no.stupid.answers

About a month ago, one of our most cherished and deeply respected Supervisors – Jadeacres – suggested that we check in on some of our Senior Supers and pay them homage with updated posts here on no.stupid.answers. Of course, this was yet another awesome idea from our man Jade (something he seems to have an endless stream of). We jumped on this opportunity – not because we wanted a piece of his glorious, orange birthday cake (drooling!) – but because we want our long-time contributors to know that on Answers.com you will forever be admired, talked about (in a positive light!) and appreciated.

Fittingly, first to the plate is Jade. Here’s an update direct from “The Chicken Coop”:

What is your Answers.com user name?

Jadeacres but I am also known as Jade/James/Jamie…or That Vandal Patrol Supervisor. My bio page is commonly referred to as “The Chicken Coop.”

How long have you been with the community? What are some of the badges you hold? Awards won?

Coming up to my fourth year…really? I am proud of all the accomplishments I have made over the years including my association with WikiGuides (from concept to what it is now), Vandal Patrol (first Senior Investigator thanks to An8thg) and the Mentoring Program (thanks to Katz2). I have been involved with all these programs, many of them before they were conceived as “official”.

Remind us of what brought you to Answers.com and what keeps you around.

I first came to the site (FAQ Farm) seeking information about Crohn’s disease. I actually registered months later when looking for information about chickens, when I got interested in the whole concept of sharing information and correcting erroneous or incomplete answers. My work was noticed, appreciated and I was asked to consider becoming a Supervisor.

Since you were last featured, have there been any changes in your life? Exciting new developments?

Liz did a wonderful three-part series on Jadeacres/Snugglefoot Hollow. The three-part series Fun, Farms and Friendship from December 2008 just about said it all. I am older, a little bit wiser (thanks to Answers.com) and very much richer with cherished friends from all over the world. The trip to Atlanta last December was truly a highlight in my life as I was able to relax and enjoy the companionship of many people I would otherwise never have met in person.

Are you involved in any new hobbies or activities (outside of Answers.com)?

Who? Me? LOL WikiAnswers is my life! Really though, now that my son has recently moved away to the big city I have found I have slightly less time for being online, and I miss my once daily obsession. I do check my e-mail daily, but I find with the new trend toward social networking and my general reluctance to learn new computer skills I am having difficulty keeping up. I might not Facebook, Twitter, etc. but I will, however, forever be found on WikiAnswers.

What one feature on Answers.com are you directly responsible for suggesting?

Offhand, I cannot think of many, although I am sure there are more than a few. Those handy volunteer Supervisor “wiki” cards (modeled after traditional business cards) we all now receive with parcels were my idea, first proposed in 2008. I was very much involved in the start-up of many of the programs we all enjoy now. I see my mark on much of WikiAnswers as it is today.

If you could sum up your experiences on Answers.com in five words, what would you say?

I really don’t need five words to express my feelings for WikiAnswers, one will suffice…Family!

Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.

You may know An8thg as the fearless leader of our Vandal Patrol program.  Her dedicated squad removes many thousands of inappropriate answers each week!

The poem below is based on an actual experience she had while wandering the downtown streets of her hometown working on a poetry/photography project.  She had stumbled upon an older home with fantastic architecture that she wanted to photograph for the project.  As she approached the home to take the shot, an entire group of homeless men came crawling out from underneath the house and running past her.   The rest of the story, as it happened, is below.

[If you would like your original poetry profiled on this blog, please e-mail it to poetry @ wikianswers.com (no spaces) and include your WikiAnswers username!]

Dignity Under the Front Porch of Despair, by An8thg

They feared her
for a split second
her paled skin
clean and sweet

They feared her
gathering what little they had
and running
but she continued on
without a word
just a smile

‘Do you mind if we watch TV here?’ he asked
gathering his dignity
and oversized clothes
both from round his feet

‘I don’t live there.’
she answered
‘I don’t care.’

He stood for a moment
watching her
and she him
two worlds
separated
by just one paycheck
and a bottle of soap

He curled up
back under the porch
scurrying
like roaches to darkness
and she followed him
and she feared him
his dark skin
pasty from long, cold nights
gums bleeding
smile vacant

‘May I take your picture?’ she asked
treading
ever so lightly

‘No ma’am, I’m too dirty.’

Congratulations to An8thg, a wonderful Wikiholic, who has reached a new milestone in her WikiAnswers obsession:

While this is a wonderful accomplishment, it should be noted that An8thg actually did a bit more than make it to over 200,000 contributions… In her words, there needs to be a new badge for those reaching this slightly more impressive milestone:

WOW. You go girl… (go get yourself some high speed internet, that is!)

And now, a word from Apryl – or An8thg – yesterday’s Contributor corner spotlight and the leader of the upcoming WikiAnswersVandal Patrol:

Imagine this moment:

You sit perched over your keyboard, rapidly entering search terms, seeking the answer to your latest conundrum when all of a sudden you receive the glorious message…

Is this your question?

‘Yes, that’s it!’ you shout as you jump up, nearly knocking your obnoxiously large drink clear across the room.

The page loads…

And the answer is: HAHAHAHA! LOL! U R STUPID!

At this point, you smash your face into your keyboard and now wear the ‘ASDF’ badge on your forehead for the next fifteen minutes.

Who will save you from these senseless acts of frustration and vandalism?

We will!
We are the Vandal Patrol.

The Vandal Patrol Program is the defense and attack strategy being implemented for WikiAnswers. The program consists of three different divisions, Site Guardians, Alternates Specialists and Site Investigators and each division will focus on a specific task.

Site Guardians will serve as our first line of site defense through the constant monitoring of the Recent Contributions page. Guard the door!

Alternates Specialists will work specifically on the mountain of alternates that require splitting and merging, as well as maintaining and updating site catch-alls. Heal our wounds!

Site Investigators will specialize in searching for and correcting answers containing vandalism and incorrect information. This will be accomplished through keyword searches in option two of the Advanced Search page. Detect and destroy!

Site Generalists can assist the various divisions of the Vandal Patrol or simply ‘keep an eye out’ on a more casual basis.

The members of the Vandal Patrol Program hope to rid the site of vandalized answers and to save the foreheads of all our users from ever wearing the ‘ASDF’ badge again!

Supervisors interested in volunteering for a specific division, please contact Apryl at an8thg @ wikianswers.com or leave a note on her message board.

Where do we begin with the WikiAnswers powerhouse that is An8thg? Here’s the quick rundown on how Apryl participates:

• She’s got over 189,000 contributions under her belt…
• …in a little over than a year of membership…
• …making her a Platinum contributor.
• She’s a Category Supervisor, watching over many of the Music categories.
• She’s a Senior Supervisor as well.
• Let her guide you; she’s one of the Mentors.

Most recently, An8thg is heading up a new initiative called the Vandal Patrol. Stay tuned for more information about that.

In the meantime…

How did you originally hear about WikiAnswers?

I can’t recall the exact subject but one evening I was performing a search, more than likely car related, and stumbled upon WikiAnswers.  Before I knew what hit me, I was clicking my way through every page on the site.  I absolutely had to see everything!  I found myself completely amazed at the wealth of knowledge available on the site and haven’t been able to pull myself away since.

What motivates you to volunteer your time to the WikiAnswers community?

Ten shots of espresso a day, OCD and a complete and total WikiAnswers addiction!  I find it immensely satisfying to know that an action I perform on the site today may make it that much easier for a user to find their answer in the future.

What is your area of expertise?

I was originally made the Supervisor of the Music category.  Music is one of my biggest passions.  I surround myself with the best equipment for enjoying it, whether it be in my home or vehicles.  I listen to virtually all genres and always keep an open mind whenever I discover a new one.  Music is an essential part of my life.

What is your favorite WikiAnswers feature?

Wow!  That’s a tough one!  It’s about the same as putting me in an exotic sports car showroom and asking me to pick my favorite.  I just can’t.  I love them all!

What is the funniest question/funniest experience as a Supervisor on WikiAnswers?

I found it funny when the Usernames thread in the Super’s Forum evolved into a guessing game as to what my screen name really means. The other Supers came up with some terrific guesses!   It was too cute!  Sorry ladies and gents, but I’ll still never tell.

Share a random fact about yourself.

I have a bit of a twisted sense of humor.  Whenever I need a good laugh, I put my Doberman, Luna, in the front seat of my Mustang and head to Starbucks.  I know that Luna is going to terrify the person in the drive-thru window by exposing her teeth and emitting a growl that will make your hair stand on end, but I can’t resist!  It always makes me smile.

Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.