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Table of Contents
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What is this?
This page details the specific structure, format, and expectations for Discord Critique Flights. This page should be understood by and familiar to Critique Flight mentors and their mentees.
If you want to see if there is a Discord Crit flight planned, check the forum thread here for sign-ups!
TL;DR?
Over the course of two weeks, under the guidance of a mentor, mentees will be expected to complete a minimum amount of critique. This will be tracked in the Critique Staff server, and all conversations about the Flight will also happen there.
Discord Critique Flights
What is a Critique Flight?
A Critique Flight is a mentorship program where experienced reviewers ("Commanders") work with mentees ("Officers") to improve their critique skills, within Deer College, part of the official Discord.
Goals
A Discord Critique Flight is meant to help a Flight Officer develop skills with all kinds of critique (shortened as 'crit'). This includes idea crit, draft crit, follow-up feedback, and helping new users understand how to communicate their ideas in effective ways, to earn greenlights.
Before a Flight starts, mentees should talk to their Flight Commander in advance, to work out any additional goals that they would like to work towards.
Flight length
A Discord Critique Flight runs for 14 days (two weeks), broken into week-long periods. Week 1 and Week 2 have different minimum levels of critique that we want to see.
Note: In extenuating circumstances, a Flight may be either shortened or extended, based on discussions with the Crit Flight Commander and a Discord Crit Captain.
Where do mentees give critique?
For Discord Critique Flights, we expect that all critique given occurs in the public Deer College channels. This means #idea-critique and #draft-critique. Only critique within these channels will be counted towards mentee Flight progress.
Where do mentees ask questions and talk with their Flight Commander?
All conversations that are about the Flight, asking how to improve in critique, guidance, lessons or otherwise, will take place within the #discord-critique-flight-general channel, in the "Deer College" category of the SCP Foundation Official Discord Server. This channel will be used by all members of a given Flight, so that they can share thoughts, give feedback to peers, and work through difficult issues together.
These conversations should not occur in DMs with Flight Commanders, nor should Commanders be checking in on Flight Officers via DM. If something comes up, or a mentee needs to talk to their Flight Commander about a sensitive topic, they may do so within a private thread, created by a Discord Critique Team Captain, upon request.
Where do mentees track the crit they've done?
For a critique Flight, mentees will also have access to a specific private thread within the #discord-crit-flight-general channel, that is unique to their Flight. This channel will be shared with the crit Flight Commander, and any other Officers who are in the same Flight. Mentees should use this channel to share when the have completed critique, and their Flight Commander will track weekly progress as crit comes in.
What a Flight looks like
A Flight will generally follow a structure like this:
- Mentees talk with their Commander before the start of your Flight, setting expectations, and detailing any specific things you would like to focus on.
- Week 1 - Mentees do crit!
- Week 2 - Mentees do more crit!
- The Flight ends and mentees earn the rewards.
Flight requirements and the Critcoin system
For each week of the critique Flight, there is a minimum level of activity that we expect from a Flight Officer. This minimum increases in the second week. The details of both the requirements, and how the system works, are listed below.
Weekly requirements
For each week of the critique Flight, there are different minimum levels of critique mentees must reach to have the Flight considered a success. They are as follows:
Week 1: 20 Critcoin (~4 Critcoin per day, 5 days)
Week 2: 30 Critcoin (~6 Critcoin per day, 5 days)
We also prefer to see a minimum of 2 draft critiques and 2 idea critiques per week, but this is negotiable with Flight Commanders. We want to ensure that Officers are earning their Critcoin through a variety of sources, rather than just one thing.
So, what are Critcoin?
Critcoin are our method of tracking how much you are giving critique to users within Deer College throughout the Flight. Different ways of engaging with hopeful authors and giving feedback have different values within this system. Completing a task will earn the corresponding number of Critcoin, working towards your weekly targets. The following table highlights the things Officers can do to earn Critcoin:
| Type | Value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Full Draft Crit | 4 Critcoin |
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| New Idea Crit | 2 Critcoin |
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| Responding to a Reply / Follow-Up | 1 Critcoin |
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What counts as one reply?
So, how does one figure out what counts as a reply/follow-up piece of feedback? Here's an example that would be worth 1 Critcoin, or count as one response:
Crittee: Can you clarify this?
Officer: Yeah, I'm asking specifically about how you plan to approach XYZ
Crittee: Oh! Yeah, I wanted to ….
Officer: Gotcha. I think, in that case, I would think about…
Even though the Officer sent 2 messages, this is considered one single task, because it is all one 'round' of exchanges, so to speak.
Mentees will be responsible for tracking completed crit, in the designated channel within the Critique Staff Server.
What if life gets in the way?
We understand that real life happens, and it takes priority. While we have these targets set, we can adapt if things change. Any of the above listed minimums are considered negotiable, with Flight Commanders — feel free to do so either within your Flight thread, or a private thread, as specified above.
A note on transparency
You may be reaching the end of this page and asking yourself, 'hey, this seems to be a bit controlling about where mentees talk, and how they communicate with their Commander. Why?'
Great question! The current setup is to help ensure team oversight and group accountability, and be mindful of participants' time outside of the SCP wiki. Furthermore, for cases of multiple mentees working with one mentor, having a place for collective discussion helps keep everyone in the loop with regards to guidance and growth during the Flight process.
What happens when a Flight finishes?
If you make it to the end of your crit Flight, met the minimum requirements and had no issues, congratulations! You have finished your crit Flight, and have earned Greenlighter privileges! Additionally, you will earn the chance to choose an article to feature on the front page for the next month!
But wait, there's more! In addition, if you would like, you can be added to the Discord Critique Officer board, hosted in #moth-squad-roster, as a record of your accomplishment. At the end of your Flight, your Commander will ask you to fill out the following template:
Officer: @[Your Discord handle]
Critique Statement: [A short blurb about whatever you would like to say about your approach to critique, or what you would be interested in being contacted about.]
Featured Article: [A link to the article you chose to feature on the front page.]
Conclusion
We'd like to close with a thank-you to all Flight participants and reviewers interested in the Flights mentorship process. By being a critter, you are a part of the writing community, and helping to make all the incredible pieces of fiction that we have on the wiki. We cannot wait to help you grow!