h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Tips on Anger Management - A1067852
Author: Danny B. [Ding dong merrily at the Musicians' Guild (U150368)] - U182633

Another old-style 'collaborative Entry of the week'

Looking good, Danny!

(One small typo near the end;

excellant > excellent

and a few places where full stops/periods are needed.)

At the beginning, there is a large amount of unattributed quotation, all in italics, making it hard to read. The quotes are also all in the first person, which is supposed to be unsuitable for the Guide. So then I stopped reading.

Obviously, you will not be angered by this.

Have you come across collaborative entries before, OH? The quotes come from the researchers listed at the side. It's OK for the quotes to contain first person stuff.

The 'unattributed quotes' at the beginning are a poem by William Blake, as it says.

And I'd only be angered if I thought you were right

Hello all.

ZSF: the writing guidelines are:-
"12. Avoid Writing in the First Person

Because h2g2 is a collaborative guide, we may add in comments and material from other Researchers, and we'll credit them. Having an entry in the first person wouldn't make sense with a number of authors credited, so please write in the third person."

So although I have not commented on collaborative entries before, I have excellent reason to object to the extensive use of the first person. If the multiple quotes are parts from different contributors, that just makes matters worse, as the first person is never the same person. Just what the guidelines warn against.

Correct me if I'm wrong, OH, but aren't the first person statements in the quotations and not in the body of the entry? If so, this is acceptable.

Indeed they are. Precisely what the guidelines warn against.

Quotes are allowed to be in the first person - see my entry on Volunteering in the Commonwealth Games for proof - it's nearly all first person quote! Or see any other collaborative entry - there are links to quite a few from my personal space.

Arguing here about the Guidelines will not help the entry. (I will add this to my growing list of grumbles about those Guidelines though.)

The gist of posting 3 remains true - lots of italics are harder to read, and the first persons quotes are unattributed. Now I'll go away and read the whole thing.

I suppose the distinction is between the 'first person' speaking as the 'writer' of an Entry, and first-person testimony within an Entry.

If I write an Entry on, say, a television programme, in the body of which I make comments such as "I watched this last night" and "I think this is great", then there is a potential issue for a new author to drop in information on a new series, when they may not have watched it 'last night' or, indeed, think it 'great'.

This is why, in a collaborative Entry with details of personal experience, the first-person text is contained in BLOCKQUOTE form. The body text, linking the testimonies, is written impartially, in the third person. Then, extra information can be added at a later date. If it's factual information, it goes in as third person. If it's additional personal information or experience, it goes in as a first-person quote.

Imagine if I want to write about Raymond Chandler and include some illustrative quotes. A complete ban on writing first person references would preclude a substantial part of his output!

This is similar, but instead of attributing the originator of the quote in the text (as with William Blake - the poem is first person as well...), they're added as an additional Researcher.

Maybe the writing guidelines need to be expanded to cover this..?

But cf.

Guitar-related injuries (A1124632)
Organising a surprise party (A1920502)
Colour-blindness (A883523)

And many, many more

Simulpost there, OH, but I hope you agree (or at least, can see my point!)

In the meantime, I've corrected the typo (thanks ZSF ) and moved the poem to the end, where it's a little less obtrusive.

At some point, I shall read it through for things like full-stops, extra typos and so forth, but feel free to point them out and make my life easier...

If personal quotes are used in short-ish statements to back up or demonstrate a point being mentioned in the article, then they can actually enhance an entry, and add value of a 'real life' experience of that point. Particularly if the entry is an emotion based one as opposed to a historical report of something.

(However a whole article based around personal experiences would be a bit much for the EG)

Just my

"(However a whole article based around personal experiences would be a bit much for the EG)"

Not necessarily, Mort:

A531848 My Experience of Cancer
A169652 Driving from Bristol to Dresden in a Citroën DS23 EFI - a Personal Perspective

Whether these types of Entries would be accepted any more is another question, but there is a precedent for personal experiences as Entries.

sorry - I shoulkd have been clearer - a personal story is ok, but i think using many seperate quotes collated to form an article that is bound together with only a small amount of narrative is pushing it!

not explaining myself well! I am off to buy some

I see what you mean!

So are you saying this article is or isn't OK on that score?

And I think I've got all the full stops now, but please let me know otherwise..!

I was actually saying that I thought it was good and is enhanced by quotes that back it up

Thanks, Mort! Enjoy the

A765605 Mindfulness is quite a good article you may consider linking to, as you touch on the idea of it. i know it seems a bit 'arty farty', but it is a good technique for reducing stress and anger when you are in situations that you can't deal with immediately. Maybe a situation at work, using these techniques can help reduce your anger so you can think clearly and then respond in a more constructive way.

I use it alot. When I blow, the roof comes off! and it has worked with me, and stopped me saying things in anger that I would later regret. (not all the time - but alot of the time!)

Anger is often classed as a "secondary emotion", the "primary emotion" being ones like frustration, inadequacy, failure, vulnerability, fear, lack of control of situations, weakness, etc. Which are almost immediately translated into an agressive emotion such as anger as a self defence mechanism.

For instance, the road rage anger could be about a lack of control in a situation or a feeling of humiliation borne from a history of vulnerability. So being angry is a way to be on the offense rather than the defense. Mmm starting to sound like psycho-babble now

But self soothing techniques can help with the anger that you carry around with you. The other things you have described are great for managing the immediate anger and dealing with situations there and then.

Best way I found to deal with my anger is to stop and think what I am angry about and then back track to the primary emotion. I used to hit the roof when my parents visited and put the salt pot on top of the fridge. A silly little thing, but i would be so angry for hours about it.That is where they put it in their house. In my house it goes in the cupboard. After living away from home for 16 years, I realised that the reason I got so angry about it was because i had lost my independance and had no control, when I am used to being an adult, i suddenly became a person with no opinion that counted. Once I work that out then I stop being angry and laugh at it.

Anger is a very complicated emotion that I appreciate you are only touching on here.

I felt a sudden need to 'share' - therapy sessions are about £30 an hour so I think I owe you £15

Mort