[HoniSoit]

Please feel free to rephrase the questions. These interviews were originally done in a haste a few months ago so the questions were not as good as they should be. Perhaps for future interviews, we may ask some more fun and personal questions.

Life on PoFo

Why made you join PoFo in the first place?

I have been involved in - non-existent - forums in the past. They were ‘fun’. As I was living abroad at the time, they provided me with an opportunity to communicate in Turkish. When I returned to Turkey to begin college, I decided to stop spending time on those forums. Two months into my freshmen year, I discovered PoFo by accident. As I recall, someone had written something rather disagreeable about Turkey and I said, ‘what the hell’, so I joined the forum. After 13 posts, I came to the conclusion that PoFo sucked. So, I stopped posting - for a year or so. On one boring October evening in 2006 (I think it was October), I ran out of things to do. I had no homework, nothing to study and I did not want to play Diablo II anymore. I figured I might as well revisit some of the old forums I used to post in. I checked out PoFo as well, just to get a feel of what people were thinking about Turkey. I never stopped posting. My raison d’être on this forum was to learn peoples’ thought on Turkey and to nudge them in the right direction. I suppose that is still a reason why I'm here.

Short answer: This place is fun.

How would you describe your politics then and now? Have the years spent on PoFo shaped your thinking significantly, and in what ways?

Before I joined PoFo, I was more of an idealist. I advocated extending freedoms, providing more social equity and, in general, placed great faith in our abilities to address problems. You now know that I am a pragmatist and I often value order or principle over the wishes and well-being some people. I don't think PoFo has had much of an impact on how I see the world. However, I have learned a lot from some of the users here and I wish to believe that I gained new insights on some topics.

What you most like and dislike about PoFo?

I like the pointless bickering in Gorkiy Park, the sense of community and, of course, reading intelligent posts on worldly affairs (alongside idiotic remarks). I dislike how some topics are repeated over and over again with the same posters and same arguments. I am not too happy about PoFo taking too much of my time either.

Do you feel PoFo has changed since you joined? If so, in what ways has PoFo changed?

The forum did have a makeover and there are some great new features (the Monthly Bulletin being one). These have not affected the forum in the same way the absence of old-timers. Now, I admit I am a *newbie* (relatively), but I was here when a lot of the old-timers were still around. Their absence is felt, but we have new members who have become brands (?) of their own. PoFo might be different and its member composition might be different, but it feels the same. You can still take part in really good discussions, or fall victim to blatant trolling.

Which PoFoers would you like to have a drink with, and why?

Everyone who posts in the Balkan Party thread - we go to a Turkish or Greek restaurant, drink rakı/ouzo, eat food, discuss history, politics, football... and probably have a fist-fight for dessert.

Life outside PoFo

When and how did you firstly become politicised?

I spent a lot of my life abroad so I often talked to my friends about Turkey - and as we all know, Turkish history is a political subject. We also held debates in high school on various issues in history, social anthropology and environmental studies classes. There were the debates on non-existent Turkish forums as well. As one would expect, I vociferously objected to religiously-motivated political ideas. I partook in secularism vs. religion and evolution vs. creationism debates. This is probably the source of my anti-religious fervor.

Is your family particularly political? How have your parents or other relatives influenced your politics, if at all?

Not my immediate family. They all subscribe to "evil-secularist-Kemalist" thought but none of them are vocal about it. I probably picked mine up from them. My grandpa is pretty much like a secular US Republican and is very knowledgeable on... basically everything. He believes in the importance of Turkey's western orientation. I was greatly influenced by him. We chat everyday about politics, history, football etc.

What kind of job are you holding? Or, what subjects are you studying? Do you find your work or study satisfying? If not, what would you rather do if you can choose?

I am currently an intern at a foreign policy think-tank. This will probably continue until summer when I, hopefully, will start grad school in Turkey. I probably brought this up before but I am responsible for an e-bulletin here and I translate texts from the Council of Europe. If I get into grad school, I hope to study the history of the Cold War and European security. Work is... alright. If I had the choice, I would prefer to hold an important public office in Antakya - most of my time would be dedicated to signing documents and eating delicious, delicious food.

What is the single most important event that has shaped or changed your politics?

To be frank I don't recall any life-changing, paradigm-shifting, event.

Have you been involved in politics outside PoFo e.g. joining a political group, government internship and volunteering for political campaigns? How would you describe experience? If not, would you like to involve yourself politically in the future?

No and I would not want to get involved in politics. Despite my view on politics being amoral, I strictly adhere to moral principles - which is a fancy way of saying, ‘I suck at lying’. Besides, not many people would go with my ideas.

[HoniSoit]

Life on PoFo

Why made you join PoFo in the first place?

I had been lurking on PoFo for a while* and saw a post about the Spanish terror attacks in 2005. I was studying terrorism at university at the time and found it interesting, so thought I would throw in my two cents.

*Found it through Soviet-Empire... which I originally found while joking with friends that someone probably had that domain name.

How would you describe your politics then and now? Have the years spent on PoFo shaped your thinking significantly, and in what ways?

Hmmm...I don't know how I would have described my political views at that stage. I suppose most would have called it left of centre but I don't really think that's accurate. So back then I was heavily in favor of a state-regulated economy, but at the same I wasn't necessarily interested in using this mechanism for the purpose of equality (my perspective is that some will always be better than others for one reason or another...you can level it out more, but there will always be differentiation). I've probably moved towards the centre over time, and perhaps become a bit more nuanced in my beliefs.

What you most like and dislike about PoFo?

PoFo, unlike some other non-existent forums , has a fairly broad range of views that are generally expressed in a polite and constructive manner. So in terms of debating and challenging your own ideas, PoFo is good.

What do I dislike...I wish some would put a bit more thought into their study of history. I moderate the History sub-forum and I tire to reading polemics clothed in history, particularly hardline nationalism, which harms the constructive exchange of ideas that I like.

Do you feel PoFo has changed since you joined? If so, in what ways has PoFo changed?

I don’t know that it has changed a lot, but what has changed has probably been for the better. It’s easy to remember the olden times as a period prior to some particularly dopey trend or annoying poster. The reality is that PoFo has always had memes and shit posters. So before it was race-threads it was Holocaust denial, and before it was [insert poster of your choice here] it was Ixabert. Where I think it has improved is that PoFo now probably has less representation from the lunatic fringe from the political spectrum than it used to. We have fewer Stalinists and fewer blood thirsty neo-conservative-types. This feeds back into the theme of constructive and reasonable exchanges of opinion.

Which PoFoers would you like to have a drink with, and why?

Mr. Bill (some might know him as MB). I’ve always joked that we’re probably brothers who were somehow separated at birth. So even though Bill and I differ in politics, I think he would be alright to have a drink with.

Life outside PoFo

When and how did you firstly become politicised?

My family watches the news while we eat dinner, so it was only a matter of time before I developed opinions of my own about what was being reported.

Is your family particularly political? How have your parents or other relatives influenced your politics, if at all?

My father is kind of political and could probably be best described as ‘anti-establishment’. I wouldn’t say he or any other family member has been significant in my political viewpoint.

What kind of job are you holding? Or, what subjects are you studying? Do you find your work or study satisfying? If not, what would you rather do if you can choose?

I won’t go into too much detail, but I’m a public servant. I currently find my work unsatisfying for a range of reasons. What I would rather be do is get that promotion they keeping talking about . Failing that I’m going back to university for a Masters/PhD.

What is the single most important event that has shaped or changed your politics?

I changed schools and met a couple of other people who were interested in politics. This is probably where I got my desire to discuss my views with others, and also brought me into contact with sources of information.

Have you been involved in politics outside PoFo e.g. joining a political group, government internship or volunteering for political campaigns? How would you describe experience? If not, would you like to involve yourself politically in the future?

Aside from my (vaguely defined) job, no and I don’t think I’ll ever be involved in organised politics. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times but I don’t see political parties/movements these days to be particularly productive.

I suppose were I to get my dream job as a lecturer/author that could be considered as political in a way. Mind you, my interest wouldn’t be to politicise students, but to emphasise core principles like seeking what is true rather than find what confirms a bias.

[HoniSoit]

Why made you join PoFo in the first place?

I was bored while working at General Electric, essentially. I literally had the same job as the guy in Office Space that takes things from the customers and hands it to the engineers. I think the only reason I was employed there was on the off chance someone called they'd have an American accent on the line while I sent everything over to India.
How would you describe your politics then and now? Have the years spent on PoFo shaped your thinking significantly, and in what ways?

It's hard to say how much PoFo has changed things as I've been to grad school and back since then, having moved 6,000 miles away to do so.

Really, I would say that I'm a little more tolerant of people than I may have been. I actually like TAL, for instance, even though he's a conservative-son-of-a-bitch - and I hope he sees that with the humor with which it’s meant.
What you most like and dislike about PoFo?

I like the pacing a lot. I don't have to watch it constantly, but it moves quickly enough I can check it a few times a day.

The people are good too, generally.
Do you feel PoFo has changed since you joined? If so, in what ways has PoFo changed?

PoFo changed in the same way politics on the ground has changed. When I first joined, there was a legion of unthinking leftists that wanted to join the left for the sake of being edgy. Now all those people have moved to the right for the sake of being edgy. That's been interesting to watch in general and play both roles.

There's a certain tendency to romanticise the past too. When I joined it seemed like there were giants about, but now that doesn't seem to be the case. Of course, the problem isn't that Viv or Boon was giant that moved on - it's that I remember them more than Hakkon and, of course, I've changed.

My dad used to say that at staff meetings there used to be an old codger that always stood up for labor and would stand up to the bosses when everyone else was too meek to do so. At the end of his career, he complained that there were no more old codgers to do that and he was forced to stand up for labor and stand up to the bosses when everyone else was too meek to do so. I don't think he ever realised that nothing had changed with the actual system, his perspective had. I suppose that's what's changed with PoFo for me - my perspective.
Which PoFoers would you like to have a drink with, and why?

Of the active members: Verv, Demo, Todd, Blake, and Clann. My fellow leftists (such as yourself) and fellow Northwesterners aside (whom I hope to meet sooner than later) I feel on the same page as the three listed off the top of my head. Verv is, somewhat like me, an ex-pat abroad attempting to make consistency out of what is not consistent. What's really interesting is that his world outlook is completely different than my own despite a few parallels. It would be interesting to work that out.

Demo made a conversion to the left. When I first came here he had his Hannity avatar and - while always respectful - was not like he is now. I've gotten to know him a little bit in the last few years, and I'd be interested to know more.

Todd and I see the world completely differently, but I'm not sure that we've ever crossed swords. He's about the only reasonable libertarian left on the board and that's not only kind of interesting, but it's important. The left used to have the crazy fringe and now they've gone over in to the libertarian camp. I'd be interested to compare notes over a drink.

Clann is only semi-active now, but he always seemed like good craic.

Non-active members I'd like to meet include Viv, Gnote, Boon, and Subversive Rob.

Life outside PoFo
When and how did you firstly become politicised?

I became independently interested in about middle school when my friends and I started discussing that stuff. My general rule was always to follow the money. Really, that helped lead me to a more Marxist point of view.
Is your family particularly political? How have your parents or other relatives influenced your politics, if at all?

As far as I can remember the family was made up of Democrats. Irish-Catholic educators and labor lawyers couldn't be much of anything else. Most of them stick with the party, though my father and an uncle or two have gone Green. I went Red. I'd say it probably affected me, though it's hard to say exactly how in what ways, as it was probably the general atmosphere more than a distinct moment in time.
What kind of job are you holding? Or, what subjects are you studying? Do you find your work or study satisfying? If not, what would you rather do if you can choose?

Currently I teach world history at a university as an adjunct professor. That pay is lousy, so I also do preservation and maintenance work at an old church downtown in Portland. Not counting correcting papers and writing lesson plans, I work about fifty hours a week - so I can't fucking wait until the term is over and I can work on articles and get back to publishing my book before fall term.

I find the scholarly stuff satisfying, but so low-paying that it becomes a burden I have to bare while focusing on a ‘real’ job. The hope is that the career will eventually be able to sustain me and I can quit secondary ‘real’ jobs. And if that doesn't work out I'll take the Civil Service Exam and work as some hack in system; and if that doesn't work out, it's back overseas doing god-knows-what-with-god-knows-who.
What is the single most important event that has shaped or changed your politics?

Watching my mom got beaten up during a labor strike.

Not really, but that probably would have been had it ever happened. The only thing that actually comes to mind is the election of Clinton. I don't remember the Carter years, so for my parents - and my mom especially - Clinton coming in to office was going to make everything better. I was old enough at the time, however, to grow disappointed with the Democratic Party, which were supposed to be the good guys. They weren't though.
Have you been involved in politics outside PoFo e.g. joining a political group, government internship and volunteering for political campaigns? How would you describe experience? If not, would you like to involve yourself politically in the future?

I've joined the DNC - and I still am because I like to vote twice - and I've joined a few socialist parties. The latter has never stuck though. I've been a part of protests, I've organised labor once or twice, and I think I'm still formally part of communist labor union in Ireland.

None of it has seemed to do a lick of good though. I don't really know what I'd do differently, but I'm drifting to the armchair more and more as I get older. In the words of Megadeth, "If there's a new way, I'll be the first in line - but it'd better work this time."

[HoniSoit]

Why made you join PoFo in the first place?

Haha, "why made you" reminded me of that Idiocracy movie...I was in high school, a former friend of mine and former poster told me about the site. At that time you had to have non-yahoo, hotmail emails so I signed up with my dad's gci email.

How would you describe your politics then and now? Have the years spent on PoFo shaped your thinking significantly, and in what ways?

I was a lot less informed and knowledgeable then. Most of my beliefs were based on confused assumptions and misconceptions, and I think I have a much fuller worldview since I first posted. I guess I'm still a ‘communist’ in the sense that I believe in Marxist dialectical analysis, but I find my name a lot sillier anymore, and I find myself much less inclined to associate with imperialist red states like the USSR and China.

What you most like and dislike about PoFo?

Like: People and news - lots of the people are really interesting, funny, and some of them I've ‘known’ for a long time, it’s a community of sorts. Most big and little news stories find their way on here and we've got a combination of radical and mainstream media sources that is pretty awesome.

Do you feel PoFo has changed since you joined? If so, in what ways has PoFo changed?

Yeah it has changed, a lot of the people who were big name posters when I joined are gone, I feel like the media age has increased - when I started I was 15 and there were more teenagers, I don't remember if the over 18 rule existed at the time. I don't know if there have been any major changes in the political composition of the board, but I guess it would be strange for any major shift to happen on a board over time. There is a different membership, so there are less of certain things, like the Ayn Rand objectivists railing about bus drivers, but there are new sorts. I feel like there are more people I'm annoyed with now, but it’s hard to say exactly if that’s even true.

Which PoFoers would you like to have a drink with, and why?

I would probably drink with a lot of Pofoers - I'm a bit of a drinker and I don't really choose my partners based on politics. The best guys from past and present though I will break up into different categories, because I think my reasons for wanting to drink with various people are different.

Of the people significantly older than me, who I wouldn't necessarily get hammered drunk with, but might rather sip whiskey slowly in armchairs talking politics and absorbing wisdom are:

CWAS: nutjob alcoholic drug abusing conspiracy theorist. He was always funny and surprising, if consistently ridiculous.

Potemkin: fucking knowledgeable. Apparently about everything from literature and history, to porno and drug use.

Demosthenes: metal as fuck, old, and doesn't even drink so it might be kind of awkward. But I'm sure we could talk about some commie shit.

And then I would also love to get drunk and party with the people I have a more ‘peer’ connection simply because they seem like pretty good guys, these include: Brio, Donald, C_M, Kon, TIG, Zagadka, Stjpe, Le Rouge, skinster, Tigerlily, Fig, HoniSoit, Red Star, Abood, and probably anyone under the right circumstances...

Life outside PoFo

Hmm. I go to the University of Alaska Anchorage, in the summer I work for the Anchorage municipality as a gardener. I smoke a bunch of weed, drink lots of beer, and read lots of books. I play guitar and harmonica a little bit, and enjoy hiking, backpacking, bicycling, rock climbing, kayaking, festival going and other outdoorsy shit. I'm single, live with a male and a female roommate, a dog named Kilo, and two female rats named Blitz and Stroganoff.

When and how did you firstly become politicised?

I was always into history, and when studying WWII in grade school I decided to go against the grain and do my report on the Soviet air force or some shit instead of some patriotic Pearl Harbor, Battle of the Bulge shit, and became intrigued, probably by the authoritarian aesthetic - this propelled me down a road of research and investigation into communism, and since my parents are open minded liberals they gave me open minded liberal answers to my questions.

Is your family particularly political? How have your parents or other relatives influenced your politics, if at all?

Hmm, my mom's family are all very liberal, left wing democrats and atheists. We are a pretty tight family, and usually meet up every summer, they have influenced me to be inquisitive and fairly left wing I must say. They are not total bleeding hearts though – my dad, specifically taught me an intense humorous cynicism.

What kind of job are you holding? Or, what subjects are you studying? Do you find your work or study satisfying? If not, what would you rather do if you can choose?

Currently unemployed for another couple weeks, but my gardener job is fine. Pays o.k. - 13.86/hr, I get to be outside, and I can be stoned and water/plant fucking plants. It is not where I want to die though. My studies are alright, undergrad college seems silly and pointless often, but at least its not too difficult. I can't think of a degree or job that would be really satisfying - successful and good prose fiction writer, maybe?

What is the single most important event that has shaped or changed your politics?

I couldn't say. No single event has shaped my politics. Not to sound pretentious, but I think my ideology is more complicated than something based primarily on an emotional response to one event. I guess birth will do though.

Have you been involved in politics outside PoFo e.g. joining a political group, government internship and volunteering for political campaigns? How would you describe experience? If not, would you like to involve yourself politically in the future?

Been in several political clubs, one when I was in high school was cool: I would hang out with all these old guys, eat bagels and drink coffee talking about politics - I felt important. The last one, when I was in college, was lame, unproductive and nowhere near ‘revolutionary’. I don't have any plans to be involved in politics really, I've been on a ‘cultivate your own garden’ Candide sort of path lately, but who knows.

[Cartertonian]

When I first joined, there was a legion of unthinking leftists that wanted to join the left for the sake of being edgy. Now all those people have moved to the right for the sake of being edgy.

Ohhhh...QFT x 1000!

...and no-one wants to go for a drink with me.

As for question re-writes, I would be tempted to stick with the current template for a few more issues and then switch to a new template, which offers us the flexibility to re-interview popular posters.

[MB.]

I'd like to see some interviews with the 'legacy' users, people who no longer frequent PoFo but were legends back in the day. Of course, it might be of low practicality to actaully contact those people for interviews, but it could produce interesting results.

Anyway, these interviews look good to me for this article. We don't want too many interviews after all, and we'll need to have some left-over for next issue...