Thread: Adoption Lodge

Originally Posted by Fawkes.

I don't know about this, If someone 'adopted' someone wouldn't that propose a superficial sense of control or ownership over the user. Shouldn't control be limited to Moderaters?

The aspect of this is giving new users immediate friendship. But why should that be a responsibility, whats to stop you befriending them just because you have something in common or think they are interesting? Also what if you 'adopt someone' that you have nothing in common with, someone you would never befriend under different circumstances?

basically only befriend someone if you genuinely like them, not because it is a responsibility

DOWN

I believe the main idea of this is to give new users someone to show them the ropes and help them out when they're confused about something, not forcing people to befriend other people.

I say UP. I think this would be a great way to introduce new users to the forums.

Some members are naturally friendly--so they may find it easier to talk to and guide around someone even if there are huge gaps in common interests.

Allow me to compare helping a member around the forums to touring a building: when you tour a building, you show a person the obvious places. This is the restroom, over there is the elevator, on the bottom floor is the reception area, etc. However, you do not tell them the obvious things to do in those areas. You don't tell them how to use the toilet, or proper behavior in an elevator. You tell them where places are, and based off the names of the places, they can choose where they want to go!

To those of you complaining that "it's too much work" or "it's a responsibility DURRRRRR"... did you think about the fact that it may be voluntary?

UP

UP!

I would like to help new people, a new friend and most likely a new user that gets on often. Win win.

In case someone has any questions, isn't the Frequently Asked Questions forums already for that? Questions get answered pretty quickly there. Quoted from the "about" thread in that forum:

This is a forum for any questions you may have about the rules or the site that aren't covered in any of the posts in the Announcements & Rules forum. Other users and moderators will be here to answer your questions; if you need anything, you can always send a message to any of the moderators or administrators.

So we wouldn't really need this for those reasons.


So then about the new and friendless to the forums? We have an entire garden grotto for people to feel welcome. They can post interests in their welcome thread, and if people respond with "hey, me too!" they can just drop a vm and/or friend request. Even by just posting in threads you can probably make friends relatively fast, just because you share the same opinion.

Still don't know who to approach (maybe because you're too shy)? We have two chat threads in the form of the conversational thread and random messages. Just drop a message and I'm sure you'll be welcomed there too. Problem solved.


Plus $¥ claims it existed once, but then died. History is prone to repetition, so there is quite the chance this will fail again.



So taking all above into consideration, DOWN.

I adopt you all. Now get to work on cleaning the house, cindermembers.

All joking aside, I can see a use for this and would be willing to oversee this. I suppose this could boil down to new members being wary of approaching staff, so they have a certain user they can speak with while learning the ropes.

Could you outline how you would like this to work? Obviously staff oversees who becomes mentor, but other than that?

Not to overtake Sourcandy's idea, but I could imagine a volunteer filling out an application with information such as what section they frequent the most, their interests, and in which timezone they live. In the welcoming message new users receive, there would be a link that takes them to a similar application, and they could fill it out if they'd like. Mods would then assign one of the volunteers to the newcomer based on similar information in their applications.

That's just one way I think it could work.

I often help new members. Heck, loads of my friends list are new members I've helped.

UP

I think some good requirements is that they should have a post count of 500+, been here for 3+ months, and not be in bad standing with the community.

Those qualifications would be decided by staff only

Okay.

But for how it works:

Theres a application for volunteers with where the visit the most, and stuff like that. And then they get put on a master list on the first post by place where the visit most, and if someone needs help then they can contact someone on that list.

UP. An Adoption Lodge seems like a good idea to help newcomers learn how to do things on the forums so they can use the forums with no problem!

I think I'm going with UP. Let's make this place a friendlier place, shall we? Especially to newcomers... I think it would be even better, and also make the forum go much smoother...

Originally Posted by DCM

Could you outline how you would like this to work? Obviously staff oversees who becomes mentor, but other than that?

Well it isnt that hard, after the people that will mentor have been chosen a thread can be open where the new guys ask to "adopted" I would say that from that point the mentor ask the new member if she/he would want her/him to adopt her/him. The rest can be taken by them.

Some rules would have to be applied like just having two as a maximum of member at the time.And reporting when someone has been adopted or ready to go out on their own.

Staff is seriously considering this project, we're kicking around some guidelines now.