Sorry it's so long Reinman, but you asked. (That'll teach ya')
A) How did you become a MOD?
About four years ago, PSC was experiencing tremendous growth and Jeremy (jmh132) was looking to add a few more moderators. He approached me and asked me if I would be interested, of course I said yes. When I first joined PSC, the site was nine months old and had about 3100 registered users. For those of you that may not be aware, you can mouse over your user name see your user-ID number (listed in the status bar of your browser) which has been accumulating since December 13, 2001 - the birth date of PSC. My user ID for example, is 3182. jmh132 is user 1.
PSC started out as a practical joke between two friends in Pittsburgh, PA., JMH and "user-ID number 2" – DChance. Inspired by FARK, they engaged in malevolent photo-shopping of each others portraits and wanted to share their digital creations with the rest of the world. It was then that the PSC domain was born.
B) Why do you think you are a good MOD? (if you feel you are NOT a good MOD, please quit and let someone else have a go! )
One of the biggest problems facing PSC a few years ago was alias voting. There seemed to be no shortage of people would create fake accounts and take part in vote stacking. (Cue the Koreans) Although there were several measures put in place to deal with this problem, people would usually find a way around them. In an effort to solve this problem and restore the site to a truly competitive environment, I and the other moderators meticulously worked at identifying and removing improper users. From that experience, it was clear that in order for PSC to develop and prosper, it must assert and sustain legitimacy.
That concept, for me, has been one of the most important aspects of serving as a PSC moderator. In addition to the day-to-day tasks of removing spam, assisting with duplicate entries, and testing new features I’ve worked hard to support an environment where people have confidence in the validity of daily contests, and assume a stake-holder benefit if they choose to contribute to Advantage.
As you know there are several excellent moderators at PSC. And although we all see the site from different angles, we work closely together when making decisions. Procyon is a strong advocate of consensus building and has also been working hard to meet the ever-changing needs of the user base.
C) What do you currently feel/think regarding PSC as it is in this incarnation?
In its current state, PSC is moving through yet another development stage. From a physical standpoint the site is highly functional and flexible. The organization and layout are always categories for improvement, but they can certainly hold their own. Throughout its evolution however, PSC has, for the most part, reflected and remained in lock-step with its progressive user base - that’s not to say the two are always in perfect sync.
If you take some time and examine what PSC used to be, as compared to what it is today, it’s an eye opening experience. I would encourage everyone to visit the “wayback machine” and take a look at some of the links. Surprisingly, there are plenty of archived discussion threads that, NOT unlike today, are funny, controversial and some even malicious.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://photoshopcontest.com
As I’ve watched (mostly with delight) PSC develop over the past few years, several distinct patterns have emerged. Two particularly important ones are centered in the Art and the People. For "Art’s sake," "what old is new, and what’s new is old." How many times have you seen an excellent image that seemed strikingly similar to something you had viewed six months or a year earlier? No doubt many people find inspiration in the works of others, but I would contend that in most of theses cases, you’re looking at a genuine creation by its author. I believe that most good ideas in the world aren’t devised by just a single person, rather they were simply the first to obtain a patent.
For “Peoples” sake, “what’s new is new.” That is, the people, the core user base that exists today will mostly be gone in two or three years. (Mostly ~Cartman. 2003) For many people, PSC is a four hour lay-over on an otherwise one hour flight. During this time, some of the best artists have surfaced, rose to fame then moved on to their next interest. Their influence remains but only until the next “generation” comes along. For example, in its infancy, PSC was a college humor site. The daily images were dominated by snapshots of various users in the course of their daily lives. Long before I ever considered PSC an art site, it was a fantastically funny web site. Because of the popularity of the then-vogue humor style, users would submit daily entries or “visual stories” that lampooned (sometimes quite dubiously) other users.
Through the next few years, PSC saw its Renaissance, again at the influence of the new artists who were feverishly signing up. It was at this time the Professionals arrived, and not just from the US, in fact mostly from Europe. This in my opinion was the best period at PSC. If you’re a sportsman, (or in my case a golfer) it’s been said that by engaging in any competition with a Pro, your game will improve exponentially. I firmly believe this idea is true, it certainly was for PSC. Although the site was much smaller during this period (both in physical capacity and user base) the level of work was not only first-rate, it was abundant. Of course at that time Advantage hadn’t been introduced, so in addition to possessing mad-talent, a successful artist had to be resourceful and quick.
But like all things, this wonderful period passed thanks, in part, to Jeremy. As JMH rehashed his code and gave PSC a face lift, a plethora of new changes hit the front page: Advantage, User Stats, Portfolio/Profile, Dynamic Threads, Pre-posting just to name a few. This served as the catalyst that attracted probably the largest percentage of new users since PSC began. (It also allowed PSC to become marketable, and among other things led to its sale to our Canadian friend, Procyon) By doing so, many of the familiar legacy members emptied out. For some it was like returning to their favorite Mom-and-Pop diner only to find it had been completely renovated and modernized. For them, it wasn’t the same. For others, it was a natural progression - that will also come about for many of the people reading this. Perhaps your job, school or home life will become too demanding, maybe your spouse is ready to divorce you for having an affair with a digital-art web site. Whatever the reason, it’s quite normal for people to ultimately lose interest in PSC and pursue something else.
D) Is there anything you'd like to see more of here at PSC?
More than anything, I would love to see a renewed effort put forth by the entire PSC community, not only the current generation of users, but also the legacy members, the moderators and of course the site’s proprietor to reestablish a cohesive, enjoyable environment. I think that it’s important that all contributing members recognize their responsibility to the success and development of the site.
Whether you plan to stick around indefinitely or eventually outgrow the site, you have a chance, not only leave your mark, but learn from some the most talented people I’ve ever encountered. Moreover the site administrators have the obligation to better understand the user base and their changing needs. It’s essential that PSC fosters a consistent, inclusive user experience for all its constructive members.
Despite the ever changing user base, or the ownership changing hands, or having been physically built and rebuilt countless times, PSC – and the ideas it represents - have remained constant: An online Art community designed to encourage and foster the sharing of ideas, art and friendship.
While in our stead, we all share the responsibility of its continued development and success.
Oh, Now i get it. 
@ 202...Great read.....good insight about PSC too.
i can't believe i just said that.. 
.. I hate reading. 
