Interview with Applequest


In Mid December new moderators were selected. Three Board Moderators that were selected went straight to the Board
Moderator position, and skipped Assistant Forum Moderator, and Forum Moderator. Applequest is one of them. Here is
his story.


1) How and when did you first find Runevillage? What did you think of it at the very beginning?

I think I found RV in September of 2003. By RV, I mean the main site. I have just joined members and someone told me
that the RV quest guides were better than Tip.it's. I found this to be true. Eventually I clicked on the pub link and
after a few weeks of watching, I decided to join. The rest, as they say, is history.


2) When you were elected as a Village Legend, were you excited?

Being elected a Legend was bittersweet. At that point I felt like I was ready to become a mod as that I was needed.
The fact that Village Legends were created let me know it was still going to be some time before new mods were
elected. However, it didnt take me long to realize how great being a Village Legend was. The people who were elected
along side of me are all great guys. I made many new friends and we all still get along well to this day.


3) Were you excited when Hiker finally PMed you about being elected for a board moderator?

You could say excited but it isn't even enough to describe it. After half a year of knowing you are going to be a
mod whenever the finally get around to it, having the day actually come is surreal. Hiker even said something to
the extent of "sorry we took so long."


4) Did you ever expect this title? If so, when did you think you would achieve this rank?

The funny thing is, it never even crossed my mind that I be a Board Mod from the start. Not even the faintest idea.
So that was the real thrill of the Hiker PM- the surprise of the rank I would be getting. I figured I might have to
serve at least a few months as a forum mod but I was fortunate to get the chance to skip ahead.


5) Many villagers thought you were one of the best qualified people for this job. What are your thoughts on this?

Ya, that is really something that has been held over me for a long time now. I think starting as early as last April
I was getting PM's telling me that I should be a mod. They have pretty much continued ever since. Then there was that
survey Happylizard put out where I had a ton of people say they wanted me as a mod. It really makes you feel good to
know that so many people have confidence in you. I think it will make my job as a moderator easier because I know the
Village is behind me when I make decisions. However, I have high expectations to live up to so its a double-edged
sword. Whatever happens, I am always just trying to make the Village the best it can possibly be.


6) Did you think you would start off as a Board Moderator? What was your reaction when you found this out?

As I said before, being made a Board Mod was a shock. I can tell you it made me very happy though. I am the kind of
person where if I see a problem in a forum but I can't fix it because it isnt "my forum," I will get upset. As a
board mod, I can address all problems across all of the forums and be as effective as possible as a mod.


7) Is it a big change going from Village Legend straight to Board Moderator?

Its actually not as big of a transition as you might expect The main difference is that before, I would see a problem
and think to myself "too bad I'm not a mod, or else I could take care of that instead of it sitting around for hours
until someone who can fix it does." Now, I see the problems, and then I deal with them. The main difference now is
that I am spending even more time on RV than before.


8) Do you think the administration selecting a very big amount of moderators was a good move?

It is not easy to decide how many moderators is the right number. There are just so many variables that the
administration cant possibly control. The last time around, the problem was that many of them left after only a month
or so. This left us understaffed. If they hadnt left, we wouldnt have had a problem. We will see if this happens
again. The trick is to get the most possible mods without it being so crowded that they are tripping over each other.


9) What is your stance on the issue of Board Moderaters having chat moderator powers?

I am completely on the side of the Chat on this one. It isnt fair for Board Mods to have chat powers if they dont
spend enough time there yo understand how the chat works. The current solution, provided by Henner, I think will
satisfy both sides. The Board Mods can have chat mod power if they spend at least 3 hours actively in the chat each
week. This way, the power is available to the Board Mods, but only if they earn it.


10) How do you like the new forums (Debate Forum, and Media Mansion)?

I think both the new forums are great. Media Mansion will ease some of the pressure off of General Chat. It is a
good place for people will common interests to go and talk about them. The Debate Forum is a little more risky
though. Debates can easily turn into flaming. I already wrote the rules for that forum, hopefully they will be
obeyed. I just hope that the administration made good picks for forum mods there because it will have to be under
constant supervision at all times. I will keep my eyes on it but I have many other things to deal with as well.
In the best-case scenario, the Debate Forum could be the highlight of RV. Lets's wait and see.


11) Do you think that these new moderators is a step in the right direction for Runevillage, as it has been
experiencing some problems lately?

Oh definitely. The last few months at RV havent been what we wanted. I likened them to the "Dark Ages" in a post
not long ago. I really believe that all of the problems at the forums could be traced back to a lack of mods. Does
this mean that more mods will fix it? I sure hope so. In any case, I believe that we have turned a corner and that
better days at RV lay ahead.


12) Will this new obligation cut into your runescape playing time? Will we see another great drop party from you
again? Yes, I believe that I will be spending less time on RS. Not considerably less, but less. As for the drop
party, no, you will never see anything like that from me again. This has nothing to do with my appointment as a
mod though. I really believe that this is the sort of thing that you do once, and then pass the torch. Euph was a
big help to me and I will be there to help the next person who attempts it but I myself wont be responsible for it.
It was a great experience but I think that it is a once in a lifetime sort of thing.


13) Are you enjoying being a board moderator so far? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Being a mod is all I ever hoped. You cant imagine how many topics I have moved and locked since I started. All
I ever wanted was to have a positive role at Runevillage. Now I can take a more active role in making the Village
better than I had before. I guess you could say the only disadvantage is that I am spending a lot of time working
but I am willing to do what it takes. I am sure that when the forum mods are picked, my workload will lessen
significantly. It has been great so far and I am sure it will continue to be.


14) In your opinion, should all of the Forum Moderators have been promoted to board moderators (aside from the
ones that were demoderated)?

Yes, I do. Those guys have been working for almost a year. While some may not be as active as we might want, they
are still there working hard when they can. The fact that they are still here makes them deserve the chance to have
a bigger contribution. They are very experienced in what it means to be a mod so they really do deserve it. Im sure
they will be good help to the man new moderators coming in; I have already gotten help from many of them.


15) Now concluding this interview, is there anything you would like to say that hasn't been asked in this interview?
Basically, I want to reemphasize the fact that better days lay ahead of Runevillage. Whether you are a mod or not,
you can always do your part to help. In my year as a normal user, I just tried to be helpful and courteous, and set
a good example for the new people. This is the fact that I want to stress to everyone. If you are an established
villager, what you say and do really does matter. If you flame and spam, breaking the rules, the newer users pick
up on that. For Runevillage to be the place I have always imagined it to be, it has to start with every single
person. The great people have always been what sets RV apart, we have to continue this or else the spirit of RV
will be gone forever.

Written by - Carnivo
Proofread by - Poison333
Coded by - Poison333