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

I don’t know if you've seen my series of articles about the Flea Market – the March one is here: A87787165 Supermarket III

In each one I'm trying to ask someone who has been involved in rescuing things from the Flea Market to tell me their tale of why they’ve rescued what they have and what they thought of it all.

You are one of the Top Scavengers, with 8 Rescues to your name:
1. Staffordshire, England, UK
Original: A50069955 by Number Six & others
2. The Life Of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
Original: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots by Steffi
3. The Battle of Turnham Green 1642
Original: The Civil War.Brentford and Turnham Green by OldBerk
4. Japan for the Visitor
Original: Japan by Opticalillusion- media mynx life would be boring without hiccups
5. Japanese History and Culture
Original: Japanese Culture by Researcher 220737
6. Contemporary Japan
Original: A Brief History of the Japanese State and its Politics by Dermarschall
7. Citizenship in the Roman Republic
Original: Patricians, Plebs and Proles - Class and Citizenship in the Roman Republic by Blackberry Cat , if one wishes to remain an individual in the midst of the teeming multitudes, one must make oneself grotesque
8. Oliver Cromwell: Lord Protector of the Commonwealth
Original: Oliver Cromwell by Mr. Dreadful

This puts you in joint 4th place for most rescues done (along with Galaxy Babe and me)

I'd like to ask you some questions, and if you could answer them I'll put your answers in an article to go in the post. I'm looking at putting this in May's edition, but if you're quick you could get into April's:

What made you decide to rescue these?

There seem to be recurring themes – Japan and history - Britain in the 16th and 17th Century. Was this a conscious decision?

Would you only rescue articles about subjects you know well?
Have you approached a Flea Market Rescue any differently to how you write an article from scratch?
Is it easier or more difficult?
When you write a Flea Market rescue, how do you decide what to keep and what to edit, and how much of a right do you feel that you have in making decisions about the article?
Would you recommend doing Flea Market rescues to other researchers?

How do you think you would feel about being on the other side, about someone else making changes to an entry you had written, if someone tried to rescue this entry?

Would you rescue another article from the Flea Market?

If you can think of any other comments to make, either the story behind individual rescues, or you have thought of questions you think I should ask (I'm not very good at coming up with new questions, it must be said) it would be appreciated.

<BB<

What made you decide to rescue these?

A - They were all things I am interested in, and have knowledge of very familiar subjects in some cases. They were notable entries in their own right landmark entries is you like. Even though the subjects were of some importance though not of interest to all.
Japanese history especially is a neglected aspect in many ways but has strong parallels with, our own being a militaristic in nature, although more extreme example in some aspects.

There seem to be recurring themes – Japan and history - Britain in the 16th and 17th Century. Was this a conscious decision?

A - Yes it was a very conscious decision People forget 16th and 17th Century was the turning point for England the birth of empire had roots in the Civil War, the birth of a strong Navy, and the reorganization of the army.

Would you only rescue articles about subjects you know well?

A - Yes there is no point if you don't know or are not very interested the subject, the entry will be hard going both in the writing and for the reader. Everyone is very polite I hope as others do that the entreaties are readable and of some interested. But to tell the truth they are as much personal notes about things I am interested in, or sorting out a chronology of a complex subject an example of which was the Roman invasion of Britain.


Have you approached a Flea Market Rescue any differently to how you write an article from scratch?
A -Not really every entry needs a frame work or plan, subject, order and theme . With a rescue that is there already it may need amendment but with a rescue half the work is done, The downside is that you have to check for mistakes and go over the ground again, but at least it is like following a sign posted path even if you have to take a different route every now and then.

Is it easier or more difficult? When you write a Flea Market rescue, how do you decide what to keep and what to edit, and how much of a right do you feel that you have in making decisions about the article?

A -It easier there is no doubt about that right up to the point you start writhing your contribution. From this point it becomes the same as writing any entry with the added aspect of the trying to respect and support the previous author’s endeavour. The idea is to retain something of the original if you like not over whelm it, remember what attracted you to the entry and try and keep it. If something has to be changed or edited out however it has to go. Happily facts are facts and seldom have to go unless they are wrong. If in doubt trust peer review an unbiased opinion will be forth coming
There is a point where an entry is little more than a bookmark and then you have more of a free hand . When you have written more than 70% of the content , you have to decide if you contributing to their entry or are they contributing to theirs it’s a moot point .



Would you recommend doing Flea Market rescues to other researchers?
A -Yes if nothing else it will get you started and if you cant finish you can always get help, at the last resort you always return the entry to the flea market with your amendments.

How do you think you would feel about being on the other side, about someone else making changes to an entry you had written, if someone tried to rescue this entry?

A -Help yourself please better a co-author than not at all and the entries are what is needed it is what H2G2 is about. And you might be able to help by simply cooperating with someone who wants to rescue or update one of your old entries . If I did not want this to happen I could delete the entry. So if I leave it unfinished I am inviting rescue even by default.

Would you rescue another article from the Flea Market?

A - Oh yes indeed if I could rescue another I would definitely would.

If you can think of any other comments to make, either the story behind individual rescues, or you have thought of questions you think I should ask (I'm not very good at coming up with new questions, it must be said) it would be appreciated.

A- I will think about that but my reply’s might cause you to ask more questions.


if YOU want me to say I rescued each individual entry I WILL AND POST LATER

If you're happy to - but if you do, are you able to do so by tomorrow morning so that I can get this into next week's ?

Sorry to rush you like this!

<BB<

1. Staffordshire, England, UK
Original: A50069955 by Number Six & others
A - I live in the area and it just fitted in with other entries I had done on the Saxon kingdoms.
2. The Life Of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
Original: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots by Steffi
A – This just had to be finished the seed that was planted and led to the Civil War
3. The Battle of Turnham Green 1642
Original: The Civil War.Brentford and Turnham Green by OldBerk
A – A forgotten battle of some importance in this struggle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Japan for the Visitor
Original: Japan by Opticalillusion- media mynx life would be boring without hiccups
5. Japanese History and Culture
Original: Japanese Culture by Researcher 220737
6. Contemporary Japan
Original: A Brief History of the Japanese State and its Politics by Dermarschall
A- These made a nice set and needed to be linked together as the foundation for future entries on Japan.
7. Citizenship in the Roman Republic
Original: Patricians, Plebs and Proles - Class and Citizenship in the Roman Republic by Blackberry Cat , if one wishes to remain an individual in the midst of the teeming multitudes, one must make oneself grotesque
A – This was an entry that described the altitude of the Romans that passed on to later generations to form the structure of western society
8. Oliver Cromwell: Lord Protector of the Commonwealth
Original: Oliver Cromwell by Mr. Dreadful
What made you decide to rescue these?

A – CROMWELL was at the time a contender in a national vote for the most important Britain(or something like that ) so I felt it needed finishing . All the entries were things I am interested in, and have knowledge of very familiar subjects in some cases.

more questions please

for clarity

4. Japan for the Visitor
Original: Japan by Opticalillusion- media mynx life would be boring without hiccups
5. Japanese History and Culture
Original: Japanese Culture by Researcher 220737
6. Contemporary Japan
Original: A Brief History of the Japanese State and its Politics by Dermarschall
A- These made a nice set and needed to be linked together as the foundation for future entries on Japan.

PS is that fast enough

there is more I add if you need it

That was fast!

If you've got more to say, keep it coming!

<BB<

have you any questions first

and is it any good or lublocks

It's great - fits in perfectly with what I wanted.

It should be in on Monday!

<BB<

The hardest of all the rescues was Mary Stewart it needed to stand out and do justice to the subject I still don't know if it succeeded. The most difficult was sorting the wealth of information and avoiding overloading the entry.

an extra line or 2

I sent it in yesterday, so I'll see if a slight addition can be added.

<BB<

What was the other question

I've not got actual questions yet, just a vague idea. I've occasionally written articles for called 'Hiking Through H2G2' in which I write about parts of h2g2 most don't see.

Examples include:
A649802 Hiking Through H2G2: Lost Pages
A662177 Hiking Through H2G2: Fan Clubs
A662186 Hiking Through H2G2: Articles On Your Local Area
A664526 Hiking Through H2G2: Researcher Groups

I was thinking of writing about Lists of Edited Articles, and why researchers have compiled them, what they are used for etc. Of couse, with articles about Roman Entries, Navies and Ancient Sites, you'd be the perfect person to interview.

So if there's anything you'd like to say about why you've written lists, what responses you've had etc, then I'd love to know.

<BB<

a little more detail of what you want please

I was thinking of writing about Lists of Edited Articles, and why researchers have compiled them, what they are used for etc. Of course, with articles about Roman Entries, Navies and Ancient Sites, you'd be the perfect person to interview.
So if there's anything you'd like to say about why you've written lists, what responses you've had etc, then I'd love to know.

Hello Blue Bottle that’s an interesting question, to be honest initially the first list on my personal space was started for purely selfish reasons, the listing of my entries.
The Roman entries was simple, there are so many excellent entries in H2G2 that they needed listing mainly to make them easier to find in the site.
I needed to find out is the subjects I was going to write entries on had not been covered and also find companion entries others had written so they could be linked.
This was a long job so I left the first list as a sort of index to help others. However there was an addition of a whole list of unwritten entries included in the list.
Support was better and people sent over lists of entries to be included. The main purpose of listing the gaps was to encourage others to write entries, the other was to remind me so I could come back to the list for a reminder.
I have not had much feedback from the list so as yet it has not achieved its grand design. Galaxy Babe did give the idea the thumbs up and Lil also liked the idea and of course it attracted your attention but any encouragement it may have provided has gone unrecorded.

More recently the Roman military entry list was started for my benefit to see what had been done and needed to be done. I t also created an overview of what was in the edited guide and exposed the gaps.
It is possibly to soon to say whether it has been successful in achieving an expansion of the numbers of entries in this area.
The sea and navy list is also a recent creation another area I am interested in again there are many excellent entries in this area, more than I thought before I started the list. It surprised me and the list title went through several changes as more entries came to light. Florida Sailor was a great help along with Lil, expanding the list every other day for a week or so, it has become surprisingly large and again the hope is that it will sow the seed and we get more entries on the subject.
I do believe that there are several other lists that have recently come into existence lately on other; it may have set a trend.


What would be nice would be some feedback if the lists have been successful or helpful in any way and maybe some examples.
However I suppose it would be nice to use the lists as the foundation of a specialist subject virtual library where researchers and other non-researchers could browse the shelves for books (entries) on whatever subject they are interested in, nice dream.


Just under 500 words


there you go BB sorry I kept you waiting

Thanks for that. As I said, at the moment it's a vague idea, and I'm on holiday this week so not going to even start thinking of it more until next week.

But this is a good start (and I find the lists helpful, which is why I think that they should be covered a bit more)

<BB<

Thats good you can add your comments as part of the article it would help to establish why the lists have been made any why.

It might make a very interesting article

The Isle of Wight was the last part of Britain to become Christian, in 686AD. We were given the option of:

A.) Being killed.
B.) Being Baptised, and then killed.

As Bede wrote:

'Cædwalla, a young and vigorous prince of the Gewisse [later Wessex]... came with an army and ...with fierce slaughter and devastation... also captured the Isle of Wight, which until then had been entirely given up to idolatry, and endeavoured to wipe out all the natives by merciless slaughter and to replace them by inhabitants from his own Kingdom, binding himself... by a vow, though he was not yet Christian, that if he captured the Island he would give a fourth part of it and of the booty to the Lord...
...Among the first fruits of the Island who believed and were saved were two young princes, brothers of Arwald, King of the Island, who were specially crowned with God's grace. When the enemy was approaching the Island they escaped by flight and crossed over into the neighbouring realm of the Jutes ...They were betrayed and condemned to death. On hearing this Cyneberht, an abbot... asked the King whether, if the boys must be killed, they might first be instructed in the mysteries of the Christian faith. The King agreed, so Cyneberht instructed them in the word of truth and baptised them in the fount of salvation and thus made sure of their entry into the eternal Kingdom. When the executioner arrived, they gladly submitted to temporal death through which they were assured that they would pass to the eternal life of the soul.

In this way after all the kingdoms of Britain had received the faith, the Isle of Wight received it too, yet because it was suffering under the affliction of alien rule, it had no bishop nor see...'

The Pope was so pleased that Caedwalla had slaughtered everyone, he appointed him a saint. Which is a step down as the last guy to have conquered the Isle of Wight, Vespasian, who despite having a lowly origin had a later career which involved becoming Roman Emperor and, later, a god. Alas the Island is still suffering under the affliction of alien (mainland) rule...

<BB<

Thats a good start looking forward to the rest