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

Checked out the search functions of this site and found a lot of interesting entries... and people I would have loved to talk to. Only they had all been gone for a long time.
There seem to be many "researchers" just popping in, writing a few words... and leaving forever.
Maybe there are even more popping in, not even writing anything and leaving forever - how would you find them?

One thing, that felt most strange: I found some kind of review of the "Backes", a pub just around the corner from where I live. Written long ago, of course.

One of the very first things I found on this site was that they were planning to meet up in my home town, although I didn't get to go as it turned out.
Those who pop up , write a few words and then vanish forever could be the lucky/wise ones. The rest of us just get hooked and never escape.

TSF

we're trapped here! it's an online episode of the prisoner!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(laughing) That's what I've been told by a colleague when I started my job... "leave while you can, or you're gonna do this forever". Oh well, but it's not that bad... the job, I mean

what will I do if I ever lose my job? (like maybe when they discover how much time I spend on here)

i'm leaving my job in october,.......and i think they *know* how much time i spend on here.....

FABT

i've noticed that a lot, its really anoying, not that i'm one to talk, i've made and left a fair few personas.

er.... why, then?

Hi Lilac Moon,

Lots of people come and go from h2g2. Sometimes as you say they just drop in, write a few words and never come back. Others stay for a few years and then gradually drift away to get on with other things in their lives.

Think of it in the same way as you'd think about pubs or bars, or any other type of club or social venue really. Some people are just drifting past and stop for a beer but they've got no intention of staying, they're just passing through. Other people come regularly for a while but eventually they discover somewhere somewhere new to hang out, because some people like regular change. Others are regulars for many years and eventually everyone knows them and they like it that way. No pubs are entirely made up of regular customers, they all have a mix of people and that's entirely healthy.

We have a really good mix of all types, one off visitors, occasional visitors, current regulars and old timers who still drop in from time to time. It works the same for most type of media, newspapers, TV programmes and so on.

Plus, as someone pointed out earlier, some people have more than one account, so that it may appear unused, but it's actually the old home of a currently active Researcher, who is now logging on using a different name.

Hi Peta....
sure, you're perfectly right. Only to me the pub metaphor seems a bit incomplete. It's rather like you're in a pub and asking someone next to you, er.. kinda whatever... "Hey, where did you get that beatiful tie?" And the barkeeper sighs: "Oh, that one, has been gone for years... but look, the guy back there at the window, he's *real*" and you turn around to see someone wearing a very dull and uninteresting tie... ;-(
Well, but seriously, I think there are many many interesting people left.

Are you unhappy? What's the matter?

Hi Lilac Moon,

Not exactly unhappy but just a bit sad that our Editor, Mark is leaving to go off travelling and writing again, after working here with me for the last three years. He's a top bloke, and I'll miss him lots!

See F77636?thread=192282 for more info!

Yes I take your point, we could just close unused accounts and they'd disappear, but if we did we'd lose so much of our online history. I suppose the pub anology of this is that there's loads of photos on the walls of people who have left, but many regulars still remember them and the events they attended or organised. You could take them down, but if you asked a regular about them they might be able to say, 'Ah, that was Bruce! Let me tell you about him!' which is still kind of interesting, even if he's not there to tell his own story!

FABT - 'i'm leaving my job in october' - I hope you won't be giving h2g2 a rest as well! The place wouldn't be the same without you.


Alji