Our Meet the Staff series continues with an interview with software engineer Mark Painter. Mark’s work is often hidden in the depths of the site’s underpinnings, but if you write Hubs, they have most certainly been affected by his influence.
To give you a better understanding of the mysterious man behind the code, we’ve given Mark some of the questions provided by HubPages community members. Enjoy!
Do you ever feel bad when after a hard job you do not receive the recognition and praise that you deserve from Hubbers? -ngureco
Recognition is always nice, but a lot of the things I do aren’t very visible to Hubbers, or when they are visible unlikely to elicit praise. For example, praise is an unlikely response to having a Hub flagged for moderation. I enjoy my work at HubPages, though. Maybe, if I felt the need to bask in the constant admiration of others, I would have taken up a different career, like acting, or something.
What would you do if you had spokes and a rim? -janderson99
I’d like to see some really famous writers publish via Hubpages, or better yet, some writers become really famous for writing Hubs. I think that would count as “having spokes and a rim”.
What was your favorite cartoon / cartoon character when you were a kid? -prettydarkhorse
I liked the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, fractured fairytales, the way back machine, all of that. It seems I enjoy slightly warped reality.
How Many Hubbers will it take to fit into a Submarine without it sinking? – celebrite
I thought submarines were supposed to sink.
From SimeyC:
Who is the office geek?
That is a very hard question. I think you would have to specify a dimension of geekyness. Most staff have their geeky quirks, but along different lines. So, it is hard to compare.
Who is the office joker?
Simone, maybe.
Who is the most eligible bachelor / bachelorette?
I’m married. I haven’t payed attention to that.
Who likes the Telletubbies?
I neither like, nor dislike Telletubbies. I stopped watching TV before the Telletubbies came out. So, I know very little about them.
What motivates you to do the things you do for Hubpages? -ripplemaker
I like the idea of a platform for people to self-publish and earn from it.
HubPages Blog 
I love your response about submarines! Good on you for keeping your attention on your wife and not the most eligible bachelorette! Even though I am unaware of you and your work (well, not any more), I do so appreciate those people who make machines like the Hub Pages run smoothly. Many thanks to you, Mark Painter. 🙂
Constructive criticism in the form of flagging a hub for moderation is sometimes seen as a downer. Although constructive criticism is needed and should be appreciated. If people want to grow on hub pages, they need to know how to improve their hubs. Mark you are doing a great job and I as Amethystraven, a.k.a. Paula, appreciate what you do. Without your efforts through your job people would post hubs that are inappropriate, they would not grow in the writing community. Thank you for your time and efforts Mark Painter. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your hard work on HP, Mark. Nice meeting you here!
In IT industry, you have to be loud about your performance.
I always wondered who the behind the scenes people were. Nice to put a face on it. I am giving you an accolade for being our moderator.
Good to know that someone is watching over the quality and substance of things here.
Thanks for all your hard work Mark… 🙂