Jeff, please do an interview of some sort

[Anonymous]

We're curious about you.


We want to know more about who you are and what you're like.

Please do some sort of interview and post it to YouTube.

[jsteele]

Sorry, that's not my style.

[Anonymous]

How about an AMA?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Sorry, that's not my style.

Why aren't you more visible?

We want to see more of you?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:How about an AMA?

You can ask me anything. I can't promise to answer everything.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about an AMA?

You can ask me anything. I can't promise to answer everything.

How tall are you?

What's your favorite book and why?

Are you more introverted than extroverted?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about an AMA?

You can ask me anything. I can't promise to answer everything.

How tall are you?

What's your favorite book and why?

Are you more introverted than extroverted?

"Tall" is not normally a word you use with regard to me. I am 5' 5''

My favorite book is Gore Vidal's "Washington, DC". I read it before coming to Washington and I thought it was insightful regarding both national politics and Washington, DC. Part of the book takes place in his childhood home in Rock Creek Park which I now pass nearly every day.

I am probably more introverted than extroverted, though it is very situational.

[Anonymous]

Has your experience with DCUM changed your views on people, humanity, etc.

[Anonymous]

Have you personally met those who follow/post on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

How much time do you spend on DCUM?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Has your experience with DCUM changed your views on people, humanity, etc.

Probably, it has made me realize how complex people can be. We normally try to categorize or pigeonhole people in some manner. People actually don't fit that nicely into such categories. It is interesting that if someone decides to login on a normal basis, they tend to establish a personality for their username. So, "xxx" is always such and such and "yyy" has other traits. I think those posters feel that they need to portray those personality types. Posting anonymously has no such constraints. I wonder how often the same thing happens in real life. For instance, if a person is known as being happy and cheerful all the time, I wonder how much they are forcing themselves to be happy and cheerful because it is expected of them (both by themselves and others). In literature the idea of people wearing masks often comes up and I think there might be some truth to that. Anonymous posting on DCUM allows people to remove their masks.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Have you personally met those who follow/post on DCUM?

Yes, several. I've also met people that I am sure have posted on DCUM but don't admit it.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has your experience with DCUM changed your views on people, humanity, etc.

Probably, it has made me realize how complex people can be. We normally try to categorize or pigeonhole people in some manner. People actually don't fit that nicely into such categories. It is interesting that if someone decides to login on a normal basis, they tend to establish a personality for their username. So, "xxx" is always such and such and "yyy" has other traits. I think those posters feel that they need to portray those personality types. Posting anonymously has no such constraints. I wonder how often the same thing happens in real life. For instance, if a person is known as being happy and cheerful all the time, I wonder how much they are forcing themselves to be happy and cheerful because it is expected of them (both by themselves and others). In literature the idea of people wearing masks often comes up and I think there might be some truth to that. Anonymous posting on DCUM allows people to remove their masks.

Very interesting and insightful.

So do you think that the anonymous nature brings out the true nature of an individual? Or does it allow one to take on a different persona, vent, get it out of their system, and return to the niceness of real life?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:How much time do you spend on DCUM?

I am on and off it all day. I split time between reading/posting/moderating and working on behind the scenes things. If I get involved in an update or writing code for something, I may not visit the forums for hours. But, if I don't have a lot of other things going on, I spend more time reading and replying.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
So do you think that the anonymous nature brings out the true nature of an individual? Or does it allow one to take on a different persona, vent, get it out of their system, and return to the niceness of real life?

Both. Obviously, people can fake personas pretty easily and I think that happens frequently. But, I think the normal tendency is for posters to respond off the top of their heads and are therefor more honest and natural.