[Trek]

I like the idea behind this. I'll have to see if my members would be interested in it.

One thing that I can think of is some sort of metrics and an expiration date for the mentor.

So... metrics on maybe how many posts the newbie and the mentor have both posted in (assumes they are conversing with each other), how many PM's they've each sent to/from one another (but not the content). Last time each was online, etc.

Kind of a dashboard if you will so me as an admin can see whether or not the system isn't working for us, specific members aren't doing the mentor job, etc.

There should also be a button in the members settings that allows them to say "I no longer need a mentor" or a way for the mentor to cut that cord. It should also do this after X days or something as well (optional).

I could also see this being more useful (to me anyway) if I could pull mentor out of a specific group for someone. I know you said you can do this, but I was thinking more along the lines of multiple groups. For instance:

Someone signs up on the forums (I have no need to assign a mentor at that time personally). However, when someone is assigned a specific usergroup, THEN I would want to assign them a mentor, from a specific usergroup pool.

I run a gaming guild, we have several hundred active members. We play many games. So when someone was added to the secondary group X, then I would want to assign them a mentor from secondary group Y. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, what you have sounds really cool, what I described above works best for "me" so I understand if it's not going to happen. But I'd love such a system!