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

Hi,
since I still refer to myself as new to the guide I'd like to know what you did to that entry of mine. I guess you are an editor, is that right? So, why does your entry which - of course - bears a lot of resemblance to mine, appear on my homepage as a "recommended" guide entry? The one I wrote was already recommended. Why is there another version of it? I'm kind of confused as you can see. So tell me what it is you are doing there. Maybe you can explain this whole thing to me. Pleeease!

Sorry to get back to you so late on this one, Reggies, but I've been off the 'net for a couple of days being annoyed...!

I am an 'editor', although my work still has to be approved by Anna et al before what I do to your entry is finally 'approved' for the 'Guide. If you check your postings, you'll find that the version of the article which you originally wrote is now listed as a 'Gjuide entry, while the 'recommended' entry is the one for which you should be listed in the article margin as the author, and for which I will eventually be listed as the editor. Eventually, too (all going to plan!) this version will move from your 'Guide entries' list to your 'Approved Guide entries' list.

I took the chance to add to your entry a couple of things that other authors wrote, in order to make the edited entry as comprehensive as possible. In the final authors' list, though, I think that you'll still be listed first. It was a good entry, and one which I was happy to include in the 'Guide, but more information was good to be able to include!

The 'recommended' entry should turn into a 'pending' entry very soon...! If you have anything else to add (or anything to abuse me for - I'll be listening with open ears!), don't hesitate to contact either me or Anna!

Regards,

H.

Hi,
actually I liked your version of my article. There's just a couple of things that I - now that I know that you really ARE a real editor - would like to mention. I think now that it's full of information the new article is missing some of the irony I liked so much about my version. And by the way, I didn't think my title was great, but don't you agree the new one could be replaced by something more "catchy". Something that catches everyone's attention right away.
I'm open for comments. Thanks for your help though. I keep on learning what that guide is after all.

Reg

The 'irony' thing is difficult to preserve in an edited article. This is partly, I think, because it's difficult for everyone to know what you're talking about when there's very little likelihood of the reader experiencing the subject in the same way as the writer. You have, essentially, to write as though you're displaying what you're writing about to somebody who knows absolutely nothing - including where and what the thing you're writing about actually is - about it. The tricky thing with your original version of the article is that the ironic tone of the piece was what caught my eye in the first place, but I've then got to try and make it informative, and significant, for the rest of the community. I tried to preserve the tone, but you seem to be saying that I must have lost my way a bit! My apologies, but it was the best compromise I could come up with...!

The title thing was due to an editing convention at H2g2 - all place names which head articles have to be fully explained in similar order: place, state/province, country. Some of the previous articles I've edited (for example the one about 'Newcastle, N.S.W., Australia') also display this feature. It's a travelogue sort of thing, I think. I also tried to keep the '(the metropolis)' bit in the version I recommended for publication, but I'm not sure what became of that. I thought that the bracketed title indicated the tone of the piece rather well...

All right, I guess I'm well informed now. Don't worry about the irony thing -- that's okay. As for the title, if it's got to be, I'm the last one to argue about it. Thanks for the time it took you to edit my entry. Let's hope for the best of it. I'm sure they'll put it in the approved section.
Thanx.