Reasons for becomming a mentor

Why did you become a mentor?

For myself it was because I was not satisfied with the support from LL for the german speaking users. So I became a mentor to gain access to additional ressources and to be able to drive some changes from "within".

Helping people was not my main reason, I had my help station before that and since some mentors complained about my profile, I just continue to help people in my station instead of official LL places, wearing my own group tag. My station is flagged mature.

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Aleco

Well, as a mentor you do have access to resources that regular residents don't - mainly that you can actually get to the non-public orientation islands

And well, I've been in SL nearly 4 years and felt it was time to give something back. I just joined the Mentors last week.

Welcome, Larissa!

I agree with all of that. There's also...ROLLER SKATING!

Yep, roller skating at OI is a very underrated activity. All that pavement, all those paths, all those new residents to impress (and, if luck is with you, to dodge).

What I'm saying is...Mentors have a lot of fun, along with doing a lot of good. It's a nice combination.

My only reason is to honestly help people with whatever I can tell them. If they wanted to I would create a graph on how to do whatever they ask me about.

I only speak english though sadly, altho I used to speak Spanish. So my skills are only limited to english speaking people.
Altho I joined about 2 years? Ago, I am a little disappointed that I have yet to really be able to help anyone

Being a mentor for me is a natural progression of my in world persona. I help people in and around the sims which I call home. I share knowledge, have a patient ear for them and genuinely feel happy when someone has what for them is a big problem solved.

I did not become a mentor to promote myself or the lands which I call home - I make a point of not mentioning them whenever I wear the mentor tag (unless I am specifically asked about them when I give a balanced reply). I do not use the mentor communication channels for my own needs (that's what the wiki, jira and forums are for). I did not become a mentor to get a quick route to speak to the Lindens - live help is fine for that thanks.

Whilst I may not spend a lot of time with brand new residents I act as a mentor and the follow the tao at all times - it's just how I am. I may not be an expert in building or scripting but I know enough to help others. I do not seek anything in return for being a mentor apart from the knowledge that I have helped others.

I am sure that many other mentors joined up for the very same reasons.

Well put!

Mandy C

I'm not a Mentor mentor but I do seem to find myself helping New People out quite a lot. I am always on the lookout for obvious New People (they all look alike! ) and although the majority of my help is in the avatar makeover department, it is very gratifying to help them shed their basic look and feel bette about themselves.

When I started, I was basically on my own and didn't have the benefit of someone to 'show me the ropes', so now when I have the time I keep an eye out for those who are in desperate need of a makover! I have enough transferrable free stuff on hand to give them- guys and girls- a complete appearance makeover and suitable gadgets to pass on to make their lives a bit better (it's amazing how a simple walk AO makes so much difference). After showing them the basics of opening boxes and how to wear prim items and such- especially adjustig hair and the like- the light goes on over their head and they finally 'get it' for the first time

I don't claim at all to be an official Mentor, but I still get help messages from those I've helped along the way; some I can handle, others I have to point in the right direction for a good answer. Maybe that makes me a 'little m' mentor of sorts

I became a mentor to help people. I like working on non public help islands. Showing someone new how to do something - very rewarding. One gentleman, after giving him basics - starting building a radio - for a first, second -----twentieth attempt it was excellent. A few days later he sent me his "new" radio. It was the best d*mn radio with detail I have seen.

I've helped a mother and daughter find each other - daughter had just went to college and she was going SL and bringing her mother along so they could keep in touch. Mom never used computers that much. After explaining how to add each other on friends, search - I started outfiting them with hair, outfits and told them about the wonders of shopping. I am glad I was there to help them start and hopefully keep and grow that mother/daughter bond.

A very annoying thing about the mentors group is that you can NOT contact a linden trough the group chat. They remark it very well in the Mentoring welcome, in the FAQ and everytime they have a chance.

So if someone asks for a linden because someone is griefing the whole OI, the reply is: "You can't contact a linden trough this group, send an AR". By the time the AR is processed the griefer is logged out and cancelled his alt's account. A Nice welcome to the new residents.

Also in the MONO chat no one was able to talk directly to a linden in public channel because they wanted to log 'chat' to put it in the FAQ, instead you must IM "X" Linden and s/he wrote the questions in public chat and Y or Z linden replied to them. There are other ways to filter the chat besides not letting anyone speak!.

With this they give the image like Lindens are like gods and they are too busy to take care of silly stuff and that you are not allowed to speak or get near to them.

And several people told me that things wasn't like this a year and a half ago when Lindens visited residents' land to see how things were. I understand that now population growed up a lot, but I suppose they have more employees as well.

The reality is that mentors are under rated most of them help a lot and in return they get the 'don't speak directly to a linden' thing.

And considering that it is volunteer work the should be threated very well, like a good community.

My 2 cents there....

I'm not a mentor, but as this thread is for reasons becoming a mentor, I would like share my experience and hopefully answer that reason this thread is about.

I thank the mentors from the bottom of my heart, you are the kindest, most wonderful people in SL. My first experience was 6 months ago on help island 2, I was born 26th October 2007, and cannot remember my mentors names, but thank you so much. I remember seeing these avatars of perfection, with almost god like powers, it was amazing, and so kind and friendly, that showered me with gifts, did not judge me as a noob, and were very quick to resolve any problems, caused by other newbies (griefers in the making?, lol), and answer all questions presented to them.

So the reason is, your amazing, you have a rare kindness that would solve the worlds problems if everyone was like you, you are instant friends, and even though you appear as gods to newbies, you don't judge them, and help them.....now thats a rare quality, of the highest respect in my books.

Thank you,

ARs from OI/HI/infohubs already get a priority boost.

The VTeam is responsible for volunteers, not for handling abuse. If you see an employee putting products on the shelf in a large supermarket you don't go yell at them to man the register because all the open ones are crowded, it's not their job, nor would they even be allowed/able to.

Mentors also aren't a police force, nor the neighbourhood watch. You file an AR and inform everyone else how to file a proper one as well and/or how to cope with griefing but that's it. Most of those occurances in the group reek of vigilantism with someone trying to rally up a crowd of mentors to "deal with the griefer".

As long as you take the time to understand what each Linden's job actually entails and what they should and should not be contacted for there's never any trouble.

It sure does. This is something we all should do, at least occasionally...just go ahead and help someone.

Desmond Shang phrased it eloquently. He calls it "random acts of grid kindness".

You don't need an official tag to be a friendly and helpful person. Thank you, Morgan...and all the other mentors out there. <3

I wasn't there, but I still bask in the reflection of your praise. Or maybe that's just me blushing. Thank YOU. People like you are exactly why I'm a Mentor and a teacher.

I just thought of another reason for being a Mentor.

You can have a LOT of fun!

Here's a couple of things I've done recently.

I put on a pair of rollerskates and raced around OI, weaving around all the new residents in the central plaza at high speed. (Then I gave out free skates to all comers).

I showed up at OI in a dragon avatar and gave rides.

I passed out free hug attachments and watched everybody make nice on one another.

I'm interested in being a mentor because I remember how bewildering it was to leave Orientation Island and suddenly be plonked in a strange environment with lots of strangers, some of whom are quite mean to noobs just because they're new. I'd love to be able to help new residents find their feet as soon as possible.

I made friends with lufpleh Obstreperous at Hanja Welcome Area and he's given me a few pointers on helping new people...not giving too much info too soon...places suitable for specific languages and needs.

I joined SL because I love meeting people from all over the world and I love discovering new cultures and expanding my knowledge of those I know. I enjoy helping new people and if need be I'm happy to stop what I was doing and help them find what they need...such as a place where they can get freebie items to lose their newbie look.

I've been a keen resident since last August but I'm not sure if I qualify to be a mentor yet.
If not I'll just carry on learning and getting tips from Luf.

Luf is pretty cool and a regular at Hanja. (^_^)

I still find myself preferring to be helpful without the fancy tag. I have met good mentors and bad ones. I got really turned off by the mentors group one night when they did an /i/ on Hanja just because some guy was drunk and rude on voice chat. I'm worried about the sense of entitlement I see coming from some of those mentors. There was a very big mob-mentality going on that night and the mentors came across as a group of bullying thugs. (>_<

Still... Many of my good friends are mentors and are the nicest people I know. I may just sign up myself, but, I'm not sure if I would ever openly wear the tag. (=_=)

As for you, Arbella, you started well before me. As long as you don't have any ARs on you, I'm sure you qualify to sign up... This page will tell you: https://secure-web23.secondlife.com/account/volunteer_account.php?lang=en

(^_^)y

Yes, Arbella...please do sign up. The Mentors need more dragons. Not to mention more helpful people.

ImNotGoing...I was in on one of those Mentor "mobbings", although not the one you speak of. It was done to respond to a persistently obnoxious resident who (for days, or weeks) had been terrorizing Waterhead, kicking other people all over the place like soccer balls.

From the standpoint of the crowd of "regulars" there, yeah, we probably looked like a bunch of thugs. But I was proud of my colleagues. They came when called, and they didn't do anything against the TOS, and they handled the problem.

That's the problem right there.

Mentors aren't a police force and rallying up a mob to come file ARs or otherwise intimidate is contrary to the guidelines the VTeam has asked mentors to adhere to.

Kitty, I have to disagree. Nobody acted like police. Nobody intimidated anybody. Nobody violated the mentor guidelines. We came, we stood around...just like anybody else in that unruly mob in the Waterhead driveway.

Yes, a lot of ARs got filed, all of them with eyewitness particulars. That is completely within TOS, Community Standards, and Mentor Guidelines.

I'm telling you, this asshat and his alts had been making life hell for everyone at Waterhead for weeks. I'm no proponent of mob rule, but he deserved the response he got.

This sort of thing doesn't happen often...in fact, I've only seen it the one time. In my view, so many mentors had seen this person in action that finally one day, when somebody called for assistance, they all said to themselves, "not HIM again. That's the last straw", and showed up in a bunch.

They've mentioned more than once that if griefing ARs filed on infohubs/OIs/HIs aren't getting addressed to not resort to inviting groups of other people for the sole purpose of mass-AR'ing (asking people there to AR is fine obviously) but to let them know so that they can have the governance team keep fiddling with the priority boost for ARs filed on those specific places.

I thought your avatar had to be a certain age to qualify. Mine was born on the 24th August 2007 and I've been a very keen active resident ever since.

I'd like to make it clear that I want to be a mentor so I can help people...nothing else. Power has little appeal for me.

I'm only dragony part of the time, I'm a polymorph and a complete Grendel's Children addict!
Maybe my geisha look will be useful...she looks very quiet and demure.

Arbella, maybe you missed it...
...And I did sign up myself right after posting... There shouldn't be anything to stop you. (^_^)y

Hi Imnot...I've checked that bit already. I think I'll ask Luf about Helpful Greeters. I love helping a lot but I also want to create in SL and maybe have my own SL shop.

Mentoring sounds like it occupies of lot of online time and I'm already working as a part time manager. I need spare time for exploring and having fun.

Thanks anyway .

Ooh... maybe that's a good question to ask... I didn't think about it.

Mentors: In being a mentor, is there any required or minimum amount of time for you to be in OI, Help, Welcome areas? Are there assignments? (o.o)