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{{short description|British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project}}
{{Short description|British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project}}
{{lowercase title|h2g2}}
{{Hatnote|h2g2 is an initialism for [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]].}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Update|date=December 2018}}
[[h2g2]]{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2012}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Update|date=December 2018}}
{{lowercase|h2g2}}

{{Infobox website
{{Infobox website
| name = h2g2
| name = h2g2
| logo =
| logo =
| screenshot = H2G2 website.png
| screenshot = H2G2 website.png
| screenshot_size = 250px
| screenshot_size = 220px
| caption = The h2g2 front page on 24 May 2015
| caption = The h2g2 front page on 24 May 2015
| url = {{URL|https://H2G2.com}}
| url = {{URL|https://H2G2.com}}
| type = [[Internet encyclopedia project]]
| type = [[Internet encyclopedia project]]
| language = English
| language = English
| registration = Open
| registration = open
| owner = Not Panicking Ltd
| owner = Not Panicking Ltd
| author = [[Douglas Adams]]
| author = [[Douglas Adams]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|1999|4|28}}
| launch_date = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|1999|4|28}}
| commercial = No
| commercial =
| content_license = Authors retain copyright but grant NPL a non-exclusive licence to distribute
| content_license = Authors retain copyright but grant NPL a non-exclusive licence to distribute
| current_status = Active
| current_status = Active
}}
}}
The '''h2g2''' website is a British-based collaborative [[Internet encyclopedia project|online encyclopedia project]]. It describes itself as "an unconventional guide to [[life]], the [[universe]], and [[everything]]", in the spirit of the [[fiction]]al publication ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (fictional)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' from the [[comic science fiction|science fiction comedy]] series of [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|the same name]] by [[Douglas Adams]].<ref name=sydneyherald>{{Cite news
The '''h2g2'''{{efn|h2g2 is an initialism for [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]].}} website is a British-based collaborative [[Internet encyclopedia project|online encyclopedia project]]. It describes itself as "an unconventional guide to life, the universe, and everything", in the spirit of the fictional publication ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (fictional)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' from the [[comic science fiction|science fiction comedy]] series of [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|the same name]] by [[Douglas Adams]].<ref name=sydneyherald>{{Cite news | title = Web watch; New favourites | newspaper = Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) | pages = 5 | date = 7 May 2005 }}</ref> It was founded by Adams in 1999 and was run by the [[BBC]] between 2001 and 2011.<ref name=huddersfield>{{Cite news | last = Jackson |first = Andrew |title = Web wonder |newspaper = Huddersfield Daily Examiner |pages = 19 |date = May 2009 |url = http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/whats-on-west-yorkshire/2009/05/15/forum-web-wonder-86081-23628073/ |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110920162212/http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/whats-on-west-yorkshire/2009/05/15/forum-web-wonder-86081-23628073/ |archive-date = 20 September 2011}}</ref><ref name=telecomworldwire /><ref name=independent />
| title = Web watch; New favourites
| newspaper = Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
| pages = 5
| date = 7 May 2005
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> It was founded by Adams in 1999 and was run by the [[BBC]] between 2001 and 2011.<ref name=huddersfield>{{Cite news
|last = Jackson
|first = Andrew
|title = Web wonder
|newspaper = Huddersfield Daily Examiner
|pages = 19
|date = May 2009
|url = http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/whats-on-west-yorkshire/2009/05/15/forum-web-wonder-86081-23628073/
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110920162212/http://www.examiner.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/whats-on-west-yorkshire/2009/05/15/forum-web-wonder-86081-23628073/
|archivedate = 20 September 2011
|df = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name=telecomworldwire /><ref name=independent />


The intent is to create an [[Earth]]-focused guide that allows members to share information about their geographic area and the local sites, activities and businesses, to help people decide where they want to go and what they may find when they get there. It has grown to contain subjects from restaurants and recipes, to [[Quantum mechanics|quantum theory]] and [[history]]. Explicit advertising of businesses was forbidden when the site was run by the BBC, but customer reviews were permitted.<ref name=houserules>{{cite web
The intent is to create an Earth-focused guide that allows members to share information about their geographic area and the local sites, activities and businesses, to help people decide where they want to go and what they may find when they get there. It has grown to contain subjects from restaurants and recipes, to [[Quantum mechanics|quantum theory]] and history. Explicit advertising of businesses was forbidden when the site was run by the BBC, but customer reviews were permitted.<ref name=houserules>{{cite web | title = House Rules for h2g2 | date = 28 June 2013 | url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A87523211 | access-date = 21 April 2015 }} – ''No Spitting. The lawyers wanted to know what rules we needed, and we said 'The usual ones, plus "No spitting" please.' So there you go: no spitting. Many thanks. Oh, and beware of the Leopard.''</ref>
| title = House Rules for h2g2
| date = 28 Jun 2013
| url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A87523211
| accessdate = 21 April 2015 }} – ''No Spitting. The lawyers wanted to know what rules we needed, and we said 'The usual ones, plus "No spitting" please.' So there you go: no spitting. Many thanks. Oh, and beware of the Leopard.''</ref>


The content of the project is written by registered "Researchers" on its website.<ref name=campaign>{{Cite news | last = Hurrell | first = Nick | title = Nick Hurrell, the Chief Executive of M&C Saatchi and the Chairman of EMCSAATCHI, looks at the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Online | newspaper = Campaign | pages = 14 (Private Surf section) | date = 13 October 2000}}</ref> Articles written by Researchers form the "Guide" as a whole, with an "Edited Guide" being steadily created out of factual articles that have been [[peer review]]ed via the "Peer Review" system.{{citation needed| date=December 2016}} The Edited Guide includes both traditional encyclopaedic subjects and more [[idiosyncratic]] offerings, and articles in the Edited Guide sometimes aim for a slightly humorous style.<ref name=toronto>{{Cite news | last = McMurray | first = Sandy | title = Sites for Beginners, Students and Clones | newspaper = The Toronto Sun | pages = 53 (Connect section) | date = 15 August 2001}} – ''Another site, created by Douglas Adams, comes at the encyclopedia idea from a different, funnier angle.''</ref>
The content of the project is written by registered "Researchers" on its website.<ref name=campaign>{{Cite news
| last = Hurrell
| first = Nick
| title = Nick Hurrell, the Chief Executive of M&C Saatchi and the Chairman of EMCSAATCHI, looks at the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Online
| newspaper = Campaign
| pages = 14 (Private Surf section)
| date = 13 October 2000
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> Articles written by Researchers form the "Guide" as a whole, with an "Edited Guide" being steadily created out of factual articles that have been [[peer review]]ed via the "Peer Review" system.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} The Edited Guide includes both traditional encyclopaedic subjects and more [[idiosyncratic]] offerings, and articles in the Edited Guide sometimes aim for a slightly humorous style.<ref name=toronto>{{Cite news
| last = McMurray
| first = Sandy
| title = Sites for Beginners, Students and Clones
| newspaper = The Toronto Sun
| pages = 53 (Connect section)
| date = 15 August 2001
| postscript = <!--None-->}} – ''Another site, created by Douglas Adams, comes at the encyclopedia idea from a different, funnier angle.''</ref>


==History==
==History==
{{anchor|The Digital Village}}
The h2g2 site was founded on 28 April 1999 as the "[[Earth]] edition" of ''[[The Guide (character)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' by the author of the series, [[Douglas Adams]], and his friends and colleagues at [[The Digital Village]].<ref name=pressassoc>{{Cite news
The Digital Village (TDV) was a digital media company based in [[Covent Garden]], London, United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tdv.com/|title=The Digital Village|website=www.tdv.com|accessdate=11 May 2023}}</ref> It was founded in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/34100/hitchhikers-guide-new-economy|title=The Hitchhikers Guide to the New Economy|first=Harriet |last=Rubin|website=Fast Company|date=31 May 1998}}</ref> The science fiction/comedy writer [[Douglas Adams]] was one of the founding members, along with [[Robbie Stamp]], executive producer of the [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)|''Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' movie]] (2005).<ref>[https://douglasadams.eu/douglas-adams-biography/ "Douglas Adams’ (short and rather useless) Biography"], douglasadams.eu. Retrieved 12 October 2024.</ref> TDV produced the video game ''[[Starship Titanic]]''. The h2g2 website was founded on 28 April 1999 as a community-site dedicated to producing the "Earth edition" of ''[[The Guide (character)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' by the author of the series, [[Douglas Adams]], and his friends and colleagues at [[The Digital Village]].<ref name=pressassoc>{{Cite news | last = Turnbull | first = Giles | title = Sci-fi Guide Could Become Fact | newspaper = Press Association | date = 22 September 1999}}</ref>
| last = Turnbull
| first = Giles
| title = Sci-fi Guide Could Become Fact
| newspaper = Press Association
| date = 22 September 1999
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref> "h2g2" is an [[abbreviation]] for the title as well as part of the url. The site was a runner-up for Best Community Site in the [[Yell.com]] awards in 2000.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Kelly
| first = Matt
| title = The Yell.com Awards 2000
| newspaper = The Mirror (UK)
| pages = 14
| date = 13 July 2000
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref>


Digital Village was renamed in 2000 to "h2g2", an abbreviation for the title as well as part of the url. The site was a runner-up for Best Community Site in the [[Yell.com]] awards in 2000.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Kelly | first = Matt | title = The Yell.com Awards 2000 | newspaper = The Mirror (UK) | pages = 14 | date = 13 July 2000}}</ref> At its highest point (October 2000) the company had over 40 employees. Like other [[dot-com companies]], Adams' company ran into financial difficulties towards the end of 2000 and eventually ceased operations.<ref name="independent">{{Cite news |last=Tomlinson |first=Heather |date=4 March 2001 |title=Hitchhiker's Website Goes Home To Auntie |pages=3 (Business section) |newspaper=Independent (UK) |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/hitchhikers-website-goes-home-to-auntie-694491.html}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic|fix-attempted=yes}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In January 2001, the management of the site was taken over by the [[BBC]], and moved to [[bbc.co.uk]] (then known as BBCi).<ref name=telecomworldwire>{{Cite news | title = Hitchhiker's Guide web site moves to BBC | newspaper = Telecomworldwire | date = 23 February 2001}}</ref> While many h2g2 staff continued to work without pay until the h2g2 site, brand and several staff moved to the [[BBC]]. The game division became a new company, Phase 3 Studios, which continued for several months under the ownership of PAN Interactive, but ultimately closed in 2002.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}
Like other [[dot-com companies]], Adams' company [[The Digital Village|TDV]] ran into financial difficulties towards the end of 2000 and eventually ceased operations.<ref name=independent>{{Cite news
| last = Tomlinson
| first = Heather
| title = Hitchhiker's Website Goes Home To Auntie
| newspaper = Independent (UK)
| pages = 3 (Business section)
| date = 4 March 2001
| url =
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/hitchhikers-website-goes-home-to-auntie-694491.html
| postscript = <!--None--> | location=London}}</ref> In January 2001, the management of the site was taken over by the [[BBC]], and moved to [[bbc.co.uk]] (then known as BBCi).<ref name=telecomworldwire>{{Cite news
| title = Hitchhiker's Guide web site moves to BBC
| newspaper = Telecomworldwire
| date = 23 February 2001
| postscript = <!--None-->}}</ref>


21 April 2005 marked the re-launch of h2g2 Mobile, an edition of the guide produced for [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s (Personal Digital Assistants) and [[mobile phones]] that could access the internet, so that people could read h2g2 entries while on the move.<ref>{{cite web
21 April 2005 marked the re-launch of h2g2 Mobile, an edition of the guide produced for [[Personal digital assistant|PDA]]s (Personal Digital Assistants) and mobile phones that could access the internet, so that people could read h2g2 entries while on the move.<ref>{{cite web |title = h2g2 Mobile Information Centre |url = https://h2g2.com/entry/mobile-info|website=h2g2.com |date = 17 October 2011 |access-date = 21 April 2015}}</ref> This was done because people wanted h2g2 to be much like the ''Hitchhiker's Guide'' described in the books – a mobile, electronic device that anyone could read from anywhere.<ref name=pressassoc /> An earlier incarnation of h2g2 Mobile was a [[Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]] phone based version of h2g2. Announced at First Tuesday in London on 14 December 1999, it became the most trafficked WAP site in Europe until it was closed down by the BBC when it took over the site in January 2001. h2g2 Mobile was closed by the BBC as it then believed that its licence conditions did not allow it to deliver any service over a telephone system.<ref>{{cite web | title = Life, the Universe and Everything Mobile | publisher = The Digital Village | date = 22 December 1999 | url = http://www.tdv.com/html/news/19991222-0-n.html | access-date = 17 July 2009}}</ref>
|title = h2g2 Mobile Information Centre
|url = http://h2g2.com/entry/mobile-info
|date = 17 Oct 2011
|accessdate = 21 April 2015
}}</ref> This was done because people wanted h2g2 to be much like the ''Hitchhiker's Guide'' described in the books — a mobile, electronic device that anyone could read from anywhere.<ref name=pressassoc /> An earlier incarnation of h2g2 Mobile was a [[Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]] phone based version of h2g2. Announced at First Tuesday in London on 14 December 1999, it became the most trafficked WAP site in Europe until it was closed down by the BBC when it took over the site in January 2001. h2g2 Mobile was closed by the BBC as it then believed that its license conditions did not allow it to deliver any service over a telephone system.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Life, the Universe and Everything Mobile
| publisher = The Digital Village
| date = 22 December 1999
| url = http://www.tdv.com/html/news/19991222-0-n.html
| accessdate = 17 July 2009}}</ref>


The site was redesigned for the BBC by Aerian Studios in 2011,<ref>{{cite web | title = H2G2 Refresh: design and technical challenges | date = 21 January 2011 | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/01/h2g2_refresh_design_and_techni.html | access-date = 21 January 2011}} – ''this week the refreshed version of the BBC's long running community site H2G2 was launched.''</ref> bringing it in line with the general appearance of other BBC websites, while maintaining a degree of the site's old character.<ref>{{cite web | title = Talking Point – h2g2 Redesign | date = 24 August 2009 | url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A51277773 | access-date = 21 April 2015}} – ''As we've already mentioned we're now in the process of redesigning h2g2.''</ref>
The site was redesigned for the BBC by Aerian Studios in 2011,<ref>{{cite web
| title = H2G2 Refresh: design and technical challenges
| date = 21 January 2011
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2011/01/h2g2_refresh_design_and_techni.html
| accessdate = 21 January 2011}} – ''this week the refreshed version of the BBC's long running community site H2G2 was launched.''</ref> bringing it in line with the general appearance of other BBC websites, while maintaining a degree of the site's old character.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Talking Point – h2g2 Redesign
| date = 24 Aug 2009
| url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A51277773
| accessdate = 21 April 2015}} – ''As we've already mentioned we're now in the process of redesigning h2g2.''</ref>


On 24 January 2011, the BBC announced cuts of 25% to its online budget, resulting in a £34 million less investment into the site. A number of sites were to be closed, including [[BBC Switch]], [[BBC Blast]] and [[6-0-6]]. As part of this exercise, the BBC chose to sell h2g2.<ref name="Cutback">{{cite news
On 24 January 2011, the BBC announced cuts of 25% to its online budget, resulting in a £34 million less investment into the site. A number of sites were to be closed, including [[BBC Switch]], [[BBC Blast]] and [[6-0-6]]. As part of this exercise, the BBC chose to sell h2g2.<ref name="Cutback">{{cite news | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12265173 | title = BBC News – BBC to cut online budget by 25% | work = [[BBC Online]] | access-date= 24 January 2011 | date = 24 January 2011}}</ref> On 21 June 2011, it was announced the winning bid was a joint bid put together by three parties: [[Robbie Stamp]], h2g2c2 ("The h2g2 Community Consortium"), and the owners of Lycos Chat (Brian Larholm and Alyson Larholm).<ref>{{cite web |title = Tuesday 21 June 2011: The future of H2G2 – the Successful Bid |url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A639056/conversation/view/77636/8243991/page/1/|first=Nick|last=Reynolds |date = 21 June 2011 |access-date = 15 April 2015}}</ref> On 31 August 2011, it was announced h2g2 was sold to [[Not Panicking Ltd]], a company founded by Robbie Stamp, Brian Larholm, and Alyson Larholm, as well as The h2g2 Community Consortium.<ref>{{cite web |title = Wednesday 31 June 2011: H2G2 Leaving The BBC Soon! |url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A86945827|website=h2g2.com |date = 31 August 2011 |access-date = 21 April 2015}}</ref>
| url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12265173
| title = BBC News – BBC to cut online budget by 25%
| work = [[BBC Online]]
| accessdate= 24 January 2011
| date = 24 January 2011}}</ref> On 21 June 2011, it was announced the winning bid was a joint bid put together by three parties: [[Robbie Stamp]], h2g2c2 ('The h2g2 Community Consortium') and the owners of [[Lycos Chat]] (Brian Larholm and Alyson Larholm) <ref>{{cite web
|title = Tuesday 21 June 2011: The future of H2G2 – the Successful Bid
|url =
http://h2g2.com/entry/A639056/conversation/view/77636/8243991/page/1/
|date = 21 June 2011
|accessdate = 15 April 2015
}}</ref> On 31 August 2011, it was announced h2g2 was sold to [[Not Panicking Ltd]], a company founded by [[Robbie Stamp]], Brian Larholm and Alyson Larholm, as well as The h2g2 Community Consortium.<ref>{{cite web
|title = Wednesday 31 June 2011: H2G2 Leaving The BBC Soon!
|url = http://h2g2.com/entry/A86945827
|date = 31 August 2011
|accessdate = 21 April 2015
}}</ref>


On 3 October 2011, the BBC incarnation of h2g2 closed, leaving only an announcement reading "H2G2 has now left the BBC. The new owners of H2G2 are currently preparing the site for relaunch. Soon you will find The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything at www.h2g2.com"<ref>{{Cite web|title = BBC - H2G2|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/maintenance/h2g2_move2.shtml|accessdate = 2015-11-19}}</ref>
On 3 October 2011, the BBC incarnation of h2g2 closed, leaving only an announcement reading "H2G2 has now left the BBC. The new owners of H2G2 are currently preparing the site for relaunch. Soon you will find The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything at www.h2g2.com"<ref>{{Cite web|title = BBC - H2G2|url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/maintenance/h2g2_move2.shtml|access-date = 2015-11-19}}</ref> The post-BBC version of the site went live on 16 October 2011.

The post-BBC version of the site went live on 16 October 2011.


== Terms and conditions ==
== Terms and conditions ==
To contribute to the site it is necessary to register and to agree to the h2g2 "House Rules" and the general Not Panicking Ltd Terms and Conditions. Registered users are called ''Researchers''. Researchers retain the [[copyright]] to their articles, but grant Not Panicking Ltd a non-exclusive license to reproduce their work in all formats.
To contribute to the site it is necessary to register and to agree to the h2g2 "House Rules" and the general Not Panicking Ltd Terms and Conditions. Registered users are called ''Researchers''. Researchers retain the [[copyright]] to their articles, but grant Not Panicking Ltd a non-exclusive licence to reproduce their work in all formats.


== DNA ==
== Software ==
=== DNA ===
Part of the [[software]] for h2g2 is known as DNA, after the initials of author and site founder [[Douglas Adams]]. The DNA technology was introduced a few months after the BBC takeover and is still used for BBC blogs, messageboards and commenting systems. Before that there was a technology which was written mostly in [[Perl]]. Adams was involved in the website in its early days.<ref>{{cite web | title = Douglas Adams 1952 – 2001 | date = 28 April 1999 | url = http://www.h2g2.com/user/U42 |website=h2g2.com| access-date = 15 April 2015}}</ref> His account name was DNA, and his user number was 42, a reference to the joke in ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' that [[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything]] is 42. Adams's legacy is still felt on h2g2, though it is not a fan site.<ref name=huddersfield/>


=== GuideML ===
Part of the [[software]] for h2g2 is known as DNA, after the initials of author and site founder [[Douglas Adams]]. The DNA technology was introduced a few months after the BBC takeover and is still used for BBC blogs, messageboards and commenting systems. Before that there was a technology which was written mostly in [[Perl]].
GuideML (Guide Markup Language) is a [[document markup language]].


GuideML is an application of [[XML]] standards. It consists of a safe subset of [[XHTML]] with added tags for specific features of the software. The objective is to provide something that resembles HTML but is simpler to learn, and allows basic textual content to be formatted in a [[skin (computing)|skinnable]] way. Early versions of the h2g2 software offered full HTML markup as an option, but this was removed for security reasons; thus only parts of HTML which are considered to exist in GuideML can now be used, with things such as [[JavaScript]] and externally hosted images being removed by the parser.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://h2g2.com/entry/A957107 | title=H2g2 - an Introduction to GuideML |website=h2g2.com |date=5 February 2003 }}</ref>
Adams was involved in the website in its early days.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Douglas Adams 1952 – 2001
| date = 28 April 1999
| url = http://www.h2g2.com/user/U42
| accessdate = 15 April 2015}}</ref> His account name was DNA, and his user number was 42, a reference to the joke in ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' that [[Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything|the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything]] is 42. Adams's legacy is still felt on h2g2, though it is not a fan site.<ref name=huddersfield/>


== See also ==
== See also ==

*[[List of online encyclopedias]]
*[[List of online encyclopedias]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
*[http://www.h2g2.com h2g2 Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011110355/https://h2g2.com/ |date=11 October 2020 }}
*[http://www.h2g2.com h2g2 website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121127142944/http://notpanicking.com/ Not Panicking Ltd]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121127142944/http://notpanicking.com/ Not Panicking Ltd]


{{HitchhikerMiscellanea}}
{{HitchhikerMiscellanea}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Internet properties established in 1999]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:BBC New Media]]
[[Category:BBC New Media]]
[[Category:British online encyclopedias]]
[[Category:British online encyclopedias]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1999]]
[[Category:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]
[[Category:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]

Latest revision as of 07:59, 12 October 2024

h2g2
The h2g2 front page on 24 May 2015
Type of site
Internet encyclopedia project
Available inEnglish
OwnerNot Panicking Ltd
Created byDouglas Adams
URLh2g2.com
Registrationopen
Launched28 April 1999; 25 years ago (1999-04-28)
Current statusActive
Content license
Authors retain copyright but grant NPL a non-exclusive licence to distribute

The h2g2[a] website is a British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project. It describes itself as "an unconventional guide to life, the universe, and everything", in the spirit of the fictional publication The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from the science fiction comedy series of the same name by Douglas Adams.[1] It was founded by Adams in 1999 and was run by the BBC between 2001 and 2011.[2][3][4]

The intent is to create an Earth-focused guide that allows members to share information about their geographic area and the local sites, activities and businesses, to help people decide where they want to go and what they may find when they get there. It has grown to contain subjects from restaurants and recipes, to quantum theory and history. Explicit advertising of businesses was forbidden when the site was run by the BBC, but customer reviews were permitted.[5]

The content of the project is written by registered "Researchers" on its website.[6] Articles written by Researchers form the "Guide" as a whole, with an "Edited Guide" being steadily created out of factual articles that have been peer reviewed via the "Peer Review" system.[citation needed] The Edited Guide includes both traditional encyclopaedic subjects and more idiosyncratic offerings, and articles in the Edited Guide sometimes aim for a slightly humorous style.[7]

History

[edit]

The Digital Village (TDV) was a digital media company based in Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom.[8] It was founded in 1992.[9] The science fiction/comedy writer Douglas Adams was one of the founding members, along with Robbie Stamp, executive producer of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie (2005).[10] TDV produced the video game Starship Titanic. The h2g2 website was founded on 28 April 1999 as a community-site dedicated to producing the "Earth edition" of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the author of the series, Douglas Adams, and his friends and colleagues at The Digital Village.[11]

Digital Village was renamed in 2000 to "h2g2", an abbreviation for the title as well as part of the url. The site was a runner-up for Best Community Site in the Yell.com awards in 2000.[12] At its highest point (October 2000) the company had over 40 employees. Like other dot-com companies, Adams' company ran into financial difficulties towards the end of 2000 and eventually ceased operations.[4] In January 2001, the management of the site was taken over by the BBC, and moved to bbc.co.uk (then known as BBCi).[3] While many h2g2 staff continued to work without pay until the h2g2 site, brand and several staff moved to the BBC. The game division became a new company, Phase 3 Studios, which continued for several months under the ownership of PAN Interactive, but ultimately closed in 2002.[citation needed]

21 April 2005 marked the re-launch of h2g2 Mobile, an edition of the guide produced for PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and mobile phones that could access the internet, so that people could read h2g2 entries while on the move.[13] This was done because people wanted h2g2 to be much like the Hitchhiker's Guide described in the books – a mobile, electronic device that anyone could read from anywhere.[11] An earlier incarnation of h2g2 Mobile was a WAP phone based version of h2g2. Announced at First Tuesday in London on 14 December 1999, it became the most trafficked WAP site in Europe until it was closed down by the BBC when it took over the site in January 2001. h2g2 Mobile was closed by the BBC as it then believed that its licence conditions did not allow it to deliver any service over a telephone system.[14]

The site was redesigned for the BBC by Aerian Studios in 2011,[15] bringing it in line with the general appearance of other BBC websites, while maintaining a degree of the site's old character.[16]

On 24 January 2011, the BBC announced cuts of 25% to its online budget, resulting in a £34 million less investment into the site. A number of sites were to be closed, including BBC Switch, BBC Blast and 6-0-6. As part of this exercise, the BBC chose to sell h2g2.[17] On 21 June 2011, it was announced the winning bid was a joint bid put together by three parties: Robbie Stamp, h2g2c2 ("The h2g2 Community Consortium"), and the owners of Lycos Chat (Brian Larholm and Alyson Larholm).[18] On 31 August 2011, it was announced h2g2 was sold to Not Panicking Ltd, a company founded by Robbie Stamp, Brian Larholm, and Alyson Larholm, as well as The h2g2 Community Consortium.[19]

On 3 October 2011, the BBC incarnation of h2g2 closed, leaving only an announcement reading "H2G2 has now left the BBC. The new owners of H2G2 are currently preparing the site for relaunch. Soon you will find The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything at www.h2g2.com"[20] The post-BBC version of the site went live on 16 October 2011.

Terms and conditions

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To contribute to the site it is necessary to register and to agree to the h2g2 "House Rules" and the general Not Panicking Ltd Terms and Conditions. Registered users are called Researchers. Researchers retain the copyright to their articles, but grant Not Panicking Ltd a non-exclusive licence to reproduce their work in all formats.

Software

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DNA

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Part of the software for h2g2 is known as DNA, after the initials of author and site founder Douglas Adams. The DNA technology was introduced a few months after the BBC takeover and is still used for BBC blogs, messageboards and commenting systems. Before that there was a technology which was written mostly in Perl. Adams was involved in the website in its early days.[21] His account name was DNA, and his user number was 42, a reference to the joke in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is 42. Adams's legacy is still felt on h2g2, though it is not a fan site.[2]

GuideML

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GuideML (Guide Markup Language) is a document markup language.

GuideML is an application of XML standards. It consists of a safe subset of XHTML with added tags for specific features of the software. The objective is to provide something that resembles HTML but is simpler to learn, and allows basic textual content to be formatted in a skinnable way. Early versions of the h2g2 software offered full HTML markup as an option, but this was removed for security reasons; thus only parts of HTML which are considered to exist in GuideML can now be used, with things such as JavaScript and externally hosted images being removed by the parser.[22]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ h2g2 is an initialism for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

References

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  1. ^ "Web watch; New favourites". Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). 7 May 2005. p. 5.
  2. ^ a b Jackson, Andrew (May 2009). "Web wonder". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 19. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Hitchhiker's Guide web site moves to BBC". Telecomworldwire. 23 February 2001.
  4. ^ a b Tomlinson, Heather (4 March 2001). "Hitchhiker's Website Goes Home To Auntie". Independent (UK). London. pp. 3 (Business section).[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "House Rules for h2g2". 28 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2015. – No Spitting. The lawyers wanted to know what rules we needed, and we said 'The usual ones, plus "No spitting" please.' So there you go: no spitting. Many thanks. Oh, and beware of the Leopard.
  6. ^ Hurrell, Nick (13 October 2000). "Nick Hurrell, the Chief Executive of M&C Saatchi and the Chairman of EMCSAATCHI, looks at the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Online". Campaign. pp. 14 (Private Surf section).
  7. ^ McMurray, Sandy (15 August 2001). "Sites for Beginners, Students and Clones". The Toronto Sun. pp. 53 (Connect section). – Another site, created by Douglas Adams, comes at the encyclopedia idea from a different, funnier angle.
  8. ^ "The Digital Village". www.tdv.com. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  9. ^ Rubin, Harriet (31 May 1998). "The Hitchhikers Guide to the New Economy". Fast Company.
  10. ^ "Douglas Adams’ (short and rather useless) Biography", douglasadams.eu. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b Turnbull, Giles (22 September 1999). "Sci-fi Guide Could Become Fact". Press Association.
  12. ^ Kelly, Matt (13 July 2000). "The Yell.com Awards 2000". The Mirror (UK). p. 14.
  13. ^ "h2g2 Mobile Information Centre". h2g2.com. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Life, the Universe and Everything Mobile". The Digital Village. 22 December 1999. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  15. ^ "H2G2 Refresh: design and technical challenges". 21 January 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011. – this week the refreshed version of the BBC's long running community site H2G2 was launched.
  16. ^ "Talking Point – h2g2 Redesign". 24 August 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2015. – As we've already mentioned we're now in the process of redesigning h2g2.
  17. ^ "BBC News – BBC to cut online budget by 25%". BBC Online. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  18. ^ Reynolds, Nick (21 June 2011). "Tuesday 21 June 2011: The future of H2G2 – the Successful Bid". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  19. ^ "Wednesday 31 June 2011: H2G2 Leaving The BBC Soon!". h2g2.com. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  20. ^ "BBC - H2G2". Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Douglas Adams 1952 – 2001". h2g2.com. 28 April 1999. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  22. ^ "H2g2 - an Introduction to GuideML". h2g2.com. 5 February 2003.

Further reading

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