It's shocking but it's true. h2g2 site launched on 28 April, 1999 and so is ten years old today.
Since the most important element of this site is not its pixels or its software, but its incredible, unique Community, we'd like to wish you (us!) all Happy Birthday!
That very month, Douglas Adams announced his vision for the site, in which he managed to anticipate collaborative online encyclopedias:
I did have the inkling of an idea that a collaborative guide, one that was written and kept up to date by the people who used it, in real time, might be a neat idea.
and so-called 'Web 2.0 Principles':
We're gradually beginning to get some tiny, tiny inkling of how powerful a networked community sharing information really could become.
It was quite a prediction in a pre-Wikipedia, pre-Facebook age. h2g2 hasn't always had the resources necessary to be at the cutting edge of the technology it pioneered all those years ago, but its Community remains as strong as ever and the number of Edited Guide Entries grows daily.
In a recent thread, we asked you what you think h2g2 does well and we're still getting interesting responses. From:
Share. Ideas, opinions, caring, knowledge, grief.
To...
It attracts loose screws like a magnet.
Whether good or bad, it's quite clear that a lot of you regard h2g2 as still a pretty unique place. We are inclined to agree, so - here's to the next decade! Still, before we launch into the future, this week's unshamedly nostalgic Talking Point is all about reminiscences. We want you to take some time and ask you what impact, if any, h2g2 has had on your life. We're asking:
What's been your most memorable moment on h2g2?
What's the funniest thing you've read on h2g2?
Who or what have you been most touched by?
Has h2g2 affected your life?
If so, in what ways? Have the changes been positive or negative?
Have you met many friends on h2g2? Do they still use the site?
If not, which characters do you remember most vividly and miss most strongly?
How long have you been using h2g2?
If you're a long-time user, why do you still visit h2g2?
Did you think you'd be using the site in 2009?
Do you think you'll be using the site in 2019?
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