<p>I think it's also very difficult to have structured, effective mentoring programs -- more difficult than folks think. Seems to me that mentoring happens for a lot of reasons -- similar goals, the just-right fit between mentor and mentee... and it's great when it happens, but it's quite difficult to replicate. We've tried a number of times to try to get mentoring programs off the ground, and I'm not really aware of any smashing successes as a result. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.</p>
<p>--g</p>
<p><blockquote type="cite">On Nov 29, 2010 12:42 AM, "Jon Stanley" <<a href="mailto:jonstanley@gmail.com">jonstanley@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br><p><font color="#500050">On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 4:17 PM, Toshio Kuratomi <<a href="mailto:a.badger@gmail.com">a.badger@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>> I think that mentors...</font></p>While I agree, mentorship also has a higher cost than documentation,<br>
in terms of taking people away from doing productive work. I agree<br>
that the return is *much* higher, both in having people able to make<br>
meaningful contributions and (likely) the retention of those people as<br>
contributors.<br>
<br>
However, that equation doesn't always enter people's minds (certainly<br>
not mine unless I consciously make myself think about it like right<br>
now), and they see short-term resource drain vs. long term gains.<br>
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