😎💪 Interview with Simone724 🤵‍♂️🥰 Arki ja tavat

Interview with @Simone724 18.10.2024

Thank you very much Simone that I can take an interview with you!! Molto grazie!! 🙏🙏 If you dont like to answer any question that is of course not a problem. 🙂


⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ PART I


1: How long have you been a member of PPG and what do you think are the biggest changes of PPG since you started? Which changes did you like the most?


First of all, hi Yue, and thank you for the interview. I registered on Penpal Gate more than 11 years ago; i used the site for some months, then i stopped using it and, as time goes by, i even forgot i was registered to it for many years; few months ago, when i found this site again, i tried to create a new account, but the site told me i already had an account with the same e-mail, so i changed the password and i logged-in again, realizing that my old account was still active. It implies that, unfortunately, i haven't seen all the changes of the site through the years but, from what i remember, it didn't change a lot from the very first time i used it and, at that time, the site was pretty similar to the current one. I like Penpal Gate because it is simple and, at the same time, complete of all the essential functions, like forum, chat and private messages. So i think this site doesn't need many changes, because it's already very effective.


2: In what city of Italy do you live? What is the nicest about your hometown?


I live in Varese, in the Northern Italy. It is a bit bad for me, because i like both metropolis and small cities, and my city isn't any of them, but just a middle way between them (tho i think it is closer to a metropolis more than a small city). Anyway it doesn't mean there aren't nice places here, or close to here. In this area there are many lakes (in particular Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, also known as Lario), beautiful to visit, especially during summer, and also many green places, like forests, woods and parks, with a big variety of wild animals. Varese itself is not a very famous city for tourism, but of course there are some nice places of interest; one of the most important is probably the Sacro Monte of Varese, place of pilgrimage since the Middle Age, without forgetting the Campo dei Fiori Regional Park, a beautiful nature reserve, always located in the province of Varese.


3: What did you study and what kind of work do you have now? Do you like it?


I started studying Electronics and Telecommunications at the high school but, during those years, i realized i didn't like it very much, and i didn't want to find a job related to that. So, at the university, i decided to begin my studies in Intercultural Communication, because i understood i liked humanistic subjects more than scientific ones. After getting a degree in Intercultural Communications (that i loved, except for the Japanese exam, because it gave me many troubles and i had to repeat several times before passing it), i started a Master degree in Anthropology, that i probably loved it even more than my first degree. So, officially, i'm an anthropologist but, who knows this job, also knows that it is currently a unhappy profession. Luckily the degree i got also opens the doors to other job opportunities, but where i live it doesn't seem there a big request for them, so i'm also looking for many other different jobs.


4: What is your favourite food and drink? And what kind of food do you like outside Italy? For example Spanish or French or Indian food?

As italian, i like eating and i love many foods. My favorite one is pasta, because you can eat it in very different ways, and i eat it almost every day. But, of course, pasta is not the only food i like: i also love pizza (the classic Margherita is my favorite), chicken, fish and potatoes, and i don't like spicy foods. About the drinks, actually, i try to drink only water, due to some cistitis problem i have to deal with; but i also like to drink green tea, coke and fruit juices sometimes. The food outside Italy i like mostly is definitely sushi! I could eat it at breakfast, lunch and dinner without getting tired of it! Sadly it is very expensive, so i can't eat it very often, but surely it is still the food i prefer out of Italy.


5: What kind of forums do you like the most on PPG and why?

There are many interesting forums here on PPG, but sometimes i don't write anything because i don't have enough time or because i postpone, until i forget to do it 😂. Anyway my favorite forums are the ones where people ask for personal preferences or thoughts about any kind of topic (for example, i really liked to read the opinions of the other users about the paranormal). That's because i'm very curious for nature and i always like to hear what other people think about a certain topic, even if their point of view is totally different from mine (and i think listening to different points of view help us to grow as people and to consider other different perspectives to the same thing). I also like the funny forums you write, Yue, like the challenges, or the games. In general, i think the forum is what really helps to make the site active, and also the part i prefer, because people are free to write their opinions about everything, taking their time, and interacting each other.

Thank you VERY MUCH @Simone724 that I can do this interview!! I like it A LOTTT because you give very nice answers and tell a lot. That makes it molto bene!! 😛

BUTTTT if we have PPG reunion maybe and you eat sushi than @Roseeeee and I eat all of it when you look away! 😛 I like that you also love very different foods! 😊😊

I will soon make the next part of the interview but if anybody has questions for Simone in the meantime or would like to say anything, you can do that below!! ⬇️⬇️ Grazie!! 🙏🙏 🙂

Very beautiful interview. Very good Yue and Simone 👍👍👍👍👍👍🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Thank you very much Lorenzo!! 😊😊 And can I ask @Etienne if @Simone724 and I think also @alga98 are now the longest members here with you still on PPG?

Ow edit: i dont mean longest like height but the years on PPG!! Sorry!! 😛

Thank you very much Lorenzo!! 😊😊 And can I ask @Etienne if @Simone724 and I think also @alga98 are now the longest members here with you still on PPG?

alga98 is the 17th oldest still active account, simone724 the 22th. The oldest still active one is someone from India, who signed up in the first couple of weeks of the site, early 2008

alga98 is the 17th oldest still active account, simone724 the 22th. The oldest still active one is someone from India, who signed up in the first couple of weeks of the site, early 2008
@Etienne Did you think your project would be successful?

I'm happy with it and it's rewarding that people think there's value in it, but for a long time I considered it to be a failed project because I poured thousands of hours of work into it and it never really took off like I was hoping it would (especially compared to competitors who were much more popular despite feeling clunky). I'm deep in sunk cost fallacy water at this point and I've accepted it 😂️

I'm happy with it and it's rewarding that people think there's value in it, but for a long time I considered it to be a failed project because I poured thousands of hours of work into it and it never really took off like I was hoping it would (especially compared to competitors who were much more popular despite feeling clunky). I'm deep in sunk cost fallacy water at this point and I've accepted it 😂️
more than 200,000 subscribers is an excellent result. Was it exciting when the first person signed up?

I'm happy with it and it's rewarding that people think there's value in it, but for a long time I considered it to be a failed project because I poured thousands of hours of work into it and it never really took off like I was hoping it would (especially compared to competitors who were much more popular despite feeling clunky). I'm deep in sunk cost fallacy water at this point and I've accepted it 😂️
226562 ! How many subscribers would you like to have? There should also be many donors 🤔

I read that there is a site with over five million members (Int......) but I found it truly obscene. We need to get PPG to five million!

Yes there are a couple of websites that have always trusted the top Google results, and it's pretty much impossible to outrank them since the more clicks they get the more it strengthens their position which is a virtuous circle for them 😒.

226562 ! How many subscribers would you like to have? There should also be many donors 🤔
I don't have a specific number in mind but I would've liked for it to be my "real" job, as advertising only barely covers server expenses. Donations are rare and it's okay. It's not so much the number of accounts that matters, it's how many people come every day. To make a living out of it it would need to have at least 30x more visits, which is very unlikely to happen

Yes there are a couple of websites that have always trusted the top Google results, and it's pretty much impossible to outrank them since the more clicks they get the more it strengthens their position which is a virtuous circle for them 😒.


I don't have a specific number in mind but I would've liked for it to be my "real" job, as advertising only barely covers server expenses. Donations are rare and it's okay. It's not so much the number of accounts that matters, it's how many people come every day. To make a living out of it it would need to have at least 30x more visits, which is very unlikely to happen

The best idea you had was definitely the forum. I think @Yue_ and @Simone724 agree with me. I signed up multiple times and then unsubscribed because no one responded to my messages. I'm just here for the forum. Unfortunately there is always someone who doesn't want to interact with me because I'm too old. Maybe someone thinks I'm a bad person looking for strange things. The age difference can become a problem. For me it's not a problem. The forum teaches that we must respect the ideas of others. Politics, wars, religion, history. Everyone has their own ideas. Unfortunately, most members are not familiar with the forum.

Pennarossa2024 muokkasi tätä .

I discovered that there is another Yue 😳👀

I discovered that there is another Yue 😳👀

Hahah yes but @Etienne already said that!! So she gets a lot of messages if people tag me wrong like Yue and not Yue_ 😛 😛 But i dont know if she is active still but maybe @Etienne knows that. 🙂

I also like the forum the most like you @Pennarossa2024 but also private chats that are funny or nice. 🙂 And I agree that on forum everybody is equal and that you can have nice conversations. I like how you and @Parsaa are friends. You are from very different countries and age BUTTTTT that does not matter. Because you both have lot respect for each other and you talk about nice things. That is very cool! And I have that with a lot of different persons too and that is nice!! So i like both forum and private chats. But I am not a lot in the chatroom.

I already gave Simone the next part of the interview with questions! 😛 And if @Pennarossa2024 or @Etienne or others have questions too for Simone that would be very cool and you can write them below!! ⬇️⬇️🙏🙏

I also like the forum the most like you @Pennarossa2024 but also private chats that are funny or nice. 🙂 And I agree that on forum everybody is equal and that you can have nice conversations. I like how you and @Parsaa are friends. You are from very different countries and age BUTTTTT that does not matter. Because you both have lot respect for each other and you talk about nice things. That is very cool! And I have that with a lot of different persons too and that is nice!! So i like both forum and private chats. But I am not a lot in the chatroom.

I already gave Simone the next part of the interview with questions! 😛 And if @Pennarossa2024 or @Etienne or others have questions too for Simone that would be very cool and you can write them below!! ⬇️⬇️🙏🙏

Parsa is very intelligent and very funny. Papparsaaaaa 😎😆

Parsa is very intelligent and very funny. Papparsaaaaa 😎😆

I think you have a very special friendship!! That is very cool!! 🙂 You are best friends on PPG!! 😛

But now I give the forum back to @Simone724 because i want for him attention with the interview and that people can ask him things!! And I know that you and Simone are also very good friends!! That is very bene! 🙂 Do you know each other only from PPG or also you met in real?

I think you have a very special friendship!! That is very cool!! 🙂 You are best friends on PPG!! 😛

But now I give the forum back to @Simone724 because i want for him attention with the interview and that people can ask him things!! And I know that you and Simone are also very good friends!! That is very bene! 🙂 Do you know each other only from PPG or also you met in real?

We only know each other on the site because we live in quite distant places