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

Hey Justin. It's me. I don't know who you remember me as: Axe, Robert or that annoying idiot who screwed up h2g2 for you for a while, but I think you know who I am now. I really, really, need to talk to you about the whole h2g2RP thing, and explain myself.

*pulls up a chair and sits down*

Right, let's go back to the beginning.

*at another small flick of his arm, metaki's glasses "steam up" slightly, and you realise that the Augmented 3D system that he prototyped a few months ago isn't a prototype any more*

This is our story...

I met you online many, many months ago. I was new to h2g2, you were newer to h2g2. We built up SHSS: you did most of the work, I provided my own parts. We joined the Cat/Dog wars, on opposing sides, and argued about that for a while. Then, a few other things happened and we ended up in the Mercs. After a few campaigns, you quit and I stayed. Eventually, Njan, Krans and I tryed to screw up the SHSS. We failed, just.

That's how it was. Following my work of the past month, I've realised what's happened. I've realised how this all screwed up, why Axe and CV ended up trying to kill each other, why you were kicked out of everything that njan could get you out of for LOC breaking, and why I ended up quitting h2g2 more than once because I couldn't live with what was going on.

I've read over everything that we've written in the same forum. Ever. And I understand now what has gone so terribly, terribly wrong in this whole mess.

I came back. I realised that something has to be done about the entire roleplaying system here. The Laws of Continuity. The Mercenary Rules. The Cat/Dog rules. Everything else. We try to make order out of what has to be chaos. We tried to restrict freedom.

We shouldn't be fighting the BBC on censorship, because they aren't censoring us. We are censoring ourselves. We're afraid of what other'd think about us if we did what we wanted. We're pushed into choosing sides against each other. We are oppressed, and we oppress others.

What is going on? For Zarqon's sake, h2g2 is supposed to be fun!

I'm not going to just stand here and watch h2g2RP crumble because a small group of people took that purity of purpose away from us. I'm not going to watch as I'm ostracised. I've come back.

The Salmon of Doubt "hitchiked the galaxy one last time". I don't want to do that. I want to hitchike my way around h2g2, and I don't want it to be the last time that I can. I want to talk to new people, hear new ideas, support others who were pushed away by h2g2, help those who want help, listen to those who need listening to. I want us to be free to do whatever we want. Pressure, oppression, stress, anger: they shouldn't be here.

Please, help me do this. I remember what it used to be like, back when life was simple and we just did whatever the hell we wanted. I can get it back, but I need someone to help me.

I'm not a mercenary. I'm not a dog-supporter. I'm not the annoying son of a bitch that I was the last time that we spoke. I'm me. This is what I want to do. This is what I want to contribute to h2g2, if I don't do anything else. I remember - people who had never seen each other talking as if they were standing next to each other.

And being completly themselves.

Justin, I'm so, so sorry for the things that I've said to you over the months. I've put you through some really bad s**t, and I know now that I shouldn't have. Please, understand this. I shouldn't have done it. We shouldn't push other people away like I did to you.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope that you agree with at least some of what I've said. Stay yourself, celebrate the person who you are, not who others want you to be. Live your own life, every day. Write back, though, please!

Metaki

I must say, great minds think alike... That is so weird. I was just creating a roleplay site of my own, partly on a whim and partly to pass the time in Web Design, and the entire basis of the thing is total freedom... If you want to take a look at it the URL is http://starpilothotel.cjb.net and I'm taking any suggestions...

But anyway, thanks for the apology. If you're serious about this, then I'm completely in. You're right, some of the restrictions around here are getting a bit tight. I think that you're getting down to the root of what H2G2 was all about in the first place, and so I'm in.

I'll check the site out! My hoster just went fee-based, so I'm stuck without a home ATM ; I'm trying to pass off h2g2 as "work" during my computer classes...

Is there anywhere in particular that you reckon needs some urgent free speech attention? I would have suggested the Cantina, but Krans quit h2g2 a week ago, and the Mercs are suspended. We could go check it out anyway... How about we just walk in there, order drinks and start talking about Stuff? I've got loads of UK/US differences to get confused about (it's not just spelling that you guys have changed...) .

Well, feel free to smite me down, but I host on Geocities and it's the best free homepage site I've found. Their pop-ups, while they do cover the page, are less numerous... plus once I get a job I'll go to an ad-free site.

Cathouse? Doghouse? I wouldn't say URGENT need, but there is a need in that war...

Our spelling is much more efficient... get rid of that superfluous silent u. :-p

I know, I'm so badly hooked on "your" way of spelling stuff. Colour just DOES NOT look right any more . I'll think about signing up for GeoCities, but I'm really anti-banner advertising, so you might not be able to convert me .

Anyway, back to buisness. I'd agree with going to either, therefore I'm going to flip a quarter about it .

...

OK, the commemerative New York quarter recommends that we go visit the dogs. We need to go get them tu update those stupid profiles they did a while back, anyway.

[insert techie EVA commands to provide a link to an almost-randomly selected Dog house conversation]

[EVA] Searching... comsat stream located. h2g2UID: F73233?thread=130673&skip=1100&show=20 . Godspeed, and cheerio!

I was just about to say "Why do you have a New York quarter in Britain?". I forgot you relocated. How's CA treatin' ya?

Anyway, I'll see ya there.

Ok, I'll write you 2 an update, but I need some specifics.
Who are you guys killing now? And, what's with the mercs, anyway? is it defunct? I had a link up on my u page, and it was shut down.
I can put up a link to the cantina if you like?

You can e mail me at [email protected] if you like, and I'll write y'all up or put up links to whichever site you choose.


btw. STUPID profiles?????

Apparently (I was offline until a few days ago), Krans quit h2g2 10-1-02. Njan disbanded the h2g2 Mercenaries. Therefore, all of the Merc. flies should be deleted as they're irrelevent. The cantina seems to just be a cantina now.

And I'm not "CV's Natural Predator" anymore ...

Metaki (Axe)

BTW. Yeah

I deleted yours, Metaki, and the cover sheet for the mercs. Leaving the rest unless they tell me themselves to remove them.
They're a kind of history, and not really irrelevant. Just because a person or a club is gone, it isn't necessarily forgotten. The mercs did some funny things, like blowing up the Dragon House toilet, Getting me arrested and then the prison break, and kidnapping Red. I like to remember those things.
Just don't read the profiles, if you think they're stupid.

BTW Krans is back. He posted on Red's journal 3 days ago, and then again yesterday.

Dyslexia kicked in. It's the wrong guy. I misread

"I deleted yours, Metaki"
Thanks

"Leaving the rest unless they tell me themselves to remove them."


"...like blowing up the Dragon House toilet..."


"Just don't read the profiles, if you think they're stupid."
I was kinda joking. They're actually pretty interesting ...

"Well, feel free to smite me down, but I host on Geocities and it's the best free homepage site I've found. Their pop-ups, while they do cover the page, are less numerous... plus once I get a job I'll go to an ad-free site."

I finally made up my mind and signed up for Tripod today. I think that my index page says it best:

"Allowing pop-up ads on this site is an unfortunate, and difficult, decision. However, I have not been able to find a free, stable, no-ads, short domain name, FTP access website provider, and therefore this will have to do. I would never put ads on this site of my free will; I am forced to do this due to the hosting situation. To be blunt, either I host the site on an ad-supported hoster, or the site goes down permanently. I prefer the first choice."

Hey Axe, sorry about droppin' out of sight for a while. RL does come around every once in a while.

BTW, I've made the switch off Micro$*!^ products. My computer is now running Red Hat Linux 8.0 and I must say it's a refreshing change form WinXP.

What's your URL now?

It happens to all of us; especially, it seems, me. RL can be annoying sometimes...

Well done . I would be running Linux, but my new computer doesn't like it, and I don't hate WinXP enough to switch. Besides, I don't have any time to do anything anymore.

I'm kind of in stasis at the moment re my website. My school blocked my Tripod account somehow, so I've got to go find somewhere else to post my stuff

*school bell rings*

GTG, I'll read the rest of your posts when I can...

Robert

Ouch man, good luck with the Tripod account. I'd offer space on my server, but it's got a dynamic IP so I figure I'm the only one who'll go through the trouble of reloading the IP addy whenever my dumb@$$ little brother kicks the power cord out from the DSL modem...

But the offer stands if ya want it

WinXP is pretty good, but it's the last version of Windows I'll pay for, especially with things like Palladi-dumb coming down the line.

RL sucks. I try to avoid going there... fortunately my parents lifted my 'net ban today so I'll be around more often *shouting for joy at top of lungs*

I have something worse than a net ban: a phone line that doesn't work
At least this way I don't have to update my virus definitions.

When (if) I get back online at home, I'll think about taking you up on that offer. You'd have to install an FTP server for me, though .



Windows XP's been running on my computer for ... (counts) ... 6 months now, and it hasn't crashed. I'm not gonna tempt fate by installing any "upgrades," when they come out.

Incidentally, if you haven't checked out RedHat's site yet, you might want to. They have security updates and stuff on there. If I remember right, RedHat distros have an update utility with them, as well. Anyway, DSL = Hacking Opportunity, so be careful. If you haven't already, use Shields Up! on http://grc.com to test your connection, especially if you don't have a firewall.

Yeah, RH includes a Windows-Update-like applet that automatically upgrades your system. However, half the software packages out there don't like the new versions, so I ended up re-installing the OS and getting rid of the applet.

DSL=hacking opportunity... but I've got a hardware firewall as well as software firewalls on every machine. Still, I'll check it. Better to be safe than sorry.

I'm still working on the FTP server. Not going too well. I'll have to read the "Setting Up an FTP server" chapter in my "Red Hat Bible" again.

Warning on XP: Service Pack 1 circumvents many activation cracks. I found that out the hard way. Windows Update does include a lot of security patches, so I'd take a look at that.

BTW, time to time I may have to ask you a few Linux questions, oh experienced guru. Incidentally, have you had any experience installing Fluxbox? I can't get mine to work.

Anyway, school's gettin' boring, so I guess I'll go browse some more forums.

-CV

There was probably another way to get rid of those updates (hey, this is linux), but they're probably technical (again, this is linux), and it's easier to reinstall the OS anyway, I suppose. In my experience, you need to reinstall linux about four or five times before you get everything right anyway. Unlike Windows, it tends to stay OK after that .

"Better to be safe than sorry."
And best to be paranoid about everything:
Make weird 30 letter passwords.
Lock down your computer so that intruders need to input five long passwords, provide a bio-scan, AND answer the question about your high-school girlfriend (see registration for most internet corps) before they can get in.
Hire people to try and hack your computer (I'm retired)
Make a fake ~/ directory (you /do/ know what that is, don't you?) and store your real documents elsewhere.
Sweep your Internet connection for bugs every week.
Two words: Tempest, NSA.

Oh, and back to the land of reality, DO NOT USE THE ROOT ACCOUNT FOR ANYTHING! If you don't know what a root account is, you should do. If you're using it, you shouldn't be. Make a limited-user account and use it.

I'll go see what Windows Update does then... oh, and I might as well shell out some more money to Symantec for my anti-virus subscription . Hey, I'm not even running a firewall.

(Despite what I say about security, I don't care much for it. If someone gets into my computer during the... 10 minutes... I'm on the internet, they'll get bored pretty quickly. About the most interesting thing on there is LiteStep )

There's a Linux User Group at A458228, you might want to ask them, or anyone else on a Linux site. The answer'll be somewhere; but it's not here

... hey look, my old account's on that Linux Group user list

Anyway, got to go, but before I leave you, here's today's smiley story. Caption, please...


"If I wasn't a practicing procrastinator, I'd be doing homework now. But as I am, I could do that Geometry crap so much better tomorrow..."

Robert

1) I tried a few ways, like rpm -ihU /mnt/cdrom/* but re-installing the OS was just easier.

2) I know my machine is hackable, it's just that anyone good enough to hack it won't bother. I don't store anything critical on there, and I backup regularly. Anyone who wants to cause serious damage for fun is probably a punk script-kiddie and probably couldn't get in anyway.

3) 30-letter passwords? And having to log in on that? I don't think so!

4) I know what root is, I'm not that dumb, and I have a limited account for everything but admin. Don't underestimate me, I get good at things fast.

5) Why pay Symantec when you can download AVG for free? http://www.grisoft.com and dl the free version. I'll give you my serial if you're paranoid about giving them an e-mail addy, but after that it's protection as good as any with free updates.

6) May the spirit of procrastination live on forever! I'm planning on polishing off my english essay tomorrow 3rd period on my brand-new HD-less laptop (booting Linux on floppy, what else?)

Hmm... As the crafty theif walked out of the bank vault, he spotted the chocolates that are so often kept by the teller's desk. Since he was a chocolate lover, as everyone should be, he esconded with a few pieces. However he accidentally tripped the silent alarm and, realizing this, fled as quickly as possible. *bows*