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

I'm sorry I don't know what you are talking about skins, engines, etc meaningless to me, In Peanut speak I'm now using redesigned h2 to read or find stuff but old h2 to post stuff, mooch around forums etc

Essentially, you have said exactly what Mrs Ben said - new h2g2 for reading and exploring, old h2g2 for posting. Now we just need to find a way of combining the two.

You said what I said Peanut.

A "skin" is the look and feel of a website, it's the colours, the size and shape of the buttons, what goes where on the pages. It's called a skin, because it's just about the surface. But it's the first thing the user sees and the maon way the user interacts with the site. Beauty is skin deep.....

The "engine" is not an official term, but it's a useful one. It's analagous to the bones and sinews of the site if you like, how it actually works. For example our bones are the pages and conversations that hang off them. The sinews, to continue the analogy, are how those pages and converations link together. DNA (ie old hootoo) and Barlesque have different engines. They both still use pages and conversations, but they are strung together in different ways - the sinews are different if you like. This affects how things work (or don't work). It's like suddenly losing the ability to bend at the knee or suddenly finding your elbow bends backwards as well as forwards.

Does that help, or does it just make things even more confusing?

Ben

I get it now, is it a general consensus then that barlesque is easier for readers but rubbish for everything else?

Yup, though it seems that there are far far more readers than their are contributors. Though without the contributors there would be nothing for the readers to read..

Been going through Tavaron designs and thread, thread too much to get through in all one so I'm going to keep at it. But those designs are gorgeous as well as practical. Not going off topic, I think it looks user friendly and fun. Community central is genius

"We need more unicorns and rainbows." [Vip]

I totally agree. The good news is that we can get them. There are a lot of great artists here. Just having a beautiful-looking site would improve the way newbies think of us.

I'm sure someone can make unicorns and rainbows.


(Oh wow, thanks Vip, now I'm stuck with this terrible unicorns song... )

Are you talking about the one with green alligators and long-necked geese, humpty-backed camels, etc.?

No... even worse I think. 'Pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows'... I don't want to post a link here because I'm afraid of

I've a few observations on the younger crowd on site that I'd like to share. Firstly, there has always been a certain set of the 16-20 crowd here and they tend to be quite brilliant, mature beyond their years and definitely not the sort to need babysitters. Also, it needs to be said that these same researchers drift away just as soon as they hit collage and for what are quite obvious reasons, that being suddenly exposed to a wide pool of like minded folks whom they can interact with on a physical basis they haven't the time nor inclination to live out their existance in a virtual realm. Granted, they still lurk the place but actual interaction is a time consuming thing round here, akin to addiction if you ask me and not geared towards that demographic.

Now keeping them as contributers is an entirely different matter. I would encourage them to use the very things they already do in school for class, study, research and writing, give it a hootoo slant and thus contribute without having to devote the inordinate amount of time that is needed to carry on or even keep up with convos. They stay active, we get quality material and someday, when they have to enter the 'real' world, they can post while at work just like the majority of folks here already do thus keeping the gene pool large, fresh and hopefully ever expanding.

I don't know that one. What's the natural color for a unicorn? I thought they were supposed to be white, but maybe that's just the albino version...

Good points Spynxxx

The white unicorns have mad pink starey eyes....

Been a while since I've seen one though.

I can't agree that Barlesque is better for reading, unfortunately. There's just far too much of the screen which is blank, wasted, unusable space. That alone makes it worse for reading.

I agree KB.

Spynxxxx

I hope that I didn't sound that I thought younger peeps would need babysitting, if I did it's really not what I intended.

Effectively we are community building and as organising community building activites is something I've done in RL, h+s and safeguarding issues have come with that package so I guess that's where I'm coming from.

No Peanut, if anything the fault is mine for not wording my thoughts correctly. What I was trying to say is that the younger folks I've encountered here have to be some of the most worldy lot you could ever hope to meet and not the type to ever be taken in by predetory types. Watching out for their well being is a given and something I feel has always been a part of this community on a level not to be found anywhere else.

For the record my own little person is just shy of twenty so I've seen a fair share of what lurks out there on the web, pedos and all. This place is and always has been the most troll free and self policed enviroment it's ever been my privilage to be associated with and I simply can't imagine it any other way.

And long may that continue