When did the meaning of "mentor" get so screwed up?

[STDFR33]

Ian J,

What's the purpose of your signature text which offers a free service and includes your phone number inviting people to contact you?

Is it "pimping" for business?

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck!

Ian is a long standing, respected member.

Many members have their business details in their signature, and they pay for the 'service'.

I think what Ian refers to is the members that jump on any thread that they think they can smell a whiff of potential business from and add nothing to what has already been said.
The accounts section can be bad for that, and there are a couple of members that often just regurgitate what has already been said just to get their details on the thread.
There also those, that don't do much else more than spam the forum with crap.

 

[Mr D]

You missed off 'Gurus' - my personal favourite lol

Some gurus may be worth listening to.
Figuring out which ones....

 

[Clinton]

Part of what I do is mentoring and I'm not ashamed to say that I will provide an amount of time initially free, to identify whether or not my services will add value or not. Surely this is simply what other professionals do?

No!

Mentoring is different from any "free initial consultation" prior to a paid engagement to provide professional services.

A mentor is in a position of trust. Mentoring in exchange for payment is, IMO, a slippery slope. If one wants to get payment for business advice, they should be frank about it (perhaps by calling themselves consultants or advisers rather than using a term which suggests an expert who has generosity of spirit).

A mentee is more like a protégé, an apprentice, not a client. As such it is, IMO, inappropriate to charge.

I'm aware that it happens in many places but I think charging to mentor someone is a corruption. Because the term has become popular of late all kinds of crooks have come out of the woodwork to call themselves mentors. My advice to anyone who wants to charge is to preempt the inevitable backlash... and rebrand as a consultant.

 

[Noah]

Ian J,

What's the purpose of your signature text which offers a free service and includes your phone number inviting people to contact you?

Is it "pimping" for business?

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck!

Barry, you made a mistake and that has been explained to you. If I were your mentor, at this point I would advise you to take appropriate action.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

The photographer I booked for my wedding was arrested a day before the event

slightly off-topic but I'm dying to know what the photographer was arrested for?

 

[Noah]

I'm taking a break from UKBF at the moment as it's getting less and less friendly as well as well as being used more and more for pimping for business

I think you make valuable contributions here, and would appreciate it if you could persevere. On the other hand, it's Friday, so take a break for the weekend - you're sure to have a sunnier outlook on life on a Monday.

 

[Noah]

slightly off-topic but I'm dying to know what the photographer was arrested for?

Duhh! TAKING photographs!

sorry

 

[Newchodge]

Your just a bunch of wolves

Pack. It's a PACK of wolves, not a bunch. If it were a bunch, they would be flowers.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Ian J,

What's the purpose of your signature text which offers a free service and includes your phone number inviting people to contact you?

Is it "pimping" for business?

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck!

I think when you have made as many and a bigger contribution than Ian: and also keep a low profile whilst doing it: and never tried to push his company on others you will be in a position to judge others

A signature and information file has always been available, and most see it as a help to know the specific knowledge a poster may give when the respond to say a legal posts, I would be more likely to believe the voice of a lawyer than the post of a ice cream salesperson, which is not to say the latter is wrong but more along the line a lawyer would be more up-to-date

 

[NewGardenStyle]

A mentee is more like a protégé, an apprentice, not a client. As such it is, IMO, inappropriate to charge.

That's what my understanding of mentorship is too. In the world of mountaineering, an experienced climber spots the potential in a younger climber, takes him under his wing and imparts his skills and knowledge on the expeditions they undertake together.

Much of the American literature surrounding starts ups / entrepreneurship that I have read prescribes 'find a mentor' as one of the first steps the budding business owner should take. So let's blame them

 

[Mr D]

slightly off-topic but I'm dying to know what the photographer was arrested for?

I don't think his wife went into detail, just that he couldn't do the booking as he had been arrested.
What do photographers usually get arrested for? Possibly that.

 

[barryo]

I didn't realise that having made less than X number of posts means that it's not acceptable to raise a reasonable question or even dare to not wholly agree with someone who has made more posts...

I do realise that there's sometimes a tendency on the forum to confuse quantity with quality of posts.

Mea culpa if I'm treading on anyone's sensibilities by these comments. Where I come from, big boys rules apply.

 

[Clinton]

@barryo, you've made some good posts in various threads over the last few days. You've taken the time and trouble to share your expertise and demonstrated not just your wisdom but also your willingness to share it. That's great.

You screwed up somewhat on the issue of the signature. Put it behind you and move on, man!

Much of the American literature surrounding starts ups / entrepreneurship that I have read prescribes 'find a mentor' as one of the first steps the budding business owner should take. So let's blame them

There are so many good things about the US; why do we import the crap bits? And take back Piers Morgan?

 

[NewGardenStyle]

There are so many good things about the US; why do we import the crap bits? And take back Piers Morgan?

A foretaste of a future trade deal perhaps. Nevermind chlorinated chickens, it's who has custody of Piers Morgan that will be the sticking point!

 

[The Byre]

Can't he just be painlessly destroyed?

 

[Mr D]

There are so many good things about the US; why do we import the crap bits? And take back Piers Morgan?

Can you provide some examples? I'm racking my brain trying to think of good things about the US.
Coming up blank after a 1977 film about some youngster who costs the government a lot of money with the damage he caused. Star war or something.

 

[AllUpHere]

Can't he just be painlessly destroyed?

I think a lot of people would prefer it to be painful.

 

[Clinton]

Can you provide some examples? I'm racking my brain trying to think of good things about the US.

I wouldn't know where to start.

1. The US is home to the Kardashians. Would you prefer the Ks moved to the UK?

2. The US is a hurricane magnet. If it wasn't for the US there'd be hurricanes knocking about all over the place looking for somewhere to land.

3. Have you noticed that, whenever there's an alien invasion, aliens always land in the US? That's a good thing, it saves us here from having to deal with Martians.

I could go on!

 

[Mr D]

I wouldn't know where to start.

1. The US is home to the Kardashians. Would you prefer the Ks moved to the UK?

2. The US is a hurricane magnet. If it wasn't for the US there'd be hurricanes knocking about all over the place looking for somewhere to land.

3. Have you noticed that, whenever there's an alien invasion, aliens always land in the US? That's a good thing, it saves us here from having to deal with Martians.

I could go on!

I have no feelings about the Kardashians one way or another. Are they like the Kumars?

There have been hurricanes here before. The US exports quite a lot of weather across the atlantic this way. Perhaps without it being there the hurricanes would not head this way. I don't know enough about land mass removal in weather systems generation.

Always aliens land in the US?
There's a few Dr Who episodes in the UK, even some other aliens land here besides him.
Plus Morons from Outer Space - the US may get intelligent ones, we get the idiots, the morons, the easily beatable without high tech stuff aliens.
Not to mention we've had Dalek invasion and cyberman invasion. Think our alien invasions are ..... better.
We even get the French. Can you get much more alien?

 

[Annoying Donkey]

There have been hurricanes here before. The US exports quite a lot of weather across the atlantic this way. Perhaps without it being there the hurricanes would not head this way. I don't know enough about land mass removal in weather systems generation.

Without Hurricanes we probably wouldn't have won WWII...

 

[Mr D]

Without Hurricanes we probably wouldn't have won WWII...

Would just have been the Russians winning.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Kardashians What are they? remember i am very old

 

[Mr D]

Kardashians What are they? remember i am very old

Like the Manson family but not as famous.

 

[Ian J]

Kardashians What are they? remember i am very old

They are the stars of an American TV show which is the opposite of our Britain's got talent.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Sorry still no wiser but will google them, but they don't sound like something I would watch, guess like the EastEnders and coronation street just for the simple folk with little intellect

 

[Toby Willows]

Sorry still no wiser but will google them, but they don't sound like something I would watch, guess like the EastEnders and coronation street just for the simple folk with little intellect

Trying to pretend you don’t understand modern culture because you are above it just makes you look like a giant doofus. I’ve never watched the Kardashian’s, or any soaps since 2006, but I’m still aware of them as are most educated people who take notice of the world around them. Perhaps you should try raising your intellect a tad before criticising others?

 

[Ian J]

Trying to pretend you don’t understand modern culture because you are above it just makes you look like a giant doofus.

Oh dear. I spy a sense of humour bypass

 

[Ian J]

I’ve never watched the Kardashian’s, or any soaps since 2006, but I’m still aware of them as are most educated people who take notice of the world around them. Perhaps you should try raising your intellect a tad before criticising others?

Even if Chris were serious there is really nothing wrong with a lack of knowledge about modern pop culture and certainly has nothing to do with intellect or a lack thereof.

I watch Eggheads and when it comes to Music rounds I've probably never heard of any of the three possible answers if it relates to the nineties onwards.

I also know nothing about any reality TV shows as they are not my cup of tea so I don't watch any of them.

I like to consider myself educated and take notice of the world around me but I don't include downmarket pop culture as part of my education

 

[Toby Willows]

I like to consider myself educated and take notice of the world around me but I don't include downmarket pop culture as part of my education

What makes it “downmarket”? I like watching pop corn movies simply because I want to be entertained and relaxed without having to engage my brain. Doesn’t make the films “downmarket”. Same as the Soaps aren’t “downmarket” just easy viewing. There’s nothing wrong with simply being entertained for entertainment’s sake.

Anyhow it’s The Chase for me over Eggheads every time.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Any one for Question time

ps I like the Chase as well, but don't like Pointless as the questions are not real general knowledge but presume all people are either , glued to a tv, watch every movie ever made or spend all their time watching sport.

Mastermind is a much fairer set of questions in the general knowledge part

 

[Ian J]

What makes it “downmarket”? I like watching pop corn movies simply because I want to be entertained and relaxed without having to engage my brain. Doesn’t make the films “downmarket”. Same as the Soaps aren’t “downmarket” just easy viewing. There’s nothing wrong with simply being entertained for entertainment’s sake.

Perhaps I should have used the word lowbrow instead of downmarket

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Even if Chris were serious there is really nothing wrong with a lack of knowledge about modern pop culture and certainly has nothing to do with intellect or a lack thereof.

I watch Eggheads and when it comes to Music rounds I've probably never heard of any of the three possible answers if it relates to the nineties onwards.

I also know nothing about any reality TV shows as they are not my cup of tea so I don't watch any of them.

I like to consider myself educated and take notice of the world around me but I don't include downmarket pop culture as part of my education

NOT TRUE

When you were in your car the other day you were playing grime music with the widows down

 

[Mr D]

Any one for Question time

ps I like the Chase as well, but don't like Pointless as the questions are not real general knowledge but presume all people are either , glued to a tv, watch every movie ever made or spend all their time watching sport.

Mastermind is a much fairer set of questions in the general knowledge part

I rather like pointless, less well known answers being better score. Depth of knowledge being better there than general knowledge. I learn more from the show.

I also learn a bit on QI.