The 'Shroom:Issue XLV/Special Interviews/Z3r0 Tw0

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 Thanks for letting me interview you, Volke! Tell me, when did you join the wiki, and how did you find it?


 *  The pleasure is mine, SMB! Well, I found the wiki in December of 2007 while looking up the Grand Finale Galaxy on Google. I explored the site for quite some time as a guest, finally joining on June 1, 2008.

 What did you plan on contributing to the site when you joined? What was your first edit?


 *  At first, I really only planned to get accustomed to the wiki community, but I eventually decided that I would like to become more involved with the site, whether by editing or other means; that was my main motivation for joining The 'Shroom. As for my first edit, that was almost unsurprisingly to my userpage. I think I wrote something like "I'm brand new, yay 4 me!!!"

 What was the wiki like when you joined? Who were the "leaders" of the community, and how was the quality of the articles?


 *  Back in those days, a lot of the articles were still under development, and thus weren't as great as most are today. There were plenty of leaders at the time, with people like Stooben and Tucayo working their way up to the top. It was certainly a pleasant time in the wiki's history.

 Alright, now we will go off the subject of the MarioWiki for just a bit. Do you have any hobbies?


 *  Aside from playing video games (which is pretty much a given), I really love to draw, with my pencils and sketchpads representing my tools of the trade, of sorts. I play trombone for the school band, and I'm also on the fencing team; both are really quite fun.

 What's your favorite movie?


 *  I really love the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as it deals with a really interesting medieval realm. I also must say that I like the movie Sleepy Hollow for its eerie, chilling mood.

 What's your favorite kind of food?


 *  I love seafood! Lobster, clams, fish, anything really. My favorite dish is without a doubt fish and chips; it's the first thing I look for on any menu.

 What's your favorite color?


 *  I'd have to say either dark blue or gray. I can't really say why, but those two just appeal to my eyes the most.

 Okay, let's get back to the topic at hand. What's your opinion on the MarioWiki as it is now? Has it gotten better since you joined?


 * <Volke> I certainly believe the wiki has increased greatly in quality since my first encounters with it. I found the sit relatively early in its history, so it's no surprise that the articles have gotten much better over the years.

<SMB> Alright, now let's get on to the topic of this interview: The 'Shroom. When did you start writing for The 'Shroom?


 * <Volke> I first joined The 'Shroom in August 2008 as the writer of the Beta Elements section. I stuck with it for over a year, also becoming director of the Fun Stuff in the process.

<SMB> You became the first director of the Fun Stuff team when Stooben created it when he came in as the new director in 2009. What feeling did you have when you were appointed to the position?


 * <Volke> I guess I felt pure joy when Stooben gave me the position. I was also quite honored that he chose me over anyone else for the job; it truly was a great feeling.

<SMB> After your appointment, you remained on the Fun Stuff team for well over a year... In fact, you were director of the team for 20 months when you resigned from your position and retired from the wiki. The 'Shroom has certainly changed since you started directing the team. What is your opinion on the current state of The 'Shroom in comparison to how it was when Stooben appointed you?


 * <Volke> I must say that while the quality of our writers has increased, we have struggled with number of writers and readers for quite some time now. That's not to say our paper is failing; it's just not what it used to be. But I'm confident that the new director, whomever it may be, will be able to bring fresh ideas to bring the paper back on its feet.

<SMB> When you retired from the wiki, Tucayo opted to succeed you as Fun Stuff director. Tucky had been a dedicated Fun Stuff writer for quite a while (he was writing up sections since the Glowsquid-era, when the Fun Stuff wasn't even a team) and he loves the section to this day. Do you feel he is handling the section well?


 * <Volke> For the longest time, Tucky was essentially my second-in-command of the section, so when I heard he would take over my position, I knew it was going into capable hands. He's done a fantastic job with the section, and I don't think there's a better candidate out there.

<SMB> The 'Shroom is having the annual Director Election this December. Both Stooben and Tucayo have stated that they will most likely not run this time around, making this anybody's game. After much consideration, three likely major candidates have been projected (although whether they will run or not is completely up to them): Marioguy1, Ralphfan, and me. What advice to you have for these possible candidates, and which of these individuals (if any of us) would you like to see win?


 * <Volke> While I haven't actually held the all important position of director of the entire paper, I am positive that it won't be an easy job. My position as director of the Fun Stuff was quite challenging, so I'd really just like to say to all three of you that you really have to be sure you have the time for the job. I don't have a personal preference as to who wins; I wish you all luck when the time for voting arrives.

<SMB> What period of time do you feel is the best in 'Shroom history? Do you feel that The 'Shroom will be able to rise up to the quality it had during that particular period in time?


 * <Volke> I personally believe that The 'Shroom reached it's high point at the beginning of Stooben's leadership. He, along with the entire staff, launched a major overhaul for the paper, introducing many fresh ideas to it. I think what it's missing right now are those new, creative additions that really seem to drive The 'Shroom forward. As I said before, I'm hoping that the new director will be able to bring positive changes, thus restoring The 'Shroom's previous reputation.

<SMB> I think that's it for the interview. Thanks a ton for being interviewed, Volke, it was a great experience.


 * <Volke> Well, thank you for interviewing me, SMB! Good luck to you in the upcoming elections!