BA: Interview with the teams of VP |
I'm, Libertas, is back with a really interesting blog, this time I have interviewed people from the different teams of VP! I would like to thank everyone who has let me interview them, I appreciate it a lot! Would you like to see more interview blogs in the future? Is there any team you would like to join? Tell me down below in the comments! I'm Shadowjess! The overlord of EN VP! Wait no, I meant admin! How long have you been an Admin? I became Admin to the EN server since January 31st 2017. So it has now been approx 1 year 3 months. Why did you apply to be Admin? I actually didn't. The public nominated me for the position after Kim had left along with a few other honourable mentions. I had wanted to be admin to the EN server pretty much though since the server opened, as a lot of users know. Have your view on VP changed since becoming Admin? If yes, how? Not in the slightest. I have always backed up the work of VP and it's community. I think it's more of a 'has the community on VP changed' and that I Would say yes to. We're so much more closer-granted our little arguments still happen but I think we're rather bonded. Have you ever regret being Admin? If yes, why? Not for a second. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Ha..haha. At one point I was a member for ET....I think I go down as one of the worse members because I couldn't do anything due to work, so I'll stick with my Designers. Have you changed since you become Admin? If yes, in which way? I would like to say no, but others would possibly say otherwise. I have become a lot more active within the forums and do tend to randomly pop up in record labels for a quick chat. What does it mean for you to be an Admin? It actually means a lot. More of the fact that the community trust me to hold them in the palm of my hands and look over them. Like my little children. I love the fact that I can have more of an influence over any changes that happen that better the site (or break it in the case of the foreground category-Sorry guys!) How is it working with Kaj on a more close level? Rather nice! People always poke and jab at him but in reality when you speak full on with him, you can see the passion he has for this site. Even if he doesn't know how to communicate it well to the public. I've always backed him since day 1 so to be able to work even closer with him has been fabulous. Couple of mishaps but that's mostly due to me not understanding correctly, or just not knowing how the system works! heyyo! My name is Zöe and live in a pretty awesome place called Scotland. As of the 18th of April I've hit the ripe age of 21. I am in my third year of university studying History which has been difficult but loads of fun as well. A little fun fact; I'm a competitive swimmer and have been Scottish champion a handful of time ! Anyway, I was interviewed about my experience of being on the news team so I hope you enjoy. How long have you been on NT? Not very long at all. I was accepted into the group on October the 7th just last year ! Why did you apply for that team? I've always enjoyed writing, its one of those things I use to do so much in my spare time but just suddenly stopped. I figured joining NT would inspire me to write again and be passionate about what I was doing. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? Since I joined NT, no. I'd say since a joined the Moderator team my look on vp has changed but that's because I know have to care when rules get broken etc. which makes me look like a party pooper aha. plus people have openly admitted to being more afraid of messaging me which is a shame. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Nope, I don't regret any of the teams I have joined. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Definitely not, I'm on all the teams I could ever want to be on. But I'm always up for doing collabs with the remaining teams ! What do you enjoy with being a part of NT? I enjoy getting creative and sharing pieces of work that I enjoy and that I think the rest of VP enjoy. For example my positive news piece was really well received and it lifted my spirits when writing it. Do you ever get a creative block when you feel you not able to write? Sadly yes and it's something I'm currently going through. I think it's mainly down to the fact that I have university essays due and my focus needs to turn to writing them before I can even think about compiling pieces for a news article. Where do you get your ideas for topics from? From what inspires me usually or what I think users may enjoy. I'm hoping to write more articles on my interests, such as history and swimming. Seeing as it is commonwealth games time it seems fitting to discuss my main interests Hey! I'm Krystle and I'm a layouter in NT which is what this interview is about. I hope you enjoy reading it c: How long have you been on NT? I got into the team on August 27th 2015, so I've been on the team for almost 3 years now! Why did you apply for that team? I love making layouts and when I saw the opportunity on this site of being able to do something I enjoy so much I decided to give it a try and apply for the team. I had also joined VP only around 6 months before I applied for NT so I was pretty excited to be part of something here, meet new people and see how the teams and everything else worked. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? Yes. As I said I was pretty new when I joined NT so I didn't know much about how things worked here but since joining the team I have seen how much work goes on behind the scenes to bring fun content for the community frequently and this has made me respect the teams more and I appreciate the effort put in by all the teams in creating different things for everyone to enjoy. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Being in NT (and SMT) gave me something to do on VP and I also met so many cool people through the teams which has made me stick around here up to now. I feel like if I hadn't joined the teams I would've probably gotten bored of VP and left pretty earlier, so I used to regret joining the teams for this reason when I spent so much time on here instead of doing other important things irl. I've gotten a little better at managing my time nowadays though and since the excitement of joining VP wore off I'm less addicted to this site now and can prioritize real life things and take breaks from here to focus on them so this is not a problem anymore, thankfully. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I've always really wanted to join ET because helping out with hosting the events is a lot of fun as I've experienced from being in SMT and round 2 of ET's applications. However, I'm not sure anymore that it would be good for me to join another team because it might get too stressful to manage 3 teams and things irl all at the same time. What do you enjoy with being a part of NT? As I mentioned before I love making layouts so that is what I enjoy the most in NT. It feels like a new challenge each time I have to make a layout because the layout needs to be within the theme the article is going to be about. I also love working with all the wonderful people in the team such as Photosynthesis and Quinzelle who are the writers I've made the most layouts for during my time on NT. Currently the writer I'm assigned to is Hypoxic and she's great to work with as well <3 Have you ever felt that you have had a creative block and not being able to create a layout? Yes, I have actually felt that many times but I managed to overcome this with some inspiration from the internet and help from the lovely writers. Sometimes I show the progress of the layout to the writer and they help me decide if there is anything to change or help me choose from various different options of layouts I made. A shout out to Quinzelle who always gave me some inspiration pictures to help me get started on layouts for her articles, those helped me so much! For how long have you made layouts? Where did you get the interest from? When I was about 13, which is almost 6 years ago, I used to be on this other site (i-dressup) and the members there would sometimes host these dress up contests where apart from dressing up, contestants would edit their models into a background relating to the theme. That's how I started editing - using picmonkey to simply edit my model on a background and my interest grew from there until I joined VP, and learned how to do layouts here. Now I love this so much, I did a graphic design course and hope to make a career in this field in the future. How long have you been on YT? I've been in the Team for... about 4 months? I got accepted on the 4th December 2017. Why did you apply for that team? I applied because I think I want to do some contributions to VP. And kinda like being a Youtuber practice Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? No not really haha. But maybe a little bit, just to look more ''professional''? I don't know, its silly. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? No never! Its not a really a very busy team so its kinda chill for me. But I do think we need to have more videos. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Probably when I get my schedule sorted out, or when I'm older and is more responsible. And I would want to join SMT. Do you get to pick what the videos are going to be about? Umm... I'm not sure. No I don't think so. I just make whatever comes on my mind and ask for permission. How long time does it take for you to make a video? Probably a week, but if I'm free then a few days. Which video are you the proudest of? I haven't made a lot of videos but I'm proud of a Christmas one I made. Its not out until this year's Christmas so, no spoilers. Hi! I'm Veronica aka pastelice. I've been on VP for around 7 months and I'm being interviewed for BloggerTeam! (Let me know if this is too short) How long have you been on BT? I've been on BT for almost 3 months. It'll be 3 months on the 29th. Why did you apply for that team? I applied for that team because I enjoy writing and researching. I also applied because I wanted to contribute to the VP community. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? Yes, it has changed. I realized how much some people don't appreciate the teams, when before I didn't exactly understand. I also understand the contribution all of the teams do and definitely appreciate it more. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? No, I didn't regret joining BT. I made new friends and I get to have a say in the competitions and events that we do. Plus, getting the code sets and team sets is always a bonus Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I would love to join SMT in the future and be in charge of organizing Twitter or Instagram. Where do you find inspiration from? I find inspiration from anything. Sometimes I have to search for blog topics, but other than that the topics usually instantly come to mind. How often do you have to make a blog? I have to make one blog a month, and every other month that blog must be posted on the team account. Do you get to pick the topic on your own? Yes, I do. In fact, all of us do. How long have you been on BT? Since October 2016. :3 Why did you apply for that team? I was interested in that particular team. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? A bit yes. I had No idea how everything worked out with events and so on before. ^^ Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Some twists have appeared But it worked out in the end. So yes i guess But not now. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Not as it looks now. Where do you find inspiration from? My life. How often do you have to make a blog? Once every month. Sometimes more. ^^ Do you get to pick the topic on your own? Yes ofc. Hi! I’m nath, 21 from Sweden. I love cats and coffee and am in ft. I was nominated for the team when it was first put together, not really sure how long ago that was to be completely honest, but, like two and a half years ago? Sorry for being so forgetful, seriously. Memorizing dates isn’t really my strongest ability. I don’t know whether or not my view on vp has changed since then, really. I always thought it was a nice little community where you can have conversations about most things, and I still do. There are a lot of wonderful people on here. No, I don’t regret being in ft. No, I don’t think I want to join another team. I work full time, so there’s not much time on my hands for that. Depends on what we’re doing. If we’re doing a theme week, we make a schedule and try to stick to it. If there’s not a lot going on, we’re free to make a thread about something when it pops up, I’d say. Oh yes, definitely, when I have the time. I mostly just post chat threads, because I like to just hang out basically. No, just common sense and the site rules. Hi! I'm Cimorene, a bookworm and knitter who loves traveling, languages and all kinds of cooking and baking, and I am part of the Social Media Team. How long have you been on SMT? I’m one of the new members of the team, so I’ve only been part of it for a little over a month. Why did you apply for that team? I like using social medias and I’m actually part of a social media team irl so so it just seemed like a natural choice to apply. l’m a planner by heart and I like to plan events and come up with new ideas, which there are some of the things SMT does too. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? I’m honestly not sure, and I think it might be a bit too early for me to really see if I change how I see VP. One thing I have noticed is how structured things are and how it actually works ‘behind the scenes’. I’m not sure if this is a new look on VP, but I have really realised how nice, friendly and loving most people are on this site. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? No, not at all. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I think I would like to join more teams. I’m not really sure which, but maybe Event Team as I love planning for and hosting events, Forum Team because I spend so much time in the forums or News Team because I love writing and teaching people new things. SMT is one of the biggest teams on VP, have that caused any issues? Not really. I don’t have much to compare with, but I actually really like that there are so many people, because that means there is always someone online to help with planning or executing. We are three people managing each media and five layouters, so it is pretty easy to split the workload so you don’t get stressed out because of it. Many people also mean many ideas and inputs, which is always nice to have. Sometimes it can get a bit mixed up with who does what and if something has or has not been done, but it isn’t a real problem and I guess that happens regardless of the size of the team. How do you handle with greedy people? I must say that so far I haven’t really come across greedy people in a team relation, so it hasn’t been much of a problem. But we do check for side accounts in our competitions, and consequences will be taken. We have also mostly moved away from using codes as a prize but sending the items manually instead to minimize the risk of people abusing the system. SMT is promoting VP on different social media platforms, how often do you get questions about VP on the platforms? Sadly it is very rarely we get questions from 'outsiders'. Most of the activity and interaction we get on the medias are from people already using VP. I'm Marlene, and I'm on the designer team. How long have you been on DT? Since 20.06.2017. Why did you apply for that team? Because I love designing, and I felt I had a lot to offer. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? Uh yes. I honestly think designers gets way too little appreciation. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Never. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I'd love to! I'm down for whatever really, I'd like to help out whichever team who are in needs of easily accessible designs. How often do you have to make designs? Every month. When teams use your stuff, are you the one who decides the number of claims? And are you allowed to say no if the number of claims they want wouldn’t be what you would like? No. Is that an option ? Is there any rule for how often you need to make designs for Kaj and for teams to use? Well when I first joined the team, I read that we had to make a female and a male design each month. I don't think there's any "rules" for teams though ? Hey, im Eifos and im a part of the Designer Team! I have designed since around 2007, back on gSm, just realizing that is more than 10 years. Tho i was not that good back then. I have this self portrait from before 2010: These days a really like designing for males, experimenting with doing new kind of items and new materials. And i just love to do backgrounds How long have you been on DT? I have actually been on DT two times, first time startede back in 2013 when VP was very new, then i had like a year or longer break from vp and got back on the team last year. I got no clue how long i have been on the team in total. Why did you apply for that team? I just really like getting my ideas out and to see people wear it Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? I have not used VP that much without being in a team, its the team and designing that drives me to be here. I don't think the difference is that big for me at least, as you can still get designs in game without the team. But the team works does give a better view of what is going on in vp, guess it makes me see a bit more what Kaj struggles with, and to understand it better. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Sometimes, mostly because it can feel like work you have to do in periods where you are stressed by other stuff in your life. But i kinda just accepted that at period's i just don't have the time for design and vp. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Sometimes i think Event team would be awesome, it nice to plan and see it in action, but i don't have the time. How often do you have to make designs? I don't feel like i have to, so i just do it when i'm in the mood. Sometimes you make a couple designs on a week, and sometimes there sadly goes months without. When teams use your stuff, are you the one who decides the number of claims? And are you allowed to say no if the number of claims they want wouldn’t be what you would like? I don't know, normally they just ask if they can use it, or if i can help code something for them they already got from me. I have never tried saying no Is there any rule for how often you need to make designs for Kaj and for teams to use? There might be for making to Kaj, not sure tho. We just try in the team to make/finish something extra when we get too low. But lately it has changed a bit as the design team have more to say about what we use, so its not really for Kaj anymore, its like more for out team Hi! i’m Serene and you’re watching Disney — oh wait no, i’m being interviewed about Event Team. How long have you been on ET? 2 years Why did you apply for that team? The funny story about that is the only reason I applied for ET was because I originally missed the SMT app deadline and then ET apps popped up and I had all these great ideas ready to go so I applied for it instead. Besides that, I just felt like I had been on this website since day one so I already had ideas about things I wanted implement plus I had a lot of free time so I felt like it was just my time to “give back”. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? I feel like joining a team really opens your eyes at how people behave or react to situations. You have to be just because you’re working with the community whereas before if you’re not involved in any teams you don’t notice anything because you’re more self aware. Besides that, nothing has really changed besides yourself having to become more refined because you represent an entire team. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? I haven’t ever regretted joining ET. I feel like it’s a great fit for me and if I regretted it I definitely wouldn’t still be on it. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Probably not, none of the other teams fit my interests. What feeling do you get when an event you created gets a good response from the community? Getting a good response towards an event is obviously great. Especially since sometimes you get worried about not that many people entering or people not understanding how a competition works. Have you ever felt like quitting because of people being greedy? No, things like that don’t really get to me. Have you had creative blocks and not being able to think of new competitions? How did you solve that? Creative blocks happen to me all the time just because hosting something on the internet is so limited. I’ll either just start googling things about competitions or i’ll take time while i’m on a walk or in the shower (hello, your best ideas come while in there) to try to connect something. For instance the competition Back to the Past, I absolutely love the movie series Back to the Future so I just connected that idea with dressing up and it works. Hello, y'all know me as Kieren, I like purple probably way too much, and we're here today to talk about my time on ET. How long have you been on ET? I've been on ET for about 5 months now. Why did you apply for that team? I applied for ET because it's the one team I really wanted to be on, I don't think i'd ever leave. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Nope, I don't regret it one bit, everyone is great, we work together and we work hard to get things done. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I think the only team left which i'd like to join is SMT. aside from that i've already managed to get on the other wonderful teams I was interested in! <333 How often do you have to make designs? If the ladies have a request I get to work. Some months are busier than others though! Do you get to decide what the designs are going to be used for and how many claims and that stuff? Some things I can decide, like when I run a little event I decide the claims and code names, etc. Most of the time, I just let the others take what they need and they do the deciding which is cool with me. How do you feel when people appreciate your designs? Well, it makes me happy when people like my stuff, I usually feel surprised someone actually likes what I make. Ello it's Zöe again heh, this time telling you a little bit about the mod life. How long have you been a mod? Just had to go and check my application and it's somehow already been two years !? Seems absolutely crazy to think how fast the time has flown by. Why did you apply for that team? I've always wanted to be a moderate, even since the good old gsm days. One of my main reasons is because I like helping people and that's something I get to do along with a bunch of other responsibilities. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, how? Since becoming a mod it definitely has changed but I've been through a lot since getting the badge. Even within my first month I had some pretty rough encounters but now it's great. I think a lot of the time people can forget that it's my job to make sure rules are followed, even if I don't necessarily think they are that serious (like the title swearing rule 👀). It does take time to separate when people are upset at a punishment or directly at you, after that things are a lot easier. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? Oh yeah definitely. I would say being a mod is the most unglamourous job at times and you become too associated with the badge that your personality doesn't always get through. But I haven't felt that way for about 8 or so months so I'm definitely not stepping down anytime soon. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? Nope :')) What is the best part of being a Moderator? Other than getting to help people I would definitely say the change to get to know all the girls I've worked with. I've made some incredible friends over the years and not all of them are on the team anymore but I'm still super grateful. So a quick shout out to Sarah, Sabrina, Emily, Evelyn, Georgia and Tess ♡ Have you ever felt like quitting because of how people act on VP? If yes, why and what made you stay? I touched a bit on it above and I don't particularly want to go into too much detail. But I suppose the main reason I stayed was because I didn't want to let haters get me down. As cringy as that sounds. How close do the Moderators work together with each other and Admin/s? We never hear from Kaj unless we personally contact him, there is a connection problem there but hopefully that will start improving. Jess on the other hand is included in all moderator discussion and always has the chance to add opinions and be part of decisions being made. Hey guys, you can call me Brit! I’m not that well at introducing myself so let’s get down to the nitty gritty, I’ve been on VP since December 2015 and I’m a member of two teams, ModSquad and EventTeam. I’ll be answering questions on my position and experience as a moderator. How long have you been a mod? I’ve been a moderator since March 2017. Why did you apply for that team? I join ModSquad because I wanted to help people. If I could make someones day a little better, that’s all that matters. Although I give out warnings and TOs, I want people to feel comfortable to talk to me if they have questions, concerns or need to rant. Have your view on VP changed since joining a team? If yes, why? Yes, being on a team changes your outlook on VP. As a team member you have to hold yourself accountable for how you present yourself. You can’t have a hissy because something doesn’t go your way. It doesn’t look good on you, or your fellow teammates. As a moderator, you never really understand what happens behind closed doors until you get the blue badge near your username - everyone has their own interpretations of what goes on but only a few of us have to deal with it everyday. Have you ever regret joining that team? If yes, why? I’ve had doubts, not regrets. When I first joined, I didn’t know what I was getting into and I would constantly question myself. Fast forward to a year later, my outlook has changed completely. It takes a while to know your strengths and weaknesses, trial and error is crucial and making a mistake doesn’t mean its the end of the world. Do you want to join more teams in the future? If yes, which? I don’t plan on joining any other teams. What is the best part of being a Moderator? I think the best part of being a moderator is having the ability of functions that only a few people have. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do anything we are doing. Also, each day is different, you never know what to expect when logging on for the day. Have you ever felt like quitting because of how people act on VP? If yes, why and what made you stay? No, in reality people are going to be mean and you aren’t going to please everyone you come across. Nothing is different on here, the same rules apply, you have to learn how to deal with it and move on. How close do the Moderators work together with each other and Admin/s? Just like any other team, we have our ups and downs. Part of this position is communication - it’s important that all of us are on the same page, especially being such a small team. When dealing with users/reports, that’s our main focus and the sooner we can come with a plan of action, the better it is for everyone. When working with the Admins, we are fortunate to work with Jess which allows us to have contact with Kaj as well as an extra opinion and support. |