Now that we've had UR conversations available in the production editor for a while, we've all had the chance to get used to the system - and to encounter some of the problems that may arise.

The UK Country Administrators have been discussing the issue for a while and we've also been prompted by discussions like this one, so we have produced a set of guidelines for dealing with URs and conversations and added it to the UK Wiki:

• UR Guidelines Wiki Page

To summarise the main principles we have tried to set out:

• The priority is providing an appropriate solution to the reporter
• URs should not be closed by inexperienced editors just because they're not sure how to deal with them
• Conversations should be used in a polite and cooperative manner
• URs should be closed after a reasonable period - even if they can't be satisfactorily resolved
• A message should always be provided when closing a UR

Although not covered by the guidelines, I'll also mention "old" URs. I periodically sweep the entire country for URs over 30 days old and do my best to deal with them. Generally, these appear in remote areas, where there may be no nearby AMs or editors. So, hopefully, no reporter should go without an answer for too long. I am currently somewhat behind with this, as a large backlog of URs from around 2 months ago has recently appeared all at once.

See also these tips on managing URs in your area