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

Sooooo, in summary, among the non-random sample of researchers that comment in my journal,


1) There's no crisis other than the usual humdrum background crisis.

2) We miss some people; they don't seem to be around anymore. Some of them stomped off mad. Some of them moved on. Some of them are beyond this mortal coil.

3) Some of us get anxious if we don't see enough activity, whether it be new entries listed on the FP or convos being updated.

5) Sometimes people get with each other. Sometimes they disagree because they have strongly held positions about something they care about. Other times they may misunderstand each other or are grumpy.

Now for some editorializing:

- 1 It is absolutely ridiculous to compare h2g2's position in the Internet of the early 2000s with today's situation. Some people apparently like to panic just a tad. If you are one, please help yourself. However, I should warn you that I may toss a over your head to muffle the noise.

- 5 Just because someone is being wrong on the Internet does not obligate anyone to pander to them or set them straight. http://xkcd.com/386/ Speaking as a nerd who is as grumpy as she is happy, sometimes it's hard to remember that written asynchronous communications are the most easily misunderstood.

I'd like to comment on something Baron Grim said:

'I've dismissed articles before because I thought I didn't have enough personal knowledge of the subject, but I can always help out with general editing and grammar.'

I think it is an absolutely wrong approach (which many seem to have) to only comment on subjects you know about. In conrary, it is very important that people comment who have no idea about the subject because only they can check if an Entry is really understandable. Many things are very clear if you know about the subject already, but those who have no idea about the subject can find flaws in explainations much easier.

So, I'd like to ask everyone to comment particularly on Entries which you don't know anything about.

Agreed... I try to read adn comment on any entry I see in PR, where the subject matter sounds 'interesting' (I.E., I wanna read it), even when its on stuff I kinda don't care less about, and/or have absolutely no knowledge on... Just reading it though, and getting to the end.... gives rise to a comment on its readability even if I've failed utterly to understand/take in any of it, which sometimes happens, when its a subject I just ... dont' get/care much for If I were reading through scientific stuff only, and only biology stuff, I'd understand it all, probably already know the vast majority, and yet not be able to say much about it, as of course I'm going to understand it, yet to a non-science background reader, it might be set qat far too high a starting level of 'assumed knowledge' and so not be su suitably written for the vast majority of readers

This is one reason I try not to write too many sciency entrys... I can't 'unremember' what I know, in order to attempt set it at an appropiate 'pitch'... I'd just end up writing BSc, or MSc level 'essays' : hence why I'm trying to do a few history type ones at the moment, as I know absolutely nothing about history, having not even studied basic history at school, so, for me, its nice to try* learn bits of history now; and during the process of learning it (reading stuff online basically), I can hopefully try then pitch that information over, in an entry, at a suitable level where its gona be accessible to a larger range of readers, yet, as it'll inevitably be on something specific, might still hold interest to someone with a high level of history background/accademic background, who,k, lets face it, probably hasn't examined some tiny little history site/place/thing hidden away in some backwater reminds me... must get writing that cow tower entry and then see if I can muster up sufficient 'depth' to see if there is soemthing of enough substance in 'swan pits' as an entry

Tav & 2legs, that is so true.

There are truths universally accepted Of course... talking about writing guide entrys.... and actually* writing guide entrys.... and* actually* finishing guide entrys one has started* writing.... are... another thing entirely (yes, my cheese entry has been incubating barely started for well over a year... but at least I snuck off a couple of otters in the meantime.... at this rate, I'll do another two, before I finally get back to actually trying to write it ) 'creatures kept for dfood, by those who do not eat them' or something simular, might make a good 'starting off point', for a title for the entry, which could include swan pits.... and rabbits (or hares I always forget which, and carp ponds.... etc... (though I do need to go research that, as it may be my misconceptions, or misunderstandings, or misreadings, or just plain incorrect remembering stuff, about them...) #OnlyWritingGuideEntrysThatCanHaveAmusingOrInterestingTitles

I understand completely; really good cheddar has to age.

For finishing entries that you've started, what would you find encouraging or motivating?

Some replacement brain cells. perhaps? Hmmm.... Or just being tied up to my desk and flogged until I finished them...

I don't know really.... My concentration just gets worse, year by year... so I do a bit of research, for an entry, read a few things... then sort of get distracted by something else... and when I return to the entry again, then have to start from the beginning

I too have tried motivating myself to no avail. When I finish this, I'll have a nice cool refreshing , I say to myself. Then I think of the lovely tiny bubbles, and how good it would taste right now, and ...

Actually, I'm sure the main thing which would make me write more entrys, would be if I had a job..... I always used to seem to get more done, when I was 'busy', either back when a student, or my brief spell of pretending to be a grown up and having a job

Getting rid of the horse would give me more time to write entries, but it's unlikely.

I am, however, working on a series of horse-themed entries relating to training and making your own equipment...

pony entrys! does the 'making your own equipment' including making jousting implments?

Maaaaaybe

there's only one horseMr Ed

OOO! don't think we've got a guide entry on Mr Ed!

there yah goget cracking

You suggested it... you write it and... actually... I really don't know anything at all on it anyhow, I've still got my entry on Beccles to write.
WEll. when I say entry, its like a 2000 year indepth hi history, which will then develop to a more generalised modern guide to the village/town as is now Actually... It'll end up the most complete indepth history book on Beccles ever... if I finish it

I want to gradually travel over the country... picking every small tiny place where no one would ever go, and write over-elaborate, all-encompasing entrys about them first Beccles... then Bungay... then, maybe, even the Hundred of Mutford

The guy next to me at the bar has a "balance band" on his wrist, so I don't think we'll be having much of a conversation.

Maybe I can knock out a paragraph or two of my latest entry.

What on Earth, is a 'balance band'?

I've a nothing in particular day tomorrow, so I'm going to finish the entry which is most nearly finished... err, not sure which that is maybe Cow tower, and then try manova mustard into a sensible shape, before tackling cheese. After cheese, if I get that far, there may be little option other than Beccles... or.... perhaps.... zen-towel folding meditation, or... something err... yeh, like I could do that many entrys in a day mustard cheese and cow tower might be almost do-able though... MMM, mustard and cheese with cow... damnit! even my non-food entrys are about bluddy food arn't they?

Balance Bands and Power Bands were a prevalent form of quackery/snake oil that were very popular a couple of years ago. They were often seen on the wrists and biceps of multimillion dollar athletes for quite some time.

All they actually were was a circle of glittery "holographic" material embedded in a stretchy plastic bracelet. The were sold on promises of amazing balance and strength often based on very tenuous metaphysical bases. They were very effectively demonstrated on TV and in person, usually at mall kiosks. The typical demonstration would consist of a series of tests where the subject would be subjected to a push, pull or shove with and without the band. Inevitably they'd keep their balance while wearing the band. Often the sales staff were unaware of the hoax they were perpetrating.

But basically, they were performing party tricks. A typical demonstration may have the subject stand on one foot with arms extended horizontally. The seller will press down on their elbow and without the balance band, the subject will fall over. With the balance band the subject can resist the pressure or weight of the seller to amazing results. What's actually happening is the administrator of the test pushes straight down or slightly away from feet of the subject on the unbanded test, but at an angle toward the feet of the subject during the banded test. Pressing down toward the feet puts the direction of force between the subject's center of gravity and their feet so they not only don't fall down, they're actually more stable. The different angles are subtle enough to go undetected so it seems amazing when it's just a party trick.

Like I said, often the sales staff were unaware of the tricks. This worked on their own gullibility. This is how Ouija boards work. It's self delusion. They're unaware that they're making subtle movements to influence the results.