Wikipedia:Advocate Cabal/5-minute advocate tutorial
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This is meant to be a lightning-fast tutorial of a few tips on how to get started as an advocate. Remember, there is no process nor procedure in the Advocate Cabal, and the tips below are nothing more - ignore them at will, and edit them if you think they could be better :)
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[edit] Your job as an advocate
Basically your job is to act as the person's representative in the dispute, and to advise them accordingly. You also act to defend the user if they're being mistreated, and to give the user basic counselling where they require it.
[edit] Starting out
Don't worry about whether you're doing it right, because we don't have a formal process or procedure to follow, and you can just do whatever advocate-like things you think will help the user. The only way you'll become a good advocate is by learning, and trying things out.
When you find a case you want to take up, drop a line to the user following the contact method they asked for in their request. Introduce yourself, and ask them how they want you to help them. Just go from there, acting on their behalf as they'd like you to do.
[edit] Don't be scared of referring where needed
If a user is asking you to do something beyond your abilities, don't be afraid of passing them onto someone who can help them. You can always leave a note to that effect on the Advocate Cabal main page saying that you'd like someone with experience in a particular field to help out. Don't feel you're failing the user by passing them on.
[edit] Learn from mistakes, and forgive yourself for them
Take your past cases as experience, no matter how well you did on them. It's OK to make mistakes, so long as you remember not to repeat them. Don't let it get to you when you make mistakes, just treat them as a path towards being a better advocate. Apologise if you think you've done something amiss towards someone or on someone's behalf, not so much for their sake as for your own sense of integrity.
[edit] Conflict of interest
The only time when you absolutely must not help a user making a request is if you are already helping someone else in the dispute, or you're mediating it - that is, don't advocate in a conflict of interest.
[edit] Advocates are not lawyers
Although you're an advocate, you aren't a lawyer. It's best not to give legal advice, and you should never ever make legal threats on Wikipedia (see Wikipedia:No legal threats). In addition, be careful not to Wikilawyer, as that has proven to be unhelpful.
[edit] Dialogue
Focus the dialogue somewhere else other than the Advocate Cabal page in order to keep the page manageable and short. For example, in an ongoing dispute on a particular subject, public conversation may be conducted on the talk page of the article. Where it regards a specific user, use the user's talk page. Obviously, use e-mail or Internet chat for private conversations with the user, and when a user asks for confidential conversation don't abuse their trust - make sure that you keep it confidential.
[edit] Look at other initiatives for examples
You could take a look at the AMA page for tips on what advocate stuff is, if you like, but remember the process is only one way of carrying out advocate work, and we don't subscribe directly to the AMA's way of doing things.
[edit] Don't let it get to you
Remember, you're helping the user, not vice versa. You are not obliged to help a particular user, and if you aren't happy with the way they're treating you, say so or even drop the case. Try and distance yourself from cases, as they may well be very emotional, and remember you are just doing a volunteer job rather than actually having a fixed duty to help the user out. You are doing them a favour, and you should remember that. If you are feeling hurt by what is going on, don't do what is hurting you. If you're feeling stressed, take a break.
