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

*floating in*

I quite accidentally - OK, so out of pure curiousness and, more importantly, boredom - stumbled over a conversation thread you were involved in, and I thought to myself 'wouldn't he/she make a nice Salonista?'

A warning might be in place though - one h2g2 researcher had this to say about the Salonistas :

<./>F38024?thread=4210649#p49278243</.>

But in general, I'd say we're a talky bunch of people, from various countries, with various background, varying occupations, and sometimes the conversation is quite trivial, while at other times it can become quite vivid.

Most of ous know each others (our online selves, that is) since years back, so please don't be offended if we sometimes appear to be talking over your head - it's probably just an attempt to continue discussing that happened several pages of postings away

Any which way - if you'd like to chime in, you'll find a brief synopsis of the previous thread here:

<./>F38024?thread=4326757</.>

And - hopefully I get this right - the latest posting here:

<./>F38024?thread=4326757?thread=1</.>

I'm so out of touch that I didn't know that there was a name for what I most like to do. Salonista. Has a nice ring to it.

Tried the actual salon thing but not successfully
1) Most people don't really have anything new or interesting to say, but I love them anyway so I just smile and nod.
2) I am gradually losing my hearing so real conversations rush past me like buses I never seem to catch.
3) I love to argue but refuse to fight. An argument is the attempt to enlighten another and be enlightened in return. A fight is the attempt to force your opinion on another. You can't pour water into a turtle, you have to entice him to drink it. Or as the great salonista Dorothy Parker said "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think"
4) A conversation can be better if you can't see and then unconciously judge the people you are talking to. An illustration. I go to the local University but only to use the gym. They are the least expensive. After my workout I found myself in the sauna with a few others of about my age. The conversation was the best that I've had in years and getting better when one turned to me and asked "I haven't seen you around. In what department do you teach?" Perhaps I should have lied but instead told him that I was a retired auto worker. From then on, I was ignored. wtf? Just the sort of thing that the Brits are famous for but it's the same everywhere.

I stumbled upon the HooToo site only a few weeks ago and can't say how delighted I am. It's like someone made it for me. I enjoy a particularly generous version of ADD so this format is about perfect. Just as I usually have a dozen or so books in the process of reading, I have I don't know how many threads going here. And a computer keeps track of it for me.

I regret that I'm not too computer litterate. It would enhance the ability to move around here. Learning a little every day though.

Thanks for the invite!

Heh - just a bit clarification: a Salonista is a person who partakes or lurks in the conversations in Asteroid Lil's Salon

I don't know if people in h2g2 conversations taking place elsewhere call themselves anything special - maybe Conversationalists would be a fitting description?

I just looked up salonista on the dictionary. Not there. It just sounded so natural, I thought it was a 'real' word. Thanks for the clarification but, too late, it's stolen.

If anyone asks me, I promise I'll cite Asteroid Lil.

I also promise to only use it properly on the HooToo.

Except maybe in puns.

eg. Last spring the sweet shop had a salonista eggs. I got quite ill.

or, Out in me boat last week I was salonista 'n lost me compass. Completely disoriented.

OK, I'll stop now.

Well, good luck trying to use the expression 'Salonista' on h2g2 - I'm afraid all those who've been around for a while will assume you're one of Asteroid Lil's gang!

Is there a name for when two people are simultaneously posting on each others space? It just now happened to us.

I know - there is an h2g2 expression named 'simulposting' - will that do?

Does that refer to posting to the same thread or to each others space?

I was thinking of the internet version of that spooky thing that used to happen before electronic telephones. You would dial someones number but they would pick up before it rang because they were about to call you.

Or you would pick up to dial but get no dial tone, just hello? hello? And it's the person you were about to call.

Happens to me and my mother sometimes - she claims to know when I'm about to call her, and so she tries to call me!

Simulposting is posting in the same thread, more or less at the same time.