Interview of a JetPunker #23 - dug28

Hi dug! How are you? Well, that's a bit weird for me to ask it, because I want to do it since the second one but never dared before, but... Would you like to be my 22th interviewee?

Hello Poirot! I'm doing well, thanks. How are you? I'd be honored to do the interview. I've said it before, but I really appreciate IOAJ. You do a great job.

I'm fine too, thanks! I'm honoured by the interest you give to IOAJ. Thank you very much for having accepted!

Glad to do it!

Good, so I guess it's time to begin.  Let’s start this interview! First, could you present yourself on JetPunk quickly for our readers who don’t know you (admitting that’s possible…)?

Hello Poirot and blog readers! I’m dug28 (or Doug in real life). I’m from the US, currently living in northern Kentucky near Cincinnati. I seem to be one of the older members of the JetPunk community. I have a wife and three kids. I’m proud to say I’ve influenced all of them to spend at least a little time on the site.

I first found JetPunk back in 2014. Like many, I was looking for a good “Countries of the World” quiz. I ended up here, and the rest is history.

You are probably one of the most creative quizmakers of the whole website, and many of its most notable users call you the “King of SVGs”. Do you think this nickname is relevant? How do you feel about it?

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard that nickname. It’s very kind, but I wouldn’t say it’s accurate. There are many quizmakers doing things with SVG’s that I have no idea how to do. At the same time, though, I do appreciate it when people enjoy the quizzes I’ve made.

You are of course well known for your amazing SVGs, but also for your unique picture quizzes, and for the Play-Doh ones among many others. Could you explain how you had this very original idea and how you achieved it?

As a Pokémon fan, I am in awe of this beautiful and very original Magikarp! But of course it was probably a lot of work. It's still a very cool anecdote. Thank you for the picture!

You have a huge 59% rate of featured quizzes, all in English (excepting one in French), by both nominations and Quizmaster itself. How can you explain this unique success? Are you proud of it?

It’s both gratifying and humbling. I love the idea of creating something that adds value or makes people happy in some way.

You once said “I'm not quite a dead quizmaker yet... but I am rusty.” (27th June 2021). Does it mean that you are [less] inspired in quizmaking, or do you just need more time to come up with your amazing ideas?

So, there are a couple of factors here. For one thing, 2020 was easily my most productive year in quizmaking. I just had more time then, due to the pandemic. In fact, I made Flag Emblems Scavenger Hunt while I was quarantined alone in my bedroom with Covid. (I was the only one in the family who tested positive). As life has gotten back to something that resembles the old normal, I don’t have much margin for making quizzes. Along with that, I don’t have as many brand new ideas these days, and I’m more inspired when I’m doing something new.

Two years ago, you published your very first JetPunk blog but since… nothing from you on the RUB. Would you say that you are still interested in blog, or not at all? More generally, what do you think about the blog section and its community?

Yes, it’s been a while since that blog. I liked that one, because it highlighted some quizzes that deserved more attention. To be honest, I don’t see myself being a very active blogger in the future. I did have an idea for a blog series a while back. It would be called “Favorite Meals from Around the World.” Each blog would be based on a meal I’ve had in my travels. I’d post a picture of the actual food, and then I’d tell the story behind it. For example, I once had a lovely steak and ale pie at the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford (UK), which was famous as a meeting place for authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I was sad to learn that the pub has since closed, but my wife and I had a great experience there back in 2007. 

It could actually be an excellent idea! I think we all hope you'll find some time to maybe publish a blog like this one day.

Your wife gave you JetPunk Premium subscription for Christmas, in 2019. Was it a good present in your opinion? Do you like this feature in general, and what is its aspect that you enjoy the most? Do you plan on buying it again in 2024 (I know, that’s pretty early to ask that, but still…)?

Ah, my wife… she gets me. Of course, going ad-free is great, but I kid you not… I have used the JetPunk Premium analytics every day since I got it. I love stats and charts, and there are just so many fun things you can look at. For instance, I like to compare the number of takes different quizzes get when they’re on the front page. Why do some quizzes attract more takes than others? I know I’m weird, but I like thinking about stuff like that. And yes, I plan to get Premium again, even if I have to buy it myself.

What is your own quiz you are the proudest of?

I’d have to say the Play-Doh quizzes, especially Play-Doh People from History. It was so much fun to make. The whole family was kind of in on it. They’d give me feedback and suggestions. I also liked the end result. It’s still fun to look at.

Do you have big projects of quizzes in preparation?

As I mentioned, I don’t have as much time as I’d like, but there’s a fun idea I’ve been thinking about, and I’d love to make it happen sometime. We’ll see…

What is the most important event in your own life of JetPunker?

That’s an easy one. Early in my quizmaking journey, I made Cartoon Versions of Countries. I didn’t know if anyone would notice the quiz, but on the same day that I submitted it, I got an email from Quizmaster saying he liked it and decided to feature it. I was stunned. In a good way. It was just so encouraging, and it’s a moment I still appreciate to this day.

That's actually pretty impressive! Congratulations!

If you had to resume your JetPunk adventure in one word, what would it be?

Amazing. I once said in an email to Quizmaster that JetPunk is my favorite corner of the internet. That’s been true for many years now. I love learning new things. I love geography, maps, history, and many of the other subjects covered here. I love the positive community that I’ve encountered here (sure, no place is 100% positive, but overall, the people here are great). JetPunk has been a bright spot through some of the hard times I’ve been through, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I never would have guessed that a site like this would be such a significant part of my life, but here we are.

Would you change something in your JetPunk adventure, if it was possible?

I don’t think there’s much I would change. It’s been a fun ride.

If you had to choose just three JetPunker for their quizzes, who will it be?

I knew this question was coming… It’s tough because there are too many great quizmakers to choose from. However, since you’re the one asking the questions, I’ll do my best.  My first two names probably won’t be new to most people. #1- Overtired. I know he’s pretty famous these days, but I would just like to say that I noticed him a long time ago, back when he released the “Cartoon Riddles” quizzes. His earlier quizzes were unique and fun, but over time, we’ve seen that his creativity and execution are off the charts. #2- Elboy. I love quizzes that are educational, fun, and visually appealing, and Elboy’s timeline series ticks all of those boxes. I’m also a big fan of the “Jeppy in Disguise” quizzes. They’re funny and artistic, which is a good combination. #3- Joanie. Probably a lesser known name, but Geography on a World Map is incredible. I plan to go back and take it now and then and try to learn as much as I can. The US/Canada and Europe versions are also excellent.

I know I was limited to three names, but I do have to give a quick shout-out to Quizmaster and Stewart. I think what they have accomplished is phenomenal. I’ll leave it at that.

And for their blogs?

I’m not just saying this, but your interviews have been my favorite blogs. It’s great to get to know some of the JetPunkers. I love that this site brings together interesting and talented people from around the world. Are you familiar with the Disney ride “It’s a Small World?” JetPunk is like that, if you replace the cute dolls with geography nerds.

Beyond IOAJ, my appreciation of blogs is hit or miss. I thought Pullasorsa’s JetPunk Iceberg blog was fun. I also enjoyed Hibasi’s Balkan Trip travelogue. There are other good ones, but I’ll stop there.

Haha! Thank you very much, I am honoured. And the comparison is actually pretty interesting and original.

What are your passions in life, excepting JetPunk?

All kinds of stuff. I like being outside, especially running and hiking. I like playing guitar. I like art. I read a lot, too, especially history. On a deeper level, though, my true passions are my family and my faith. Lots of things in life aren’t that important in the long run, so I try to focus on what matters most.

“JetPunk actuality question”: The notification system recently got updated. What do you think about this new feature?

So far, I don’t have strong feelings about it one way or the other. In general, I try to keep an open mind anytime there are changes to the site. For example, I thought I wasn’t going to like the friends feature when it was first introduced. I really don’t want to see JetPunk take on some of the negative aspects of social media. I know QM has expressed the same opinion, which I appreciate. Eventually, though, I really came to like comparing scores with friends.

You are on the JetPunk Discord server, and we can say you are a bit active on it. What do you think about this server?

I’m not super active, but I’ve met some cool people there and I’ve gotten a ton of help. I discovered it back in 2019 when I first started making quizzes. I had a lot of questions, and everyone was very helpful. In fact, it’s safe to say I never would have become a serious quizmaker without the server. I am significantly older than everyone there, so I don’t spend much time just hanging out. However, I really like when they host a JetPunk Olympics Event. Those are super fun.

What do you hope for JetPunk development in the next months?

It’s been good to see the site continue to grow. Overall takes are up significantly this year. I don’t have any big ideas for new developments. I’ve wondered if it might be possible to host some kind of live head-to-head or multi-player challenges, but I’m guessing that would be complicated, time-consuming, and not necessarily worth it for the site. In the end, I mainly want JetPunk to remain the positive place it’s been for all the years I’ve been here.

Do you have a message to pass to the whole JetPunk community (or at least to the few users reading these blogs…)?

I guess my one message would be this: don’t underestimate the good you could do here on JetPunk. If you make quizzes, you’re helping people learn, which is always a good thing. I’ve been amazed at how often geography helps me in everyday life. Not long ago I read a biography about someone in Medieval Europe, and I had a much better sense of the story simply because I’m familiar with many cities and regions. That was definitely not the case before JetPunk.

More significantly, though, you have opportunities here to really make a positive difference in someone’s life. For example, I still remember a comment someone left on one of my quizzes over two years ago. This person went out of their way to say something very encouraging, and it meant a lot. That’s such a simple thing, you know? But it matters. So, that’s it… in the words of Bill and Ted, “Be excellent to each other.”

What a beautiful answer to put an end to this interview! Thank you very much for the implication, my dear dug.

I'm glad the interview works ok. Thanks to you!

Oh, and one more thing... congratulations on surpassing one million takes! That's an amazing accomplishment.

Haha! Thank you very much, I am honoured and pretty proud.