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

... we're back! Finally.

I'm *really* sorry it took so long. But it's worth it to see that people are mostly happy to be back.

Now if we can only persuade the BBC that links in forums are actually a *good* thing...

Here here, well at least for the Peer Review and writing workshop anyway. Perhaps the Squacks (I really love that name) could be persuaded to be less stringent there or avoid those threads altogether.

Most of us are frustrated with the ban on URLs. But it's BBC policy to make sure external links are a) valid and b) reviewed monthly.

We're attempting to a) change their minds or b) persuade them that h2g2 should operate differently.

These things take time, though.

Jim
Despite the rules, it's good to be home

Graphics I can live without (just)

However the rule about external links breaks my personal rules of netiquette, and a lot of other peoples I suspect.

Like everyone else the vast majority of knowledge is acquired from other sources whether it's books, films, TV, papers or whatever.

If I use information I have gained from another source, (even if its not a direct quote).
I add a link to that source so that anyone reading it can follow it up if they wish.

I believe that to be only fair to those I have gained the information from.

The current rules prevent this and in my opinion impede the transmission of ideas and free speech.

Given that the BBC is referenced and linked too a great deal throughout the internet, because it is a great source of information, I find it even more worrying when they won't allow the same in the other direction

So I wish you well with persuading the HTPB (Higher Powers That Be) of the error of their ways.

I just hope you don't run into to much NIH (Not Invented Here)when dealing with the existing hiararchy.

If they do actually want to check each link still exists and it's content hasn't changed, every month, then surely the best way to do it is by extracting the links from posts and articles, creating a database and using that to carry out an automated check (using file CRC's?)to flag up the ones which have changed for a manual check.

Perhaps such a product could be marketed as "net auntie"