This idea first struck me in the UCD Session at MozCamp India Beta 2014, when we were asked to think of an app idea that would help grow the Mozilla Community. It is inspired from the Mentor-Mentee model of the Mozilla Reps Program. For an aspiring contributor, interacting with a community, at first, is intimidating, so what if we narrow down the point of contact to a single person? Of course this would only remain so, as long as the aspiring contributor is in transit - i.e in the process of on-boarding. By the time, the contributor has on-boarded, the goal is to already have him/her become familiar with the Mozilla Community.


Terminology

On-boarder: The one, who helps and guides an aspiring contributor come on-board and start contributing.

On-boardee: The aspiring contributor, who desires to contribute to the Mozilla Community.

*The above terms are inspired from the "Mentor-Mentee" terminology.


The idea

The idea is to initially have a set of experienced contributors in the local Mozilla Community as "On-boarders". The aspiring contributors - "On-boardees", will then be put in touch with an "On-boarder" each. It will then be the responsibility of the "On-Boarder" to keep in touch and guide the "On-boardee" to start contributing.

Once the "On-boardee" is comfortable with the Community and has started contributing, the "On-boarder"(with the consent of the "On-boardee") will promote him to be an "On-boarder". So now this newly made "On-boarder" will help and guide some other "On-boardees"; and this process would continue.

The On-boarder-On-boardee relationship will also help develop a sense of responsibility in the new contributors towards the Mozilla Community, thus helping in sustaining them for a long time.


Challenge: First contact between a prospective "On-boardee" and an "On-boarder"

We could have a web-app designed that lists the On-boarders in a local community according to their functional areas, along with their On-boardees(to make the process transparent). This would help the prospective "On-boardee" to select and contact his/her to-be "On-boarder".


Prerequisite: This idea assumes that the aspiring contributor is familiar with the ways to contribute to Mozilla and has decided on one or more functional area(s) that interests him/her.

We could beta-test this idea on a local community, see the outcome and later improvise accordingly.

I would love to hear your views and suggestions on this idea. I am all ears!