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

Hi there westal, thank goodness you got here safely, we’ve all been wanting to meet you for ages.

Don’t be afraid, at least not yet.

My name is Fizzymouse, and I’m a researcher just like you, but I’ve been hanging around here for quite a while and sort of know the form. I joined a group called the <./>ACE</.>s who do the BBC a favour by welcoming all newcomers. My friends around here call me Fizzy – so why don’t you.

Now that you know who I am I’ll tell you why I’m *really* here.

Hootoo, as we affectionately call h2g2, is a really big place - but at the same time it’s quite an enclosed community, so it pays to take your time and get a feel for the place. For a while you will be referred to by some people as a newbie, that’s a term of endearment for newcomers – not an insult! Hootoo isn’t a chat room, but there are places where chat happens at <./>MiscChat</.>, or <./>Askh2g2</.>. You may want to lurk around for a while without posting, that’s okay, and how most of us start out.

You may be here because you love the works of Douglas Adams, or you may have stumbled upon us through an internet search, but why ever you are here – welcome, and if you’re interested in adding to our living, growing guide please read the <./>Writing-guidelines </.> and we’ll see you in PeerReview.

As well as the Edited Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything, we have our own newspaper <./>ThePost</.>, and an <./>underguide</.>, so I’m sure you’ll find something you like somewhere around the place.

Oh, before I forget, there are some really important <./>HouseRules</.>, which you should take a read through, as well as some netiquette A3766070, just to keep you right.

Before I go you might want to find out how to make the smileys - they’re all here A155909, and if you want to dress up your Personal Space you’ll find some help with guideml here A187229.

If you want to reply to me all you have to do is click the reply button which will be somewhere around the bottom left of this message. I see you've managed to make your first post without any help from me.

Oh, one last thing I should share with you - once you post something you can’t edit or change it, so do use the preview button – just to save any .

hello there fizzymouse, thank you for your reply and help. this is my first atempt at either chatting or posting anything online and to find like minded day dreamers. i have lots of ideas about the universe, black holes and dark matter, but more to the point am i in the right place to share these thoughts? am very much a computer novice and may drive you to. so untill such time, many thanks westal

Well yes, you've come to the right place - but I should tell you there are a *lot* of experts around here.

There is the SEx Forum (Science Explained) A4108330 where I'd advise you to do a bit of reading before posting .... they do like any statements to be well corroborated with links etc..... if it comes to a debate or the like. Other than that it's not a place I hangout much.

You may find the <./>info</.> page useful for finding current conversations .... the only thing to be careful of is if it is a *private* journal - you can usually tell if you look back a few posts/pages and see if it's just a two way convo or anyone's welcome - although everything on this site is visible to all, some people are a bit touchy about their *private* conversations.

If you need any help just shout.