txemt: This doesn't affect informal teaching at all. Anyone can teach anyone anything at any time. It's the mentor's duty to ensure that the mentee either has or learns the requisite skills before the mentorship is concluded and the mentee is upgraded (or not). Whether the mentee learns it from you or me or from the mentor is immaterial; it's that the mentee knows it that matters.

davielde: We're planning to offer two levels: one for rank 1-2 editors seeking rank 3 and area managership; one for rank 3-4 editors seeking rank 5 and country managership. This is a trial run, so a lot isn't set in stone, in particular what exactly needs to be learned to advance in each case. But we feel we have enough of an idea generally to do a trial run.

Regarding best methods of communication and timing, that's more to be worked out between mentor and mentee. Presumably that would be partially handled as a preliminary manner in assigning mentees to mentors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Make a habit of putting local/state rules on your state's wiki page. (Put those alley rules on both the CA and TX wiki pages!) The wiki is a wonderful resource, or at least it can be. An early part of the mentoring process for any user should be a glance at their state's wiki page.

An important part of the high-level mentoring process is a look at all the states' wiki pages. CMs and prospective CMs can't learn regional differences if the information isn't available. Put the rules there, and we can glance at them all, and refer to them when necessary.

redviper26 wrote:Hey guys,

We started uploading the new mentor badge.. Enjoy

Noam

Can we get our bold black usernames back? Ooh, or maybe a nice purple to match the badge!

Thanks for your feedback, Bruce.

Your feedback and that of others has made it clear that we should provide some sort of confirmation message or other such explanation of the next step — a step we must take, but when, right?

This is a trial run, so these are the kinds of things we're trying to find out here.

Of course, before the trial program started, we couldn't really know what the demand for it would be like, or how immediately we would be able to satisfy that demand.

I believe a waiting period of a week or more is reasonable, considering the limited number of mentors — but prospective mentors should be provided notice of this. We aren't necessarily capable of giving an estimate, but we should say it might be a while.

--
As for "informal mentoring" and high-rank user availability in chat, know that many of us tend to leave the Waze editor open in a window or tab even when we're not at the computer. Perhaps this is something that should be addressed in the Wiki as well. Speaking for myself, I have the editor window open most of the time, but I'm usually (these days) too busy with my life outside of Waze that I'm not usually in the editor looking at chat. If I am looking, though, I will be glad to help you. Part of this could be solved by additional chat features — mention notifications and private messaging — which may or may not be coming in the future. I have a small screen, so I can't chat while editing effectively a lot of the time

--
Anyway, like I said, feedback from users like you is part of the reason we are doing this trial run. We appreciate it. The leaders and pioneers of the formal mentorship program are watching this thread, believe me!

Gentlemen and Ladies if they are here. After watching the Webinar this evening I had a few questions to ask, figured being as the mentor program kind of surrounds them all this would be a good place to start.

So from what I am understanding Waze is trying to promote the idea of people becoming more active in the community and editing. Trying to encourage people to become higher ranks, take on additional roles and responsibilities. I think this is both a great thing and of course something to be approached with great caution. We all know the damage that can be done by giving someone who either doesn't know what they are doing, or is just hungry to get "the next level" access to more "power".

First off I want to express the fact that I know anyone higher than an AM is busy beyond what I even could begin to understand at this point. The senior members have huge tasks that keep them busy at all moments of their free time.

However it seems that even though Waze is encouraging more participation and we have things like the mentor program now, it is still high near impossible to gain a moments attention from the senior individuals. I submitted a application for a mentor a week ago now and have heard nothing back. Now I'm not looking for a mentor to show me how to do everything by any means. I am capable enough know where to go to find information when needed. I follow the forums and Wiki closely and never edit without them readily available if needed. This evening was a good example. There was construction that was finished last week, a junior editor did some work and did a good job. Unknown to him he couldn't actually connect the on ramps to the freeway, so just left them sitting over it. I made a quick request in the chat box, but out of the 6-7 members level 5 and above, I didn't get a single response. Now again, I understand they are busy beyond my comprehension, but how long does it take to quickly hook up two ramps? What's the point of chat if I'm going to have to go submit a update request anyway?

I have also mentioned in chat, and have posted in two different forums about a huge breach in the freeway system here in San Diego. Every freeway has large segments that are down to level 2 or 3, some even to 1! And I know it would only take a senior editor mere moments to go through, use the "select entire street" and put it back to 5. Granted there are a lot of freeways, and I've seen the breach all the way up past Pendleton, but I also have seen what can happen if a level 1 unknowingly disconnects a segment on accident. The havoc that can raise in the client is enormous.

As for me submitting a mentor request, I am the only editor in my particular area of San Diego, and just because I am an AM doesn't mean my work might not be completely incorrect. We all know rank doesn't mean quality work all the time. The reason I submitted for a mentor was so I could have an experienced individual look over all my work. Tell me if they find anything I may be doing incorrect or could do different or better. I have been using the client for while now, and although I may have only been editing for about 7 months. I am very interested to become a larger part of this community. I enjoy the intent behind it and enjoy the chance to help others learn their way. But I would like to make sure that I am correct so I know I am passing on good information.

I do not mean this post as a complaint or negative in any regard. Although I know some will take it that way. It is merely an observation I have made over the past 2 or so weeks. I genuinely look forward to growing in this community and take on bigger and more difficult roles when the opportunity presents itself. And I thank the senior editors for the hard work they put into making this the community and application the way it is.

-Bruce

sketch wrote:Thanks for your feedback, Bruce.

Your feedback and that of others has made it clear that we should provide some sort of confirmation message or other such explanation of the next step — a step we must take, but when, right?

This is a trial run, so these are the kinds of things we're trying to find out here.

Of course, before the trial program started, we couldn't really know what the demand for it would be like, or how immediately we would be able to satisfy that demand.

I believe a waiting period of a week or more is reasonable, considering the limited number of mentors — but prospective mentors should be provided notice of this. We aren't necessarily capable of giving an estimate, but we should say it might be a while.

--
As for "informal mentoring" and high-rank user availability in chat, know that many of us tend to leave the Waze editor open in a window or tab even when we're not at the computer. Perhaps this is something that should be addressed in the Wiki as well. Speaking for myself, I have the editor window open most of the time, but I'm usually (these days) too busy with my life outside of Waze that I'm not usually in the editor looking at chat. If I am looking, though, I will be glad to help you. Part of this could be solved by additional chat features — mention notifications and private messaging — which may or may not be coming in the future. I have a small screen, so I can't chat while editing effectively a lot of the time

--
Anyway, like I said, feedback from users like you is part of the reason we are doing this trial run. We appreciate it. The leaders and pioneers of the formal mentorship program are watching this thread, believe me!

I totally agree that a week is more than a fair minimum at this point. And I'm sure you all have already talked about all of this many time. But I would suggest setting up a system like you guys have for the AM. An auto reply email system, so prospective mentee's know that the request is being looked at and processed.

As for chat, again I completely understand, and that all of this is still in a very new stage, however an AFK timeout or something would be a great feature.

Like I said, I'm sure this all gets talked about in beta all the time. Hopefully the program will be accepting new members soon and I can get in.

Thanks for listening guys!

(p.s.- maybe all the champs should get computers with bigger screen courtesy of Waze for these purposes!!)

I have a question. Do we really need to sign up to be mentors? I think all of the level 6s are already mentoring and several level 5s are mentoring. Do we really need to have an official list? With the chat window in the editor, we can mentor more than one person at a time. How many of us have been instructing someone on how to do something and four or five different editors show up to see what's going on, or put in their two cents, as well as ask questions? I didn't sign up to be a mentor at that time, those people and myself just happened to be online at the same time.

I have NO problem with putting in notes on an extra document or spreadsheet somewhere, but if I take on an editor, am I supposed to tell Sketch's editor, sorry, you need to wait for Sketch to show you the ropes?

jeigh17 wrote:...and then there's Juarez but that's an entire other story.

And an entire other server.

Thanks.