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

Hi there!
What makes the guide part of H2G2 different from an Encylopaedia?
Surely the whole net can be seen to be a guide written from different users perspectives?
I couldn't find an easy way to logon, after resuming a session!

Why can't H2G2 accept external docs written in WordProcessors etc which can write HTML? It's going to be extremely limiting writing plain text or torturing ourselves with primitive markup languages (no better than B****Y IBM mainframes).
And what about external contact from our email boxes to H2G2?

When guide entries are written, how do they become accessible from the categories section? I mean surely entries on Hi-Fi etc should come under music - but zilch!

Sorry to moan, but I feel a trifle underwhelmed by the whole concept. What is actually unique that can't be found elsewhere on the Web!?


Darren

Hi Darren, me is sorry that you are disappointed by H2G2, as the famous saying goes, you can't please all the people all the time. Most of us here are happy with the way h2g2 works, and me will try to answer your queries as best me can.

>> What makes the guide part of H2G2 different from an Encylopaedia?

H2G2 is a type of encyclopedia, me doesn't think that anyone would call it anything else. The difference comes into it when the encylcopedia is finished being written and sold... that its... it goes out of date. H2G2 will not go out of date, as new articles are being added every day...Plus you can converse with other researchers about your ideas...and get different points of views, on your subject.


>> Surely the whole net can be seen to be a guide written from different users perspectives?

Of course the whole net can be used the same way as H2G2, but me is sure you agree when you search for something specific on the web... you are more than likely shown loads of pages with hardly any reference to what you were searching for...With H2G2 if you don't find what you are looking for...then maybe its your chance to fill the gap and write about the subject yourself.


>> I couldn't find an easy way to logon, after resuming a session!

Me not know what the problem is here... personally me stores my H2G2 homepage as a bookmark and just click on that to get here... The H2G2 Mainpage is also stored as a bookmark and me can go straight there as well... Try this... if it doesn't work me will go and find someone to help you with this problem...

>> Why can't H2G2 accept external docs written in WordProcessors etc which can write HTML? It's going to be extremely limiting writing plain text or torturing ourselves with primitive markup languages (no better than B****Y IBM mainframes).

You can type an article in a wordproccessor and then cut and paste it to your article page. GuideML is the programming language used by H2G2 and once you get used to working with it, me is sure you will have no problems.
When H2G2 joined with the BBC, a lot of things were restricted by them... we cannot use external pictures etc... H2G2 has a graphics library... http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/C809 ... where you can find pictures for you articles and homepage... they are not brilliant... but it is better than nothing... Maybe in the future, the BBC let us be more imaginative... but until then we will have to make the best of what we have.

>> And what about external contact from our email boxes to H2G2?

Why would you need to have external contact from email... if you want to write to someone on h2g2...just go to their homepage and leave thenm a message... it will be answered... ~smile~... as long as they want to speak to you... H2G2 does not stop you from privately e-mailing a researcher if you wish... but me not understand why you would want to do that.. as you can talk to researchers from within h2g2... no problem...

>> When guide entries are written, how do they become accessible from the categories section? I mean surely entries on Hi-Fi etc should come under music...

If you are looking for a specific subject, use the H2G2 search engine... me popped in Hi-Fi... to see if there was any articles about it.. and this entry was at the top of the list found... http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A476958 ... Try searching... it will no doubt be easier to find things, and if you can't find an article about your subject, then that's the time to think about making one...
H2G2 is no where near complete, personally me not think it can ever be complete... after all new discoveries are made everyday...

>> What is actually unique that can't be found elsewhere on the Web!?

Where else can you find anything like H2G2 on the web... there are web pages with information scattered throughout the internet... but H2G2 combines into one research library... and the articles written by each researcher can be discussed and changed by other researchers...
Individually the h2g2 pages are not unique... but combined together you get a fun, information, discussion, learning and friendship... plus no doubt a whole load of other different things not mention....

Me hopes that me has answered your questions.. me cannot make you like H2G2 if it is not something you are happy with... but H2G2 is always happy to meet someone ready to challenge and question its views. As me said before ... we are slightly more restricted than we used to be because of the BBC... but H2G2's original ideals are still with us... a community of like minded researchers who are putting together, Douglas Adams' dream of the a real life, Hitch Hikers Guide...

Share and enjoy... Greebs