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Blue Mage
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FORMER STAFF
(INCOMPLETE)
Please reach out to the admin team if you were on staff and would like your name added.




FORMER ADMINISTRATORS

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Staff Member: Shu
AKA: Chishu, Fei Wong
Real Name: Tyler
Location: Oxford, MS
Staff Position: Former Administrator
Joined Site: November 2006
Joined Staff: January 2010
Contact: tylerwo84@gmail.com - Facebook
Staff History: Shu was promoted to Gaia moderator on January 2010, along with Tia and Ariana (for the Final Fantasy section). On August 2010, BustaMo had to resign his position as administrator to attend to personal duties, and so Shu filled in Busta's role and worked closely with Mitsuki since then.

Bio: Shu grew up on the hill of Nashville, TN. He moved to Mississippi to attend College in 2003 and graduated in 2008. He started an internship in his Sophomore year in Oxford at FNC, Inc in which lead him into Quality Assurance and now is a manager of the international division. He works hard for his family and is a strong supporter of Ole Miss Football.

Interests/Hobbies: Running, Soccer, Music (no country).

Approachability: Depends what time of the day. Mostly has a lot of work to do in his career, so can be late to respond. His door is always open though.

Favorite FF: FFVII
-What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
I became stuff due to I believe my people skills had matured to the level where responsibility would be warranted. I also loved the community and indeed loved to try to help where I could on my favorite Gaea section. I have stuck around so long due to the leadership and the coordination are professional grade now. I believe this forum could always be thriving thanks to the staff and members of this community.

-Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members?
Always. Mitsuki and Tia have always been the best of Admins to work with. When Bustamo was around, he was a mentor in my eyes for activity. I looked to

-What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
The ability to show non bias when arguments broke out. At times people are given a bad rap due to previous reputations. I believe all reputations can be broken and that people can be "good" when they choose to. To define "good" though you must hold values to yourself, if not, then it's hard to decide what's good and bad. Most of it though is common sense when it comes to being an Admin or a Mod.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?
The site itself has become better looking and people have become more involved with the Vbshop and such. I think each section has been moderated better since 2009.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
The people. The people are what drive this forum, without them it would just be an archive. An archive would then turn to Historical Data. I think this forum does a good job of maintaining good apples in terms of Membership.

-Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
Birth Week is always good.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?
I can't list the number of changes.

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?
I like to travel. My favorite locations are Chicago, IL and Gatlinburg, TN. From the peace and quite of the Smokey's to the lovely Revolutionary Breweries and food from Chicago, I love the richness of both places. I'm also training for my 2nd marathon. Lastly, I play as a soccer keeper for my work's city league soccer team.

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
There is not one even in particular that has happened to me that has been outrageously awesome. My enjoyment with the community and meeting new folks has made it easy to stick around. Any time I'm able to interact with the community is a good time to me.


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Staff Member: Mitsuki
AKA: Mits, Suki
Position: Administrator
Location: California
Joined site: December 13, 2006
Joined Staff: August 27, 2007
Staff History: On August 2007, Mitsuki was promoted to Moderator and kept a watchful eye on Gaia. She was promoted to Global Moderator eight months later, and the workload increased twice-fold as she managed all sections. Occasionally she picked up extra shifts and babysat the shoutbox as soon as she became more comfortable doing so. On November 12, 2008 (which happened to be her 22nd birthday) Mitsuki was entrusted the role of Administrator by former staff members and former administrator, Bei Bei. With no admins active enough to help run the staff and do all the ACP work that had been piling up in the to-do-lists thread in Headquarters, you might as well call it an emergency promotion. She went to work on day one and has been at it ever since, with a few bumps here and there.

Bio: Mitsuki was born in Manila, Philippines in 1986. She lived on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw (an active volcano to this day) the first seven years of her life, where she lived in simplicity. In 1995, she migrated with her family to Los Angeles, California and reunited with her grandparents and relatives. She moved around a whole lot during her childhood-teenage years and transferred to at least eight different schools by the time she graduated high school in Corona, California. She moved around a bit more, attended a few colleges and got married in 2005. In 2006 she lived in Columbus, Ohio for three years with her husband and daughter, where she worked at a retail store, then became a teach for a daycare center some time later. She moved back to Anaheim, California with her family in 2009, where she now works at Target in logistics and sales floor.

Interests / Hobbies: Mitsuki enjoys different forms of art, from traditional drawing / painting, graphics and photography. She's been dabbling with Photoshop since 2007 and occasionally draws on her Wacom tablet. She plays the piano and a bit of guitar for fun (although she doesn't consider herself proficient enough with guitar but can play a couple songs). Every now and then she'll watch anime but is extremely picky with it due to the fan service. She also enjoys listening to 80's rock, Celtic, Japanese and Korean music. During the weekends, she loves watching Korean drama with her daughter.

Fun Facts:
- She has Italian ancestry from her mother's side.
- At the age of four, she witnessed her father and two uncles in sever bloody drunken fights using knives. She started to lose hope for humanity then.
- She spilled scalding coffee (3rd degree burn) all over herself as a toddler and was immediately rushed into the emergency room. No serious scarring (only minimal which has faded over the years) to everyone's surprise.
- She still loves her coffee to this day but now prefers iced-coffee.
- She was extremely shy and (perhaps eerily) quiet during her childhood-teenage years that her teachers began to suspect if anything was amiss, to her dismay. This led to some counselling and other things. She's a little more outgoing these days, however.
- She enjoys the idea of going to the beach, but once her feet touch the sand, she usually can't wait to leave the vicinity.
- She has two younger half-siblings who are also members of FFF (currently inactive).

Approachability: While Mitsuki is seldom seen in the shoutbox, she likes to think that she's an approachable staff member. She loves reading her PMs and visitor messages from members, whether it's forum issue or non-issue related. She tries to connect and communicate with new and old members, so that they know she's around to help or chill with when needed. In short, she's chill!

Favourite FF: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFXIV:ARR
- What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
In 2007 I was asked by Darkblade (first owner) a couple times to become a moderator, which I turned down. It didn't feel like a promotion due to how he casually asked. Basically, I wasn't too impressed with the 16-year-old. A few months later, former admin BustaMo asked me, and since I liked how he managed things, I finally accepted. I wanted to see the ins and outs of the staff then, how they operated, and also give back to the community that I've come to love. I had some fun times with ex-staff members, met some pretty cool people (some I've lost touch with), learned a lot from trials and errors, so the experience accumulated through the years sticks pretty solid with me. I'm still around as a member because essentially, we all grew up together here (thanks to the franchise) so it's hard to suddenly close the doors and move on. The idea of not seeing members I've grown close with (or even members I'm used to seeing after these many years) would be kinda odd now - and okay, maybe a little heartbreaking.

- Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members? You may give specific names and examples.
For the most part, yeah. I like working with the current team. Sure, we've had many disagreements about sensitive issues, so it's not usually fun when you're debating the 'whys' with a group who has two or three different opinions. But the current team are respectful in the end and that's what really matters. I'm a firm believer in the idea that it's best to coach the staff than manage it, and I think this helps us immensely as independent thinkers.

Of course, I've had my days with ex-staff members, and that was very challenging for me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a but unrealistic and expect too much from staff members, but I know my ways of viewing things and decisions have clashed with many. I learn as I go, though. Doesn't matter who's in the wrong or right, it's h ow you react and handle things that molds and defines you as a staff member. That's something I have my eyes on.

I'm also a pretty private individual. I think that can rub some people the wrong way, I don't know. That could be something that a few may find difficult about me. But I'm usually quick to make amends and will pull staff members individual for some pep-talk if someone misunderstood something and clarification is necessary, or if they just need a little lift. I can usually pick up who's struggling (whether from mod duties or just having a bad day in general) so I try to be there for everyone.

- What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
Demotions. It's not fun. This has led me and the other admins to choose staff members carefully, people who are going to take accountability for themselves rather than wait for admins to say something. That's the kind of people who take the role seriously and log out still feeling good about the site and community.

The site's decline in activity is also something that people will always talk about and tear apart. That's fine, it's normal. We just try to do the best we can to spark interest, take advantage of social networking whenever possible, hold events, etc. It's taxing, but when I feel that it's starting to take a toll on me, I usually take my 1-2 months of a break to rejuvenate my mind a bit. Sometimes all it takes is to look at the site with a fresh pair of eyes.

As an admin, there's also a lot that goes on other than just your typical "member issue" or "staff issue". In a way there's this ripple effect that we have to really watch out for. One decision can lead to adverse criticisms that may continue for some time, it's affecting other aspects that can be very difficult and frustrating to handle. What makes it right in a member's eyes may go against another member's opinion or staff opinion. But when it goes against the administrative culture and values, that's usually three different views on something, we need to be ready to receive questions and criticisms from both sides, however harsh it may be. This is primarily why I like to be on the same page with Tia and Tyler. Whenever we do disagree with something (really rare though), we discuss it and weigh in our pros and cons. When it's an issue that I'm really particular (stubborn) about and I can feel myself getting more involved than necessary that's when I'll back up and trust my co-admins to make the best decision as they see fit. And it's never been a problem afterwards behind-the-scenes regardless of their decisions since that's how much I trust their capability to shoot for what's best overall.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?
Well, maturity, for one. Not to say that we don't have our immature days (we have plenty of cracks too), but the staff is mature in a way that they know how to take things in and let things go without being incessantly childish.

As for administration, I have a lot of respect for Tyler and Tia for putting up with me. Haha. Seriously, they're awesome. I've worked with four other ex-admins in the past, and while it was a series of highs and lows on a daily basis, I'm thankful for the experiences. It wasn't always a pretty sight back then, but we managed. That's another thing for me - building the administration team carefully. Whatever it is that I may lack or considered as my weakness, I'll be sure to find in another admin to create a balance best suited for both the staff and community. Though that's just one of the few things - there's other factors involved.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
There's many important qualities of this forum, but in my time here, I've come to realize that a solid and caring (with the right attitude) staff to be the backbone of this community/staff... is very crucial to me. Without that quality in staff, members lose trust and may look elsewhere. At the same time, a friendly environment in our community helps solidify many areas. That will always require effort on our part though, so we have to ensure that our member-base is content and listen to their suggestions / concerns. Even if staff may not necessarily agree with something (or vice versa), we have to be open-minded about many things and think outside the box. I think since we're all aware of this, it's heading towards the right direction. Things won't be perfect, far from it on some days, but the will to try harder despite many challenges, is definitely there.

-Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
I find problem-solving (site-feature, specifically) to be kinda fun. I may not always have the right solution or answers, but I like looking into things as long as it's not too technical and I'm not breaking things. Honestly, it's amazing how much stuff you can break by clicking something that you may think is safe to click/delete/edit. Been there, done that.

A typical day in the job involves checking my PMs, VMs, Mentions, etc. If there's a lot of PMs, I may put aside the more complicated ones for a bit so that I can handle it with care when I have more time (I need a quiet and relaxed environment, and this is usually dependent on my kids). I also check the Staff HQ regularly for any updates.

When there's nothing to do, I might chill in the shoutbox, but I do get distracted easily! For the most part there's always usually something to do around here though. I may notice something that I've been staring at for minutes and an idea might pop up, or I may want to double-check something in the ACP, etc.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?
A lot. Some good, some bad. It's always a mixture of things, from site design, community, staff, management, and probably a lot of our take on things too. Those change sometimes.

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?
Playtime with the kids, although even when logged in FFF and I'm doing some work, we still spend time. I can be posting something serious in HQ and belting out Disney songs with my kids, for example. Art and rearranging my living room/furniture (I swear I do this every 2-3 months it seems) are my regular routine outside FFF as well, among other things. I'm also back at the gym now, so I try to do my cardio workout 2-3 times a week.

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
Met a lot of cool people that have made me laugh more than I can count these past several years. Friendships formed (even if some faded as time went by) will always stay with me despite everything. There's a lot of memories that I do hold dear, from troublesome members to difficult situations, etc. Sometimes I look back and wish I could've done some things a little differently. There's always something we can learn from one another, and I kind of like the whole experience.



FORMER GLOBAL MODERATORS

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AKA: CC, Triple T, TTT
Real Name: Jesse
Location: North Carolina, US
Staff Position: Global Moderator
Joined Site: March 2009
Joined Staff: October 2009, GMod since December 2010
Contact: jrcassino@hotmail.com

Staff History: CassinoChips was made Moderator of the RP section in October of 2009. Then, as punishment for his misdeeds, corrupt actions, and general mismanagement, he was elevated to Global Moderator in December of 2010.

Bio: Jesse was born in Tacoma, Washington, and resided in the great Northwest until the age of 20, when he moved to Colorado Springs. Two years later, he accepted a coaching position at a high school in North Carolina, where he currently works and lives. He coaches football and track, and in the winter he referees basketball at the high school and NCAA levels. He graduated from Elizabeth City State University in December of 2009, with a degree in History. He married the Laura in July of 2011.

Interests/Hobbies: Sports, gaming, reading, history. Recently started playing Dungeons & Dragons, getting ready to start a 5th edition campaign.

Approachability: Jesse accepts bribes and gifts of all kinds, preferably large amounts of cash. Please approach him with any concerns or questions you may have. And then get off his lawn.

Favorite FF: FFVI, closely followed by FFIX.
STAFF SURVEY

-What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
Wait, we had a choice?! Originally I had applied to be a Gaia Mod, but that job was given to another very highly qualified individual. Shortly thereafter, the RP Mod position came open. As that was the reason I had first found this site, I expressed my interest, and voila, RP Mod I became. I wanted to put some more spice into the RP section, and was fairly successful in doing so for a while. As we continually see with that particular section, the activity goes up and down. After handling that role for a while, I was offered the chance to become a Global Moderator. Since I am a power-mad despot, I agreed to do it.
I stay on staff because I enjoy the community and believe it can be a vibrant place once again.

-Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members?
The vast majority of the time, yes. Obviously we're all human (at least, so we're led to believe) so disagreements happen. But even then we're usually able to come to some sort of way forward.

-What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
Jim.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?
Nothing. The maturity level is much higher, present company excluded. People don't take things as personally as they have before, and we can discuss issues/problems without having to worry about it turning into a catfight.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
The friendliness. People are pretty open and embracing of new members.

-Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
A typical day involves me saying something snarky in the SB, reading through most of the new posts that day, possibly banning a spambot or two, saying
something else snarky in the SB, greeting new members, handling some menial staff stuff, and saying something snarky in the SB. What's most enjoyable is interacting with everybody.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?
Well, when I started here, we were banging rocks together to start fires. Now we have matches. So that's nice. The forum has gone through so many iterations it's all but impossible to keep track. Members and staffers have come and gone and come back again. The forum itself has physically changed, of course.

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?
What's free times, precious? Netflix, D&D/gaming in general, and sports. Football occupies my life from about June until November.

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
One time Mitsuki let us all out of our cages for 15 minutes and I ran around the cave and there was a butterfly and it landed on a rock and I tried to catch the butterfly but it flew away and I banged my elbow on the rock and it hit my funnybone and it sent zings up my arm and it was nice to feel things again. Also, it sounds corny and clichéd but it's true, the friendships that have popped up over time, whether those members are still here or not. The random conversations are hilariously memorable.



FORMER MODERATORS


Staff Member: Jake
AKA: Ross
Real Name: Jake
Location: Australia
Staff Position: Final Fantasy section Moderator
Joined Site: 4th September, 2015
Joined Staff: 26th June, 2019
Staff History: After joining the community’s free company in Final Fantasy XIV way back in late 2015, a couple of years later I would be promoted to one of the three (sometimes four!) leaders that help manage and run the guild. While separate from the forum itself, from there I eventually became a moderator on the site in 2019.

Bio: Hmmm, what can I say?! I’m from the Southern part of Australia and I more or less discovered this website and community because of the only Final Fantasy game I have played to date – XIV. I graduated from university in early 2019, but next year I will be starting my master’s and studying to become a teacher.

Interests / Hobbies: I’m a huge video game nerd. Just not… a huge Final Fantasy nerd. But I’m getting there! Maybe. If I’m not raiding in FFXIV, then I’m probably playing an FPS like Battlefield or Halo, or an RPG like Mass Effect. Beyond gaming, another hobby that I do regularly is simply just reading many different forums and rambling about whatever I can in whatever dazed/sleep deprived state I find myself in. I’m particularly interested in sociology and criminology too.

Fun Facts: I have no fun facts! Hmmm. Okay okay how about… I’m a bit of a clean freak in real life. Does that count as a fun fact?! OH. I have what looks to be one too many ankles on each foot and once as a child I fractured my elbow when I fell off some play equipment – the result of which is that I can bend my arm backwards a lot further than you would expect. I can also twist it around almost entirely! You’re welcome.

Approachability: I don’t do early mornings. I can quickly become irritated at even the smallest of things. But if it’s past 8am then HELLO.

Favourite FF: Final Fantasy XIV!
- What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
A couple of years ago I saw that FFF were looking for a new moderator and while I briefly thought about it at the time, in the end I decided to ignore the post and tried to instead focus my efforts on involving myself as a regular member into the community more. Fast forward to 2019, and again I saw a very similar recruitment post, and – again – thought about whether I could really offer anything to the community at large if I were a moderator. In the end I decided that maybe I could if I had the opportunity… and so here we are! In addition, I’ve always been impressed with the moderation staff here and so it was really a no brainer when I was offered a position!

- Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members?
Hmmm, given how recent my promotion was I haven’t had many opportunities to work with my fellow team members, but with that said everyone is always very respectful and willing to lend a hand and so I do not foresee any difficulties in the future!

- What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
I’ll have to get back to you on this one, boss.

- What are some key improvements you’ve noticed about our current staff team and administration?
This one too, haha.

- In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
I think the biggest and most important positive quality of this forum is just how connected and close knit everyone is. While the number of unique posters that are visiting the site are clearly not what they used to be a decade ago, the people that do visit this site do so regularly and involve themselves within the community as best as they can. For the most part we’re all civilised, respectful, and friendly. It’s a nice environment to be in.

- Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
I log in and check the Final Fantasy sections for any kind of spam bots and then go through all the newest messages to keep myself updated, haha. It’s been quiet on this front though!

- In the time that you have been a member here, how much have things changed?
I think the biggest thing that has changed – outside of the site redesign – is the rise of discord and the effect that has had on forums in general. For the most part the forum’s discord channel is first contact for our community veterans and regulars, whereas a few years ago most of that activity would have been seen in the shoutbox. Admittedly it’s a little sad to see forum activity drop from time to time, but most importantly the community is still alive and kicking.

- Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?
It probably goes without saying at this point, but if I’m not studying then I’m probably watching, playing, reading, or eating something. Haha. No regrets.

- What’s the best thing that’s happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
Meeting and getting to know the people I have.

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Staff Member: Sprout
AKA: Greeny
Real Name: Little Rich
Location: Wales
Staff Position: Gaia section Moderator
Joined Site: 22nd December 2009.
Joined Staff: November 2012

Staff History: Around end of November 2012, Greeny was promoted as a Gaia moderator to work alongside ex-moderator, Jeff. Depending who you ask, some will say that he is one of the friendliest and down-to-earth moderator you'll ever meet. To this day, he still updates the game leader boards and is one of our dedicated gamers in the community.

Bio: Green is currently an admin/doer of work that nobody else can be bothered to do. It involves data entry, filing, phoning up companies and other exciting things! At home, he is incredibly lazy and does barely anything. Everything he does actually do is mostly done in front of a screen. He loves being random and spontaneous though, so he normally ends up making random videos, even if he normally doesn't publish/upload then anywhere. Let's Plays are a big oart of his daily routine, but only for half an hour a day. We can safely assume that it's an addiction.

Interests/Hobbies: Rich loves his video games the most, but has some other, less Vitamin D accruing interests. Horror films (Stephen King ones mostly) and horror anime (Higurashi, Umineko, Another, Death Note) are what he spends a lot of time watching. It's probably why he doesn't mind being murdered around here all the time. He used to play tennis but gave that up because no one stuck around his town who played anymore, that he used to hang around with. Especially after that one ended up in the sewer after seeing the Deadlights. He also listens to much music, with his favourite artist being Florence and the Machine; the older songs mainly. Then there are books which are mostly Stephen King's, but now and again he ventures out to some new author he's never heard of. Finally, he has a mountain behind his house (MOUNTAINS, GANDALF), so he goes wandering around there a lot...when it's sunny, and when he has to take the One Ring back to the fires from whence it came...So not that often, really. There's normally a dead sheep hanging around at the bottom of a cliff, which is pretty disturbing... and usually a nutty man with a body bag and a shotgun. Also orcs. Aw, the memories.

Fun Fact: Almost broke his ankle in a bin mishap, while bowing down to the evil people in charge of FFF one time. Also bahs at sheep and he wonders why they look at him funny.

Favorite FF: FF9, for it has Vivi and he is Greeny's Vivi.
-What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
I loved this place, from the shoutbox to the threads. The members were always varied and there were always such huge personalities. All of this made me really want to become a staff member and really help to keep things going.
I stay for the people. While I still love FF and still like to read through threads a lot, it’s definitely the people that make me return time after time.

-Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members? You may give specific names and examples.
I find it impossibly hard to work with Paddy Mcgee, but otherwise the staff are all really friendly. I remember when I first started as a mod and everyone really helped me to learn the ropes. My questions are still answered quickly today.
The staff right now are great at organising events and motivating me to help out. Let’s face it...it takes a good amount of motivation to beat my laziness!

-What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
I’ve always found it tough to treat friends as just another member when needed, like when a warning is needed or whatever. I also need other staff opinions before taking action in certain situations. Whether that’s a good thing or not is debatable.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?
Things seem much more laid back lately among the mods, which I definitely see as a good thing. No one wants to visit a place that’s too closely monitored and strict. Love and peace, as the wise Selphie once said.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
Got to be the members and how we all click. We’re ever so close and a big load of us talk to each other outside the forum as well as gaming with each other all the time.

The variety of topics is also amazing. People genuinely love both gaming topics and more serious stuff such as religion/politics etc. Of course, we all love the spam section too...

The amount of events we have is another positive aspect of FFF: Christmas stuff, birth week, candy canes, survivor etc etc.

-Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
My most memorable day was, and always will be, my first day. Seeing the staff shoutbox, the congratulations from members, the new odd abilities that I had around the forum. I felt very included in the staff community.

The most enjoyable thing about being a mod is probably the ability to help the members more directly whenever they need it. I usually end up grabbing other mods’ opinions too, but still.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?
They’ve changed so much! It used to be hectic...I wouldn’t have liked to have been a mod when the forum was completely busy. How would you check everything when the threads were constantly being posted in? Now, it’s much quieter, but still with some stuff to so around the place (events, leaderboards, reported posts).

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?
I play loads of games, create let’s plays, make the odd vlog, watch movies/anime, read books...not the most active lifestyle in the world ha. I just can’t stand sports though. They bore me so much. I go out with mates occasionally but I’m always so tired.

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
Experiencing the shoutbox. Joining the group within and getting to meet so many new people. Seeing how debates can flare up due to a simple variance of opinions. Seeing how well people get along even if they’ve never met outside the forum (though I realise quite a few of the members have). I never felt so accepted anywhere until I visited this very shoutbox.

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Staff Member: C i d
Staff Position: FF and SE news moderator
Joined Site: June 9, 2010
Joined Staff: March 28, 2012

Staff History: Cid was not a very active member. He was just discussing about final fantasy every now and then, like most new members do. He then joined the GFX community. GFX became a hobby for the next few years. Cid was enthusiastically anticipating FFXIII-2 in 2011, so he started posting in the SE news section. In 2012, he was promoted to SE news moderator, to replace Fleur. His role is then extended to cover the FF subforum too.

Bio: Cid’s background is very different than the other moderators. He is Asian and he is born somewhere in Asia. He spent his childhood in his country of origin, before moving to a neighbouring country for further education. He is currently pursuing his study in dentistry. Dental school has been very busy yet exciting for him. He is looking forward to work as a dentist when he graduates 2 years from now.

Interests / Hobbies:
Playing the piano
GFX (forum signature art)
Approachability: Usually logs in at least once a day to look through and moderate new SE news and FF section threads.

Favorite FF: FFVIII

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Staff Member: Paddy McGee
AKA: McGee, Paddy, Adam, Irish S***
Real Name: Adam
Location: Ireland
Staff Position: Gaia Moderator
Joined Site: August 2011
Joined Staff: August 2014(What timing, eh)?
Contact: brianstorm10@gmail.com

Staff History: Joined staff (particularly for Orience) with Gal to wreck havoc with Greeny.

Bio: He’s pretty laid back, chill. Generally avoids a rushing mentally- like to take things slowly. Not lazy or timid though. Serious when it’s needed, but that’s not too often. He can be quite a loudmouth in the shoutbox- but really, he’s just a shy little- could be deemed a little socially awkward- kitten. He is also partial to the odd hundred cuss words! Originally aimed for a career in Journalism, life had other plans and he ended up in Tech and grew to adore and gain a passion for programming as a concept in tech and life in general! He’s currently studying Computer Science in a Third-level education provider somewhere on the Iconic island of Ireland- where leprechauns are our local politicians, rainbows just lead to banks… And we all fight, swear and drink!

Fun Facts:
-His eyes are heterochromic- meaning the irises are somewhat multi-coloured- Blue, red (brown under some fluorescent) and a bit of green,
-A keen history and mythology buff. Needless to say, our Administrator Dan has his dream degree!
-Has a nephew who’s older than him (I guess that counts). The hazing was still given.
-Works at a dry-cleaners, yet cannot iron a shirt to save his life.
-His dream is to grow out a beard so immense, he inspires the Nordic countries to be Viking raiders again- he's always steadily working towards this goal!
-His biggest regret was giving up learning Bass Guitar, after a half-hearted attempt to self teach.

Interests/Hobbies: An avid gamer (obviously), semi-serious MMA fan, intense techie and programmer… Yeah, basically a nerd! He’s also a huge film and literary buff- my favourite place is definitely the cinema. He love the vibe, the feel… Hell, even the grimy smell of burnt popcorn. He used to live in history books as a kid- was one of those kids who loved reading the encyclopaedia as a pastime. He grew out of that though- became your stereotypical moody teenager!

He also loves to write - albeit, the classic writers block and laziness have dulled that expressive hobby for the moment.

Approachability: Quite an approachable bloke… Albeit, a bit shy. He’s not really one for ignoring people though- so you’re welcome to message any time! He generally tries help as best he can, although sometimes, he doesn’t know quite as much as he’d think.

Favorite FF: Has gotta be X.

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Staff Member: iSmiff
Staff Position: Final Fantasy Moderator


FORMER EDITORIAL STAFF

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Staff Member: AuronX
AKA: LukeLC
Real Name: Lucas
Location: Midwest USA
Staff Position: Editorial Staff
Joined Site: May 2012
Joined Staff: May 2013
Staff History:Initially an uncertain member, Kirito's relationship with the community really took root when his writing abilities landed him a spot on the site's Editorial Staff, composing articles for the home page. As time went on and his confidence and contributions grew, he eventually applied to fill a hole in moderating the Gaia section of the site, and later the Final Fantasy section, where he currently moderates.

Bio: Kirito/LukeLC resisted the Final Fantasy franchise for many years, always hearing good things about it but never brave enough to try a game so 'complicated' as an RPG. The battle ended with Final Fantasy X, and he has been an avid fan ever since first playing. Upon playing other games in the series and realizing that Final Fantasy had become a mainstay franchise for him, he began searching out online communities dedicated to Final Fantasy that he felt he could connect with and really become a part of. His final destination--you guessed it--was the FFF.

Interests/Hobbies: Learning new things, foreign cultures (especially Japan), creating and experiencing stories of every medium, video games, music (rather picky), all things techy and electronic.

Fun Facts: Kirito/LukeLC speaks English, Hebrew, and Japanese and has been a computer geek all his life, starting with executing DOS programs by command-line at the tender age of four. He is also one of the rare INTP brand of people--a personality type shared by only 2-3% of the world's population. He is currently writing his debut original novel and programming a JRPG engine of his own.

Approachability: Don't be deceived by the introverted personality, Kirito is one of the easiest to approach people you'll ever meet. So long as it's done in some form of writing. Not that he's unapproachable in person, but you may not get as well-composed and thought-out of a response.

Favorite FF: Final Fantasy XII - the very game that gave Kirito his initial impression that JRPGs were too complicated.
STAFF SURVEY

-What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?
As my initial role was exclusively for writing articles and I had for a while been wanting to write articles covering Final Fantasy, joining the staff when the opportunity to do so arose was a no-brainer. From there becoming a moderator was a natural step as my involvement with the staff increased and a hole in the moderating team opened up. I stick around because out of all the forum communities I've been a part of, this community and I just stick, somehow.
It's hard to say exactly what elements contribute to calling one forum home over another, you just know when you've found it.

-Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members?
For the most part, yes. And that's not to say that for the other times everyone is hard to work with as much as it is to say that a part of any team is different people being different and that means working through those differences at times to end up better off than if everyone mindlessly agreed on everything.

-What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?
Time. There is always more that could be done, but there is not always the time to do it.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?
I feel over the last couple of years the staff has gained a lot of maturity and friendliness among its ranks. Not to imply that it was sorely lacking in those regards when I joined the community--in fact I work alongside some of the great people who were already on staff back then--but I think it has gotten stronger with time. I am confident that if members saw all the behind-the-scenes conduct that goes on they would find everyone on staff to be the same people they are when interacting with members. Everyone is treated honestly and with respect.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?
Its spirit. A nebulous answer, I know, but I can think of no better way to put it. There are plenty of Final Fantasy forums out there, but forums on the internet are a dime a dozen; cut-and-dried. Finding one that has character of its own is just something special.

-What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
As a moderator and part of editorial staff my average day generally alternates between duties. While running my article series is always a fun task, nothing beats being the first to get a piece of news written up. On the moderator side, I most enjoy being able to help people out, even if that just means moving threads to different sections.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?
Quite a lot. Back when I first joined the Final Fantasy XIII series was still in its height and plenty of new members came and went on a daily basis. Now that Final Fantasy as a series has entered something of a slow season as we await the arrival of next-gen titles like Type-0 HD and XV, I find that we have a few very focused members rather than many coming and going on a daily basis. On any series-dedicated website traffic will fluctuate heavily between major releases, but it's the folks that stick around long-term that end up really making up the community.

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time? I have free time?
Well, after all the day's duties are done I usually play a video game or two or watch anime to relax before putting up some z's.

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
Probably getting to know @Bishamon (aka .Mosh). He was one of the first to extend a welcome to me on the FFF and we've been great friends ever since, off the FFF as much and more as on the FFF. Secondarily, best thing to happen to me on the FFF is joining staff, of course!

-When it comes to writing articles for the site, what are some challenges (if any) you face?
I'm a pretty avid writer, so for the most part I wouldn't say I face many challenges in my articles. At times I do struggle with getting the length just right, though. My creative train of thought has a terrible habit of grinding to a halt right before finishing strong, leaving me to ponder the best way to wrap up many of my works. Give it a day and it always comes to me, though!

-Outside FFF, how often do you write?
Every day, often multiple times! As mentioned previously, I am a beginning novelist, but I also own and operate a small tech blog, thinkboxly.com, where I post weekly. Depending on how busy I am with other jobs, I usually write for anywhere from 2-3 hours daily, and I never use spell check.

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Staff Member: Master Cat
AKA: Chanteru, Chant, Chan, Channy, Cat
Real Name: Chantel
Location: Florida, U.S. (temporarily; native New Yorker who is itching to return "home")
Staff Position: Editorial Staff
Joined Site: March 4, 2012
Joined Staff: Sometime May 2013

Staff History: Chanteru (currently referred to as "Master Cat" because she refused to re-name herself "Master Splinter" when there was a TMNT username theme going on) is considered to be one of the "newer" members of the FFF community. She was able to vibe with many of the original members and decided to make this forum her main go-to for Final Fantasy and RPG related news and discussion. Chanteru created the Zidane x Garnet pairing club "Melodies of Life" (which you can find in Spira's Bevelle section) and had been active in various forum competitions, but she had never been a staff member prior to joining the editorial staff. She enjoys writing articles that examine Final Fantasy characters' personalities and relationships, as well as news articles featuring collectors items.

Bio: Chantel currently resides in the "eternally Summer" state of Florida. She was born in New York and raised by parents who would play video games and watch anime on a daily basis - and thus, Chanteru was born! Frequent shops to Chinatown during her childhood instilled a fondness for Asian cultures. Of course, she spent much of her high school life being somewhat "Wapanese" and even to this day, she hopes to live in the outskirts of Tokyo where she can befriend many alley cats and purchase dozens of gachapon daily. She has fulfilled two of her dreams by 1) obtaining a BA and MA in Psychology, and 2) visiting Japan. However, life is too short to settle on that and she strives to conquer many more long-term goals.

She loves a plethora of small furry creatures, including cats, ferrets, squirrels, and even mice. She gets along well with dogs as well, so no need to wage a cat vs. dog war. She occasionally responds to people with "meow" and constantly refers to herself as a "non-human" hybrid specimen. In fact, there are several "species" that she akins herself to: robot, vampire, chocobo, ferret - but of course, cat and alien are the most frequently mentioned and quite debatable. Chanteru is also an all-time lover of sweets! Especially dark chocolate barks with almond and anything chocolate with peanut butter. But she's not too picky really. Don't leave your chocolates unguarded - you have been warned.

Interest/Hobbies:

- Playing video games - RPGs, music, fighting (although I'm admittedly a sore loser)
- Researching on skin care and nutrition products
- Learning Japanese and looking up potential "dream" apartments (i.e. one room suites)
- Watching reality/competition-based TV shows; my recent fave is Cutthroat Kitchen, but I watch too much to list
- Spending hours on YouTube watching hilarious videos, TED talks, and everything in between
- Reading psychology and self-help books; the two really go hand-in-hand, don't they?
- Song writing when inspired and practising piano

Fun Facts: Chanteru used to dream of becoming a voice actor and had joined a forum long, long ago called the "Voice Acting Alliance" where many of the members were scouted and obtained official VA dubbing roles for several anime series. Two members also established a successful singing career in Japan. Of course I didn't make it that far and now I just frequent bars in sheer misery, but it goes to show you how far the internet can take you. Watch what you post! ...The visiting bars bit isn't true by the way. Really!

Approachability: Chanteru is an overall friendly and approachable member. If she pokes fun at you, then take it as a compliment. If she scratches your ankles or pees on your carpet, consider it an offering out of respect and good will. She trolls the Shout Box from time to time (her personal litterbox), but she is also receptive to more serious discussions, so long as tea and biscuits are provided. And chocolate. Let's not forget that.

Favourite FF: Difficult to announce a winner, but VII, IX, and X are among her favorites.

-What made you decide to become a staff member here, and why do you stay?

I was already an active member at the time looking for another way to contribute to the forum. The editorial position seemed a great fit for me since I have always enjoyed writing. I used to write fanficton back in the day, as well as a few stories of my own... Although I don't submit articles as frequently as my fellow editorial members, I believe that my articles at least add another perspective or "flavor" to the current pool of articles.

-Do you find it easy to work with your fellow team members? You may give specific names and examples.

I find my fellow team members to be approachable, reliable, and very talented in what they do. For instance, I've counted on Six/Kira and Mitsuki for graphics-related requests, and I think they do an awesome job at the forums in general.

-What are some challenges you face (or have faced) as a staff member?

The main challenge that I face is my lack of consistency in bringing more articles to the front page. Although I work full-time, I don't always utilize my free time in writing, which I can honestly improve on. At other times, it's a bit of a challenge to find something to write about. I don't typically post news articles; I always try to find something a bit more "out of the box" that could be an entertaining read for visitors.

-What are some key improvements you've noticed about our current staff team and administration?

I haven't been here very long to make an accurate assessment on any improvements on the staff team. I believe the current team consists of a great group of members that are determined to keep this forum functioning and active. As far as I know, the majority of the staff do not get paid for what they contribute here. Despite that, they still invest time and effort into the forums while navigating their own personal lives in "the real world," and that is something that I can wholeheartedly respect.

-In your opinion, what are the most important positive qualities of this forum?

This forum does not consist of flocks of trolls. We have our occasional spambots and bad apples, but everyone is well-educated and if criticism is involved in any discussion, then it's at least constructive. We only have a few truly active members here, which may seem like a disadvantage compared to other popular FF forums, but I think anyone who sticks around long enough can appreciate the quality of the members here. Having a diversity of members from different countries is another nice factor that I believe is missing from other forums.

-Describe a typical (or memorable) day in the job. What do you find most enjoyable about your job?

There is a lot of downtime between submitting articles, so I usually check out what other editorial staff members have posted and I like to provide feedback whenever I can. Although I don't write too often, it's actually pretty enjoyable trying to "perfect" a newly added piece - making sure that the layout flows well, the pictures are positioned just right, the writing structure doesn't cause an eyesore, etc.

-In the time that you have been a member here how much have things changed?

Some of the long-time members have indeed left, but I know that they at least remain in contact with other members here outside of the forums. Also, there used to be a lot more activities and events, so I guess I joined at the right time! But I've noticed that we're trying to get back to that with site-wide events, some competitions here and there... Things don't have to necessarily go back to how they once were; the "new normal" isn't so bad really!

-Outside FFF, what do you like to do during your free time?

I mostly work, sleep, and explore the surroundings of my new home away from home. I play video games when I'm not overly tired from working and commuting - the weekend is a great time for this!

-What's the best thing that's happened to you so far while staying here at FFF?
I'd say building friendships with the members here. This is going to sound a little pathetic, but it's not so easy for me to find people in real life with similar interests. It's actually easier to make those types of friends online because there is no travelling involved! Yeah, sometimes there are time differences, but somehow the members here always manage to pop in the SB and converse throughout the day. And that is why I've stuck around for two years, going on three.
 

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