Journal Entries
Wow
Posted Dec 24, 2011
Getting the baby out was hellish. It might even have been worse for Lainey. It's all a very long tale which I might relay one night at the Horse and Groom, but for now it's enough to say that he's a he, was 9lb, we don't have a name yet but everyone is ecstatic. And at least two of us are enormously relieved.
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Latest reply: Dec 24, 2011
AV annoyance
Posted Dec 16, 2011
Wow... so it seems the Aviators have been swallowed up into something greater without anyone having the courtesy of letting us know!
I knew there was some talk of the group being assimilated into a wider group but I think it's a bit rude for that to just happen without anyone being informed. Particularly the contributors. I'm hugely annoyed that I did virtually all the work on the Aviators, yet my views have been entirely ignored by the new Aviators team. I don't even know who the new Aviators team are. Have any of them made any videos for h2g2? Or for themselves? Nobody has come in and said hi, we're the new chaps, we love/hate your clips and would love/hate it if you were involved.
To get to the point: I personally made all nine of the nine videos that have been made so far to accompany EG entries. I also started the group and produced the Beeblecast, which was our massive chance to get a mass community-owned AV project going. And I championed AV when I was Editor at the Post and we had a couple of great radio plays that got roundly ignored. We didn't have a massive impact, no - but we did show how AV and audio-only projects could be produced, and the views on our YouTube channel alone number around 50,000. It's a huge area for h2g2 to pull punters in, if only it could attract the right people to make the vids in the first place.
This might sound trivial but since h2g2 became independent I've been filming various bits with the idea that I might write entries that cross over more (eg I've filmed a route on a local mountain bike circuit that I could easily write an Entry to go alongside). I think the videos pull people in and, if not, at least increase awareness of the site.
In the past I would have submitted the entry to PR with a link to the video (if it was done) and asked if it added to the Entry. If the Entry was already in the EG I would ask the group first, then the Editors for approval.
I definitely think that killing the old Yahoo group was a mistake - if you'd said to the Aviators 'come up with SOMETHING' we would have. Honestly - we'd have had a podcast by now or an EG video. I'm sure that if you'd brought the Aviators in independently rather than trying to lump us in with a bigger group we'd have all had more fun and got a hell of a lot more done. But the group has just been allowed to disintegrate.
If anyone knows the new process, I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a link to how it all works. I still don't understand why it had to change so much without explanation, but if there is a new Aviators group I'd like to be involved. It would be great to meet other people who are making videos for h2g2 at last...
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Latest reply: Dec 16, 2011
h2g2 T-shirts!
Posted Dec 1, 2011
I've just found half-a-dozen blue h2g2 T-shirts that Natalie sent to me when I was Post editor. They're all still wrapped in plastic. I've got three L and three XL. If anyone wants one as a little Christmas present email me your address and I'll send it to you next week. First come first served...
Discuss this Journal entry [22]
Latest reply: Dec 1, 2011
Full Term
Posted Nov 19, 2011
So for those of you who still remember who I am, Lainey has officially now gone full term. This means there could be a baby Skanky any moment now, though the due date is not until 9th December. To answer the most common question: we don't know the gender of the baby and, to give our most usual response, we hope to find out on the day. Ho, ho, ho.
Thanks to everyone who replied to my last journal - I did read the replies but my time 'sitting by the computer' is so limited now I really don't have much time to talk. Every day that passes now is one we 'tick off', we seem to be in a weird kind of stasis counting down the time before we become three. She is utterly exhausted and I can't wait until the baby comes so we can share some of the load.
I miss you all here on h2g2, I wish I could put the time in that I used to even up until eight or nine months ago but life has really changed now! I'll let you know as soon as there is any news 
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Latest reply: Nov 19, 2011
Hi from Rich and Lainey
Posted Oct 23, 2011
Hi folks,
Great to see h2g2 has made it across to be a fully-functioning, independent entity. What an amazing result! I really hope h2g2 can go on and be the site we all knew it couldn't have become under the previous owners. I think the previous editors were really hamstrung by the rules and regs they had to adhere to, and I really think the site will flourish with new energy and a 'can do' attitude.
I've had some great times here and I hope you're all well. I made some fabulous friends here and I've been lucky enough to meet some of you in person, but there are plenty of you who I never met who I forged great friendships with. I've let them slide to the stage where perhaps they're not great friendships any more. I'm sorry about that. It's not that I meant to lose touch, but I'm sure the parents among you will appreciate that I've had other priorities lately!
However - without wanting to denigrate the friendships I've made - the reason I joined h2g2, and still my prime purpose for being here, is/was to contribute to The Guide. I don't think I have a lot to contribute any more in terms of simply writing, but there may be stuff I can do in terms of filming an entry first then writing afterwards. Entries such as mountain biking centres/routes spring to mind.
Anyway, in terms of me/us we are having our lil one in seven weeks time. That's the big news. There was a lot of other news I thought I might tell you about, but actually when I think about it, there is nothing else. I'm going to be a Dad in 50 days or so.
Discuss this Journal entry [19]
Latest reply: Oct 23, 2011
Skankyrich [?]
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