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

I'm coming to realise that when people say "is there anything I can do to help?" what they mean is "please take your need for help away, but don't leave me feeling guilty when you do".

In January made the conscious choice between getting my MSc or trying to save h2g2 because at that time I thought h2g2 was worth saving. I was certain then. Now I am not so sure. I think I would be better off making the same choice that most people here have already made, and devil take the hindmost.

Ben

I really did mean it but then it all got so far beyond the point where I could *actually* do anything truly helpful, combined with a whole bunch of Real Life needing to be dealt with, that I've not really been able to contribute.

I think I'm going to disagree and say that what they actually mean is "please give me precise instructions in exactly how to help, because I don't feel confident enough to take initiative". People have put in a lot of work but without clear direction it is so easy to become sidetracked or not to realise how important it is.

This whole project is So Damn Hard simply because none of us have the time to plan this properly, to allocate work and to control the overall project. All we can do is see a need, point it out from behind the mountain of Other Stuff we are already working on, and hope that someone understands what we are waving at and what we need doing.

I would always vote for you completing your MSc first, even though the very thought of losing you from the team makes me go cold with fear. You are the closest thing we have to a leader, because you appear to be able to get things done and to motivate others to do the same. It may not feel like it, but you have managed to do so much more than anyone else for this project even if you feel as though you aren't getting the support you need. Cats, herding.

I'm feeling frustrated because when I say "we should be looking at this" people ignore me, yet ten days later someone posts that "we should be looking at this" as if it's a new idea.
I have tried to push the planning aspect, to take the burden off of you, yet when I speak nobody listens.



I couldn't sleep last night for worry about this sort of thing either. I think we need a director, but I don't think that anyone can take that role simply because either they don't have the time (you and Z or any of us, realistically) or they aren't seen as someone who can do the job (me).

Without planning we are lost. It's not that we won't get there, but by BoB will we go around in small, frustrating circles until we do.

I amn't comfortable with you not doing your MSc though I accept that you've taken over a lot of the 'leading' from me. I think people will help but need specific instructions and small steps.

I guess you are all right. I was just feeling down really. I just wish people didn't think "oh, h2g2'll be ok, the Zens and the Interim Committee are working on it, so I don't have to...." How many pleas for specific help have we put out, eg running the shop or sumarising the engagement thread?

Sigh.

B

What Z and Vip said. I know I am guilty of just wanting people to tell me what to do, especially as I am rather out of my depth in all this, I have discovered.

The good news about being laid up, is that I cannot childcare for a few days and will rpobably have some time for catching up here. My work plan is:

Finish off something for actual job.
Do a chivying blog entry (there's nothing else to put in it is there?)
Sort out the ACE side, which I am only a week behind where I said I;d be now.
Some other personal stuff, which requires telephoning, which is worryingly timeconsuming.

This means that I might have time for the Magrathea thread this weekend. Can I get back to you on Saturday? Unfortunately if I am mobile, but not much by the weekend, I will have even less time because it will take me longer to do everything at home. I know there's also at least one other thing I need to do for the Comittee next week too.

Thanks, Sol. And your work is much appreciated, not least because it's so GOOD!

Hush, whisper who dares, but we are all out of our depth and all doing things we've not done before.

I'm really fascinated by watching Pastey's approach, because it's different from mine, though I agree that he, Milla and I probably have more exposure to IT-in-Corporateland than the rest of the group.

But I simply could not get from a to b with the tutorial stuff you've put up in Engaging the Web. And I wouldn't know where to begin with the financial modelling that HN and Vip seem to be doing swimmingly. And I've learned about working with designers from watching Pastey and Tav work together, or I hope I've learned. And I'm constantly blown away by Z's ability to engage the miserable and rally the troops, I get shrill and start haranging, but he seems to get them on his side from the off.

So we're all learning from each other, and making it up as we go along. But don't tell anyone, or they'll think we've got feet of clay.

On a practical note, I've put suggestions for newsletter and post entry topics in h2g2c3, Sol.

Dear Ben
I feel very guilty as I have masses of time that could be used.
I still can't get into my account and cannot therefore update any of my old articles.
Would it be possible for me to proofread without this? Do you still need someone to help with this?
I was going to leave things until we knew where we were going and then offer to be a "first" editor or proofreader as I've done years of undergraduate and postgraduate proof reading and I could get rid of silly spelling/grammar/mistakes. You may remember when we had the guru system, that was what I was supposed to be doing. I don't think people need to do their own proofreading when I could easily do two or three articles a day. Then someone else could be the proper editor and ask for content alterations. In the entries currently in peer review there were three or four low level errors in each, but it is so dispiriting to an author if the only comments are on these.
For your 42nd, what about a "Short History of short words"? Or if you get really down my Advice to Suicides that was written for the final edition of AggGag A82904

Love Wand'rin

Oh, Wandring Star, it would be wonderful if you were to do the proofreading. It's all taking place in MS Word, because we are collating the entries into a book .

There's a proofreading thread here, F20154027?thread=8136894

Basically, I've got everything together into a master copy (200+ pages, ) and I am putting it up into Google Docs a chapter at a time. Google Docs themselves are a nightmare, so I'm putting them up as MS Word, and what I need is for you to download one, set track changes (I think it's under the tools menu) and make any changes. We're using the Guide standards with a couple of minor changes. It's in the thread. When you are done, email the document to me at [email protected].

If you really do have spare time and are up for a bigger piece of work, then let me know. I'm only working on the book because it was my idea and because I am very good at MS Word. If you are confident with sections, headers and footers, styles and formatting, and tables of content and have the time to put the changes into the master (and add in the new versions of the images as Mala gets them ready) then let me know. It would save me a huge amount of time if you could. If you've not got the time or are (rightly and understandably) not enthusiastic about getting up close and personal with MS word, that is totally fine too.

The other job that needs doing is producing a precis of the Engaging the rest of the Web thread covering what's been agreed, what's been suggested and what's still open to debate. I've got detailed instructions for that somewhere too.

Any one of those three tasks would be a huge help.

Ben

I do feel kind of bad that I've not done much to help, but it looks like the proofreading is well covered by those that *don't* have to switch between UK and US english, while needing to make sure she teaches kids only US english irl. Plus, I use Works, not Word, and Google Docs *is* annoying.

I still think it would be more sensible to do the layout in something like InDesign - it doesn't need nearly as much manual input as Word, just set up some template pages and away you go!

It's your project, but I'm afraid you're making far too much work for yourself.

Working on images now. Not the ones I'm meant to be doing for work.

Word is my bitch. I've been using it since 1986 or so. I know how to bring it to heel, and make it sit and stay and whimper for a pat and a biscuit.

In Design may be better, but I'd have to download it and learn how to use it. EEep! I might even have to pay for it!

What I am aware of is that other folk may not know Word as well as I do and you are right, if it goes feral it's a pain bringing back to heel. But I can do that.

Tell you what Mala, if I am mad enough to do another one of these, I'll start the project from In Design and use it as a training exercise.

Ben

Ok, sorry, I'll not doubt your expertise.

On the other hand - graphics programmes leave me completely at a loss....

The main problem actually is not having a way for people to check out the word document and make changes and check it in again. Or - even better - to work on different sections at once. The chopping it up is annoying.

B

Ok
It looks as though your proofreaders are getting on very well. So I'll volunteer for your other two things.
I had a look at your long doc a few days ago and it looked incredibly well done. Do you want headings etc to follow that? I'll give it a go.
Also I think I could probably manage a precis fairly quickly.
I'm away until Sunday afternoon, but have nothing I can't put off on Monday or Tuesday. So please send me word docs to priscilla(dot)jones(at)live(dot)com

That would be fab. We could do with someone going through the Engaging the Community and Enaging the Rest of the Web threads. Vip's done a bullet-point summary, but we could do with summat in Prose. You might find Sol's suggestions interesting from a professional point of view. We need someone go go through them and sort out what's been agreed and what's still being debated in the following topics 1) Recruiting new users - ie engaging the rest of the web 2) Keeping the new recruits - er... marrying the rest of the web? These two could be one topic, I guess, though the first is about publicity and the second is about stickiness. 3) Keeping the current community engaged (the hardest of all!) We don't need much on each, two or three paragraphs, a page of A4 each tops. We don't need to credit individual users with ideas - it's not a precis of the thread per se, it's the next level up: it's a summary of the sitegeist, no User Numbers, no pack drill! The key thing is to capture what we've already agreed on (bullets are good) and identify what's still up for discussion with maybe a couple of one-liners on the discussion points themselves. If you want an example of what I am looking for, then the Categories section in the Great Big Document is one I did earlier. Paul's done something slightly longer on Moderation which may need revisiting - moderation is a topic that will never go away. There's already a section on engaging the community in the GBD, but it's up for replacing. In case you don't know, the GBD is here: http://www.tinyurl.com/noohootoo The main threads are: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A82589377 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F20484619?thread=8121071 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F20719293?thread=8121068 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F20735840?thread=8123988 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F20625625?thread=8107966 It looks a lot, but only one of them's a biggie. Ok, I lied. It's a lot. If it's too much then Engaging the Rest of the Web is the most urgent. It will make a huge difference, even if you do it early next week not over the weekend. Do let me know. Ben

Right now, all I can manage is offer spurious moral support. Work's killing and there's still three work travels and a special me-and-the-wife weekend to go before end of May

If you think of something that you have an idea I could be uniquely shaped for, still, please ask. I'm still getting my nights' sleep so I reckon I can find some extra hours in a situation of need..

You've read the GBD, Santra, and that was what I wanted your input on because of your corporate experience. I hope to update it on Sunday.

Other than that... nothing that wouldn't take more time than you have available.

Your support means a lot, though.

Actually, we do have a Santra-shaped task!

Could you think what questions we are likely to be asked. You a "professional pitcher" aren't you? We need to anticipate the curve balls.

That's a useful ongoing task - if you can't put them here, would email any you think of to [email protected] I'll forward them on to the interim committee.

Any time you like, as often as you like. You never know when inspiration will strike!

Probably should take a fresh read of the GBD firstemmig - or maybe not??

Once we're done celebrating N's 15 tomorrow, let's if the brain still works (there's a risk that quite some of Sunday Will go into restoring functions )