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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:30 am

Just noticed this curious icon Mortar

below, on my sig line... along with other member's sig lines...

Awarded for tutelage of proteges/mentees perhaps?

Any other ideas folks?

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:48 am

Correct - We have a few extra little icon we will be showing you all very soon. Cherrie has kept the records of every person you've helped. Every mentee that is. I personally will be removing the number from mine as it will be a badge of honour rather than a competition on who has done more, type of thing.

We're currently working through the specifics of what each new icon means and how they can be attained.

Thumbs up

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:02 am

Awe, touch me! Cool

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:03 am

I like mine! Thank you! Only, now I can't add any flags without shortening my little safari homilies....

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:09 am

...not that I am complaining!

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:32 am

And I thought I'd never earn an icon. Wait, doesn't a monument of faith count as a pyramid? Oh never mind, I have a pith helmet. I must be Dr. Livingstone, carry on.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:23 am

lotta's sig wrote:

x155

Cherrie's sig wrote:

x153

Oh my... I am such a lazy git. How do you two get your normal 10 (12 on Sundays) hours of sleep every night Shocked

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:26 pm

Sleep???? Oh yes...I vaguely remember doing that at one time Laughing

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:42 pm

That's what you get when you keep your siggy lines clean, no bums no ponies or pyramids and now I have that strange thingy there, people might even think I know something now Laughing

While here and all mentors dropping by to see what happens a question.
I can teach people how to be a straight staller/baiter, but I never really felt the urge to kill a site, get a tattoo or do a Safari, but I don't want to hold back my new friends from that, we use the eater University for that? And tell them to do some self study? Or do we have mentors here that would love to show them the ropes on a special subject?
Hey it's Sunday morning, 8 am, brain hasn't kicked in yet, but let me know what you think (you = anyone with an opinion not only mentors)
Yes Mods, please move or split as needed.
Thanks

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:53 pm

Bill, I find that most of the students I've had only needed help to get the ball rolling, so some of the usual questions with regards to IPs, scripts etc were dealt with by PM. I know they are stickied, but how many people read all of the stickies? I think that stops the help forum getting too clogged up with so called "daft" questions, and maybe the one-on-one factor encourages some students to ask questions they'd be afraid to in public. You're right that for some, self study should be the way ahead, but I also think it gives some people a warm fuzzy feeling to know that there's someone there to guide them one on one.
Strangely, my best student became an awesome cheque baiter even though I've never recieved a cheque in all my life. (Funnily enough, my Mentor was himself a cheque man!). He dissapeared only a few months into his very prolific cheque career though, having several dozen scam cheques in his posession, so to use the American vernacular, go figure.

I'm never going to get someone their first Safari off the bat, and indeed many students just don't stick around for more than a week or 2, but hey, if people want a mentor to guide them through the early stages, and there are people happy to do it, then why not?

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:36 pm

Good point, Thanks.
Guess I'm too new a mentor to conclude so fast, but I see these young kids get amazing results in a way I could never teach them and started wondering.

Edit: young kids = new enthusiastic members

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18313

Most members here don't know it all. There's a lot to know. We often have our areas of specialty. One of qualities of being a good teacher is to know what you don't know and how to point your student in the direction for them to find out. Wink

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:51 pm

bill2 wrote:

I see these young kids get amazing results in a way I could never teach them....

Murry Guru was talking about this in the last couple of days, and what he said rang true with me. He said something along the lines of "luck has a lot to do with mentoring". The right student will shine anyway, he or she just needs the basics and the interest, plus a mentor who is at least dedicated, and it'll come good.
Some of the best baiters here have never mentored (or haven't done much) as their baiting is so complex it takes up most of their time. On the other hand, I'll never be a Jojo, Prof, Gomer etc, but I have the time to take some new guys through the basics, so I do.

Remember, you're not here to teach them to Safari or trophy bait Bill... they have to do that themselves. You just arm them with some of the basic tools and techniques. I try to be honest about that right up front with my students, telling them what I can, and more importantly can't do for them.
I know I'm referring to him again, but my cheque baiter mentioned 2 posts ago was a good example. I've never cheque baited really, I just told him the basics of straight baiting, he decided he wanted to try that modality to grab cheques, so off he went, and very nicely he did too.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:54 pm

Ok so I think my question in the mentor thread got lost.
We'd like to set up some kind of mentorship also in our fench-speaking community, but I must confess I'm not much like a professor so I would not know what to do. We've got stickies and all so my question is really what does exactly a mentor do? Does he read all his mentee's mail before sending?
So PM please if you feel like teaching me how to be a mentor Wink

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:07 pm

NEW SIG ICONS!!!

GET THEM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!

bertrand79 wrote:

We've got stickies and all so my question is really what does exactly a mentor do? Does he read all his mentee's mail before sending?

Mentors help members through their first bait. Gives them advice, helps with responses, finding resources on the forums, answers all the questions most people are too lazy to read themselves, maybe share a joint email account so both can see what the other is doing, moral support, getting extra lads, forms, phone setup... until the new member feels confident and experienced enough to make it on their own.

When I finished with a mentee I usually have a quiet cry as I pat them on the head and send them out in the world.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:11 pm

bertrand79 wrote:

We've got stickies and all so my question is really what does exactly a mentor do? Does he read all his mentee's mail before sending?
So PM please if you feel like teaching me how to be a mentor Wink

Bertrand, I'll be happy to explain it to you. It's really more to do with what a student wants.... if they feel they need their emails checking, you can do that if you like, but I try not to. It takes a lot of time if you do that.
I can send you a PM if you like, outlining my ideas on it. It's not a complex thing really.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:16 pm

I think the main thing when mentoring is knowing where to find the information when needed. The newcomers haven't yet developed the strong camaraderie that exsists between us 'old salts' and are reluctant to use the PM system as we are. After all they are new...they don't know who specialises in what. What they don't realise is how much work is done using the PM system.

Having said that...it doesn't take them long, so they find their feet and walk away from the mentor most of the time. (The 'newbie' disappearence rate is horrendous.)

It would be nice occasionally for a 'newbie' to at least thank his mentor before going 'walkabout' It's the same feeling as getting dropped by a lad...sort of leaves the mentor wondering what he/she has done wrong.

I am so busy most of the time working behind the scenes, that I don't really get time to thank each of the mentors personally. Just a quick "Cheers and a Wink

"

For that " Cheers and a Wink

" you have all worked extreamly hard...all 265 of you...and I will thank you now whilst I've got the chance.

Just for interest sake 2,987 newbies have passed through our hands so far. So to all mentors...well done. Wear your new hats with pride Wink

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:16 pm

@bertrand79
Mugatu sums it up pretty good I think, read his two messages above^^.
As I thought it's just to get them going safe and with some confidence in their abilities as a baiter. The rest they can read in the forum as needed and their interest goes and we always answer any questions they might have. (Yes I'm a PW, but working it in to a more positive feature as a mentor I hope Rolling Eyes

)
Until now I only had basic questions and I have not read their emails, hey I'm lazy too Laughing

French mentoring? There will be a big need for that so I guess any help in that direction will be highly appreciated by staff and members here.
Thanks for the offer, report to the thread and they will appoint you your new pupils as they come in.
The 419eater not only International, but also multilingual, a good thing to get the word out there.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:01 pm

bill2 wrote:

Mugatu sums it up pretty good I think, read his two messages above^^.

Read that. Yes it makes more sens. Thanks Nurse Nasty, Mugatu, Cherrie and bill2. I guess I will have to try and see what happens Wink

Quote:

French mentoring? There will be a big need for that so I guess any help in that direction will be highly appreciated by staff and members here.
Thanks for the offer, report to the thread and they will appoint you your new pupils as they come in.
The 419eater not only International, but also multilingual, a good thing to get the word out there.

I haven't seen much cry for help in other languages. Or did I miss the multilingual part of 419eater?
Anyway I'd be glad to help for french-speaking baits!

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:23 pm

People online think English, but without any help in French the half English/half French and the full French don't even bother to get on it as they think they don't get it right the first time. I had that same problem when I came here, I liked the cause and intended to improve my English writing, I hope that worked a bit. Wink

But originally I'm kinda Dutch, form Holland if you catch my drift Wink

As people are afraid to stand out in the crowd by making normal translation mistakes and as the build up of the sentence in French is even more complicated I assume that French might have a problem learning the English language too.
So I'm glad there is now help for those in their own language as the right tone and interpretation of the lads letters is important and lots of lads originally speak French this could be a big advantage for our French baiters.
Give it a try, it's not that you can't quit when it isn't your style or fun.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:05 pm

Thanks for mine guys, but uh, my 2 mentees disappeared after a very short time each. So as they never 'graduated' I don't think I really deserve them. I'll remove them for now. Thanks though Very Happy

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:03 pm

It makes me feel proud, seeing my mentees wearing the mortar boards. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:09 pm

^^^ "The student has become the teacher" Laughing

Speaking of which, I haven't seen my mentor in awhile. Anybody seen Betelgeuse?

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:07 pm

mewing_ghecko won her for his modeling bait, she will be around from next week on.