Socrates as a mentor?

Was the Socratic method ever a good idea?<p>Doesn't it only work in contrived, scripted debates against an interlocutor who seems to spend most of his time saying "Yes surely Socrates that must be the case"?

People forget that Socrates was forced to drink poison ostensibly becuase he had not made many friends with his "method". So one might consider that. I think often times say "the Socratic Method" which is a method of aurgument when really, they mean to say "ask a lot of questions" but that does not sound as cool I guess.