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

Apparently, when I have angel troubles I should ask an Archangel. So here I am. Hi.

I wanted to know what I'm supposed to be doing. I assumed helping out my guardees with minor issues and generally being nice to them, but is that right? If you take a look at who my guardees are/were you'll perhaps see why I need to ask the question. Both seemed to end up in lengthy arguments, and I want to know what I should have done.

Add a voice of support? Ignore the subject? Defend them to the opposition, even if I don't agree? Offer a quiet word in their ear? Arguments seem to develop so quickly, I don't go online anywhere near as often as some people do, so I don't notice until it's too late.

I just wanted to know your views. Generally I'm stumbling along, and at the moment they've both gone, so it's not an urgent question.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

I was lurking very quickly from w*rk one day, and saw this conversation, and thought 'I've got to answer that once I'm home' but then I worked late and went straight to bed that night...

...and next day it had already slipped into the second page of my conversations, and I forgot all about it until now!

...and I was the one to saint you!

*pulls herself together*

I'd say try not to get too involved - do not take sides, but try to stay neutral (easier said than done!) but remember that you're not a judge, and not a defence attorney...

...a quiet word in their ear sounds like a very good advice...

Generally, defending newcomers will only postpone any effect h2g2 might cause... they'll have to face and learn how to interact with the rest of the community sooner or later...

But never criticize a guardee - try telling them gently...

...and I think you should be very careful when joining discussions concerning h2g2 at other sites, because you might end up only hearing one side of the story...

By the way, I stumbled over these when checking late updated newcomers... do you think they're an attempt to come back?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U182353

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U183130

Thanks. Re post 4, I don't know. I've been away so I need to read an awful lot of backlogs before I could comment without being taken the wrong way by lurkers.

And I'm not 'involved' as such in the off-site debates, I just read. I don't indulge in dragging names through the mud on either side.

*sigh*

Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately, for me - I haven't had guardees that have been - uh - awkward? Don't know which expression to use, but anyway, I have no experience in trying to calm down heated discussions...

...but I'll be here, willing to listen if you want to talk... sometimes just trying to describe a problem to someone else helps you understand the problem better and even come up with the solution yourself!

Whoops. It seems to have taken me three months to say thankyou for that offer. Thankyou.

Do we angels have a christmas competition for who's got the worst track record? Because, considering recent events, I think I stand a pretty good chance of winning some sort of prize.

I guess you do...

...but I think we s prefer to remember the happy moments!

So I don't get a funny hat and a red nose?
If I'd have known that I might never have singed up to be an angel.

Yeah, there are lots of good moments. And I'm not overly depressed with all the bad ones. I was just hoping for some recognition for being terribly bad at my job . Over here that's something to be proud of...honourable failure.

Hmmm... I guess you could always try dressing up as a ...