I read this project is geared more towards mid-sized Wikipedias but wanted to share a thought from an ENWP editor, if useful
What's most exciting to me about a dashboard is less the dedicated space for managing these interactions but the potential to build it into the existing interface. Like most compelling for me is:
- I mainly want to see my specified editor/mentee's edits, particularly if highlighted in my regular watchlist in context of other things I'm watching (i.e., not having to check another surface)
- I particularly want to see high impact edits from my mentees so I can (1) encourage and (2) offer process improvements (i.e., using X template might help)
- I want to receive a system-wide notification (in the top bar) if my mentee needs help with something and doesn't know how to use the {{ping}} template
- I do not need to see or maintain a list of dedicated mentees or track them like a leaderboard, except to remove them from my notifications/watchlist (such a list would be depressing as I'd wager most editors won't come back beyond asking one or two questions)
- I do not need awards—seeing the mentee create content and make impact is the loop and the reward
- Somewhat out of scope, but as a mentor, I want WMF data to recommend my most valuable actions as a mentor: "Newcomers who receive X from an experienced user have the highest likelihood of returning"—tell me (either by notification or talk page message or email or whatever) what message to send and to whom and you need not build an interface to facilitate it
Hope that can be useful. If/when this extends to larger Wikipedias, I see most of the benefit coming from small tweaks to the existing interface that integrate into my regular editing