The first rule about being a Mentor here is that you have to qualify.

I'm in the process of inviting people who might be able to qualify to join the network. The people I'm looking for have been Ryze members for more than two years, have over 1000 page visits to their Ryze Homepage, and over 100 guest book comments. They are currently a member of at least 10 Ryze Networks, and they are probably a network leader, or an assistant network moderator on Ryze. They will have more than 100 "friends" on Ryze. They will have been regular contributors to Ryze boards. I'm looking for people who KNOW what they are doing, not any Johnny-come-lately.

I'm also looking for people who have special expertise in other social networks. No limits here, we are not targeting the top five or the top ten networks. The question is where is your special knowledge? Then is it sensible to look for people here who need that training?

For three months: October, November and December, ALL new Mentors will volunteer some time, and each one will care for at least three people each month, and they will have successfully helped 10 people to qualify. MYSELF INCLUDED.

During this time there will be a background discussion about what the standard curriculum is that each qualified mentor will be required to teach. This will also set the standard for an award this group will offer to members who earn it.

Once we have both qualified Mentors and a system for approving Mentors and for moderating their performance, I propose that those mentors who choose to do so will offer their services for a fee.

Using Online Groups, I can give each mentor their own private group to use for tutorial purposes. The mentor will be able to invite people to join, to remove people at will, to make their group as large or as small as they choose.

People from all over the Internet are potential customers. You can invite them to read a sticky page by giving then the URL. Invite them to join Ryze and to join your own private group.

There will be a contract to sign before anyone is approved as a mentor. That contract will include a restraint clause forbidding you from using Ryze, or Online Groups for training purposes. We'll talk together about what those rules might be.

This is an open discussion at the moment. Feel free to comment publicly here if you wish. Or write to me privately.

If you think you are likely to qualify as a Mentor, join the Social Networking Newbies Network, and get across to Online Groups and register there too. Please tell me privately what your intentions are.

Private Reply to John Stephen Veitch