Behind the Mods

Written by: Caesara

Hey, and welcome to the section Behind the Mods. :) Today's insight is brought to us by Charisma, Matt, and DiscordantNote! Thanks muchly to you three! :)

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What do you think makes PPT different from other fansites?

Charisma: I think it's that we are more than just a fansite for Neopets, the fact that we try to cater to everyone and keep it healthy and safe for everyone coming here is a big deal. I think some of the other fansites lack in mature administration which causes problems and doesn't make for environments that members enjoy. I think that PPT has been around so long that during that time members are not just members, everyone has gotten to know each other and develop friendships. PPT is close knit, when someone leaves people notice because it's not just some user name but someone they got to know over time in the forums and became friends with. We've had lots of members who actually have "bonded" sort of out of the site, met up and spent some time together. PPT brings people closer as corny as that sounds. :P
Matt: Well, two things mainly. Firstly is the diversity. It doesn't seem to be as focused on the Neopets as much, but it's expanded so far in other directions, we've got our own virtual pets site, and a newspaper, and we're even getting a radio! The other thing is the community. I've never been on another site which the community cares so much about itself.
DN: PPT is different because of our size. We're constantly updating our site, and we've got a very large forum filled with active members. I don't think many other fansites can say that.

What boards/topics do you most commonly surf on PPT?
Charisma: I like to visit Misc Disc a lot, and visit Movies and Television as well just because I want to see what is discussed on the "so you think you can dance" topic. :P I visit a lot of the other boards too but those are first two that come to mind first.
Matt: All the private boards, General Chat, Bill, No Nutritional Value and I'm trying to get back into Role Playing.
DN: Of course, I at least lurk in the boards I moderate, and I frequently pop into the RP forum. Sometimes I'll check the others just to see what's going on.

What's your favorite specie of neopet?
Charisma: I think I'll go with Shoyru for this one, that was my first pet and when it got taken away it was sorely missed :( Okay don't laugh but I have one of those pets neopets came out with that talk and so on, it's a blue Shoyru, my sister got it for me because she remembered that was my very first pet (feel free to awwww).
Matt: Probably the Zafara, but I do like other pet's colours quite a lot...
DN: Rukis. I have one of my own. :)

What sites do you most commonly surf, other than PPT?
Charisma: When I'm not on PPT I usually browse LiveJournal to catch up on entries friends have made. I don't really have a wide horizon of sites I visit, if you were to sit and watch me while I surfed online you'd get bored pretty quickly…except when I visit Pink Ink of course!
Matt: Magic: The Gathering (I don't play anymore, honest!!), Randomness, Bob and George.
DN: Neopets, Gaia Online, and I read many webcomics.

In your opinion, what is the hardest aspect of being a moderator?
Charisma: That's easy! I find it quite hard to figure out what all the buttons do, I have yet to decipher them. I really don't know what a moderator does but I think I'm pretty good at faking it, I mean look all the boards I got ^_^ *runs off to play with buttons*
Matt: Splitting topics in No Nutritional Value. =P Seriously though, it has to be the fact that you're dealing with people, rather than evil spamming poster-robots.
DN: Splitting topics. Sometimes it confuses me, but I seem to get it right every time though, which is good.

How long have you been on PPT?
Charisma: I've been on PPT for a long, long, long time. I don't honestly remember, I just remember Jim was a moderator at that time still.
Matt: Since the very first crash on the YaBB boards. No idea when that is, though.
DN: My account on the phpBB boards was created in October 2003, if I recall correctly, but I was around in the yaBB days as well. I was very inactive though, so I guess they don't count.

What do you think makes people stay with PPT for so long?
Charisma: It's either because people make friends and want to keep in touch or because they are hoping one day they will see Rune finally declare her love for Jim. It's like a soap opera that runs for years and people just keep being loyal to it because of all the drama that sucks them in; or like Gilligan's island, you just have to know if they will get off that island.
Matt: The community, the happy members and the fact that there's something for everyone.
DN: The friendly atmosphere, mainly. We've also got Werewolf and lots of good RPs for those that enjoy more than chatting.

What's the funniest topic/post you've ever seen on PPT?
Charisma: Remember the one about the bird and the house on the island during the yeah, yeah, that was a good one!
Matt: Too many to choose from. A lot of the trolls on PPT actually have a sense of humour... Well, its funny to laugh at them anyway.
DN: A long time ago, before the big forum crash, I recall someone finding a site where you can create captions for movie segments (something promoting Fanta...I don't remember it clearly), and they'd string several scenes together to create a movie of sorts about PPT. Quite a few people joined in, and some of the creations were hilarious. I seem of remember Jim being frightened in one, but I don't remember much beyond that.

What do you think of the PPTbies?
Charisma: I think it's good for forums to have activities where members can interact. It's not a bad idea for some members with talents to get some recognition even if they don't win, a nomination can be a great honor in my eyes. I just think that we have to be cautious with PPTbies for there can be a lot of hurt feelings from it. Just realize that if you aren't nominated or if you do not win it does not mean you aren't valued as a member and there is always another year.
Matt: A glorified popularity contest, but, if it makes people feel good about themselves, go for it ^.^
DN: It's cool and all, but I don't like participating because I keep thinking I'll hurt someone's feelings. But, if people are having fun with it, it's all good.

And because everyone wants to know, how fast do you type?
Charisma: I'm average probably , some people say I type fast, however I'm not too good on the laptop. I did pass that typing game on neopets, that must mean I'm good. :P
Matt: Errrr... Just fast enough to just beat typing terror... Never done a specific test.
DN: Quicker than most, but improperly. It's a very swift, occasionally multi-fingered chicken peck (complete with looking at the keyboard while typing). I've found it works quite well most of the time.

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And there you have it, folks! DN can't type and Charisma's favorite topic is quite vague, but now you know three more of the mods. ;) Supposedly they're only human, but I'd like some proof of that.. I vaguely recall some green skin.. -coughs and poofs-