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

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Yes, but would he remember enough about it? - he might have more success writing about the merits of the cider with which he seemed very impressed



Websailor

I think he might just have a collaboration with that one!

am I too late to join the discussion?

ok, here's what I think (I love that IID experiment, btw, and I'm very happy that it threw up one or two entries that I really love)

I don't mind if every entry on the FP isn't quirky. In fact I'd rather have one or two brilliant examples of just how fantastic the EG is per week (and yes, 3D I am thinking specifically of your Winch entry) - because a diet of solid chocolate would put even me off for life.

However, I do think the EG guidelines provide enough leeway for:
1) factual entries which are written in a serious, authoritative and informative tone
b) factual entries which are written in a "quirky" (gah, can we have another word for that) way which is authoratitive and informative but engaging (and with great footnotes, please)
³) entries about things like nose-hair which aren't really what we think the guide is about but can be brilliant - as long as they don't labour a point and know when to stop.
iv) eyewitness accounts of events, which are largely personal opinion, but expressed in such a way as to leave room for discussion (there are discussion opportunities at the end of an entry for Bob's sake) as long as they don't stray too much into the realm of putting thoughts into the heads of the people being written about

OK, not expressing myself well here, I worked really late last night and I'm not on my best form.

What I mean is that although the EG can't be everything to everyone, it doesn't mean that the entries have to conform rigidly to one pattern. Variety is the spice of life and all that guff.

My example of the winch entry (A12338688 ): how many of us are actually thinking of fitting an electrical winch to our 4x4? (how many of us have a 4x4?) Would many of us know what to do with one if we had one (me me me!) but... It's a seriously entertaining piece of writing which (to my untrained eye) gives a factual description of how to do what it says on the tin. And the footnotes... it's worth it for the footnotes.

And the reason I'm banging on about this (especially the footnotes) is that I don't think creative talent should be stifled. Each entry can be PRd to within an inch of its life - but if all PR does is throw out a homogonised sausage of an entry, then what's the point? some entries go into PR with a definite personal acccent and almost the first comments want to strip it out and force it into Received Pronunciation (or at least, BBC English). And of course there are very few fans of the quirky footnote. But some things just *have* to be said, and sometimes a footnote is just the place.

ho hum

I appear to be ranting. I'll go for a lie down.

I, for one, love quirky footnotes!

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to respond; I have read all the replies but haven't got time to respond to them all individually, I'm afraid. When people I respect immensely are linking to the journal from their PS and wandering in to say nice things - well, it makes me feel a bit Brian, to be honest

I didn't want to start yet another debate - there's enough time wasted on them already, in my view. The constant barrage of negativity is putting people off, some of them excellent writers. Why not celebrate what we do well for a change?

Quick one for Alex: '*feels inspired but doesn't know what to do*' Keep doing what you do, mate. I admire what you've done with the railway Entries; it's a huge project that you clearly enjoy writing and researching. I'll always gently poke fun at them, but only in a friendly way.


Finally, if there is any doubt about what Adams wanted for the Guide, let's put it in his words rather than paraphrasing, presuming or drawing our own conclusions:

'You can create your own Guide Entries containing anything you want, from your opinions of world events to a description of your home town, and it all goes to make up the h2g2 Guide, the sort of guide which was not possible before we had the means of live, shared information resources.' - from <./>Welcome-DNA</.>. A550955 is also worth reading.

Personally, I think he'd be delighted with how it's turning out.

I'm glad he mentions the hometown, makes me feel much better.

Me too, as many of my Entries are geographical ones

Most of mine seem to have been about disasters. Does this make me morbid?

Yes

Most of mine are bio's.. what does that make me

A gestalt entity, lil.

oooooOOOOoooooo I remember

]

An entity, yes. But what kind of entity?

A gestalt entity, VV.

(] for lil)

Well, seems as I don't know what that word means, it still means that dear mumsie is still an unknown entity

A gestalt is a figure, VV - go figure

"A gestalt entity is a physical, biological, psychological, or symbolic configuration or pattern of elements, so unified as a whole that its properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts."

Or summat like that...

See VV.. Alex knows!


] (for Alex)

Hi all

Thanks to a lil help, I have been through the process of entry submission several times now and I have entries pending (I have a second Uni entry in the system somewhere. I find the lack of communication here a little frustrating, but that is the system.)
When I first started the process was much faster than it is now. I do cause some problems for the reviewers but on the whole I found the process enjoyable and efficient. There has been a change however and things have now slowed down.

If the editing process can be made more efficient it might help, if I hear any reasons for not writing an entry now it is that the process is both slow and daunting.

EWG provides little in the way of input now and this can lead to frustration. and the response in PR can be slow at times.
I have been helping a German researcher to get his entry into PR he is becoming frustrated with the system. This chap has put a lot of time into this and it is a fantastic first entry, the signs are now that he might give up, we need him and people like him and he could be falling through the net (check my PS if you can help).
Is there is there a lack of people prepared to review entries if so can the system be altered to help

My ideas for discussion for what it is worth are.

Create a system similar to the one at the University would be much simpler where a scout, editor or even an ace takes the entry over and guides it all the way to the recommended stages. This should not stop comments in fact and if the scouts editors and aces worked in groups they can support each other (this would encourage inexperienced reviewers to join in especially if the main reviewer filtered the comments in case they were irrelevant), and at the same time taking note of comments from the rest of us.

Is it possible combine EWG and PR. The point is the that process could just put people off the process of submitting any entry. We make the effort to persuade people to write for the guide and they get put off.

Can someone review the process please and speed it up some how. Now comes the hard part keeping the standards high, well that is up to all of us to do our best., and take any criticism well and work with the system.

Hopeing I have not oversteped the mark Bob

PS. lil is thanks lil