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

Hiya MMF, thanks for bravely signing up!

At the moment it's just me and Bel so it's wonderful to add another to the team.

Aaaanyway. ACE stuff. Firstly, have a quick read through the <./>Aces-What</.> page. Essentially we're h2g2's good guys, specifically when it comes to new sign-ups. We're there to try to get new people involved and to make them aware of what h2g2 has to offer.

The actual way we do this is a bit of hard work at the moment, just to warn you. Because we're merged with BBCiD, the list of new members includes everyone who signs up for BBCiD, not just those who have signed up to h2g2. h2g2 probably accounts for 5% of those sign ups, possibly less.

So that we don't kill ourselves trying to welcome those remaining 95% when we don't need to, we've developed the following strategy:

1. In order to post welcome message to newbies, you will need a standard message. Much as you might like to customise it for each person, if you don't have at least a template you will find it very hard going. Check it works in Barlesque as well as Brunel as newbies may sign up in wither of those skins (we think at the moment).
Mine is at A80671296. Please pinch as much of it as you like.

2. Subscribe to: F27584?thread=7320441
This is where we tell people where we got to. Without this thread we will end up going over each others' work and causing more headaches than we need! Every time you do an ACEing session, remember to post here with the name and number of the last non-h2g2 person you came across. It's a bookmark. It is crucial to our sanity!

3. Make a note of </.>NewUsers</.>
This is the most important bit. Select the button that says:
"Show only those with Introductions without any Postings made to it (ie those whom the Aces should welcome)"
This will bring you a list of everyone who has joined up to BBCiD in the specified time frame (not just h2g2ers) who has not had a message posted to their Space.

4. Check the bookmark thread (2).
That name is the latest person to be checked. Find them on the list (3). Everyone who appears later than that needs to be checked.

5. Post to Spaces.
Only post to those who are h2g2 users (must have updated their Space or another Entry or posted to a conversation). Don't post to 606ers, Archers, Food, Relgion etc. If nothing else, the Archers people have been known to get shirty about us 'poaching' their users!
If you want to post to all blank Spaces you are welcome to do so but we have had to give up that recently due to low ACE numbers. Hopefully in time we can get back into that as our numbers rise.

6. Follow conversations.
If a newbie has posted to h2g2, follow their conversation. Make sure that someone has replied, and if not, make sure you do. If they are posting a question, answer it or point them to the right place (usually Ask or a help forum) but do try to answer it as much as you can. Mention that you have left a message on their Space, be as generally welcoming as you can.

7. Yikes inappropriate posts.
There are quite a few people who join h2g2 to advertise. Don't be afraid to Yikes them - these people are not joining us for the right reasons. Welcome them as well though - often these are small businesses and they are run by real people who have been known post afterwards in a non-advertising way once they read the House Rules.
Obviously Yikes anything offensive or links that look dodgy (let the moderators find out where they really point...).

8. Check the Who's Online list (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/Online?thissite=1)
Sometimes we miss people. We know most of the regular users, so if you see anyone you don't know just nip over to their Space to check if anyone has ACEd them. Same if you see someone new in a conversation, just check they're OK.

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We hope that once we move away from the BBC this workload will decrease hugely because we'll only have a list of people who actually want to be on h2g2. But until that happens, we have to do it the hard way.


I hope I haven't put you off. It's really not that bad once you get into the swing of it. It only takes a long time to do if it's been more than a day or so.

That should be <./>NewUsers</.>, sorry.

I'll read this through a couple of times, so I fully understand it. Probably looks more complicated than it really is. I'll start Tuesday, if that's ok, as I'm away for the weekend, and don't like to scratch the surface and not complete the task.

Glad to be on board, and hope I can be of some use.



MMF

It's definitely simpler than it looks on paper. Essentially, it can be summarised into: open up the list of who's signed up, then welcome anyone on it who has got an interest in h2g2. It's just that to do that we have to jump through a few hoops.

I'll be pleased to see you after the weekend.

Glad to help out. Here's to a wealth of newbies coming onboard!



MMF

Today's fun discovery - Barlesque is more broken than I thought. If you write a link, it will attempt to convert it into GuideML for you. Then, instead of displaying a link like you would, it will display the GuideML version on the link as plain text. This mean that when you click on it, it gets confused because it doesn't realise it's a link and gives you an error.

In summary - open your message with something that reads a little bit like this (amended so it sounds like you, of course):


If you are looking at a screen that is light blue and white, then you are looking as the new site, known as Barlesque. Unfortunately it's not quite working properly. For now I recommend you switch back to the old skin by going to www .bbc.co.uk /dna/h2g2. I'm afriad you'll have to type that web address (minus the spaces) as links aren't working in the new skin at the moment. They will fix them, they've promised!
You can get back here by clicking on the 'My Space' button which will return you to your own home page.

Vip, but I'm still in Brunel. Not changed over yet. Shall cling on, kicking and screaming.



MMF

You may be, but the newbies may sign up in Barlesque. And it would be pretty annoying for someone to sey hello and give you lots of links to click on, only they don't work.

Hopefully the first things we can get them to do is switch into Brunel or Alabster, then the rest of the links will work.

Vip, here is my first attempt at an ACE's welcome. A83615655

I admit it is largely purloined from your own, but it is a W.I.P. and will be amended.

Please advise, before I headlong into being an ACE and make a of myself.



MMF

I've posted most of my comments on that Entry, but I thought I'd say one thing to everyone: remember that you will be pasting your words into a conversation, and therefore it all needs to be in plain text, not GuideML.

Thanks for that. I'll get it sorted. Just seemed the easiest way to sort the page.

Will amend when posting.

MMF