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

My name is Feisor and I am an ACE (Assistant Community Editor) here at h2g2. It's my job to welcome you to the site and hopefully show you around a little. I AM a real person, not an automated reply not an automated reply not an automated reply .

Welcome to h2g2 – not just the friendliest on-line community but an incredibly huge, living, breathing guide to Life, the Universe and Everything. It’s compiled by researchers just like you and it's something YOU can take part in. You can write entries on all manner of subjects, and if it's something you think would look good in our Edited Guide (where all the best research goes), you can submit it to Peer Review Take a look at the <./>writing-guidelines</.> for more information on that.

You have made a great start by opening your space I hope when you get to know us a little better you'll join in the general silliness and maybe even write for The Guide - but there's no rush - and it's not compulsory

We ACEs are volunteers here to assist new researchers so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
You can leave a message on my space just by clicking on my name at the top of this message or by hitting the reply button below - it won't hit back (usually).

I have made a "Hints and Links for New Researchers" page at <./>A719840</.> - if you go there it will lead you to all sorts of places which will help find your way around and get to know this wonderful place. It should keep you busy for a while

Oh, and don’t forget to bookmark not only your space but the H2G2 <./>FrontPage</.> - it’s a great way to stay in touch with what’s happening and leads to all sorts of corners which you may otherwise miss.

I am sure that you will love this community as much as we do There's lots of things to see, clubs to join and people to meet - please don't be shy - just jump right in - this is a friendly place. But be careful - it can become quite addictive - believe me I know



Enjoy!!
Have fun!!!
and above all !!!


Feisor

Hi, Feisor, it's great of you to insist that you are a real person.
Greetings from Moscow, Russia and thanks for your help.
There are two difficult points I'm aware of so far. One is the general feeling of guiddiness of a newcomer lost in cyberspace. The other is more specific: being Russian, I can't help feeling as if I were eavesdropping. This space seems to be very close to what I've been looking for - a natural language environment, but how does an outsider fit in? How can I actually get to know people? So far, I've seen I can go to people's pages by clicking on their names in 'who's online'. Is there any other way to do it? I do need a guide - remember, it's my first week on the net. He-e-elp!!!

It's good of you to reply - lots don't

I noticed that most of your postings had been to Learning English but that you have dipped a toe into the h2g2 pond

Let me address your questions one by one ...

"the general feeling of guiddiness of a newcomer lost in cyberspace" - so far that's normal

"I can't help feeling as if I were eavesdropping." - you are, and everyone else is eavesdropping on you - there are no private conversations here and you are able to take part in any converstaion (or "thread") that you like. "Lurking" (as we call it) is a time honoured tradition here - we even have a smiley for it
Look on it like going into a party ... some groups will take you in and others you will feel that either you have nothing to contribute or maybe you will feel uncomfortabe taking part. It may take you a while to get the hang of it all but keep trying and before you know it you will be part of this huuuuge community and as addicted as the rest of us.

"How can I actually get to know people? "
Firstly, take it slow - there's no rush. Have you been to my New Researchers page (there's a link to it in the Welcome)? If you work your way through you'll get a good idea of how this place works and there are suggestions of where to go etc

Finally, remember that I am always here to help as are lots of other people including the <./>ACEs</.> - if you have any questions just ask someone, or drop a line here and I'll get back to you asap - and

Ah, Feisor, there you are again!(I mean, online), which is nice to know, as your new researchers' page was most helpful, even more so as it led me to Jack's Posting Rules, which are so far my most prized possession on hoo-too. You seemed glad to get feedback - so here I am, reporting...Take care and Merry Christmas to you - it's Christmas Day in Moscow, and 'Old' New year is yet to come - on the 13th. (want to add a big grin and -oh,gosh!-a couple of hugs - but can't locate the smileys - you are lucky!)

I am so pleased that you found the New Researchers page helpful and I agree with you about the posting rules When Jack suggested them there were a lot of great suggestions from other researchers and I think that the end result is terrific!

S Rozhdestvom and S Novym Godom
(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

BTW - I had to post that translation because <./>HouseRules</.> won't allow foreign language postings without a translation.

My grandfather was Russian and my grandmother was part of the Volksdeutsch (German community) first in Siberia and then in the Ukraine. My mother grew up in a village just outside Kiev called Michaelovka. So I knew what you meant when you said that you celebrated Christmas and New Years now

As far as the smileys are concerned, if you awitch your skin to Brunel (in Preferences) when you post there is a quick smiley post list at the bottom of the posting window - try it, it makes life a lot easier until you get to know all the smileys.

Hello,
like you I am also a newby and I found reading your conversation with your ace enlightening I have yet to really engage in any meaningful conversation. I live down under in the bush whats it like in Moscow
and how did you come to this site?

G'day hayafi,

Whereabouts in the bush? I'm in The Big Smoke (that's Sydney weirdo07)

There are lots of Aussies here - have a look at A592049 - the Australian and NZ Researchers page.

It's good to see you getting about and getting to know this place are you having any problems getting to know people? I know that it's a slow process but it's well worthwhile making the effort

I am confused I thought you were in Moscow Russia? I live in Country West Australia in the wheat belt region, How long have you been doing this and why ?

By the way any suggestions on how to stop a kelpie barking ? Hence the reason for me being awake at this time of night instead of sleeping

Hi, Hayayfi! It's Weirdo writing. Ace is a big boss here , he is a great guide and he is from Sydney. I (Weirdo) am a newcomer, like you. I do live in Moscow, Russia, and it's bearable - not in the sense of bears roaming the streets, but of me and my family (that is husband of 18 years and children aged 7, 12, 15, 16 and 17, dog and cat) surviving and even - most times - enjoying ourselves. Write back soon.

Dear Feisor, do you mean that you can actually read, write and speak
Russian? (and more hugs)

Hello, to coin a phrase of one of our former pollies "please explain" choice of name

I am wife mother of four 8,10,11,16 dog, rabbit, guinea pig, six cats which live in a cat run for the most part and squillions of native animals. The dog however if he doesn't stop barking at night might soon be asked to move out due to sleep deprivation on our parts

With what ever spare time you have left what do you enjoy doing, reading, and talking about?

I have found this cyberspace intriguing if a little mystifying and I am quite positive it is addictive.

We are in the middle of a drought after just having gone through a locust plague which wiped out most of my veggie crops though the fruit trees were saved I imagine it is winter there what is that like is global warming affecting your winter as well?

Intersted in anything you want to discuss or share

Regards Hayayfi

So many things to reply to ...

Firstly, I am not a "boss" here - I am a researcher just like you I have been here since 1999 so know my way around fairly well. The <./>ACEs</.> are a volunteer group and one of the things we do is try to make newbies feel welcome.

No, I don't speak or understand Russian - my family has been in Australia for many years and I have a very slight knowledge of German but no Russian.

It looks like you weirdo07 and hayafi have quite a bit in common - lots of children of about the same age - though you both come from very different environments

Hayafi, to find out more about me simply click on my name at the top of this message to go to my personal space

Your questions about stopping the kelpie from barking would probably be better posted at <./>AskH2G2</.> - make sure that you indicate your question in the subject line and, if I were you, I would also mention in the question the dog's circumstances (housing etc) There are lots of pet owners here who might be able to offer help.

Took your advice and posted a question was wondering how you did that?

Lived in Port Stephens for a number of years just up the coast from you have you ever been there?

Your personal site is certainly intriguing.

Dear Hayhayfi, nice of you to answer. To put it in a nutshell, I am an English language teacher, stranded in this huge and stifling city for family and money reasons, speaking in my unique dialect of the English language for about 8 hours a day to my students, who seem to be naive enough to believe it's English. I would be very happy to stop deceiving them and do some thorough learning instead had I the slightest chance to. Money! Kids are hungry, also they can't do just with a pair of shorts the year round, although the climate is getting friendlier and friendlier. Family and language are my interests, which means I'm interested in more things than I'm able to address in a squillion of lifetimes. Not that I believe in incarnation. Ah, and I'm 49, there's pretty little time left
With what time you have to spare (excuse my quoting) do you think you can consult me on words and meanings? Presuming you say yes. here's quest.1: 'under in the bush' Why 'under'?
Does Weirdo sound really weird? And what would you describe as weird if you look around?
Give my regards to your family, animals included. I envy you the outdoors.
I'm not yet good at Smileys, so I hope you can picture lots of them all over the place.
P.S Do you mind if I put bits of this letter on my personal page as a kind of introduction?

Hayafi,

If you check out my New Researchers page at A719840 you'll find lots of hints to get the hang of this place

No, haven't been to Port Stephens - I'm not much of a traveller.

Hello weirdo07,

Have no objection to your doing what ever you want with this conversation am happy to help with English phraseology though I should warn you I am a lousy speller and an even worse typist so that makes the spelling even more of a hazard but I promise to spell check most of the time.

As for what is weirdest here when I look around I would have to say it is the site of our christmas tree still up in the lounge room it usually dissapears on boxing day but we have been very slack oh the diddloh this year.

Then again perhaps from an outsiders viewpoint the fact that as we home school our children
( a horrible way to describe what we do here but haven't found a better phrase yet) that we have posters on all the walls on everything from phonics to how to ring an ambulance and treat snake bite to mind maps of what a good leader looks like and how to encourage initiative in individuals followed by an insect house three computers wall to wall books no couch and a giant table in the middle of the room you sit at japanese style while projects are worked on in what in most homes would be the family room which is about 33 feet one way and 18 feet the other may qualify for weirdest I'll let you decide.

Next query I think you mean down under in the bush... the down under part refers to Australia because its down at the bottom part of the world on a map under all the other countries....and in the bush well for the most part Australians live around the coast of Australia as it is just to dry for the most part to live in land however if you live further inland thats considered the country or as we refer to it the bush where as if you live right in the interior or in the top end thats refered to as the outback. I live in western Australia ....Perth our capital city here in the west is the most isolated city in the world so once you are more than two hours from it in any direction thats considered the bush.

The bush refers to our vegetation which with the exception of the south west which is forrest tends to be scrub like more than anything else.

I look forward to hearing more about your life in Moscow what does an average day look like for you? As for the smilies I am still getting the hang of that too by teh way you are the first person I have added to my friend list.

Thanks for that I will have a gander later

Thanks a lot, really want to keep in touch, will write tonight, home schooling really interesting. I'm doing 'home teaching' most of the time, which is the next weirdest thing, more about it later. V. much want to found a new exclusive club on Hoo-Too - for parents crazy (weird) enough to have four or more children.
P.S.You are my only link with The Outdoors, next time you step out of the house think of me.

look forward to longer response am stepping out on our back verandah now for a cuppa we have daylight saving at present which means its still daylight at nearly nine oclock at night try getting a child into bed when its daylight outside. I like the idea of a club for mothers of more than four I think we are a special lot

Will check for a respoonse before I head of to bed, thanks for responding this is the first time this has actually been fun

Well, you two seem to have so much to talk about - I think it's great that you have found each other


I think that I will unsubscribe from this conversation soon and just leave you both to it

You can always contact me by leaving a message on my space if you need any help.

Enjoy yourselves ....