Build an alarm for Trig

Okay, Well we're obviously new at all of this, so I'm not entirely sure how we should do all this yet, I guess we just see how things are go, and then try and build some "best practice" around how it all goes. For now, I'll try and put you in contact with someone who matches your times, unless one or the other party asks for the other person by name (so Mentors, you can ask too), and see how things go. Any suggestions of course are cheerfully welcomed. Agent c 22:50, March 17, 2012 (UTC)

Pairings

Matching times is, as you state, probably the best idea. Also, it would probably be helpful to match as best we can with the type of edits or areas of interest the new user is interested in. Say, someone whose interest is in weapons would be great to match with me, but someone whose interest in adding images might not be. We can all teach basic editing, but if we can match styles, we'll be more effective. The Gunny 23:09, March 17, 2012 (UTC)

Makes sense. If Mentors want to add their specialist subjects in here, I'll match as best I can. Agent c 23:16, March 17, 2012 (UTC)

Using Chat

I'm looking to experiment with using Chat as a part of the NUN stuff, particularly with lesser skilled users. If you can get both of you into chat, talk about the edits you're both making, how to what needs changing, what needs editing, what makes something good, bad, etc. Agent c 23:58, May 17, 2012 (UTC)

NUN Mentor Update - June

Hi Folks, I've pointed our mentors here for the first of what may be occasional updates. I do recommend following the page as I'm hoping to share best practice and other tips here on the talk page - and hope you'll share some too.

Matchmaking

I just want to give some insight into the pairing process. Its not just a matter of first in best dressed. When pairing I initially open with three questions to guide who I'm going to pair with:

• What times is the "mentee" likely to be on, and what timezone are they in.
• What games does the "Mentee" prefer
• Do they have any specialist subjects or needs?

I also take into account the following:

• Recent Edits - looking to see what the quality of these is, and what problems if any are immediately evident - is it a matter of writing to style, adding correct wikicode, etc.
• Talk page - who has the mentee interacted with, what was the content and tone of these messages and how are the participants likely to view each other afterwards
• If the Mentee is on now (and which mentors are on now)

Based off this, I then try to use the following criteria, more or less in this order.

• If someone needs the help of a "specialist", this almost always takes priority. If someone can write to our style guides and just needs wikicode help, I'll pair them with a wikicode specialist - especially if they seem to have an interest in working in this sort of stuff. Similar for other areas.
• I try to match based on continent and area next. There are multiple reasons, first and foremost is editing times are likely to match up. However there's also the possibility of similar culture, experiences, and for non English native folks, similar language - it hopefully gives you more in common and help you both communicate better.
• Matching games is a tertary consideration... If people have similar preferences for games, they're likely to edit in similar areas of the wiki and be able to offer better advice.
• Looking at talk page stuff works both ways. If someone has had a disagreement with someone, I'm inclined to pair with someone else for both peoples sake... Conversely if someone has already had a constructive experience with someone, why not pair them?
• If a mentee is on right now, I'll try (generally as long as it doesn't break the other rules) to match with someone on now. If things look desperate and someone is having real trouble (or headed for a ban), I'll break other rules to match.
• At the moment, the plan is to try and keep a 1:1 ratio, but when things start getting busy again, I'll review this.

I hope this explains why with some I've paired more potential mentees than with others.. Its not a criticism of you if you haven't been paired, or if someone else has had more potential pairs, just a matter of trying to use our resources in the best possible way, and find the right person for the job.

Post matchmaking

Once paired, you're more or less both left to your own devices. I do try to check in on both parties after a couple of weeks. If the mentee hasn't posted in a while I'll post a "Is everything OK" message to their talk, and if no response is coming after a few weeks I'll probably delete the pair from the project list and start looking for someone else for you.

I also try to check in on both sides - see if there's anything in particular that has helped that we can use elsewhere, and see how the mentee is coming along. Its not intended to be meddling, but me looking for ways to develop the programme so when things get successful we have the right tools to keep more editors.

I do encourage you all to try and be a bit hands on, review some of their edits, maybe talk about them in Chat, tell them what they're doing well, and suggest how they can improve the other stuff.

At the moment, its between both of you when the official programme ends, but as a general guide my thoughts are if someone has achieved patroller status, they probably don't need us anymore. But this isn't a hard and fast rule, and the official "Graduation" doesnt need to be the end of the relationship.

Mentee Recruitment

I know its frustrating when someone is paired only to disappear, or if you haven't been paired at all. In some ways, this is both the right time, and the wrong time for this project to kick off.

• Its the wrong time, in the sense that visitor and editor numbers are probably much lower than average as there is no excitement about a new or recent game. Finding folk, and keeping them interested in coming here is a hard task.
• However, its the right time, as this gives us the chance to find out what works, and what doesn't, so that when the good times appear we can keep the next generation of editors.
  

I'm sorry if you haven't had the chance to work with someone, or if the person you've been paired with hasn't come back - sadly that's the nature of a wiki in that people can drift in and out at any time. However, we do have a graduate who is promsing to go on and do some great things, and a second coming very soon. A couple of editors here I think have been encouraged to stick around even if they're not quite ready to edit.

What you'll probably see from me is some more "proactive" promotion of the programme. If I see someone having some problems with reverts, I'll send em a nice friendly message suggesting we can help. If you see someone struggling, I hope you all do the same.

Blitzes

One last thing now I think of it. Wondering if folks think it might be worthwhile trying to arrange a blitz. I know theres a few non official NUN "new users" who are interested in them - Happylice comes to mind as one. They act as an opportunity for people to get real time help with edits, and the many-hands principle also comes into play. Agent c 23:13, June 6, 2012 (UTC)

Well that's about it from me, if anyone has any suggestions, tips or questions, feel free to post em below and we'll see what we can do. Agent c 21:30, June 6, 2012 (UTC)

Comments

I think you've been spot on so far with your procedures. I wouldn't suggest anything different. I'm more than happy to help with some messages. I can probably modify the notice template easy enough for that, maybe even add it to the notice template. (that is when Ghost finishes correcting my mistakes:P). The Gunny 22:14, June 6, 2012 (UTC)

I agree fully with Gunny, everything's been going quite smoothly with your coordination of the NUN. --Skire (talk) 22:47, June 6, 2012 (UTC)

I have noticed an amount of users who join the NUN for one or two days, then lose interest and are never seen again. It is a bit of a disappointment, especially considering the success of the first mentee, Crimson Frankie. A perfect recent example is Arahant, who quit as soon as they were paired. There's really not much that can be done about it, but I think the best thing for a mentor to do is develop a friendship with their mentee, or introduce them to like-minded users. Friends on the wiki will give them more motivation to return.
As for Gunny's point about a message, I'm going to have to disagree. Although it would be neater and look nicer, it's also a lot more impersonal. For all they know a computer could have sent that, and they wouldn't have any obligation to respond. I think a personal message from Chad is much more welcoming and something that new users would feel more comfortable responding to. I personally wouldn't bother responding if I got a generic automated message show up on my talk page. Adding the NUN to the welcome template will suffice in my humble opinion. 00:17, June 7, 2012 (UTC)