GWHG Interviews

I’m not interested in blurb. Take me straight to the Interviews.

After having come across a couple of comments about the place, I first blundered into the Google Webmaster Help Group [GWHG] back in August 2006, just to see what all the fuss was about. What I found was a help group, run and overseen by Google’s own staff [Googlers], and jam-packed full of web experts from around the world voluntarily donating their time and knowledge to help the countless number of webmasters who reach GWHG with questions and/or problems on a daily basis.

As I write this, some 14 months and almost 600 posts later, I can safely say that my time hanging around GWHG has been well spent. Not only is it conceivably the single most informative webmaster/SEO learning tool on the internet, it is also the one place where a webmaster’s question stands a chance of getting an answer straight from the horse’s mouth; a Googler.

But Googlers aside; as I’ve already mentioned, GWHG is populated by web-xperts from around the world, and a few months ago, someone started interviewing the ‘usual suspects’ who hang around the place and spend their time helping others with technical or search engine problems for no other reason than [and I quote] ‘that it makes them feel good, in a self-gratifying sort of way’.

So, without any more blathering, here’s a list of the interviews conducted thus far, to provide an insight not only into the sheer level of expertise to be found in the group, but also the people behind the group nicknames. 

Interviews with the GWHG crowd.

“If you have a webmaster problem, if no-one else can help, and if you can find them; maybe you can hire ask the GWHG Team.”

The whole thing was kicked off back in July with ‘An Interview with Webado‘ a.k.a. Christina, a Canadian programmer-analyst with a wealth of technical knowledge, and by far the group’s most prolific poster during the past year.
Visit Webado’s site

Next came the first ‘Interview with JLH‘ a.k.a. John Honeck, an expert on design practices, SEO and Google’s own Webmaster Guidelines. Until his ‘retirement’ in September, John provided invaluable support for countless webmasters whose sites suffered from penalties due to an assortment of reasons.
Visit JLH’s site

At the middle of August followed the ‘Interview with Sebastian‘ a.k.a. err… Sebastian, one of the group’s more mysterious and blunt-spoken experts. Although known for his short, sharp responses to the more inane questions asked at GWHG, Sebastian is an SEO expert with a lot of industry recognition.
Visit Sebastian’s site or take a look at Sebastian’s Pamphlets

Sebastian’s was shortly followed by an ‘Interview with Dockarl‘ a.k.a Matt, an Australian ‘Sugar Scientist’ and ‘Backless Lingerie Salesman’… Err… Let me start that again. Matt, who actually holds a masters degree in ‘Computer and Communications Engineering’, arrived at GWHG with a question about an obscure problem with one of his sites, and decided to stick around lending a helping hand.
Visit Dockarl’s site

An ‘Interview with Cass-Hacks‘ a.k.a. Craig from Yokohama, provided an insight into one of the group’s most knowledgeable and entertaining regulars. As a programmer who, in his own words, has written in almost every language from Machine Code to C++, Craig’s advice about code and coding regularly prevents nervous breakdowns with new or less experienced users.
Visit Cass-Hacks’ site

The first round of question/answer ended with an ‘Interview with Red Cardinal‘ a.k.a. Richard Hearne, a highly experienced Internet Marketing Consultant hailing from Ireland. As an industry professional, Richard provides a host of valuable advice, but always maintains that SEO is 90% opinion and 10% fact.
Visit Red Cardinal’s site

An ‘Interview with JohnMu‘ a.k.a. John Müller, the group’s former top-poster who was recruited by Google at the beginning of September, marked the start of a new interviewer in the shape of Cristina, one of the longest-standing and most dedicated GWHG members. Although with John’s recruitment by Google, GWHG effectively lost one of it’s top volunteers, John can still be seen in the group now and then, lending a hand where he can.
Just as an aside; what is it about that man and binbag dresses ;) ?
Visit JohnMu’s site

Cristina then decided to conduct another ‘Interview with John Honeck‘ a.k.a. JLH, due to his decision to retire from the group during the course of September this year.

Then, at the end of September, it was the turn of yours truly, in an ‘Interview with IceGiant‘. I’ve spent the last 15 years in the computer/internet industry, and as such think hope that I’m pulling my weight in the group. Whatever the case may be, I’m certainly proud to be a member of the GWHG Team.

If I’ve inadvertantly missed out anyone, I do apologise. Let me know, and I’ll get things amended.

Also, since I’m sure that more interviews are to come, I’ll update this page as and when they do.