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

What do we call you now? 603?

Whatever you want!

Ok Psycorp

Nice to see you back.

Cheers mucker!

It's so quiet round here though.

I know

Not surprising - even I have been close to throwing the at times.

I keep hoping the redesign is going to boost the place a bit.

Isn't that papering over the cracks slightly?

Maybe, and I'm not counting any chickens yet, but this is from the Announcement in April: >> After much work internally fighting h2g2's corner (think oil tankers trying to do three-point turns) and after the successful MOT* last year, we can officially confirm that a re-fresh of the site is definitely going to happen. h2g2 is moving forwards. This is a tribute to you the Community. Our own BBC Powers-that-be really do value the site and the community that has lovingly nurtured it. Nothing's going to radically change on h2g2. It will of course look a bit different (hopefully much better) but the ethos of the site remains the same: sharing knowlege, learning from others, and in the spirit of Douglas Adams, celebrating curiousity and wonderment of the world by writing about it. We're going to re-focus on the Edited Guide, and by raising the profile of the site a bit, hopefully attract more users to share their own take on life, the universe and everything. << http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F77636?thread=7434638

It sounds good, but honestly now, what does the EG offer to writers? Unless PR's become less cliquey and arsey with new writers, not a lot that can't be done elsewhere.

Well I think it's up to the researchers to change the culture of PR (not the bbc). If the Eds revamp the site and get new people here then maybe there will be the impetus from within the community to make some changes. I'd be more likely to spend time in PR again if there were new people around.

I'd also probably write more entries if I saw that the BBC was taking the place seriously and not thinking about closing the site. 'Writers' is a pretty broad group, I think the EG does have something to offer some of them. People still seem to enjoy writing for h2g2 (myself included).

Good job I didn't make any vain boasts.

Having your work Peer Reviewed is a great thing for anyone starting writing (I still reckon h2g2's helped me do this for a living), but that's only when people read and help.

I've seen newbies eviscerated in there. What does that do to help them? A staff member checking in to PR once, twice a week would really help.

As for those who want to write fiction - the UG still isn't given much exposure anywhere.

From a BBC point of view - C4 have just done a competition to find the best young blogger. Why couldn't the Beeb do a "best young scriptwriter/best young journo" and set a few challenges via h2g2? They know they've got a decent community here to do most of the legwork.

The UG is dead. Waz left, and nobody else has taken it on.

Really? That's dire.

The AWW is still alive and well, though, and we just choose the best and publish it in , so it's not too bad.

I started writing an entry for the guide recently
but I just can't find the motivation to write more of it

Whisky's great for writer's block.

I'll take your word on that one

You should. It's helped me out of many a pickle.