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

Hi Weirdfoodlover, welcome to h2g2.
I'm Dark Mistress and 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 try to be nice a friendly and appear knowledgeable about stuff. We flit from space to space and I've popped over to say a big friendly "Hello" and welcome you to this great on-line community.

By the way, if you take a look in Preferences you can change the viewing mode of the site. Things like Frames/Fullscreen or using the Alabaster and Goo skins. (My advice for what it is worth is to ditch the 'orrible white and yellow combo of alabaster and embrace the Goo!)
Stil you can learn more about all of that here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/welcome-newcomers

If you are wondering how to draw those little smiley faces that you occasionally see people employing in conversations. 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.
A good place to start there is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/askh2g2 - here you can post a question about more-or-less anything! or
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/howdoi - Ignorence can be bliss but enlightenment may be sought here.

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 - fondly known as The Italics because there names all appear in bold italicised font - Gawd Bless 'em - they're lovely.

They 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 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
As you can see Guide Entries can also be about anything at all. If you have an interst in diverse a topics as ballet, car mechanics, advanced quantum physics or the daily frustrations of trying to naviagte the London Tube System 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 I promise it doesn't require a doctorate to master and can enhance the look of anythig you write
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 start then 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.
Try looking at other researcher's Spaces to get some ideas Click the Who's On Line button to 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 or if you fancy it come and talk to the rest of the ACES here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/ACES - we are a friendly
bunch always ready with the and s

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 (and cup of ). Find me here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U182079

Hope to see you around.
DM