Mentoring For Newbies

[Pheonix]

i dont have a problem with mentoring anybody that is after some help

people tell me i have the patience of a saint

i was a noob once and people helped me alot so i have no problem doing it for anyone

one thing to always remember though is something that worked for one person may not work for someone else and everyone can only go on what they know

if neone wants a hand gis a shout ill help all i can

 

[Cheffi]

I try to do my research and not ask too many questions you can tell nobody likes newbies on this site. I must say I prefer to google research than go through the pinned posts here, no wonder newbies get confused so many people say to do different things. I do understand though why you all get frustrated with us . I'm trying so hard to learn

Awww that's not true that no one likes newbies. It's only the constant samey questions some members get frustrated with. People can tell the difference with newbies that have done some research and the ones who can't be bothered.

 

[timmystood]

I love helping newbies (makes me feel clever!). I'm always looking around the newbie section for simple questions that other people have just ignored. I would LOVE the mentoring scheme!

 

[diademhill]

I don't think anyone has a problem with helping or guiding newbies.
It is easy to give then support & point them in the direction of pinned topics or just talk (should that be type?) them through things.

Any problems seem to come about when you get resistance to advice;-
The people who have bought an Oscar for a ten gallon tank & can't or won't get a bigger tank but don't want to take it back because they "love it soooo much" then feel picked on when no one says they are ok to keep it or the people who have fish that will die unless they find a new home asap but won't take it to a store because the store won't pay!

I've recently, in real life even, been sorting out a tank of eight year old fish while the owner is in hospital as I got a frantic call from his wife to help. 3'x15"x12" tank, no decor. Pea gravel UGF + a Fluval 203.
Eight six inch Oscars. Two were hardly recognisable as they were so hollow bellied and all have huge eyes in relation to body length.

He had been doing weekly 80% ( occording to wife - "down to here") water changes and one had been missed. Just a hose to empty, no gravel cleaner. Did use dechlorinator.
Nitrites 0.8 mg/l
nitrates off the scale >110 ppm.

He would probably class himself an experienced aquarist.

How would this have been dealt with on the forum?

 

[SugarQube]

I can't wait until I have a couple of years experience to help others Long way to go need to understand lots myself When newbies ask questions I like to have a peek see if I can learn more (if they get any replies and usually from the same kind people) Oh well still enjoy and love the place

 

[Pheonix]

best way to learn Lisa read read read!

nothing better for me to do while im at work than come on read a few posts and help out where i can

passes the day nicely

 

[Inchworm]

The purpose of a forum is for people to ask and answer questions. This means just what it says. If anyone doesn't like to read and sometimes answer questions, you are probably in the wrong place.

A forum is a place for people to interact with each other and that is, at least in part, an end in itself. If a person wants to simply read, he might as well just buy a book.

So please go easy on the newbies, folks.

 

[Annastasia]

This brings up an interesting discussion. On another site I used to be on, you can sign up (or apply) to be on a welcoming team. The members randomly get assigned newbies, so the newbies have a "big brother or sister" to help them along. They automatically get a message from their mentor, telling them what mentors are and do, and you can personalize it to add in your name, or whatever. The newbies can choose to use that feature or not, but it's there.

I just felt the need to add that.

I think just welcoming and helping the newbies as much as you can is great. Sure, it can be a little annoying when they don't read pinned topics, but you were there once upon a time. I know I sure wasn't a perfect newbie.

 

[Cheffi]

This brings up an interesting discussion. On another site I used to be on, you can sign up (or apply) to be on a welcoming team. The members randomly get assigned newbies, so the newbies have a "big brother or sister" to help them along. They automatically get a message from their mentor, telling them what mentors are and do, and you can personalize it to add in your name, or whatever. The newbies can choose to use that feature or not, but it's there.

I just felt the need to add that.

I think just welcoming and helping the newbies as much as you can is great. Sure, it can be a little annoying when they don't read pinned topics, but you were there once upon a time. I know I sure wasn't a perfect newbie.

I have to admit I've not seen it before but that is more or less what I was suggesting

 

[voo]

You'd then need to sort out who gets assigned to who. I mean someone interested in marine shouldnt be assigned a tropical or coldwater mentor. And even if they get the correct mentor, the mentor might not know everything in that field. ie for tropicals, those who know about the diseases may not be so hot on plant choices etc

I think as it is now is fine, a newbie comes and asks the question, and then someone who knows the answer will answer.

 

[Cheffi]

You'd then need to sort out who gets assigned to who. I mean someone interested in marine shouldnt be assigned a tropical or coldwater mentor. And even if they get the correct mentor, the mentor might not know everything in that field. ie for tropicals, those who know about the diseases may not be so hot on plant choices etc

I think as it is now is fine, a newbie comes and asks the question, and then someone who knows the answer will answer.

That is not strictly true. Very often newbies get no replies. I think Annastasia's idea of buddying up is good. Obviously you wouldn't give a marine mentor to a tropical newbie. Also the idea isn't to make it so easy for them that they do no research at all. It's just a welcoming and pointing in the right direction. A mentor doesn't have to be an expert in all departments. I shouldn't worry though. This section is for suggestions and nothing ever gets done for just about all of them because of people's negative attitude to changes mostly.

 

[andywg]

This section is for suggestions and nothing ever gets done for just about all of them because of people's negative attitude to changes mostly.

Or it is because the general members, and more importantly the admin and mods don't feel the change is necessary/an advantage.

 

[Cheffi]

This section is for suggestions and nothing ever gets done for just about all of them because of people's negative attitude to changes mostly.

Or it is because the general members, and more importantly the admin and mods don't feel the change is necessary/an advantage.

As to whether it is an advantage or not is only a matter of opinion and reading back through this suggestion there were several members who seemed to support it. I would guess most couldn't or wouldn't be particularly bothered if it doesn't affect them in any way. Depends how much one wants to help others in the end. Those who could be bothered and those that can't be arsed.

Also I think there are a lot of longterm members who don't like it when someone who hasn't been a member for long voices their opinion for any changes. If it ain't broke why fix it? Head in the sand kind of attitude.

 

[Bignose]

Cheffi, rather than sitting here griping, why don't you put it into practice? Get some people together, call yourselves unofficial greeters, and just do it. You don't need a separate sub-forum, you don't need anybody's permission to PM a new member, just get your group together and look at the 'members' link at the top, sort it by "Join Date", and start doing something rather than comlpaining how nothing ever changes. It is easy to complain, much more meaningful if you go ahead and do something. If it gets a bunch of good feedback, maybe then official greeters will be put in place, but there is nothing stopping you right now.

 

[Tolak]

Cheffi, rather than sitting here griping, why don't you put it into practice? Get some people together, call yourselves unofficial greeters, and just do it. You don't need a separate sub-forum, you don't need anybody's permission to PM a new member, just get your group together and look at the 'members' link at the top, sort it by "Join Date", and start doing something rather than comlpaining how nothing ever changes. It is easy to complain, much more meaningful if you go ahead and do something. If it gets a bunch of good feedback, maybe then official greeters will be put in place, but there is nothing stopping you right now.

This is the best idea so far IMHO. Actions speak louder than words.