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

Yo Bro! I see you've been encountering more than your fair share of Political Correction. Have a go here if you like: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F19585?thread=8113413&skip=0&show=20 ~jwf~

Wo ~Joof~

Nice offer, but no thanks. I'll tell you why.

I kind of got dragged into the noohootoo planning exercise, and I see now that it was against my better judgement. The best thing I can do here, for the site as well as for myself, is just to write.

But meantime there's a new infrastructure to build, and that means there's planning to be done, and maybe even as a consequence a little (puke) administration. None of which I'm either good at or enthused by, except in a negative sense when it brings me into contact with people so devoid of creativity that they have no grasp of what it is.

For a while I stuck to my first instincts, which were to let those whose bag that is do their thing. Then I got goaded. Jodes persuaded me, and the long-standing and deeply unwise Ben-crush did the rest.

They did at least get me to re-state my core ideas. I thought it was a complete waste of time, because it had all been said (and rejected) many times before. I have to admit though that they were right to prod (as opposed to PROD) because a novel twist came out and Bob knows we need novelty here and now.

Having finally done something useful, I should have left it there but you know what Pin's like when somebody's revved him up and he's got surplus momentum to dissipate. You must have lurked that little spat that spun out of my views on moderation. It won't be repeated because I don't intend to say anything more on the matter, or to touch that crowd with a bargepole at any time in future. Except of course that that assertion would be a whole lot more convincing if I wasn't writing this either.

Ben and I are backs-turned-and-arms-folded right now. She can be scary at times. I keep succumbing to the urge to be as formidable a champion of the writers's perspective as she's a formidable champion of the systems view. I guess we're just doomed to wind each other up in incompatible catalysis for a little while yet. It would be a lot easier if she were a bloke. Then again, it would probably be a lot easier if I weren't a marine mammal.

Which reminds me, I so shouldn't talk to Nova Scotians.

Enjoy the marmite.

Pin

~jwf~

God help me,
I can't resist offering
a bad pun about benelephant
dictatorships.


~jwf~

*turns round to see whether the view consists entirely of Pin's back, or if there's a sealy whisker or two to be seen*

B

*re-reads ~jwf~s post and sees the pun*

But elephants LIKE buns!

I'm sociable at the moment.

I was in a bad mood back then. Part of the reason was that I'm not good at fool-suffering, and there seemed to be a lot of them about. Rather more of the reason was RL stuff. I guess I don't like watching you lot moving mountains when I'm struggling with my own w**k.

W**k is back in shape now, the rest of RL is very good and of course hootoo is joyous.

Some of the churlishness was inuring myself to the impending sense of waste, because I didn't expect h2g2 to come through this. Demonstrating how good h2g2 has been is easy, but persuading an investor that there's a future in it seemed like an impossible proposition. Some of the loudest rattles these days are empty vessels indeed. h2g2's great flaw is that it's a magnet for a certain kind of self-pitying and yet self-important person. They drive out talent, while they bring none themselves. I still don't quite believe you guys overcame that handicap. That was some sell, Ben.

Possibly too much information in that backthread, but vive la difference, I guess.

Anyway, I've apologised for recent bad behaviour enough. You're not getting any more hair-shirt.

You are right, the talent issue IS an issue, but at least we have a site to situate it in.

For the record, I don't think there were any other viable options. Whether your vision and Robbie's vision align.... Well I don't know. His vision goes back to before the beginning of h2g2 though. And it's not constrained by the misalignment of corporate strategies we had with the BBC.

Good to hear things are easier at your end of the internet.

Ben