Open Discussion This forum has a lack of active tutoring staff. (a suggestion)

Pupperoni Pizza

Ruko's Ruffians
Defender of Defoko
As we all know and understand, Tutors are individuals who are recognized for their understanding of the UTAU software, it's functions, and/or other aspects for its use (such as mixing).
The blue username lets this forum's users distinguish between a regular user and someone who is known for being knowledgeable.

As it currently stands, the forum has a severe lack of active tutoring staff, considering the size of it's user base.
While there are tutors, who have helped on this forum by creating resources and assisting users, many of them are now a lot less active or even somewhat absent from their positions.

Knowledgeable individuals, whom people would listen, are vital to the forum and critical to the betterment of the user's understanding.

In the absence of tutors, many regular users have stepped up to bat. While this is fine and is how it always has been, in some cases you have the issue of an unknowledgeable user teaching inaccurate information and/or spreading old, deprecated information from untrustworthy sources.

From the perspective of a user who really wants to be helpful and wants to see the betterment of those users, this forum is in dire need of new tutor staff and it would be in it's best interest to start taking applications to fill this position.

I propose the following:
  • That any tutor staff who is no longer able/available to actively assist the user base be moved to a new "retired tutors" section.
    • This way, when/if they are on at any later date, they can still be recognized for their knowledge but also seen to not be actively tutoring.
    • The suggested color for this would be in the yellow or orange spectrum for contrast against active tutors and other user groups.
  • That anyone who fills an application to become a tutor should be tested for competence and that a required qualification is met.
  • That tutors could also be classified into various groups.
    • such as otoing tutor, recording tutor, etc.
      • these can even be goofy/playful such as "reclister from above" or "microphone martial artist" (though those might be more fitting to place in their personal user title).
This has been recognized by many of the forum users and it is no secret that this is a glaring error in the current state of it's operation. It would be in the best interest of it's users for this to be looked into as soon as reasonably possible to allow for quicker reformation.
 
Last edited:

Hentai

Technical Admin
Administrator
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
You are correct that based on the size of the community, now more than 1,300 (active) members we are a bit understaffed.

That being said there are more than enough qualified people to handle the current workload in the Help and Advice forum. Just because their names are not blue doesn't mean we can't help one another, many of the moderation staff are topic experts and between them and the volunteer Defenders of Defoko who often reply to threads and resolve issues even before we can even get to them.

I think in many ways you are looking at a problem where there is none. Is the Tutoring system underutilized? Possibly, but it was never meant to be a formal system of expert help. Tutors are a member group we have had since our ZetaBoards days and they have never been anything more than an icon by your name indicating to newcomers that you have been certified by the staff to be particularly knowledgeable.

We of course, could expand on this system but frankly... it would be a lot of work and doing a cost:benefit analysis I don't think any formal system we devised would really be much of an advantage over what we currently have. It seems like a solution to a non-existent problem, I don't feel help threads are going unanswered as they are and I am unsure if topic experts that won't help now, but will help if we give them a blue name, are the kind if people we want on our team.

Finally going back to the first part we are indeed understaffed, if anyone feels they are qualified for a tutor position contact me. We can conduct an interview and would be more than happy to look at your cridentials. Be warned however the quickest way to my heart is by creating educational materials for the UtaForum Resource Directory. During our last round of applications creating Resources was the homework assignment we assigned to our provisional Tutors.

If you can't express yourself by writing a simple tutorial on a topic of your choice, then I doubt we can offer a staff appointment. You application will be more likely to be taken seriously if we can see how you express yourself on a topic your are knowledgeable of, while providing educational material for the greater community. You can of course apply without writing any Resources, but if you hadn't written any already at time of application be forewarned you will be asked to do so afterward.
 
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kimchi-tan

Your local Mikotard
Global Mod
Defender of Defoko
Necroing this thread since UtaForum doesn't exactly have "no-necroing" rules and because the community may be interested in reopening this idea.

OP already laid out most of the details in the first post, but my main interest is to bring this thread to attention to those who would like to apply for a Tutor position :smile:
 

Zoku

making doper vocaloid music than the rest
Defender of Defoko
This sounds like a really good idea. This forum needs moe active mods available on a regular basis. How would one apply for a tutor position?
 

kimchi-tan

Your local Mikotard
Global Mod
Defender of Defoko
This sounds like a really good idea. This forum needs moe active mods available on a regular basis. How would one apply for a tutor position?
Hentai wrote it down in his post. Also please note that tutors are not mods and have no more authoritative power than the common member.
Finally going back to the first part we are indeed understaffed, if anyone feels they are qualified for a tutor position contact me. We can conduct an interview and would be more than happy to look at your cridentials. Be warned however the quickest way to my heart is by creating educational materials for the UtaForum Resource Directory. During our last round of applications creating Resources was the homework assignment we assigned to our provisional Tutors.

If you can't express yourself by writing a simple tutorial on a topic of your choice, then I doubt we can offer a staff appointment. You application will be more likely to be taken seriously if we can see how you express yourself on a topic your are knowledgeable of, while providing educational material for the greater community. You can of course apply without writing any Resources, but if you hadn't written any already at time of application be forewarned you will be asked to do so afterward.