Thread: No more green dits. Say hello to our mentors

First, +1m on what Bruno said.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

I think the Mentor labels are unnecessary. Just like the "Caution! Hot!" labels on coffee cups.

Incidentally, we do not have those labels in Germany. We do have badge systems in our forums. Simply because it is not always easy to identify a potential source of help.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

If anything, message boards are a hive of knowledge, with a library of old posts anyone can search out and read. All the labels say are, "The sweetest knowledge is here!"

I think you may be jumping to conclusions, based on assumptions I personally do not share. Please let us keep in mind that shaving with a straight razor is an acquired skill, and parts of it are either an art or arcane magic, depending on which school of shaving thought you subscribe to.

Now then, a beginner typically is confronted with a number of problems that you and other experienced shavers know only too well: Which razor? What grind? Hones? And if so, which? Will my cat die if I use canned foam? Will the sun never rise again if I use a Shavette? All that jazz.

I like analogies. Replace "shaving" in the above paragraph with "driving", or "fishing". Will you be able to give definitive answers for people from all over the world, with varying budgets, appetites for risk, and levels of devotion? I doubt it. Will you be able to even formulate meaningful questions? I doubt that, too, unless you spend a long time lurking before you post. Which is not what SRP is about. SRP is a forum that takes pride in being more forgiving towards inexperienced users, and it has worked extremely well so far (I still cringe when reading some of the utterly stupid questions I asked in the archive).

However, that approach might take its toll once the userbase has grown above a level where there are enough "coaches" for "newbies". It may not happen next week, or even next year. But without some form of mentoring system in place, it is bound to happen. I find it interesting that the criticism of the new system seems to be focussing on "why him, and not me?". As Bruno has stated clearly: The system has just been put into place, and we cannot but wait and see if it works as intended. If it does, and I have no reason to believe it should not, there will be additions to the mentor group as circumstances require. Personally, I would not mind having 5 mentors for the Wiki, but the demand is - unfortunately, I would like to add - not there yet.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

It's kind of insulting to just about everyone, actually. It implies new members are too dumb to take a three or four minute look around the forum to see which members are prolific in their posting, and it kind of implies that anyone who doesn't have a Mentor badge will might snub your PM's or something.

I am at a loss as to why you come to this conclusion. First, not finding relevant material in the forum has little to do with dumbness, unless you mean the forum search engine, which is a bit on the dumb side. Second, given the many variables involved in most, if not all, aspects of straight shaving, a few minutes will simply not suffice to identify a trustable source of information. And even if, you would third have to pick up the courage to actually contact that person. As I said, we have done a lot of hands on mentoring in the Chat, but the system is not for everyone, it does have technical shortcomings, and we are not always active all the time.

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

None of us are real people - this is the internet!

All of us are real people, with the possible exception of some shoe manufacturers, and vendors of lifestyle drugs for the ageing gentleman. SRP is unlike many other forums inasmuch as it pays maximum attention to gentlemanly behaviour, and respect for other members, their contributions, and achievements. Forgetting that on the other end of the screen is a human might not be the best of ideas in this context.

I'm too new to this forum to have any real opinion on the merits, or otherwise of the new system versus the old system. So far, with one exception, everyone here has been very helpful and very nice to me.

I'm only posting as BeBerlin said he liked analogies and one occured to me the other day. This new hobby of mine is like cooking, there all kinds of different recipes, equipment and methods and the people here are all chefs experimenting in the kitchen. Just because one recipe, with one set of ingredients and equipment in one kitchen produces great results for most palates, it doesn't mean it's the right option for everyone. We all have different tastes and will favour different results.

Just reading about the different results from different finishing stones, or different pastes makes me wonder how BeBerlin and the other guys have managed to produce something as helpful as the Wiki! Whenever I think of it I get an image of those guys who used to spin plates on the top of thin poles, desperately running from pole to pole to keep them all spinning.

Although I'll always take notice of a Mentor post, it doesn't mean their advice is going to be the advice I follow automatically. I haven't seen a badge on gregs656, but his advice has been very helpful to me and I'll take notice of his posts regardless of his status.

How about some labels for those of us who are vendors?

I really do think it is wonderful that we have a dedicated place for advertising our services and products (and I thank SRP for that!), but I think a tag for vendors could help newcomers find what they needed faster, and also a place to direct specific questions they may since, as vendors, we do have intimate knowledge of our products and services. Also, it could help bring new members to the SRP when people Google the company/proprietor's name.

I think I speak for all of us who own or have our own businesses that we are here to contribute to the SRP, and wouldn't take advantage of new members in the regular forums by telling every one of them that all the best products are here. (In good taste, I purposely didn't link it to my own website)

Just a thought....

Well, I got in late on this conversation, but just to say that I'm really thankful to have gotten rid of the reputation system, and think that a mentorship designation and/or program is absolutely the best idea I've heard in quite a long time.

Way to go, SRP mods!

Mark

About Doc and I having both mod and sm badges...
Currently, I am in the mod and supermod groups, hence the 2 badges. Same for doc.

I am not 100% certain that supermod group perfectly overlaps mod. This is something I have to figure out first. Until that time, Doc and I will have 2 badges.

Of course, instead of going to sleep at 1 AM this morning after working on the site for most of the night, evening and the after noon, I could have spent another hour and sort that all out as well.
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Bruno -- ditch the Supermod badge and make yourself a SuperGrover one instead!

Sounds like: BADGE = HEADACHE

Thanks to all who agree to do it, weather the storm and the seas will calm in time.

Originally Posted by aroliver59

Sounds like: BADGE = HEADACHE

Thanks to all who agree to do it, weather the storm and the seas will calm in time.

Tell you the truth I take my hat off to the mods. I am not blowing smoke or looking for brownie points when I say that. I was invited to accept the mentor badge and I accepted with a certain amount of gratitude at the recognition of being asked.

I've never been asked to be a mod. If I was asked I would have to decline. The responsibility (I think ) that a moderator has in constantly being on the forum and being a referee as it were. In making decisions that affect the group as individuals and as a whole is more than I would want to take on.

So I don't always agree with them but this is SRP and not "As Jimmy Sees It" so a salute to the guys who stay up late and go to sleep looking at our forum and wake up to it in the morning.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Just a suggestion..... If I make a post in the stropping forum or the shaving forum I do not believe that my mentor badge should be shown. Those are not my strong points and I believe that the Mentor badge might give my post more credence than it deserves. My strong suit is in honing, I would be more comfortable with Mentor badge being displayed in the honing forums and in the Newbies forum but nowhere else.

If I may make a suggestion... Randy has a good point. One easy solution is in the "custom title" field, where it usually says "Senior Member" the mentor can just substitute the particular field he is most comfortable with. Like Randy has placed "Razors and Rocks."

Originally Posted by RayG

If I may make a suggestion... Randy has a good point. One easy solution is in the "custom title" field, where it usually says "Senior Member" the mentor can just substitute the particular field he is most comfortable with. Like Randy has placed "Razors and Rocks."

Hmmmmm guess there is a reason why they call you the "Ray the Theme Man G"