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

... and welcome to h2g2.

I'm one of the <./>ACEs</.> (Assistant Community Editors). We are a team of volunteers who try to help new researchers for the guide find their way around. You can click on the link I made with that acronym in order to find out more. To find out more about anyone, click on the link made by their nickname (eg at the top of any conversation postings) to go to their personal space. Lurking is quite acceptable on h2g2.

One thing h2g2 has a lot of, as well as researchers, is these <./>Smileys</.>. You can use them in your personal space and other articles, conversations and journal entries. You just type the shortcut text and they appear as if by magic on preview or posting. For example: < artist > without the spaces becomes .

If you are already familiar with HTML from your IT job or like a challenge, you might try some Guide-ML (see <./>DontPanic-GuideML</.&gt to really change the format of your page. For example, the <./>GuideML-PictureLibrary</.> may have some suitable graphics for you. Don't forget to change the style option from the plain text default to Guide-ML when you edit your page this way though. Otherwise the tags just show up as text.

Here are a few more links you might like to try. A660340 is a list of "Clubs and Societies" on h2g2. <./>Askh2g2</.> and <./>MiscChat</.> are good places to start or join a random conversation. If you don't understand the local terminology, have a look at A632431 "h2 Jargon" and A901829 "h2g2 Glossary". You could use the infinite improbability drive on the "Front Page" if you don't know where you want to go or <./>search</.> if you do. Perhaps you'd like to <./>Contribute</.> something more formal to the guide. It is worth reading the Writing-Guidelines first but the CommunityArtists scheme might also interest you if you were serious about being an artist. See other guide entries too important to be merely a number at <./>NamedEntries</.>.

Above all, have fun and don't panic. If you do find yourself tempted to panic, click the "h2g2 Help" link on the left. It may help.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there are probably other things I should be doing, but I'll be back if you call for help (ie reply to this message).

Thank you for your caring comments of welcome, and I'll slowly take 'em up!

Well there's no rush. Everyone gets to do things at their own speed round here and there are plenty of <./>Volunteers</.> available to help if you do get stuck. Though most people on h2g2 are pretty friendly and helpful anyway.