Peer Review | Edited Guide Writing Workshop | Alternative Writing Workshop
Flea Market | Update Forum

The Flea Market is where Entries from other Review Forums are moved to if the author 'Elvises' (leaves the building), or abandons their Entry for some other reason¹.

For authors looking for inspiration, the Flea Market also offers a place where they can pick up discarded Entries, give them a polish, and try to get them into the Edited Guide as Collaborative Entries. Think of it like a home for lost Guide Entries, each one whimpering in a cage, dreaming of the day a budding Researcher will come along and give it a loving home. Aww...

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Anyone can submit an Entry to the Flea Market from the wider h2g2 world, but only if it's deemed appropriate by the author², or if the Entry has been submitted to another Review Forum. It is the task of the Scouts to officially nominate an Entry for withdrawal from that forum into the Flea Market, but anyone else can suggest it. With two or more nominations, the Italics will wave their magic wand, and voila, the Entry will vanish from that Forum and appear in the Flea Market (an automated message will appear on the author's Personal Space to let them know).

Please don't submit any Entries to the Flea Market if you either plan on them being selected for the Edited Guide as written, or if you don't have permission from the author! The Flea Market is only for Entries that have been in Review Forums like Peer Review or the Edited Guide Writing Workshop, but which have ground to a halt because the author is no longer around.

How You Can Help These Lost and Lonely Guide Entries

If you spot an Entry here in the Flea Market that you'd like to take on and finish off yourself, then here's how to do it:

• Post to the relevant Conversation thread below, saying that you'd like to take that Entry under your wing.
• Visit the existing Entry, and using the Test URL³ copy the GuideML for that Entry.
• Create a new Entry⁴, and paste in the GuideML from the Entry you copied. Ensure the GuideML choice is selected (you may have to click on the 'Change Style' button) when creating your new Entry.
• Make sure you add the original author as a Researcher on your copy, using the 'Edit the Researcher List' section of the Guide Entry Editor. Every Researcher has an U-number, and you simply need to type that number into the 'Researcher List' section when creating your New Entry. Do remember, though, to click on the 'Set Researchers' button!
• Also visit the Personal Space of the original author and post a polite message there saying that you found their Entry in the Flea Market and would very much like to finish it off for them⁵. Ask them to drop you a line should they return to h2g2.
• Post a link to your copy of the Entry in the relevant Flea Market Conversation thread below, and invite any comments.
• When you think the new Entry is ready for the Edited Guide, you can put it into Peer Review by clicking on the 'Submit for Review' hot link, selecting the Peer Review forum and providing links to the original Entry and any other Peer Review threads. Ensure you also leave a note on the Flea Market thread concerning the rescued Entry, along with the A-number of your rescue and a link to the new Peer Review thread⁶.

From Peer Review the new and improved Rescued Entry will hopefully be selected for inclusion into the Edited Guide!⁷ If you successfully rescue an Entry from the Flea Market, your name will be added to the Hall of Scavengers, but rescue five (or more) Entries and you'll earn yourself the honoured title of an Official h2g2 Scavenger - with a badge for your Personal Space. That's incentive enough isn't it?

Still Looking for Inspiration?

If you're looking for inspiration for your next Edited Guide Entry, but can't find anything suitable to take under your wing in the Flea Market, you might like to check out the following:

• Challenge h2g2
• Previous Talking Points
• Previous Topics of the Week

---

¹ By 'Elvising', we mean not posting to h2g2 for a good long time, a couple of months is the general rule of thumb. You could consider it more going for a long walk round the building with the firm intention of returning, but getting distracted by what's Outside the Building.
² If they've 'Elvised' it's fair game though!
³ If you want to get to the GuideML for Entry Axxxxxx, then go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/Testxxxxxx where you will be able to select and copy the GuideML to your local machine.
⁴ Use the 'Write an Entry' hotlink.
⁵ An automated message will appear on any Researcher's Personal Space if one of their Entries is submitted to the Flea Market. This Conversation thread is a great place to add a message about adopting someone's Entry.
⁶ This helps the Scouts when they are tidying up the Flea Market Forum.
⁷ Remember though, it will still be reviewed, so be prepared to make changes...