As it goes, its a pretty lazy column... because the interviewee gets to write the bulk of it.

Anyway, on my first outing with my tape recorder and my pen and paper I flew out to Arizona to meet the Asylum Veteran, Wonderaz. This was what happened:

When you first heard about the idea of the asylum, did you think you'd wind up as involved in it as you are now? What were your expectations of the idea?

Not at first, but very early on in the formation of the original concept, there were a number of factions all working independently and it was obvious to many that the concept would never get off the ground if there wasn't some unity.

I was asked to spearhead the project and get some unification so I wound up in the middle of it rather quickly.

I have to say that I am into offbeat projects and the formation of the Asylum was a perfect example of the sort of thing that would attract my attention.

As most know, my knowledge of computers is limited (OK, I am a moron when it comes to this shit) and that made the idea of sailing off into uncharted territories, that much more appealing. Once things started materializing, the Admins started getting organized and focused enough to where it was clear that there was a great potential to turn the original concept into a workable community site, which it has become.

Who was it who asked you to become involved? can you remember?

hmmm Anti, Dingle, Gypsy, quite a few, Although I don’t remember the first one.

Anti-Stile and Dingle put a lot into the actual code and layout for the site, and it comprises much of the site at the moment. What do you think you contributed most to early on? gelling the idea together?

I guess just primarily giving a focal point to the project and keeping everyone focused on the same thing I remember the ideas and the brainstorming for the Asylum when it first started out.

Of all that the asylum is now, what are you most proud of? What’s its biggest achievement?

Tough question. There is no one part that I am proud of, per se. I am proud of the site as a whole. It has certainly become what we envisioned and then some.

The site's biggest achievement has been the fact that it has survived. Consider what it is up against, it is a guppy in the Internet Sea. To still exist and to have grown to what it is and to still be growing is a noteworthy achievement.

Is there any one idea or thought you personally came up with about this place that stands out as something you are particularly proud of? - what’s your own favourite thing about the asylum?

The layout of the mainpage was my idea. it is offcentered and lopsided and totally appeals to my preference for asymmetrical images, I would pick that as I still like it even if I am the only one that does.

I like clutter, you should see my computer area, even my whole livingroom.

We all know that you do a lot for the asylum, but what is it you actually do (apart from the flaming), what are your responsibilities?

Ummm... Lots of things. I yell at people and make sarcastic comments about things. I am sure there are other things that I do. Can I call a friend?

No you can't. Where has the nasty mean flaming wonderaz gone? He seems to have been left back at SPF.

Well, he still exists, it is just that there is not the endless flow of idiot newbies that need my attentions like there were back then. He pops up occasionally but rarely with much abandon, the members are all pretty wussy now and tend to collapse in a puddle if I growl too much.

This was always billed as a pretty open place when everyone created it, censorship et al at a minimum, but now the Admins are collectively called Nazis, do you feel there is there an air of distrust about the running of this site?

Not at all. As with any regulatory position, you can't make everyone happy all at once. I still think that there is a tremendous amount of freedom in here to say and do as one pleases. Someone screaming because a thread got moved or a questionable post got deleted is to be expected and I don't think that anyone has suffered any irreparable damage from the rare administrative action that we have taken. Considering the time the site has been up and the people that have posted in here, the fact that there is only one name in the ban list says something.

I think this place is still very open, it has just gotten more organized. That unto itself is reason to cause suspicion.

What about the appearance to newbies; moderatorship @ signs and adminship as well as having columns, all this is something that people aspire to do, you can see from the amount of begging that happens each time a new forum is added.

I will answer in two parts...

When it was just the Admins moderating in chat, we never kept the @ up, as we didn't need to openly op up in the chat. It has gotten to where the adman are not always in chat and needed help monitoring the room...

In order to give power to non-admins, they needed to op up and that shows the @, very simple. Although the chat is moderated a bit more than the forum, it is the nature of the beast, chats require more moderating and a proactive presence.

next...

The columns.

Few realize how difficult it is to commit to writing a weekly column, I used to do it professionally, writing for a couple of papers around here and it was hard then and is now...

Everyone wants a column but very few can produce on a regular basis, look at how many have come and gone...

We aren't denying anyone the ability of writing a column it is just that we are careful about setting on up for a writer to fade out after one or to columns. The User Update is the perfect venue for everyone to offer their work and if they show a serious interest and the ability to produce a regular flow of work, they get a column. Nute is a good example.

Oh yes... but I gather people are rather picked for stuff before they ask to do it I mean, I've been a moderator and an op and I never asked (seriously) for either.

Yes, we do often pick people that haven’t asked for anything based upon our (constant) observations of the members. That is one of the things that I do in here, we are constantly studying what the members are posting, looking for promising writers, mods, editors, etc... looking for people that really want to get involved in those veins.

What can you see in the future of the asylum over the next six months?

I see a slow and steady growth of the membership. The site itself will continue to expand as we are certainly not out of ideas and plans. The input of the memberships is constantly giving us new directions to go in. Besides the stuff that I am aware of, one has to also consider the fact that Dingle is constantly popping up with stuff that none of us are aware of. Who knows what the Asylum will look like in 6 months. All I can say is that it will be bigger and better.

What do you want to be able to offer to people?

I see the community expanding, more services, games, references, diversions...

Are you trying to move away from the forum in anyway? I know its the key feature now, but in the future?

The forum will always be the base of the site, it is the livingroom

The forum is the center of activity for this type site .

Do you ever expect to turn a profit from the asylum, or is it a total non-profit making scheme now?

Now? It always has been a total non-profit making "scheme". I would say the answer is, no. The Asylum is not designed with any profit in mind. Any money making endeavor that we engage in through the Asylum will simply provide funds to further expand the site and provide opportunities to offer things to the membership.

One thing that I personally want to see is rewards for the various contests that go on and perhaps a periodic drawing.

Are you a half empty or half full kinda guy?

Half full always.

Okay, so what do you do outside of the asylum? Do you have a job?

Even though it may seem that I am here all the time, I actually do have a real life. It has toned down over the years but I still keep things stirred up as much as I can. We live in a spectacularly beautiful part of the world and take advantage of that. We hike, hang out at the creek in the summer, hit the bar occasionally, have a very eclectic group of friends, we stay as busy as we can. Most over our expeditions are short ones due to our all consuming occupations though.

I wear a few different hats and have a very long resume.

Currently, this is how I get by:

I am a commercial pilot, I currently fly hot air balloons and work as the lead pilot for the largest balloon company in Northern Arizona. I fly every morning (weather permitting) and I spend about 4 hours a day doing that.

We have an Art studio called Sedona Glass Works where we work in hot glass and Raku (an ancient Japanese form of firing clay). The studio is located at our house and is in constant production with kilns firing virtually every day. We have developed several successful lines of artwork and exhibit in quite a few galleries. Big Al is swamped with orders for fused glass mobiles which she has developed into a variety of designs and sizes that sell for up to $500 each. We are being browbeaten into producing more Raku kaleidoscopes and I am slowly succumbing to the pleadings of one of my oldest galleries to create more large Raku masks.

Who is this Big Al of which you speak?

Ahhh Big Al....

She is my other half. I can only give my biased view to answer that question.

Her real first name is Alessandra and I call her Big Al because I have a Little Al too, my daughter Alexis. We also have a son, Chance.

Alessandra is a native Italian, born in Milano and schooled all over Europe.

She has worked as a fashion model and was involved in the graphic design field doing work for Warner Brothers and Disney to name a few. We have worked together for five years now. I hired her as an apprentice and within a year, she was my partner, her mad skillz and talent added tremendously to the studio.

She is filled with passion of mind, spirit and body and is the kindest soul I have ever met. She is also the most contradictory person I have ever met, ever ready to debate any and all subjects with gusto. Never a boring moment and I wouldn't change a thing about her.

We share a rather idyllic life and are quite happy with each other. I find her to be incredibly beautiful both inside and out and as different a creature as I have ever encountered. I could go on...

You did go on... But its nice to see someone so in love. What’s your favourite food?

Well... Italian, of course.

Thanks for that, If you could change the membership in just one way - what would it be?

The ONLY thing I would change is the numbers. I think a slow growth is important to the health of the site. I find the diversity of the people to be delightful and a steady feed of fresh blood keeps everyone sparky.

The diversity of people here is important - do you feel there is a balance? or that there needs to be a balance?

Yes to both, the balance here is very good, the diversity is essential a slow growth feeds us with fresh though without overwhelming the forum.

You're one of the oldest asylumites, how old are you?

I AM the oldest. I invented time... my first pet is now oil...

What are you doing in a place like this?

It basically goes all the way back to a bad upbringing. My parents committed constant errors in judgment from the very beginning, like using the rhythm method and expecting it to work, chasing down the driver of a RV that I had climbed into at a gas station during a vacation, although that was mainly my mother making my father do it.

You know, that reminds me of a time when I was around ten years old. We were on a vacation, driving endlessly through farmlands and forests, heading for Gawdawful Falls National Park or one of way too many points of interest to be found on the annual trip itinerary, packed into an enormous station wagon.

Driving along, I had gotten bored and began torturing my hapless younger siblings, as rotten little shitassed boys tend to do, which eventually incurred the wrath of my father who punctuated a vicious verbal attack with a few ineffectual swings over the back of the car seat.

Being one of the most brilliant children of the era, I immediately transformed myself into Vinnie Barbarino and pointed out his lame attempt to cause me physical pain. I was given the line, "One more and I pull the car over."

In my best Vinnie ever, I came back with, "And what?"

My face slammed into the back of his seat as he skidded off the road, all four tires locked and screaming a trail of smoke. He jumped out, ran to the back of the car where he grabbed something from the tool box, came back and jerked me out of the car. He dragged me, kicking and screaming down into the woods where he duct taped me to a tree. The only words he spoke were at the finish of his well done taping job. He said:

"There, get out of that, wiseass. hehe"

Off he went driving up the road with the sound of my mother hollering at him, fading in the distance. It was me against Mother Nature. And a half roll of duct tape.

Many thoughts raced through my head, it seemed like a long time had passed and I was beginning to think that my old man had finally persuaded my mother that they would be better off in the long run with me off on my own, so to speak.

I thought about the fact that I had just read a book on the area I was in and it was a well populated forrest, rife with a host of large and dangerous inhabitants including bears. In fact, I was surprised he had forgotten to rub me down with a side of bacon as I had plagued him with lengthy dissertations on the local fauna fresh from the page to my lips only an hour before.

The tape held fast as I struggled futilely as the sun seemed to raced for the horizon bringing the darkness and my certain death at the claw and fang of some slavering beast, it's glowing eyes rushing towards me out of the inky black being the last thing I see.

I was taped to the tree facing into the forrest and could hear the occasional car or semi driving past, ignorant of my screams for help. That was the only sound I heard until the muffled rustlings began in the distance, deep within the forrest just beyond my range of vision. I refused to freak out knowing that thrashing about was only going to tighten the tape up more and I continued to pick at it, staring into the trees for a sign of what was lurking out there.

I had just managed to tear back a piece of the tape enough to maybe peal it back far enough to free one of my hands when I heard a crunch. I froze and then another crunch. Something was closing on me and it was big. I was completely helpless. there was absolutely nothing I could do and it was very obvious that it was aware of my presence and very close. Then I heard:

"Can't get loose, eh? Dumbass,"

I almost fainted. The sneaky bastard had coasted back to where I had been dumped off stopping across from the speed limit sign that he had as a marker, I found out later, and had been standing back watching me struggle with the tape. He asked me while cutting the tape,

"You all through with your silly shit or do you like it out here?"

I reckoned as how I was pretty much through with my silly shit as I had not forgotten the sounds out in the forrest and that it seemed to be his subtle way of offering me a ride which seemed almost palatable at that point. Man, was I glad to be free of that tree. That turned out to be the longest twenty minutes of my life. Ah well, enough about me, next question?

What do you see in it, The Asylum, and what makes you keep coming back?

It is a community that I am part of. It is the dawn of a new era of interaction between humans.

This is the virtual world and a marvelous addition to the palate of life. It is a virtual town that I helped create, an amusement park in a glowing box, a surreal global saloon where I tend bar and cross paths with every man and every woman.

It is a close, familiar place that is filled with a ceaseless flow of new and interesting thoughts, images, concepts and people.

Wonderaz - thank you for your time, could you give me a lift back to the UK in your magic balloon now?