pauloaguia: Ok thanks for the info.

Foxman: I've reread all the questions asked so far and I think the only one that fits in the "politics" category is actually one of mine. But even if it weren't my answer would still be the same:

Interviews are here for us to know other people better. that may include some of their political thoughts.
Any interviewee is free to choose not to answer a particular question (political or otherwise). But my recommendation always is that it's best to answer them all - a witty, well humoured answer is always the best "defense" when you feel people are trying to get too personal or trying to get to you.
The fact that there is a fellowship for politics is no answer - pawns don't have access to fellowships. Also, there's a General Chat discussion board, if you want to go that way, interviews shouldn't even exist since you could ask anything to other people on that board

Foxman: The person being interviewed can certainly choose not to answer whatever questions they don't want to, I'm sure.

I think Politics should not be in the interviews.Isn't there a fellowship for those type questions.?

Don't forget, you have only a few days left to come up with any questions for Foxy Lady

Jim Dandy: I agree with you!

Ewe:I encourage discussion on any topic,it keeps the juices flowing and interest up.I like the idea.Clearly the recent discussions have renewed interest in the whole interview concept,that's positive.My only concern would be if it became a small group of frequent posters,I would find an interview with a random player(not frequent poster) interesting also.I expect many people read these boards but never post

Jim Dandy: I just thought it would stop the next person just picking their favourite & a number 'out of the hat' (so to speak) would solve that problem. Those people could go into the 'hat' each time so in the end hopefully everyone gets chosen eventually.

Does that mean you dont think its a good idea?

Ewe: to some it probably makes sense,but the key word to remember is "autocracy"
I guess as long as interviews proceed that's the main thing

Just a suggestion (hoping not to complicate matters more) but how about just giving the suggested names for the next interview numbers 1 to 4 (or however many need to be picked from) & the person choosing just picks a number & they dont know who the name is associated with that number.

Does that make sense?

ellieoop: Thanks. But the quality of the interview is mostly due to the help of the over 20 "inquisitors" and the quality of the subject. I have almost no hand on it anymore

It's up to you all to keep the interviews up to these same standards...

pauloaguia: mad monkeys interview was very interesting, good questions, and great answers from Ian.
i agree with keeping the interviews running the way they are, you're doing a good job.

MadMonkey's interview has just been published!! Enjoy it.

In the mean time, don't forget to post your questions in Foxy Lady's interview... a special note to remind those that had previously asked their questions to be recurrent, that they should now manually post them again (I may pick one or two of those from previous interviews when the time is almost up, but I would prefer them to be credited to their original authors and the only way to do it right now, is for them to post themselves).

And remember you can still send me a message sugesting who the next subject should be.

Bubbles Pbarb2: It just seems logical to me.Sometimes people lose interest when the process become too complicated

ps

I have no intent of submitting myself,I enjoy asking questions though.

Bubbles Pbarb2: Things always get more complicated within any democratic system, an autocracy is vastly less complicated, but who likes uncomplicated anyway?

Jim Dandy: It never was before.

Bubbles Pbarb2: Why don't you just pick the highest vote?

Well, the thing is, that people with a lot of votes can get them from a clique of friends, just as easy as the most recent interviewee who keep picking their friends etc.... the point is that there is no perfect solution.

Since it seems like we are going to get interviews more frequently than less, it likely that everyone who has any votes will eventually get interviewed at some point in the near future, so it doesnt really matter who picks them or why, or what order they get picked.... it just seems like since someone has to get chosen, why not let the latest person interviewed do it, thats just as arbitrary as any other method, and is a nice bonus for the person who has just gone through the somehwat grueling interview process, to get to have someone from the list who most interests them.

Bubbles Pbarb2: I had no idea this was such a complicated venture.Has anyone considered having people submit themselves to a list for interviews? that might simplify the process

pauloaguia: I think what you are doing is fine. I know when you told me to pick..You gave me 5 names I think it was..You listed them from highest to lowest votes. Mad Monkey had the highest number so I picked him. So if you have people sending in votes..Why don't you just pick the highest vote? That way all this stuff about picking favorites can be avoided.
Coan.. Why mix other things in with interview board. This is for interviews and should really be for that.

pauloaguia: Or instead of every week, whenever there is a "dull" time. For example, lets say you notice that a week went by without a post, maybe introduce some "quickie" questions for people to answer. Maybe even like "poll" questions like what new game would you like to see on this site. (with a list of some options with of course leaving it open for any answers).

Seasonal questions like "Did Santa bring you anything this year?"

Yea, a threaded board would make it a lot easier - but maybe an idea to keep when the posts do slow down - and randomly so you are not forced into doing new questions weekly and such.

pauloaguia: just thinking out loud again... like BBW suggested, since people who have already been interviewed will likely never be interviewed again, and since there are always new people here and others who did not participate in prior interview questioning, maybe there would be some interest in picking a prior interviewee, where people may be curious about some aspect of them that was not covered in their first interview, and they could be the person of the week, or month or whatever, to come here and answer additional questions, or something like that?

Some kind of follow up.... I know after reading someones interview, there are always other questions that come to mind, maybe to clarify or expound on what they have already said, or to find out something that was not covered at all....

Even maybe the person who most recently completed an interview could make themselves available for a couple of weeks of follow up.... just make that part of the routine, where after you post your interview, you come here to answer follow up questions generated after people have read your interview....

Puckish: It was not my idea, someone else suggested it on BrainKing.com DB when I started doing this... since there were so many people saying it was a good idea, I implemented it, that's all...

pauloaguia: Yes, I like your idea to let the last person choose, but to make them choose from some popular requests!

coan.net: I'm not sure... if this was a threaded board, it might work, but on an open board such as we have here on BK, I think there's a risk of cluttering, expecially if some of those answers provide some good conversation, like you said... which, by the way, could also make this turn into a debate club (which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not something I'm prepared to moderate, that's all)
Also, I'd run out of questions preety fast if I were to have to come up with 5 different questions every week

Yet, I had already thought in the past of the concept of a quick interview, I just didn't come up with a right way to put it in practice... Somebody else care to comment on coan's idea?

pauloaguia: I agree that you have to stay with whatever the majority wants. All I was saying is that even though someone was requested by the most people, if that person that you send that list to doesn't particularly like that person, then they won't be picked. The final decision should be yours since you are the one in charge of interviews! It is just an opinion, that is all. Go forth and do good!!

Dolittle: No offense taken.
But to clarify: I only send them 3 or 4 names - the ones that collected more votes. So, whoever gets to be choosen is still someone requested by severall other people.
I send them to be picked by the current interviewee because it was suggested that (s)he should pick the next one and the idea seemed to collect lots of support. I just changed it slightly preciselly to avoid the friends-picks-friend scenario and to still give other people a role in selecting who the next one should be...
Like you say, whatever the system, it will always have its pro's and con's, so I'm sticking to this one for now (can't keep changing system every month, unless there's a very solid reason)

pauloaguia: An idea to keep traffic to this board in between interviews - how about once a week, have 5 "open" questions that anyone can post on the board with their answers. Anyone who visits the board can answer - even me since I've already done an interview and will most likely never do another one.

It could be a good way to keep traffic to this board, and possible get a good conversation out of those questions.

Maybe mix in a few odd-ball questions like is you yard more grass, weeds, dirt, or no yard - with more serious questions like maybe how often would you like to see interviews and why.

pauloaguia: I don't agree with your method of picking the next interviewee. I still think it should be by popular vote. No offense but when you send the list to the present interviewee, they just pick someone they like. Don't guess there is a fool proof way of choosing anyway.

Puckish: I feel the same way you do... which is why I started making interviews about 1 month apart and then spreaded them out a little more. Of course, now that I don't have to do so much work on them, it's easier, but I also think that if the subject isn't well known, there simply won't be so many people asking questions... or at least those funny and witty questions that make the interview more enjoyable.

However, I think a very large interval between interviews will also have a negative effect - people will start forgeting to come to this board to be informed about new interviews and won't post any questions... which is not good either.

So I'm trying to find some compromise somewhere in between...

Andersp: Regarding voting for a new vict... I mean, person to be interviewed (), the system is the same that has been so far - if there's someone you'd like to see an interview with, just send me his/her/their name(s) and I'll add them to my list. The top most voted ones I'll send to Foxy Lady when her interview is almost over, for her to choose from.

Oh... did I mention she's our next subject?

ScarletRose: Is it possible to have too many then? How about 1 per week? Why not interview several people at the same time?

Like I have said before, there are many ways to get to know people, other than through a public site sponsored interview.... if there are really so many people who want more, then why not just ask them? You can always send people questions about themselves through a PM, cant you? Or even make it more public by starting a private fellowship, right?

Dang, maybe I will just have to do it myself!

Puckish: I agree.. the interviews should be one a month.. there are enough players on this site who are very interesting.. and lots of us enjoy getting to know others.. one a month is NOT too many..

Puckish: I do, I do And may I pleassse say how very "PC" of you

Any further bickering will be deleted.

redfrog: when youre feeling especially puckish!!!

, Nice one!!!!

Puckish: i wasnt trying to hurt you - im glad you have thick skin - that helps sometimes... i didnt mean to saying anything hurtful - just trying to voice my opinion too... i was trying to be helpful - you had some good things to say - but i fear you arent listened to when youre feeling especially puckish!!!

redfrog: Ouch... that hurts... I guess trying to hurt me is a way for you to make me feel like you think barb will feel from my post?

I know we are all different, I was always under the belief that if you cant stand the heat to stay out of the kitchen... i have a thick skin, so i assume others are the same way, but that is not always the case.


But simply stated, barb has her opinion, that she gave, and said her reasons why. I happen to disagree and gave my reasons why, there was no malice intended, I actually think an interview fellowship is a very good idea!!!!

Puckish: sometimes it doesnt matter how right you are - diplomacy actually matters - and feelings are really all that matters when it comes to relationships - what is the point of being rude when trying to make a point - it takes away the power of being right and makes you look foolish

Rose: well, diplomacy aside, you know i am right

...said as undiplomatically as possible to make sure to hurt barbs feelings.

Bubbles Pbarb2: Rest is not worth andswering.

Whatever that means?


I am NOT saying that i dont like interviews... I am allowed my opinion, arent I?

I am only saying that in my opinion that doing too many interviews too fast is not a good idea!

Maybe it shouldnt be a "time" thing at all? I mean, maybe right now, since it is still kind of new, and there are a relatively large amount of personalities on here that havent been interviewed, maybe more is okay right now.

But if you say something like one interview every month, it wont be long before you will be interviewing people who arent "personalities" at all!

Maybe for someone who wants to have everyone on here interviewed before they are dead, it may be okay, but for the long term prospects of this site in general, I would caution that flexibility is the best course, and setting a goal of one a month or whatever is not wise.

maybe something like whenever someone gets a certain amount of requests before they are interviewed, or something like that? Like I said before, only 4 people requested me, thats not too many, and that was more than anyone else, just be careful and take it slow, thats my advice.


One more thinking out loud..... there is nothing from stopping anyone from making an interview fellowship, barb, and you can get questions together and invite everyone you want to know more about and ask them questions and post the answers, and you can do 20 people a week if you want, and are afraid you wont be around here long enough to get to know people properly , official brainking interviews are NOT the only way to get to know someone, really!

Puckish: If you don't like interviews then why ruin it for those that do. Rest is not worth andswering.

pauloaguia: I had friends tell me they did not know anything about interviews. They said they would have asked me some questions. I think I had some good ones and enough. Just trying to make the point they did not know. So the thing is getting the word out.

pauloaguia: Dont get me wrong.... my point isnt that there arent enough interesting people to interview.... its more about the interest generated in the interviews IE questions asked, or people who others want to see interviewed, etc...

Just dont get too excited and over do it... if I die before someone gets interviewed, then so be it...

Bubbles Pbarb2: I remeber suggesting somewhere that when there's a new interview or an interview is about to be closed (for receiving questions) then some sort of mark could appear in the main page by theInterviews link. This would eventually attract more people.
Many people don't even know interviews exist yet, because they were only linked at the BrainKing.com db up until recently... adding something catchy to the left menu bar every now and then, at key moments in an iterview's lifetime, could help get the word out.

Andersp:

Puckish:   Conclusion =  BrainKing's "Hall of Fame" should be too big! 

Bubbles Pbarb2: 1 per month?

Why dont you just get a standard set of questions and let anyone who wants to be interviewed go answer them and have them posted?

I mean if the only purpose is to allow people like yourself to find out more about everyone on this site, then why not just have a link in peoples profiles to make an interview about themseves available?

When I was interviewed, there were only like 4 people who asked to have one from me, and that was the majority!!! 4 people!!!

Start to water it all down even more, and it will soon not matter to anyone at all... it would be like making Christmas every day, it would not be special anymore!