New subject: Forget mentoring systems, we need a web of trust

30 Jun 2004

In response to Denni and Christopher,

I have been in my company's mentoring program for over two years,
providing guidance to high school students at LaGuardia High School,
which prepares public high school students for professional careers in
dance, music or drama (the movie and TV series Fame both dramatized
student life there).

Now in it's 14th year, it is the longest running and most successful of
my company's volunteer programs.

The key is sponsorship and organization.

First of all, New York City _has_ a mentoring program for its schools.
There are mentoring coordinators both at my company, and at the local
high school. We organizers all meet each other at least three times a
year.

At Wikipedia, I used to follow newbies around and offer them help, but
then I got swept up in Jimbo's proposal to have a Mediation Committee
and an Arbitration Committee. I agreed to serve as a mediator, both on
the official (appointed) committee and later in Alex's grassroots
(elected) Member Advocate project.

These things didn't bear much fruit, because they are "courts of last
resort". Advocacy, mediation, arbitration -- these are all legal
mechanisms by which we turn the gears of justice.

Wouldn't it be better to plant seeds? And water them? And give them
sunlight and fresh air? (That is, guidance and praise and
encouragement?)

My response to the Six Month Experiment of having committees is that it
takes a lot of the work load off of Jimbo's shoulders and that it
performs a necessary task rather well. But it is not sufficient, in and
of itself, to provide the nurturing and nourishment needed for Wikipedia
to grow to full flower. 

We need something more, like a Mentoring System.

Ed Poor, aka Uncle Ed

Mentoring system (was: Some Restrictions May Apply)