Formatting Mentoring

Why Mentoring for Formatters?

Formatting is a task that's much less clear-cut than proofing. While there are a lot of specific rules in the guidelines, some things are open to interpretation, and more than one "correct" version is possible. So in the F-rounds, you will often see more diffs than in P, which doesn't necessarily mean that what you did in F1 was wrong. F2's decisions are often influenced by experience and the goal to make things consistent over the whole project to make life for the Post-Processor easier.

All of this makes it more difficult for F1 to learn from their diffs and hone their skills so they can successfully qualify for F2 than is the case with P2 and P3, where things usually are more clear-cut. So, if you want to qualify for F2 but are not quite sure if your Formatting is up to the standard, a mentor can help you by answering your questions and having a look at pages you're not quite sure about.

For Formatters looking for a Mentor

Who are the Formatting Mentors?

Formatting Mentors are F2-qualified volunteers who are interested in helping others to qualify for F2.

What do the Mentors do?

A mentor can help you by answering your questions about diffs and things you are unsure about when formatting in F1. The goal of the mentoring relationship should be a successful application for F2 access.

When does Mentoring make sense?

Mentoring will be most effective when you've already got some practice in F1 and are now working towards F2 access. You are regularly using the Fast Formatting Feedback projects or formatting in LOTE to get quick diffs, but those are leaving questions open for you that you would like to discuss with a more experienced formatter.

So, how can I get my very own Mentor?

You can find a list of volunteer Mentors on the Formatting Mentors page. You can choose which ever of them you like. Some Mentors also speak other languages than English, so you might also be able to find help in your native language.

For F2ers interested in being Formatting Mentors

How can I become a Mentor?

The most important thing is the willingness to help new Formatters to reach F2 quality. You should be ready to answer questions and look at some pages to help the Mentee gain confidence in his/her formatting.

If you are interested in mentoring, please add yourself to the list of available Formatting Mentors. If you speak languages other than English or you have some special skills (e.g. LaTeX projects), please list those after your name as well.