# The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - invented by Web xxxxxx ??? Did I imagine this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022 "2004-12-09T23:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/1 "2004-12-09T23:09:42Z")
I’m sure I remember one of the _Hitchhiker’s Guide_ books mentioning that the _Guide_ had first been created by a being named Web [something]. Web Garqulon, or one of those Douglas Adams-type names. I remember thinking “That’s quite weird, 'cos the HHGTTG is kind of like the web, in a font-of-all-worthwhile-(and-worthless)-knowledge kind of way”. Douglas Adams foretold this in, what, 1980 or so. But since trying to verify this bit of trivia, I have been unable to find it repeated anywhere. Plus, I no longer have the books. It was only a throwaway line, as I recall, but still - surely _someone_ must have noted it? I can only conclude that I must have imagined the whole thing — unless YOU know better? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/2 "2004-12-09T23:23:53Z")
I don’t have the book handy, so I can’t confirm or deny your recollection…but… The World Wide Web is a late-80s creation (although the internet itself is much older). So not a chance. _However_, the word ‘web’ was presumably in common usage in techie environments long before then, because it so aptly describes how computers were being connected to one another. It’s not inconceivable that Douglas Adams picked up on this somehow. But without some decent evidence, it’s fanciful speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Aagramn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Aagramn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aagramn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/3 "2004-12-10T00:50:09Z")
I have the books, so I might have a quick flick through for this. From memory, I think ‘The Restaurant at the End of the Universe’ talks about the origins of the guide. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/4 "2004-12-10T00:53:24Z")
The relevant bits: > [@"Life](#): > > The history of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of idealism, struggle, despair, passion, success, failure, and enormously long lunch-breaks. > > The earliest origins of the Guide are now, along with most of its financial records, lost in the mists of time. > > For other, and more curious theories about where they are lost, see below. > > Most of the surviving stories, however, speak of a founding editor called Hurling Frootmig. > > Hurling Frootmig, it is said, founded the Guide, established its fundamental principles of honesty and idealism, and went bust. > > … > > Shortly after this, the Guide was taken over by Megadodo Publications of Ursa Minor Beta, thus putting the whole thing on a very sound financial footing, and allowing the fourth editor, Lig Lury Jr, to embark on lunch-breaks of such breathtaking scope that even the efforts of recent editors, who have started undertaking sponsored lunch-breaks for charity, seem like mere sandwiches in comparison. Hope I haven’t quoted too much, mods. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/5 "2004-12-10T00:57:42Z")
Even if you had remembered the name accurately, Web is a common nickname for Webster, which means weaver and also comes in variations like Webb and Weber. Lots of people were named Web before the Web came along. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/6 "2004-12-10T01:20:28Z")
Off the top of my head, I seem to recall Ford Prefect updating his guide entries over the sub-etha web, or sub-etha net…is this in the ballpark of what you were thinking about? I also want to say this is mentioned somewhere in the first three or four books, which would put all this no later than 1984. Anyone with a handy copy of the book that could confirm my somewhat haphazard memory? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/7 "2004-12-10T01:37:02Z")
I know Ford used a sub-etha Sens-O-Matic to get information and to look for passing ships to hitch a ride. The Guide’s founding editor was Hurling Frootmig. From Chapter 19 of _Life, the Universe, and Everything_: > [@](#): > > Hurling Frootmig, it is said, founded the Guide, established its fundamental principles or honesty and idealism, and went bust. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/8 "2004-12-10T01:38:08Z")
Aw geez, when will i learn to preview? :smack: So sorry, **drewbert**! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/9 "2004-12-10T03:16:47Z")
Hurling Frootmig. Even the names in this book make me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/10 "2004-12-10T04:29:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Hurling Frootmig. Even the names in this book make me laugh. Gag Halfrunt and Wonko The Sane were the two that always cracked me up… ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/11 "2004-12-10T04:39:15Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Gag Halfrunt and Wonko The Sane were the two that always cracked me up… You can’t beat Slartibartfast. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/12 "2004-12-10T10:47:11Z")
Thanks for digging up those quotes. I obviously imagined it. (By the way, I only ever saw it as a neat coincidence - I wasn’t trying to attach too much significance to it) > [@](#): > > Off the top of my head, I seem to recall Ford Prefect updating his guide entries over the sub-etha web, or sub-etha net…is this in the ballpark of what you were thinking about? No, I knew about this, and that’s not what I meant. I do wonder, though, which came first - Ethernet or Sub-Etha? Not that that really proves anything, as “transmitting across the ether” as a pretty standard concept long before either of them… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/13 "2004-12-10T18:00:26Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > You can’t beat Slartibartfast. Well, actually you can. In fact, every other name you can think of is better than “Slartibartfast.” “I’m sorry.” Arthur Dent on hearing the name for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-invented-by-web-xxxxxx-did-i-imagine-this/279022/14 "2005-01-19T02:36:21Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Gag Halfrunt and Wonko The Sane were the two that always cracked me up… Why thank you! I’ve always liked “Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged”, and “Prak”