they'd drown me out, even if they wouldn't mean to.

You'd be all right. I'm pretty sure Jodes will never have drowned anybody, and I doubt Ben's drowned more than a couple of dozen

I'm not confident enough, it never takes much to throw me.
Then there's the problem of language/different cultural background.
There are often things I just don't get. But it would hardly be fair to blame any writer on my shortcomings.

That's the beauty of it, though. You'd receive in a different way, and complement other viewpoints. There are reading styles just as there are writing styles.

That's certainly true. But would I manage to be impartial and only look at the piece of writing have before me, completely blocking out the name next to it? I know I'd try, but I don't trust myself in that regard.

Yeah, I hadn't thought about it before, but being arrogant (like each of the three current judges) probably makes it easier to do that

There's a balancing factor when it comes to the problem of judging the writer's reputation instead of their piece, though. It cuts both ways. If there supposed to be good, you're tempted to mark them higher. If they're not as good as they usually are, though, you tend to mark them down.

Stretching is about bettering yourself, in the end. If you're already acknowledged as skilful, that means you just have to try even harder.

>>If they're supposed to be good, you're tempted to mark them higher. If they're not as good as they usually are, though, you tend to mark them down.<<

Like in RL, isn't it? I think people are right to ask for a good or better performance of those who can do it. Everybody needs to be challenged, if not, they'll get bored.

There's not much in my RL which challenges me, but ever since I joined h2g2 I've set my own challenges, and it's made my life richer.

I'm only just glad I started that late in life with all this, so there'll always be some new challenge keeping me busy.

Must be very boring if you've reached everything when you're still young.

Hi Pin.

I emailed Rich (but it took me a few days to get around to it), and he replied that the two of you had talked about that.

Yeah, I guess we did.
I've got some long, slow repair-work to do Rich-wise
(When you're rude to everybody, how come some people still have the nerve to be more sensitive then others?)

You're rude to everybody?

Then you're either very subtle, or I'm extremely thick cause I haven't noticed it yet. Knowing myself it must be the latter.

Seriously, I'm sure you'll manage to put right whatever went wrong between you and Rich. Sometimes, he's grumpy, or I am low for some reason, and then I have to remember that any criticism is nothing personal, and that we're just two individuals with good and bad days, but that we're generally a fantastic team.
Take a deep breath and a step back, and look at what was said again.
I know that Rich can cope with criticism, but I know that he's very busy at the moment (and has been ever since he's come back from the Gambia, in fact), so his replies to whatever you said may not be very lengthy and give a wrong impression (I'm stabbing in the dark there, though).
If you think you were rude and apologised for it, I'm sure Rich will accept it.

Well I'd have to apologise first...

And yes, I'm very subtle.
As somebody on the telly said (Ruby Wax, was it?), the highest form of wind-up is to hold up a mirror, and let 'em do the winding themselves.

Oh, I'm really good at that game (winding myself up, that is).

From your previous post I take it that you want to make amendments, and although I wouldn't claim to know you very well, I think you're genuine, so I imagine an apology (should you make one) will be accepted.
Don't forget that Rich asked you to be one of the judges for a project that was/is important to him. He wouldn't have asked anybody he didn't know anything about.

He's already said there are no hard feelings.
The problem is, he's decided to leave the Stretcher, and won't come back.
I think I might put it up to the contestants if this drags on much longer.

Oh my.

Don't know what to say, really.

Hi Pin.

Check your fb inbox, please?

OK replied