"Notification of BBC H2G2 move" email - any clue, anyone?

[Nick Armstrong]

I just received the email copied below. I assume it relates to my old messageboard membership, and the BBC's abandonment of that particular brand of interactivity. But what the hell is a "H2G2" website???!!!


"Dear H2G2 User,

We are writing with some important information about your H2G2 account.

As you may know, the BBC intends to transfer ownership of the H2G2 website. The good news is the proposed new owner is the H2G2 Group chaired by Robbie Stamp, one of the original founders of H2G2 and a great friend of Douglas Adams. If you are happy for the BBC to pass on your email address to the new owner so they can invite you to re-join H2G2 after it has left the BBC, then please do absolutely nothing! The H2G2 Group will be in touch in due course.

However, if you do not want the BBC to pass on your email address please click this link. If we do not hear from you within 20 working days of the date we sent this email, we will assume that you would like to be contacted by the new owner.

Kind regards,

BBC Social Media"

[Roehre]

Good question.
I just received the same message,

[Stunsworth]

I received the same email. I think this is what is being referred to...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/

[Norfolk Born]

H2G2 is R2-D2's illegitimate cousin, contactable only by android 'phone.

[french frank]

The messageboard and H2G2 system were in some way connected. H2G2 = Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy was the wider Wiki-type site which you could have your corner on. I never used it.

The messageboards had 'dna' in their address which stood for Douglas Noel Adams. All very whimsical. I haven't yet had an email and am not sure whether this latest one might simply be to do with membership of the messageboards.

[salymap]

Sorry I started a new thread before I saw this one. I've had an email too and think it looks suspicious.

Will look for advice here.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

got the mail followed the link and cancelled ...

[salymap]

Yes, I've cancelled too. I've never used it before so why bother now.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks all.

What an incredibly dumb email to send, assuming everyone knows what their silly little acronyms mean. Reason enough to have no confidence whatever in anything to do with it.

[Norfolk Born]

Talking of spam and other dodgy stuff - beware of messages to the effect that (name of somebody you may or may not know) has sent you a message on ShoppyBag.

[scottycelt]

Sorry I started a new thread before I saw this one. I've had an email too and think it looks suspicious.

Will look for advice here.

Yes, quite understandably.

I deleted the silly thing after blocking the sending address in my filters in the hope (probably vain) that I won't get any more. Like Caliban I had no idea what the acronyms signified until I checked with my know-all friend, Mr Google.

I've always been a bit suspicious of an invitation to 'cancel' anything I know absolutely nothing about ...

[french frank]

I've cancelled, but the only thing I was involved in was my BBC 'ID' - which we all had to re-register a while back if we wanted to contribute to the blogs. I presume it's simply our email addresses that aren't being handed over - the BBC would have to ask permission to do that - and that we still have the IDs.

(And talking of privatisation, I didn't know BAA was Spanish-owned!)

[Mary Chambers]

My problem is that if I cancel I don't know what I will be cancelling. Is it important? if I cancel do I have to re-register with something or other? If I don't cancel, what happens? I'm baffled, along with many others, it seems.

[BBMmk2]

I was ratherr suspicious. Thought it may even be a virus!!

[Bryn]

Get Anna in here. She used to mess around on H2G2.