Mentor Commendation System

[Lagarin]

Much like our player commendation system, I believe we should have a commendation system for mentors. The mentor system is a good idea. (It just needs some work.)

I think there should be a system in place where new players get a commendation system of sorts where they can give a commendation to a mentor - perhaps one a day (This keeps it fair, so that it's not something that can be abused) - for giving them good advice or saying something they really appreciated (even if it wasn't directed to them). Mentors with more of these special commendations from new players should get further up in the queue to go into the Novice Network to help the new players as they clearly are the ones who give the best advice.

I'd personally like to see mentors held more accountable and see good mentors given a place in the community, not just a randomized slot because they accomplished a number of achievements. At the end of the day, our new players should decide who the best mentors are.

[Vincentv]

I approve of this message. My only concern is if the bots abuse it by commendating anyone who invited them in the channel.

[Lagarin]

I approve of this message. My only concern is if the bots abuse it by commendating anyone who invited them in the channel.

With bots I believe the best thing would be to implement some sort of CAPTCHA or something to weed them out if possible. I'm not entirely sure what SE could do, that would have to be on their end. Of course, Mentors would have to also be more careful in who they invite to the Novice Network.

[Ragology]

How will they know who's best when they don't know anything though?

I know for a fact that I believed most everything I was told when I was a new player. It wasn't until I became more familiar with the game that I could discern good advice from bad.

[Lagarin]

How will they know who's best when they don't know anything though?

The mentor answers - to the best of their ability. If we are to presume that the mentor is not purposefully misleading the player then we have no reason to assume that the player is wasting their commendation by giving it to the mentor when they feel they are satisfied with the answer given - even if the answer is ultimately incorrect.

One would hope that another mentor would step in and guide this misinformed mentor and a polite conversation would happen where they would discuss the matter at hand and that better informed mentor would then mentor the mentor.

The commendations are not just for who gives the right answers they are a grading scale for who are the most willing and able mentors. In the above scenario, one would also hope that both mentors would get commendations.

[Noxifer]

How will they know who's best when they don't know anything though?

If I were a sprout, I wouldn't give such a commendation to a Mentor who didn't try to teach me anything. Like, for example if you're in a dungeon, someone who just goes "/follow, afksnoooze" on their scholar, instead of actively paying attention to what goes on and giving helpful tips. Or someone who talks down to me as if I'm stupid just because I'm asking a newbie question. I mean, hello. I'm a newbie; I need to be able to ask questions if there's something I don't understand. If I'm with someone with the mentor status on, I need to be able to trust that I will be given a reasonable answer instead of the usual "lolwut? xD" or "l2p" that tends to happen if you ask 'stupid' questions.

*shrugs* I would think it's less a matter of 'has to be 100% right" and more a matter of 'takes her job seriously and shows willingness to teach'.