Interview - Wayne Luke, SitePoint Forums Administrator

SP: How has SPF evolved in terms of structure? What are some of the tough decisions did you have had to make -- and how were you able to implement them without "losing" the team around you?

Well, I like to apply what I call "Adaptive Evolution" to the forums. They grow in a way that's dictated by the community at large. This is why there is an imbalance of discussions -- there are more on building a Website, even though I think that's only 10% of the job, and the easiest thing to do.

However, the community keeps asking for more in that area. When I make major changes to the Community, these are often discussed with the Advisors and Mentors. This allows the group to remain a team and involves everyone in the process. I think this allows the community to grow at a good pace, but it feels more natural than it could be if handled otherwise.

SP: Can you describe what it's like to work successfully in an "online team"? What kinds of challenges does working over the Internet with a dispersed team present? What tips would you give to someone else trying the same approach?

Well, the largest problem that crops up is communication.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that visual cues don't get translated in your words, so sometimes a comment or opinion ends up being interpreted as a reprimand, and reprimands are interpreted as being much sterner than they really are. This has caused a few problems over the last few years. Luckily, I work with a group of very talented individuals so we can usually talk it out.

The other problem is that with a group in a forum situation, time can pretty much be thrown out of the window. What could be handled in 15-20 minutes in a face-to-face meeting often takes weeks to handle online. As not everyone has the technology for instant communication via something like Netmeeting or Voice Over IP, it can be frustrating at times. My advice to others would be to take advantage of instant communication technologies from the start. Instant Messaging is nice, but it's not the best solution -- and conducting meetings in a forum setting is a practical impossibility.

SP: Have there ever been any "leadership disputes" at SitePoint Forums? Do you find it difficult balancing the needs and agendas of your team members with the fact that they're geographically remote, and participate on a voluntary basis?

There have been disputes over different items. However, I run the forums under what I call a "Benevolent Dictatorship". This means that in the end I have final say with regards to the forums, unless I'm overruled by the SitePoint Founders.

This doesn't mean that I don't listen to the Mentors' and Advisors' ideas. I consider them akin to the Cabinet of the President of the U.S.A. They are more my advisors than they are the community's: they help guide the forums, and are constantly thinking up new ideas. In this way, I think that we can come to a mutual agreement on how to direct the community without stepping on each other's toes too much.

SP: What is the most difficult thing you've been faced with while leading this online community?

The most difficult thing is managing personal opinions on various topics while allowing an open discussion on the forums. I don't want to say "free speech" because we don't really allow that, but I do want to allow open discussion even if I disagree strongly with the views expressed.

SP: And what's the best thing you've gained from your work with SitePoint?

Well, first off it would have to be the knowledge I've gained from everyone in the community. When I first joined the forums, I was just a hobbyist with a couple of pretty bad Websites. Since then I've grown, learned new technologies, and met a lot of really great people. There are many in the community that I consider good acquaintances and a few that I consider friends. This fellowship and sharing of knowledge is what I see as the community's greatest triumph.

SP: What's your favorite aspect of running SPF?

The people. It's the best place to meet people with the same work-related interests that I have -- people from all over the world. Just learning about different countries and the trials they have in technology or the advances they have over what I am used to is exhilarating to me.

SP: Tell us about one thing in your history with SP that made you feel proud of SP and the job you do here.

I don't know if there is just one thing that makes me feel proud about SitePoint or the forums. If anyone had asked me 4 years ago if I saw myself running a large community like this, I would have said "No". By nature, I am not a very outgoing person, however in the forums, that's different.

Maybe in a roundabout way, I'd have to say that I am proud to be given the opportunity to help so many others and learn about other cultures, ways of doing business, and developing software for the Web.

SP: And where is SPF going next?

I would like to see it move towards being a more service-oriented community where people know they can get the answers they need, find great products or locate service providers to fit their requirements. It has some of these elements now, but the result is too chaotic for it to be beneficial to everyone. The goal is to bring order to these elements so that they can benefit everyone, including SitePoint.

On Time Management

SP: How much time do you dedicate to SPF each day - and how much time would you spend, on average, posting? Administrating?

I honestly don't know. As I don't have a time card, I've never tracked the hours. I would have to guess on average it would be 2-3 hours a day with spikes when a new version of vBulletin is released.

SP: How do you manage your time? Do you have a fixed day routine in which you order the immense number of tasks you have?

I could probably use a more set schedule, but there are many things in my life that preclude my having a schedule set in stone. Usually I just write things down and cross them off as I finish them. Any new task is added to the bottom of the list unless I'm told it is important.

SP: How do you juggle your responsibilities here at SitePoint, your other jobs, your wife, your kids and your sanity? Do you make clear distinctions between work, SitePoint and family?

Sometimes it's very hard to juggle everything. When my family is around, I tend to place them first above anything else. This means in the evenings and on weekends, I really get very little done. Usually, I'm an early riser, so I can work easily during the day.

Usually the weekends are so hectic though that I look forward to the workweek so I can relax a little. The fact that I work out of my home actually gives me four hours extra to work every day, though I don't always use it for that purpose. If I worked in an office somewhere, chances are I would get less done and not have as much time for the family.

One thing that I do is meditate for about a half-hour every day. This allows me to focus and get settled in for the day ahead. If something happens where I can't do my meditation, I have a very unproductive day. For working on SitePoint I check the forums and help throughout the day. Since it is all accessible through the Web, I can manage it from any PC quite easily. Other work is given a higher priority than SitePoint, though I still work to dedicate enough time to all projects.