Devin Morgan
From WikiFAQs
Devin Morgan is a Lead Moderator on GameFAQs. Devin Morgan was part of the original batch of moderators appointed in February 2000, making him the longest serving moderator, along with bruplex. He was promoted on October 16th, 2005. Devin Morgan also goes under the name DBM11085 for contributing. Along with CVagts, he was the first to reach 3000 karma on April 25, 2006.
Devin Morgan's contributor record is one of the best the site has ever seen. He is a Prolific Contributor for FAQs (both for total size and quantity), Game Data, Codes (over 100 games), and Boxshots. Devin Morgan is one of the most active users on the FAQ Contributor board, and maintains the NES Completion Project, a community effort to write FAQs for every NES game. He is currently seventh for the highest amount of FAQ material contributed (in terms of kilobytes), behind Split Infinity, Shotgunnova, A I e x, ASchultz , Psycho Penguin, and DEngel, although he has been the leading contributor in the past.
Interestingly, Devin Morgan was one of the first moderators to be demoted temporarily. He was demodded for one day for closing a topic without a sufficient reason. As of current, he is the only moderator to have been penalised for that action.
He is currently the 2nd user on the Highest Karma Users List.
Interview with Devin Morgan
Devin Morgan participated in the Interview with a Moderator series on March 2nd, 2006.
1. How did you feel about GameFAQs before the population boom of summer 2000, and how did you feel after the boom?
The community was smaller, for one. Now it's clearly become overblown, but that was expected, you know, going on the 7th year of the boards system's existence.
2. What is your opinion of today's users as opposed to three or four years ago?
It might sound weird, but the users that hang around say, CE, today, aren't as memorable as those from 2000-2001. Granted I may rarely drop by CE these days, so I may not know who the "regulars" are considered to be nowadays. But back in 2000-2001, _everyone_ knew such folks as JadeKnight, Slipknotted, and Nemesis, among others.
3. Who do you think is the best moderator ever?
The ones who are still moderators and haven't quit yet, even after taking all sorts of crap from the users on the boards. ;)
4. Why does your name ALWAYS remind me of Darkstalkers?
I never played that game, so I wouldn't know why either.
5. How the HELL do you keep yourself busy on the site after all these years?
On the actual site, not a whole lot. I primarily hang around the FAQ Contributors boards, which I consider to be a "home board" of sorts. I maintain the website for the NES Completion Project (http://faqs.retronintendo.com) which we have going on there to encourage coverage of older games. Don't forget that I spend a good deal of my actual time visiting the site on the moderator pages, doing what I've been for 6 years now. :)
6. What's your favorite type of music?
Classic rock.
7. Best Van Halen frontman - David Lee Roth, or Sammy Hagar, and WHY?
Never really got into Van Halen, honestly, so I couldn't give a fair enough answer to that one, sorry!
8. Why do mods seem so ridiculously harsh nowadays? I know that you're not allowed to contest harshness, but are they being harsh now simply because you can't contest it??
I don't know about being harsher per se. Maybe it's because more moderators are around, and thus more posts are actually being marked/acted upon? You probably got used to the mods not acting on posts as promptly, or at all, so it may appear that our recent surge in overall activity means we're that much harsher. I don't think we are, really.
9. What's your favorite TV show?
Family Guy.
10. Do you get bored of coming to GameFAQs after all these years?
Yup. There's been plenty of days where I just appear for a minute and then disappear for another 24 hours. The interest comes and goes really, and it also depends on what may be occupying my time offline as well. ;)
11. Pirates or Ninjas?
Both! But if I had to pick one, I have to go with ninjas. They're just that cool. While I'm at it, go support them by visiting (http://www.ninjaburger.com). :P
12. When were you hacked?
I wasn't really "hacked". Just a bit loose about what my password at the time was, and wasn't really expecting someone to put THAT much effort into figuring it out. This was like 5 years ago, though.
13. Do you feel your FAQ for Final Fantasy IV is one of your better ones?
Sort of. I thought I did a better job with say, Earthbound, or Mother 1 (from the Mother 1+2 compilation) but that's just me. There are several older FAQs I did that I feel were superior to the others that existed at the time (Super Mario RPG, for instance), but we're talking about work I did 6-7 years ago now.
14. F-A-Q or Fack?
F-A-Q. As in saying each letter individually. (dws90's note: Finally someone agrees me with about this one...)
15. How does it feel to be the only mod, aside from bruplex, still moderating since the first batch? Has the job lost its spark over almost 6 years?
More or less shock that I'm still sane after all this time, heh. I don't think it's lost its spark though, but we're definitely a hell of a lot busier now than we were in 2000.
16. Did you ever feel like taking a break from being a mod?
Plenty of times, but I just can't bring myself to actually "quit".
17. If woodchucks can chuck wood, how do you varnish a clam?
Beats me.
18. Do you have a DS? If so, what games?
Yep, got it at launch. The games I currently own are: *Super Mario 64 DS *Mario Kart DS *Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time *Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow *Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
19. What is your favorite game?
It's probably a tie between Super Mario RPG and Zelda: A Link to the Past. There are countless other games I could name off that I enjoyed just as much, but those two stuck out for some reason.
20. What is your favorite console?
Super Nintendo/Famicom
21. What was your reaction when Gavirulax claimed that you were his moderator helper?
Did he? That's news to me, quite honestly.
22. What motivates you to keep being a moderator?
I've been very active in the 6 years of being a moderator, and other moderators know this. I guess I just feel things wouldn't be running as smoothly, in terms of keeping the queue at bay, if I left. That's just my personal speculation though, as I have no single answer here.
23. Do you think 10 moderations in one week is very bad?
If you're the one on the receiving end, yes...
24. System of a Down, Yay or Nay?
Their "Toxicity" album was great, I wasn't a fan of "Steal This Album", and I have yet to hear their newest 2-CD set.
25. IYO: God exists. Yay or nay?
I'd rather stay neutral on this issue...
26. CJayC: Describe him in 10 words or less.
Great guy who runs a great site but lacks privacy. >_>
27. How often do you talk with CJayC?
Whenever anything that requires his specific attention comes up.
28. How old are you?
20.
29. If CJayC offered you to be an administrator, without getting paid, would you accept?
Without being paid, no.
30. What's your favorite FAQ?
No idea. I don't really read FAQs believe it or not. And when I do find myself making use of FAQs for other games I'm playing, I just check them all out until I find the one that explains what I'm looking for in the best way possible. I don't really pay attention to who wrote what.
31. What's your favorite fad?
No clue. YA RLY.
32. Dogs or cats?
Cats.
33. What do you think of Mexico?
Don't care about it one way or another. I live far enough away from it, as opposed to some of you folks in Texas or California.
34. Favorite food?
Sushi! And Italian food, too.
35. How often do you go to E3?
I went in 2004 and 2005. I was going to go this year (2006) but I have finals that week and thus cannot go. Maybe in 2007, though.
36. What would be your most anticipated upcoming game?
As of right now, probably the new Zelda.
37. Favorite book of all time?
Not too big on reading, but the last book I read through and found interesting was "The Da Vinci Code".
38. Favorite underdog-of-a-game of all time?
Of all time? I don't know. But in terms of games I myself have played over the years (and there have been MANY), I'd have to possibly say Constructor for the PC. It's like SimCity with more attitude. Basically, you built up your city, but not only did you place the buildings, you had to build the lumberyards and concrete plants in order to build the buildings. Additionally, you could remodel the innards of your homes, up to the point of choosing the types of people who inhabit them. Loads of fun. :)
39. How do you feel, if at all, about being the highest karma user?
Doesn't affect me one way or another. I've been a mod since before Karma existed, so it never even made a difference in the first place.
40. I've only heard about you... what makes you so different from the other mods?
I write FAQs as much as I moderate? I dunno.
41. Through being a mod, have you had many games have been spoiled for you (via 'Spoiler without Warning' moderations?)
Plenty, but I don't really remember the specifics of them anyway or care THAT much about finding out crucial plot information. Just because I may or may not know about something relating to the plot prior to playing the game, it doesn't particularly affect whether or not I will play it. It's stupid really, to skip over a game because you know what the final boss might be, or what the plot twist halfway through might be.
42. What's the worst insult you've had to mod?
The standard cursing or sexual-orientation remarks. Nothing original.
43. Did you ever have a point in your life when you thought you were a bad modder for some outside reason?
Not particularly, but then again I don't really let my personal feelings into the mix in regard to moderating the site.
44. Since becoming a moderator, have you been moderated?
A couple times.
45. What encouraged you to begin writing FAQs? How did you find out about GameFAQs?
Honestly it's been so long, therefore I don't know how I came across GameFAQs originally. My best guess is that a link to it came up in one of those old AOL gaming chatrooms circa 1997, or I found it via a link on SegaSages.
As for starting to write FAQs, it was because the site didn't have any information for the game I enjoyed but was having trouble with completing 100%. That game was Kirby Super Star on the SNES, in mid-1998. I figured, hey, I'm really enjoying this game AND the best source of information available that I have for it is Nintendo Power magazine, and even that isn't helping me get those last few treasures in the Great Cave Offensive. That's when I decided that when I finally cover it 100%, to write up my own solution to the level for anyone else out there passing over certain treasures. Needless to say, the "one-time thing" stuck and grew into a full-fledged hobby over time. :)
46. How much money do you make writing FAQs, if any?
I'm not paid for it, but over the years I've won around $1000 from GameFAQs through various contests (FAQ/Contributor of the Month, mainly).
47. What was the topic about that you got demodded for a day for closing?
Some random topic on the Reviewers board. Back when the animosity between them and the FAQ board was at a peak.
48. Favorite Mega Man game you've played?
If we're talking about the original MM series, I'd have to personally say Mega Man 3 on the NES. Don't know why, but I seemed to enjoy that one the most out of the entire series. If we're talking about the X series, then X2 was the best one, IMO.
49. Did you ever use GameFAQs Chat when it was around, and if so, did you enjoy it?
All the time. I was co-admin of #gamefaqs for a time, as well. It was fun to an extent, but having to deal with some of the nuisances around back then wasn't.
50. Do you enjoy writing FAQs or being a moderator more?
Writing FAQs. However, there have been several times where I got a kick out of laying the smackdown on some deserving clowns.
51. Do you feel that there are more moderations today (2006) than in the beginning of GF (1999)?
Now, absolutely. Then again, back in 1999-2000, if you were moderated more than a couple times, you were banned and that was that.
52. What do you think will be the name of the next karma level 37: ??
Level 37: I REALLY need another hobby...
53. How long does it take you to complete an FAQ?
Depends on the game itself, how motivated I am to completing the guide quickly, and how much free time I actually have to devote to writing/playing games.
54. How will you celebrate if you ever become the sole highest karma users?
It'll probably consist of someone IMing me to get my attention on it, and myself simply responding with "oh, that's cool".
55. Do you have any spare time in your life? If so, what do you usually do in that time?
Sure. When I'm not in class during the week or working on the weekends, I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and my friends. It's also a good time to catch up on sleep that I miss out on during the week. ;)
56. Do you eat fast food?
I try not to, but it is inevitable.
57. Top three television shows you watch?
*Family Guy *Robot Chicken *Aqua Teen Hunger Force (although the new episodes tend to suck)
58. You are alone in a cold, cold night, you look out of the window and you see zombies invading the town and aliens are approaching Earth. In your possession you have a knife, a towel and a teddy bear. What do you do?
Wrap the teddy bear in the towel and pass it off as a small child to the aliens, then use the knife to destroy the zombie onslaught. How's that?
59. PSP or DS?
DS. I think the sales numbers make that even more clear. ;)
60. Do you play older games?
Absolutely. Despite the popular opinion these days, there WERE video game systems prior to the first Playstation, AND they weren't in 3D. Best of all, we actually ENJOYED *gasp* 2-dimensional, non-movie-filled games way back then! Kids these days don't know what they missed... (dws90's note: The universe existed before the creation of the Playstation? Woah...)
61. Do you like nachos or pie?
If it's apple pie... and the nachos are accompanied with hot cheese dip...
62. Do you or have you ever downloaded music illegally?
Well yeah. But that's not exactly something I leave out there in the open, either.
63. Most frustrating aspect of your life?
College.
64. Why do these interviews' final questions always suck?
You tell me.
